To me, child photography is not just about cute faces and big smiles; it is about capturing a little person’s unique personality. To do this, we need to capture a child’s natural expressions, which is easier said than done.

Let’s face it. Telling your child to look at the camera and smile naturally doesn’t always work. You will likely end up with a cheesy fake smile. And usually the more you go on about “smile nicely” the worse it gets. Very soon all you’ll get is your child making unattractive faces at the camera, with you getting increasingly frustrated and annoyed.

To get good expressions from your child, here are a few tips you can follow.

1. Get them involved. Don’t just tell your child to “Sit there, look at the camera and smile.” It’s better to get them involved in an activity that is of interest to them. Lay out a few toys to get their attention. Set them a task as a challenge. Put out crayons and a drawing pad.  Let them decorate some cupcakes. Then just be close by and catch the good moments.

2. Let them be themselves. Children love to play. Take your child to a great location where there’s plenty to pique his/her curiosity. An adventure playground. A hands-on exhibition. A park where children can run around safely. Or just let them play in the garden. When they’re having fun, natural expressions will come easily.

3. Be patient. Most children do not like to perform on demand. When it comes to photographing children, you’d better not be in a hurry. Don’t lose your patience (or worse, tell your child off) if you don’t manage to get a good shot quickly. Your child will sense your impatience and disapproval, and won’t want to co-operate.

4. Be quick. Children rarely stay still for long, especially if they are in an interesting setting. So if you want to capture some memorable moments, then stay close, observe and be quick to act . With practice you’ll get better at pressing the shutter at the right moment.

5. Know your equipment. Spend some time reading the manual for your camera and get familiar with all the settings. Knowing your camera inside out and what each button and dial does is essential. It will enable you to change setting on the fly and not miss the decisive moment.

Happy snapping!

~ ~ ~

Contributor Details

Mui Tsun is a professional baby and child photographer based near the Norfolk/Suffolk border [www.muitsunphotography.co.uk].

Last week figures released by the Bank of England revealed that banks failed to lend their targeted amount of funds to small businesses during 2011.

Five major banks, that 12 months ago signed up to the Project Merlin deal, lent a total of £74.9bn to small and medium sized businesses in 2011 against a Government-set target of £76bn.

Coincidentally last week my partner, who has been a self employed contractor for almost 2 years, made an appointment at his bank to ask for an overdraft. His last contract finished at the end of November and he did not work through December and January. However he is about to start a new contract but needed a small overdraft for cashflow reasons until his first invoice is paid at the end of the month.

In preparation he was asked to produce a cash forecast for the coming months. He did so, and the forecast showed that the requested overdraft would be repaid within one month. Nothing about his request posed any risk to the bank.

During his 90 minute appointment he texted me with the following message: “I feel like I’m robbing the place. So much for helping small businesses”.  They would not agree to the full amount requested, because he also has a business credit card (with a zero balance!) and then, to add insult to injury, they charged him a £100 set-up/admin fee for the priviledge.

In my opinion, small business owners do not ask for credit lightly. This was the first time my partner had made any kind of request to his bank and ultimately their decision would mean the difference between us paying our mortgage this month or not. Yet how many small business owners are being ruined by the banks failing to lend money they have been targetted to lend?

Small bridging loans to ease cashflow can make or break a sole trader. Small business lending may not have the glamour and the returns of lending to the big multi-nationals, but each of  these self-sufficient small business owners are supporting families and paying mortgages with no help from the state.

And when you read in the news about massive football clubs dodging tax and owing millions of pounds to their creditors, it makes you wonder who really is the bigger risk?

What have been your experiences with your bank – good or bad? We’d love to hear your views. 

Image: Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Bananagrams  was named as Toy Fairs 2009’s “Game of the Year” and was created by a word game obsessed family. It  is a fast and fun anagram game game that can be played anywhere as it requires no pen, paper or board – just the fun banana shaped pouch filled with letters.  Now an international success available in several languages, the Bananagram family has expanded to include a range of other games which we have been testing out with our own families.

Pair in Pears is a word construction game where players race to make connecting words in pairs. There are many variations that can be played depending on the age and ability of the children. When I first produced this pear shaped bag my 6 year old was quite excited and immediately emptied out all the letters. He noticed straight away that there were 4 different styles of letter and set about sorting them out! We played several of the different games which were suggested, and also varied the rules to suit ourselves too – which is part of the pleasure of something so simple – you can adapt it as you like.

Fruitominoes is a  fruity domino game where you connect fruit instead of dots! My children loved these  and did as much *building* with them as they did playing the game! The dominoes look and feel lovely, with very attractive illustrations. Plus the fruity theme is a good way to talk about healthy foods in a fun situation.

Appletters is another domino game where you don’t connect the dots… you connect the letters! This is a really good word game to play if you have younger children who are just starting out reading and writing as they can play at their level and pace, constructing simple 3 letter words.

All the playing pieces are excellent quality and very tactile. The fact that these games are so simple and small, and come in neat little pouches, means they are great to take out and about or on holiday. They are also great to pack in your bag as an emergency *distraction* when out and about and could easily be played on the train, when visiting someone’s house or even at a restaurant whilst waiting for a meal.

For your chance to win the Award winning original Bananagrams and Zip-it, a 2 player crossword race with letter cubes, then please answer the following question?

How many portions of fruit and veg are we recommended to eat each day as part of a healthy diet?

Email answers to info [at] mumstheboss.co.uk with Banana as the subject heading.

The competition closes at midnight tonight (17th February 2012) and the lucky winner will be notified by email soon afterwards.

If you’re one of the many millions of mothers around the world that struggles to keep your energy levels up during the day – never mind a week or month – then you may need to adopt a different approach and make a few positive changes to help yourself. After all, a lot is riding on your shoulders and you don’t want to get caught out by anything that the average day throws at you. By following these top tips, you should have no problem staying at the top of your game and leading a healthier, happier life!

Firstly, consider eating more high-energy foods that are slow releasing. While quick release carbohydrates like white bread and refined sugar will give you a pick-me-up that you may enjoy for a short time, there’s also an associated downer that you’d have to deal with too. Remember that your body digests wholegrain more slowly, as they contain things like bran, germ and fibre instead of just pure glucose. Whole-wheat bread, bagels, pasta and bran cereal are perfect to help you keep your energy levels high through the day.

Supplements are also a good way to keep yourself topped up with the good things you need in your diet, just in case you aren’t getting them all through food. Lloyds online pharmacy and other high-street chemists provide all manner of tablets using natural ingredients. Whether it’s a simple one-a-day multivitamin or something more specialised to address a particular problem, you will find yourself feeling more energised.

Exercise is an important part of any energetic lifestyle, even though you may feel like this will only leave you feeling more exhausted. Exercise offers two benefits: helping you sleep well and increasing your energy levels during the day. While it may be hard to find time to exercise when you are a working mum, try to incorporate some extra movement into your daily routine. If you only need a few items then walk to the shops – a couple of bags of groceries are a great weights workout. Pick the kids up on foot rather than in the car (you could even jog there if there’s no-one about!). Buy or borrow some exercise DVDs – just 30 minutes a few times a week can make all the difference. And if your children have a games console that uses movement, such as the Nintendo Wii or the Xbox 360 with a Kinect adapter, you can have fun with the kids and get fit at the same time.

And don’t forget to mix up your routine so you get plenty of chance to recover throughout the day, and avoid spending all your energy in one burst. If you know you have to vacuum the house, mop the floor, read some notes for work and make a phone call, ensure that you punctuate the more arduous tasks with something where you can sit down and recuperate.

Image: Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Although the film is probably better suited to 8 or 9 year olds, I went with my 6 year old who loved it as he is an animal lover. As much as I am a fan of animations (and went to see many before my children even!) I like  my children to have a variety of film experiences, including ones which deal with some more adult issues.

So, you’ve got a blog and it’s meant to be helping you build your brand and your credibility – but instead it’s starting to feel like a millstone around your neck because you’ve run out of time and ideas.  Well don’t despair, because the Queen of Blogging, Natalie Lue, has some tips to help you rediscover your blogging mojo!

1. Don’t dwell on it

While some people can sit there until something flows, others can’t and the more you think about or even analyse it, is the more your mojo will shrivel up. You run a business – there are probably a gazillion other things you could be doing. Do those and some inspiration will probably pop up when you least expect it.

2. Seize the moment and bulk post when you do have mojo

When you’re on a roll, keep writing and schedule ahead or at the very least put drafts with the title, initial ideas and any links. This means if you do get stuck, you have these to fall back on. I have a lot of half written stuff that proves to be very useful when I’m flailing around in a panic.

3. Shut out background noise

Twitter, Facebook, forums, and all sorts have a grab of your time but can also if you internalise what you read, you may get drawn into long drawn out discussions about the merits of blogging, comparing, or even losing sight of why you’re blogging in the first place. Which brings me to…

4. Make sure you know why you’re blogging

If I had a penny for every person who thought it was a bright idea to start a blog for their SEO or to boost business who then got blog fatigue, I’d be loaded. You’ll be hot out the gate with great expectations and then wonder “What’s next?” Blogs can be great for business but they’re not your business so understand the overall objective of your blog, what you’re covering, frequency of posts etc and how that feeds into your overall business activities, otherwise it’s a time stealer that you don’t need.

5. Get inspired

Check other blogs including those of your peers/competitors, newspapers, websites, TV, industry news etc. I couldn’t survive without Google Reader, I also love Pinterest, as well Flipshare on the iPad. Get a feel for what resonates with you and look at how you can apply it to your own blog.

6. Keep a note of your ideas and thoughts

I have several notebooks that I scribble in as well as Evernote which is like an online version of overactive busy ideas part of my brain. I use it on my Mac, iPhone, iPad and I clip stuff I see online, email notes to it and you can even record stuff on it. Pinterest is wonderful for a visual moodboard that’s an easy reach for inspiration.

7. Don’t write

I write/blog for a living and even I can’t write all the time. Down time and enjoying something else let’s you come back with renewed vigour. There is no need to start your next blog post with “Sorry I’ve been away for a while”.

8. Assess and manage your expectations

Blog fatigue often arises when you don’t see the value in it or it hasn’t met your expectations. There are a hell of a lot more blogs than when I started in 2004 so it’s unrealistic to think you can start a blog and fame and fortune will be with you a week later or oodles of traffic. Like the aspiring actor in Hollywood that waits tables, many of your ‘co-workers’ have similar ideas.

9. Brainstorm about the types of content you can create

Play around with length, photos, lists, how-to’s. Having a clear idea of the type of content you want to create gives you a start. [link to my post I did for you guys on content ideas for your blog]

10. Find something else to do

Not every business has to have a blog. I obviously think blogs are wonderful but do ensure that what you’re doing is suited to your market. Make sure you know where you’re best placed to meet your customer and that if your goal is to attract more customers that whatever you’re doing is the right vehicle for it.

11. Get some guest posters

You can’t be and do everything. Ask someone you admire to guest post or ‘outsource’ the updating of your blog with a clear brief on what type of content you want. If you’re spending money on PR, this could be included although make sure you don’t use your blog to regurgitate press releases.

Hopefully after reading this you are brimming with ideas for posts – so what are you waiting for? Get blogging!

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We are delighted to welcome cousins Leigh Ashby and Andrea Daly, owners of Two Cousins Bakery, as our new group leaders for MTB Coventry which will be launching on 6th March. 

Having both worked in Further Education for a number of years, Andrea as a lecturer in Holistic Therapies and Leigh as a Policy Manager for the Learning & Skills Council, they both felt frustrated and disillusioned working for other people and wanted to focus on their passion….baking. Two Cousins Bakery comes from our mutual love of baking, creating and eating cakes! They make fun and funky cakes and cater for all dietary requirements, so that no one is ever left out! They also run cupcake decorating workshops for adults and cupcake parties for children.

What inspired you to start your own business ?

Becoming disillusioned with working for others. Both of us had worked in further education for a number of years and wanted a new challenge, a change of career based on something we really enjoyed doing. Most importantly for us was to have a business that would fit around the needs of our children.

What has been your biggest challenge ?

Setting up the business was surprisingly straight forward. Our biggest challenge, both to start with and ongoing, is securing regular cake orders and maintaining contact with past customers.

What have you learnt about yourself since you became self-employed ?

The realisation that it’s not just about baking but being a business person that runs a bakery! We’re learning to be disciplined and self motivated and to put time aside to focus on the day to day things like on the day to day essentials like marketing and accounts. Working from home is great and just what I wanted but it can be easy to get disracted.

What has been the best thing about being your own boss ?

How we organize our day is up to us. There is no set start or finish time, we know when we have to deliver orders by, but when the baking happens can be flexible. We set our own deadlines and decide if we can meet orders or not.  We can work around our children and work when it best suits us whether that be in the day or evening.

Why did you decide to become a MTB leader?

We had been to a few Mums the Boss meetings in Coventry in the last year and we found the networking opportunities invaluable. We have met some lovely business Mums in our city, that has been a real boost to our business and when the group we attended ceased we didn’t want this valuable opportunity to be lost to us and others.

If you could give one piece of advice to an aspiring ‘mumpreneur’ what would it be ?

Do it! Life is too short. But before you go in with all guns blazing, do ensure that you have researched your market and, as boring as this may sound, you need to do a business plan. Particularly a financial forecast – can you afford to run this business or at least earn a lot less for a couple of years before it gets fully off the ground.

To join the mailing list for our Coventry group newsletter sign up here (select Coventry from the location drop down menu) and you can follow the ladies on Twitter at @mumsthebosscov 

True North Productions are making a programme for Channel 4 which will take a family who are fed up of their current jobs/quality of life and want to pack it all in, sell their house, relocate and set up their own business.

The idea is that an expert presenter will evaluate their current life – their assets (house, car, savings), their skills, their future dreams – and come up with three different feasible business/life plans to get them started on the path to the future they wish to have.

Not only will they be presented with these plans, they will also get the opportunity to really experience what making these life changes would be like.

We are looking for families who have the money and the get up and go attitude and would be in a position to make these changes in the next few months. We are looking for people that have lots of ideas for the business they’d like to set up, but haven’t made any firm decisions yet.

With the time and expert advice our programme can offer, it’s a perfect opportunity for people who dream of change and have the financial backing, but until now just haven’t had the headspace or right opportunity to go for it!

If this sounds like something you and your family might be interested in then please contact Hayley on hraper@truenorth.tv with a little bit of information about yourself and we will get in touch.

Here is a link to their website: http://www.truenorth.tv/About+Us/Other+Info/colcall

Networking, whether you are attending a networking event, group or keeping up with events on twitter, regardless of how effective or efficient you are, is a process which takes up time. And time, which you could be with your family, having some quality time to yourself or running your business. In this article, I will be showing you how to save time when networking and improve your results at the same time, by implementing five simple steps to build a successful joined up networking strategy.

Step 1: Set your goals and objectives

You wouldn’t dream of setting out on a 200 mile journey with two kids in the back of the car, without a good idea of firstly why you were going, and where you wanted to actually get to. It’s the same with networking. Set your goals and objectives, before you start tweeting, posting or meeting people.

Step 2: Identify who you need in your network

When you are networking, you are only looking to meet two types of people – people well connected to your ideal client and ideal clients. These are my networking A-listers. It’s that simple really.

Step 3: Analyse the state of your network

There are three main activities in the growth of a productive network:

• Building connections
• Deepening existing relationships
• Pruning connections

As a business owner you need to focus your networking efforts on the connections which give you the greatest rate of return – whether that is support, friendship, answers or new business.  It is impossible to keep every relationship strong and current, inevitably some people in your network will naturally fall away.

Think about your own personal network. Is it in a state to help you easily achieve your networking goals? What approximate percentage of time do you need to spend on building, deepening or pruning?

Step 4: Decide where you will meet the right people for your network

Once you have identified who you want to meet, and why you want to meet them, the next stage is to identify where you are going to meet them.

There is no easy way to find the best places to network. You need to be prepared to do your research and experiment with events and groups, as not every group, event or forum will work for everyone.

Step 5: How to measure your effectiveness as a networker

Successful networking takes time, money and effort. This means that you need to measure where you are having the most success with your networking efforts – so you can replicate the things you are doing right and increase the effectiveness of your future results.

This is why setting networking goals and objectives BEFORE you start networking in earnest is so important. Because, otherwise how will you know when you are being successful? Or, how will you know when you need to change your networking mix of activities?

Once you’ve devised your networking strategy, the next stage is to write your networking plan and start networking!

If you have enjoyed reading this article, take the next step to successfully using networking to grow your business by buying your copy of The Financial Times Guide To Business Networking

Author Credit:

Heather Townsend is the Author of ‘The Financial Times Guide To Business Networking’ and specialises in helping ambitious professional practices grow. Heather regularly blogs at partnership potential and joined up networking.

Image: xedos4 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Lisa Marsh is a mum of 2 and qualified Life Coach who specialises in Fertile Health. Her business Your Great Life provides a wide range of life coaching services and products whilst specializing in Fertility Coaching, helping people find the best treatment options to meet their needs and build their family. 

What inspired you to start your own business?

I have always wanted to be my own boss. I want to have time in my life for both family and individual interests. I also wanted independence, so I could follow through on my own ideas.

What has been your biggest challenge?

Without doubt, it has been avoiding the temptation to do everything myself, from web design to bookkeeping. I am really good at coaching and teaching; I need to leave some of the other things to people who are expert in their fields.

What have you learnt about yourself since you became self-employed?

I am multi-talented and have many skills and resources from other areas of my life that can be put to use in my business.

What has been the best thing about being your own boss?

I love having something to call my own, to shape and grow in whatever direction I want to go.

If you could give one piece of advice to an aspiring ‘mumpreneur’ what would it be?

Get out and network with other women in business; especially if you are working from home.  It can be lonely when you are working hard and seeing little of your friends. Other businesswomen can give you support, new ideas, contacts and respite from your work.

To find out more about how Lisa’s coaching expertise could help you please visit her website www.yourgreatlife.co.uk