Small Business Sunday #SBS Winners Inaugural Meet

It is 3 days since I made the trek from Cornwall to Birmingham with Karen Davey of Just Bunting for a chance of a few hours with some fellow small business twitter friends and to hear from our mentor in common Theo Paphitis.  

Expectations for the day

To be honest, I have been so busy with the holiday season coming into full swing for Easter, our new lodge being built, domestic life as Mummy to our 6 children and supporting Nick on the farm with all the spring births I hadn't given it any thought beyond the logistics of getting there for the day.

So how was it: #SBS Meet?

I was totally blown away by the day as it unfolded. From the ease of parking and registering with  Ryman Stationery to leaving with  a quick photo by "The Car" .  

What made SBS so amazing?

Theo of cause!

I think I expected him to make a quick guest appearance on the day and go again. In reality he spent the full 5 hours with us. I shook his hand as he came in; well I could have gone home at that point and still thought the day was great!

Inspiring us

To then go on and hear his engaging and funny speeches, inspiring us with his passion and dedication to business from his own beginnings, challenging us to shout about our businesses, support each other and not shy away from publicity, I felt I was ready to take on the world after that!

A dedicated website

But there was more! Theo had invested time, passion and support with a deserving #SBS winner Chris Wheeler from http://www.metalfrogstudios.com/ to develop a #SBS web site http://theopaphitissbs.com/ Why? For us to have an opportunity to share, develop and grow our business "A website for winners, by winners" and an endorsement from Theo.

Now it was beginning to sink in just how privileged I was on 9.10.11 to receive this little Re tweet: 

Suddenly I felt part of something big, something real and something with so much passion and energy that I truly believe we will as #SBS winners make our new web site work for us and our individual businesses.

Questions and Answers

An electric two way session had me with my hand up in the air like a school girl, not once but twice I stood up to ask a question. If you had asked me before would I have done this I would have laughed in your face, that is how wrapped up in the essence of the day I had become. 

That Photo

Talk about the icing on the cake, a photo and a certificate, I was as excited as the children leaving Coombe Mill with their farm hat and certificate! Thank you Theo, we all loved that one! 

Fired up by my fellow winners

I have never thought of myself as a networker or as having much confidence, but when I look back at my pictures and notes I think I may be more of a closet networker than I feel. Thrilled to be able to meet so many I tweet as I "speed dated" my way round the room. I have become known as the camera and notebook lady of the day thanks to Nicola Cunningham ‏ @woodandwillow1 . I think the two tally and I have those I managed to stop and chat to correctly matched to photos, but please let me know if not! (Hover over the photo for information)

To those I now realised I missed on the day, I will be on your case next time!

Behind the scenes

Huge thanks to Theo's company Ryman Stationery  http://www.ryman.co.uk/ for hosting, organising and picking up the tab for the day. A massive effort in every respect, much appreciated. I am still perusing the catelog and enjoying my goody bag. "Did I mention Ryman Stationery?"!

Going Forward

Are you feeling as excited about your business ability as me by Edgbaston? If you plan to blog your highlights, please link up below and I will add this post with the links to the new web site http://theopaphitissbs.com/ for us all to share. Any format is good, use my headings or your own or simply add a comment to this post.  

Looking forward to keeping the #SBS buzz alive!

Sshh it's Sunday.......

My week began with a Dragon's Roar!

How thrilled was I to receive the coveted #sbs Small Buniness Sunday award from Theo Paphitis of BBC's Dragon's Den? Just wow and wow again! Anyone who has been there will know that Sunday night feeling, on a complete high, watching the twitter congratulation messages flooding in. Yes flooding! I was struggling to read them at one point never mind reply to them. I think I have spent every night this week up till gone 2am replying to and following new twitter friends and contacts, updating my bio's and under good advice from http://www.shellybobbins.blogspot.com/  and  http://www.bedsite.ie/  writing a press release. Not done one of those since school english lessons!

What is Small Business Sunday?

#sbs is a great opportunity by the Dragon entrepreneur Theo Paphitis. Each Sunday he takes time to look over all small businesses tweeting him @TheoPaphitis between 5.30pm and 7.30pm with their business and #sbs included in the tweet. He receives over 1000 each week and re-tweets his favourite 6. With 177,000 followers and growing,  his re-tweet has real impact. An amazing opportunity at no cost to me yet hours of work for Theo, so definitely my dragon with a heart! He has his own web site with his twitter stream on the home page http://www.theopaphitis.com/

And the family?

With 6 children, all their sports and clubs, meals and house to look after and the day to day running of our Holiday Farm, I guess I shouldn't be surprised there is no time to sleep! I do worry when the children are pleading for a good night hug and I am just finishing one last thing on the computer, or I burn their tea taking a booking on the phone. Juggling parenthood and business is never easy and I do feel the business has taken the high ground this week. We have friends round this weekend and so after we have all finished changeover tomorrow it is going to be quality family time. It may not be perfect but it's my way of juggling being a mummy, wife and working. I have learnt not to beat myself up over it, or over worry every time they complain I am busy, but just to try and find a balance that works for us all.