The Copy Cat

York WiRE June Meeting - Cashflow & Cake!

2010-05-19T14:07:00.002+01:00

For our June WiRE meeting we're venturing out of town to the beautiful setting of Stillingfleet Lodge Gardens. Hopefully it will be a nice evening and we can finish off our meeting with a stroll around the grounds. Our main presentation will be by Rana Harvey of Dazzling Dummies , who will be speaking about cashflow. Although maybe not the most glamorous of subjects, it is really important to all businesses, and good cashflow management has helped Rana to develop her business very successfully in a relatively short time. It's a great opportunity to take advantage of her expertise in this area. To make up for the slightly dry presentation topic we'll be having some lovely cake during our tea/coffee break instead of the usual biccies! The ten minute member slot will be given by Georgia Wilkinson, who will be speaking about her business Jorja Wilkinson Design.

Date: 8th June 2010
Time: 7pm - 9pm (registration from 6.45)
Venue: Stillingfleet Lodge Gardens, Stillingfleet, York YO19 6HP
Cost: £5 for members and guests

All women business owners are welcome to join us for what should be a lovely evening. Please drop me a line if you'd like to come and do feel free to bring guests.

We also now have a York WiRE group on Facebook, so please do join it! WiRE Members are welcome to spread the word about their businesses by posting on the wall. Tell us about any special offers or events you may be running - or why not start a discussion?

Hare Inn Haiti?

2010-05-14T13:44:00.001+01:00

Even after all this time the power of the Internet still sometimes surprises me. A simple press release I did for a North Yorkshire pub with the aim of attracting more local customers ends up on the USA Today website - via the Malton & Pickering Mercury! I guess it was because it mentioned Haiti. It's a bit of a hike from the States to Scawton, but you never know... the Hare Inn's food is certainly worth the journey!

York Press Business Awards

2010-05-10T16:21:00.002+01:00

Yes, it's that time of year again! These awards are really worth entering as there's a good chance you'll get some free PR. CopyCat kicks off the nominations with client Anne Jones of York Debt Solutions - read about her in today's paper. If anyone needs any help with their entry do give me a shout.

York WiRE May meeting

2010-04-30T16:44:00.002+01:00

Details of our next WiRE meeting

Date: Tuesday 4th May
Time: 7pm - 9pm (registration from 6.45)
Cost: £5 for members and guests
Venue: St Olave's Hall, Marygate Lane (off Marygate), York YO30 7BJ
Car parking is available in the nearby Marygate car park

Quite a few members have requested a session on presentation skills, so this month Jules Wyman of Positive Belief (www.positive-belief.co.uk) is going to talk to us on that subject. I'm sure many of you will have seen the dynamic Jules speak before, or perhaps attended her Confidence Garden group, so you'll know it should be very entertaining, and hopefully we'll all pick up some useful tips. The ten minute member slot will be given by Helen Goodwin of Made You Look (www.madeyoulookmadeyoustare.co.uk). If you'd like to attend please let me know and, as usual, do feel free to bring along any guests.

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2010-04-28T11:37:00.001+01:00

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PR for Forward Ladies

2010-04-27T18:43:00.002+01:00

A great PR opportunity for women in business - the inaugural Forward Ladies Women in Business Awards. Go for it girls!

April York WiRE

2010-03-31T11:35:00.004+01:00

The next meeting of our York WiRE group will be at 7 pm on 13th April at the new regular venue of St Olave's Hall on Marygate. By popular request we've organised a talk on social networking and Nick Eggleton of Acute Marketing will be advising us on how best to use this to help our businesses. The ten minute member slot will be given by Samantha Lyth of Red Kite Services. All women business owners welcome! Please contact me if you'd like to attend.

Apostrophe Abuse

2010-03-24T16:53:00.002Z

Been meaning to post a link to this for ages - excellent column from the York Press about misuse of the apostrophe. Lord Mayors Walk indeed...

Win a York Wedding!

2010-02-19T11:31:00.005Z

I've recently been helping a wonderful lady called Angie Grinham who's organising a charity raffle in aid of the Macmillan nurses at York Hospital. The fantastic prize is a package of wedding stuff worth around ten thousand pounds! Read her story in the York Press or enter the competition here.

A CopyCat Affair

2010-01-28T12:32:00.004Z

Congratulations to CopyCat client The Wedding Affair, a new business going from strength to strength. Lisa and Allison are the experts in all things wedding-related and organise beautiful events at fabulous venues around North Yorkshire. Extra points to them for starting a new business during the recession and making it work! Read about their ongoing success in the York Press.

Designs on Radio

2010-01-27T10:00:00.002Z

CopyCat client Owen Turner of United By Design was on Elly Fiorentini's Radio York show yesterday to talk about his involvement with the Graduate Internship Programme at York St John University - he's the first employer to take part in the scheme. Owen's a great designer and a really forward-thinking business owner, doing lots to educate young people about the importance of good design. You can listen again here - Owen is on 26th January at about 1 hour 11 minutes.

WiRE's Big Boost

2010-01-21T14:11:00.004Z

February's York WiRE meeting is going to be on the second Tuesday of the month rather than the first, because the big WiRE Boost 2010 conference in Pontefract is on 2nd February. Details as follows:

Tuesday 9th February
7.00 - 9.00 pm (registration from 6.45)
Quaker Meeting Hall, Friargate, York YO1 9RL
Cost: £5 for members and visitors

Our main presenter this time is Mark Bates of Whitewall Services, who will be giving an interactive presentation on giving good customer service, which is a really important element of any business. The ten minute member slot will be given by Sally Hanley of Clearly Confident Image. Kirsty Harvey's goal-setting presentation (from the cancelled January meeting) has been rescheduled for March.

Please email me if you'd like to attend. As usual, please bring along a guest if you can - the more the merrier! We hope lots of women business owners will be able to make Boost 2010 - you don't have to be a WiRE member to attend, but WiRE conferences are always really informative and inspiring. The programme looks really good - details on the WiRE website.

Farm Shop Video Star

2010-01-19T06:43:00.003Z

My client Ann Brown's business, The Internet Farm Shop, has become one of only five small businesses in the UK to be filmed by Microsoft for their series of short films called Do What You Love. What a great accolade! The video will be on the Microsoft site for a whole year and you can see it here. Ann's had quite a bit of coverage in the media about this, including a piece in the Hull Daily Mail, with the result that her website traffic is up by 400%!

CopyCat on Facebook

2010-01-08T16:41:00.002Z

Happy new year to all friends and clients of CopyCat.

A busy start to 2010 - but the only trouble with working from home is that you have no excuse not to turn up when it snows!

CopyCat is now on Facebook - please become a fan.

Merry Christmas from CopyCat

2009-12-23T11:59:00.003Z

No hard copy cards this year - we've gone all green with a lovely cat ecard from Sloppy Kiss Cards. For every person who follows the link and opens their card I'm donating 50p to Cat's Protection - much better than spending the money on cards and postage! Have a look at our ecard here.

Wishing everyone a merry Christmas and a happy and healthy 2010.
xx

Ryedale Cares for Customers

2009-11-23T11:34:00.004Z

The next meeting of the Ryedale Business Network is at 6.30 on Thursday 3rd December at the Ryedale Bowling Club in Norton. The theme this time is marketing and advertising and there will be a presentation by Andy Newhall of Freshology Marketing on how to win new customers, keep them satisfied and maximise the potential for repeat business - valuable advice! And of course yours truly will also be on hand with PR hints and tips.

Investing in Digesting

2009-11-20T10:19:00.003Z

Something I forgot to post before I went on honeymoon - the great news that my client Mosley's Waste Disposal is investing a massive ten million pounds in its cutting-edge facility at Topcliffe. I must admit I knew absolutely nothing about anaerobic digestion when I first went to see Simon there, but one of the great things about this job is that I meet people from all walks of life and learn a lot along the way! Read all about it in the York Press.

WiRE and Wine

2009-11-18T19:30:00.002Z

The next meeting of our York WiRE group is on 1st December and we're going to be at the Hotel du Vin - classy! Even better, this meeting is free to attend for both members and guests, so if you've never been to WiRE before it's a great opportunity to find out what we're all about. Jacey Lamerton of Get Your Frocks Off will be giving a talk on how we can all look our best for the party season - I'd better pay attention! Usual kick-off time of 7 pm. All businesswomen welcome - please email me for further info or to book a place.

Photographer Steve is Vegas Bound!

2009-11-17T10:46:00.002Z

I did a press release recently for York photographer Steve Ramsden who's won more awards than you can shake a stick at for his wedding work this year. It's a very competitive field, so he must be really good! Steve's most recent prize is a free trip to the International Convention of Wedding and Portrait Photographers in sunny Las Vegas - fantastic! Read more about him in this piece from the York Press.

A Radio York Affair

2009-10-30T06:39:00.003Z

Not posted an entry for a while as I've been busy getting married and going on honeymoon! Mrs Shepherd is now back in the office.

A great day yesterday for clients The Wedding Affair with an interview on Elly Fiorentini's show on BBC Radio York. Lisa and Allison talked about how they set up their business and the preparations for their first upmarket wedding fair at the beautiful Ripley Castle on 15th November. If you'd like to hear the interview you can listen to it on the BBC iPlayer - about an hour and fifteen minutes into Elly's show on 29th October. Good luck with the fair girls!

Eh-oh to Union Mill!

2009-09-25T09:23:00.004+01:00

I recently did a press release for the fantastic new Union Mill development of luxury apartments in Whitby. It's really interesting that what was once considered an eyesore by locals has now been nominated for a Certificate of Excellence from the Whitby Civic Society! Read all about it in the Yorkshire Post.

WiRE in The Press

2009-09-11T11:34:00.002+01:00

Read all about the great York WiRE group in the York Press this week.

Businesswomen in the York area, please come and join us at our next meeting on Tuesday 6th October! The presentation will be about pensions - not the most sexy topic, but we all need to make sure that we'll have enough to live on in retirement. Feel free to email me for further details.

WiRE Sends Knickers to Africa

2009-08-20T12:01:00.004+01:00

Lucy Amos of French for Fidgets and myself have just taken over organisation of the York WiRE group, and our first meeting in charge is on Tuesday 8th September at St Olave's Hall on Marygate in York. We have a fantastic presenter in Jane Sachedina, who will be telling us all how to be a great networker, followed by a fun session of speed networking. Any businesswomen in the York area are very welcome to attend - guests can visit WiRE twice before deciding whether to join. The cost is only a fiver, which includes refreshments. If you'd like to come just drop me an email or book on the WiRE website.

Here's what we got up to at our last meeting!

Uniting Design and Sales

2009-07-29T13:45:00.002+01:00

Ever wondered whether it's worth paying a design agency to create your marketing materials when you could knock up a leaflet on the PC yourself? Of course it will cost you something, but if the latest news from my client United By Design is to be believed, it will pay for itself in increased sales. Check out their article in the York Press for the evidence!

Running for Jane

2009-07-13T15:59:00.005+01:00

Feeling fat and unfit after Christmas I entered the Jane Tomlinson York Run For All 10K in a moment of madness! I've been plodding along for the last few months and now it's only a couple of weeks away. I'm aiming to raise five hundred pounds for Jane's Appeal, so if anyone would like to make a donation (however small) please visit my Just Giving page. It will be much appreciated, both by me and the many charities that will benefit. Many thanks to the lovely people at Burn Hall who have already sponsored me!

Owt for Nowt in Ryedale

2009-06-19T16:08:00.004+01:00

That's the recession-friendly theme of the presentation at the next meeting of the Ryedale Business Network. Nick Teasdale from tKnowIT will be talking about free business software, Kevin Chilton of Chilton Safety Solutions will identify free sources of health and safety information and Darrell Hooper will have information about all the free advice and training events on offer from Business Link, which are great by the way - I went to one of their presentation skills seminars this week presented by body language expert Judi James and she was fantastic.

The Ryedale meeting is at 6.30 pm on Tuesday 23rd June at the Ryedale Bowling Club in Norton. All business owners welcome! Visit the website to register or call 08444 843587.

Free PR opportunity!

2009-05-26T14:12:00.002+01:00

We all like free stuff don't we? One way to (maybe) get some free PR for your business is to enter the York Press Business Awards. You don't even have to be a winner - many of the nominees and finalists receive some very good coverage in the paper too. You've nothing to lose by having a go anyway! More details on The Press website.

Networking at Burn Hall

2009-05-14T10:05:00.003+01:00

For those who love to network, there's a free event at Burn Hall Hotel and Conference Centre on 4th June. It's running from 6 pm until 8pm and apparently there is going to be Buck's Fizz, nibbles and wine tasting. I can't think of a good reason not to go! Burn Hall is at Huby, just off the A19 between York and Thirsk and it's a great venue with lovely grounds. Sounds like a great opportunity to make some new contacts.

WiRE Comes to Selby

2009-05-07T14:48:00.003+01:00

Women's business networking group WiRE is holding its first meeting in Selby on Wednesday 13th May. All welcome! Please see here for further info.

Boomerang Children

2009-04-29T10:59:00.002+01:00

Have you heard of the phenomenon of boomerang children? Maybe you have one of your own! They're the kids who leave home - maybe to go to university - and then come back because they can't find a job or afford to get a foot onto the property ladder. My client PRA Architects of York was quick to identify this growing trend and has diversified its offering by setting up a new arm of the business to help people cope with this - Generation Living. There was a piece about it recently in the business section of the Yorkshire Post and also the property section on 25th April (unfortunately no web link to this one as yet). The statistics on this are really interesting. So if you need extra room to accommodate children returning to the nest you know where to go!

Regardez Nord Encore Une Fois!

2009-04-27T09:46:00.003+01:00

Another Look North hit for CopyCat on 21st April - this time with French for Fidgets. Unfortunately this story hasn't been posted onto the Look North website, but it was a lovely piece featuring the young stars of the toddlers' French classes run by Lucy Amos. Having started out in York, Lucy is now expanding French for Fidgets throughout Yorkshire - it's a great small business success story. Brilliant for your kids if you're off on holiday to France this year!

Niki Looks North

2009-04-08T20:16:00.003+01:00

Niki Garnett-White of Classic Car Hire Yorkshire appeared on tonight's BBC Look North courtesy of CopyCat's Purrfect PR press release service. Have a look at the clip and drool over her collection of gorgeous classic sports cars - all available for self-drive hire! Niki's had a busy media week, also appearing in the Yorkshire Post and York Press as well as giving an interview to Radio York. She's determined to make a success of her new business despite the recession. Go girl!

Inspiration for New Businesses

2009-03-31T16:02:00.004+01:00

At the next meeting of the Ryedale Business Network there will be a presentation by Jo Purdy, who owns the Hearts and Flowers floral design shop at Wykeham near Scarborough. Jo will be inspiring business owners (both present and potential) by telling them about how she recently established her successful retail outlet - and the many challenges she faced on the way. It's sure to be of special interest to anyone who's recently been made redundant and is now thinking of working for themselves. Go for it I say - that's what happened to me nearly two years ago and I've managed to avoid getting a proper job so far! Business Link bods will also be on hand to give help and advice. Anyone is welcome to join us (you don't have to live in Ryedale) but please book in advance - further info on the website.

Hold the Meringue!

2009-03-02T10:23:00.003Z

Remember this madness?

Well the lovely Jo at Mila Brides in Acomb has been helping me to choose a dress - so patient and helpful even though I'm not a proper paying customer and an indecisive Libran to boot! She completely understood that I didn't want a huge meringue and made some great suggestions from the Madeline Gardner range. I think I've found The One now, but of course it's a secret!

God Loves Garforth

2009-02-19T12:12:00.003Z

Godloves Solicitors have now extended their successful business networking lunches to cover Garforth and Chapel Allerton as well as Leeds. The next event in Garforth is at La Bella Vita on 25th February and the first Chapel Allerton event is on 12th March at Casa Mia Grande . Both are great opportunities for local businesses to promote themselves within their own area in a cost-effective way that doesn't take too much time out of the working day. For further information contact Mark Brookes at Godloves on 0113 286 8822 or email mbrookes@godloves.co.uk.

Interactive Marketing with Exactis

2009-01-30T15:55:00.002Z

If your marketing budget is a bit tight at the moment, have a look at a great new product from my client Exactis Interactive Print. Exactis RSVP is a marketing tool which encourages interaction with your clients or prospects. They receive a postcard which directs them to their own personalised web landing page; any details entered here are returned electronically to the sender. It's much more economical than a traditional mailshot. Read more about it in the Creative York newsletter. A great idea to stretch your promotional resources in these credit-crunching times!

Get to the Top with WiRE

2009-01-23T10:19:00.001Z

Want to make your website more productive? Women's networking group WiRE is holding a seminar in Pickering next week explaining how to improve your search engine position, attract more visitors and ultimately get more business. It's being held at the Ryedale Folk Museum from 9.30 am until 3 pm on Wednesday 28th January - cost is £15 per person, which includes lunch. You don't have to be a WiRE member to attend and it's also a great opportunity to network with other businesswomen. For more info visit the WiRE website. Hope to see you there!

Don't Skateboard in the Hallways!

2009-01-09T18:40:00.000Z

Always sound advice - but in this case it's the name of a project which aims to give Year 12 students enrolled in state schools the same social advantages as those who are privately educated. It's run by my client Matthew Handy of Salinger's College. Matthew is taking a group of his students to Cambridge University next month so that they can experience at first hand what it's like to attend a top university. There are still a few places available - read more about it in the York Press.

Recession Busting In Ryedale

2009-01-08T10:12:00.000Z

At the next meeting of the Ryedale Business Network three experts will be giving their advice on how businesses can cut costs during the recession - check out the website for further details. The meeting is at 6.30 pm on Wednesday 14th January at the Worsley Arms Hotel in Hovingham. All welcome!

New Year, New Career?

2009-01-05T11:15:00.000Z

Happy New Year!

Anyone considering a change of career in 2009 should take inspiration from my clients Kristian and Nicola Jordan at the Lazy Lounge in Leeds. Not too long ago they were both working in IT but left it behind to follow their passion for wine. Read their story in the Yorkshire Post Life & Style section.

The Lazy Lounge is a great place to chill out and enjoy some fab wine and tapas-style food if you're out and about in Leeds.

Christmas Star

2008-12-23T04:01:00.000Z

Season's greetings to you and yours.

A Christmas thought from Owen at United By Design...

Inspiration comes from many places. For thousands of years people all over the world have associated stars and the patterns they make with their gods and goddesses; Hindus, Native Americans, Ancient Egyptians, Mayans and almost every other culture and religion has its own legends and myths associated with heavenly bodies.

The Star of Bethlehem, also called the Christmas Star, is a miraculous and inspirational sign that has been part of Christian tradition for centuries. Regarded by many as the sign given to mark the birth of Christ, it has also been interpreted by theologians and astronomers to have a number of possible explanations such as a nova, a comet or a conjunction of planets.

Its origin may be shrouded in mystery, but the Christmas Star is an icon of our time and part of the Christmas brand we all know and love, bringing joy, warmth and light to us all. If it was not there we would feel that something was missing.
Long may it shine!

Excel with NYnet

2008-12-01T12:57:00.000Z

NYnet is an EU-funded project which is bringing superfast broadband to remote areas all over Yorkshire. My client Excel Telecom has been chosen as a supplier partner in this initiative, so if you're out in the sticks and need a better internet service, give them a call! Check them out on thebusinessdesk.com.

Equine Expert

2008-11-18T13:56:00.001Z

I have just written some leaflets for the most amazing woman, Linda Sadler, who is an equine complementary therapist. As a qualified masseuse and aromatherapist I have an interest in this sort of thing. Linda applies her holistic principles to horses and treats them with Shiatsu, massage, aromatherapy and aloe vera products, speeding the recovery of injured horses and helping top racehorses achieve peak performance. She is also a very successful bloodstock agent, so do contact her if you fancy buying a racehorse!

Feeling stressed?

2008-11-07T09:15:00.000Z

Then you need to call my lovely client Maxine Amos of StressBeaters. She was in the Yorkshire Post this week showing how she's helping stressed office workers to make it through the recession.

Her rates are really reasonable, especially if you can get a group of 15 people together. I've experienced Maxine's service myself and it's fantastic. I'm sure if everyone had a massage every week the world would be a better place.

In business in Ryedale?

2008-11-05T06:15:00.000Z

Then you should probably be a member of the Ryedale Business Network. It's a great source of information and support for business owners in this area and features some really good guest speakers.

The next meeting on Tuesday 11th November features a presentation on goal setting for 2009 by life coach Kirsty Harvey. Reps from Business Link will also be there to give advice. The meeting starts at 6.30 pm. For further details or to book a place visit the website.

The Buzz about Harrogate

2008-10-31T09:18:00.000Z

The next meeting of the brilliant Buzz networking group is at 3pm on Wednesday 5th November at the Old Swan Hotel in Harrogate. Anne Ma'aye and Claire Carvis have worked really hard to get this going and it gets better all the time with 50 to 60 people at each event. If you'd like to attend visit the website for further details - it only costs a tenner. See you there!

Clever Clients

2008-10-28T12:13:00.000Z

Congratulations to two of my clients for great recent achievements - you may already have seen these in the press.

Hygicare of Thirsk has been nominated for a prestigious award by the Society of Food Hygiene and Technology. Their Anti-Bac Boot Liner has been shortlisted in the Best New Product Category. Good luck at the awards ceremony Tony!

Meanwhile three members of staff at HPH Chartered Accountants (based in York and Harrogate) have just been awarded the Diploma in Charity Accounting from the ICAEW, so well done to them. HPH specialise in accounting for the healthcare and cultural sectors as well as charity and not-for-profit and are obviously well qualified for the job!

Media Moment

2008-10-25T13:22:00.000+01:00

Quite unexpectedly I created some PR for myself this week...

http://www.thepress.co.uk/news/3791002.Lucky_couple_to_enjoy___8_000_dream_wedding_after_winning_competition/

I thought this sort of thing only happened to other people!
Mad but fantastic.

Secret Millionaire

2008-10-17T13:42:00.000+01:00

I am a member of Network York and at our Interchange meeting on 27th October we have a real treat - a presentation by Carl Hopkins, business guru and star of Channel 4's Secret Millionaire! Carl will be talking about his new venture, JumbleAID, which is a brilliant way to get rid of all those unwanted items in aid of your chosen charity. Must go and clear out the garage...

If you'd like to attend (you don't have to be a Network York member) call organiser Anne Ma'aye on 07803 616878. The meeting is at Scarthingwell Golf Club and starts at 5 pm.

Inspired at Middlethorpe

2008-10-16T14:15:00.000+01:00

Went to a business networking lunch at Middlethorpe Hall yesterday - always a joy. It included a very entertaining presentation from Rob Northfield of 2inspire. During the course of this I learned that my memory isn't as half as bad as I thought, which was a bonus! Rob is running some other free seminars in the near future, so do catch one if you can - there's no hard sell or anything.

The grounds at Middlethorpe looked beautiful with all the autumn colours - but apparently even though it's now owned by the National Trust you can't just go in and eat your sarnies on the lawn! I think I might move in there when I win the lottery...

Here we go...

2008-10-15T19:13:00.000+01:00

Hello and welcome to the new CopyCat blog.
I'll be posting on here to tell you all about CopyCat's latest projects and clients. And probably some random ramblings about things I've been doing or am interested in.
Feel free to leave me your comments!