And would you be happy to be filmed getting that help?

Independent production company, Handle and Spout, has teamed up with Lynette Allen to make a pilot television programme.

In the programme, Lynette will coach / mentor one business woman to take her business to the next stage.

Could that business woman be you?

Maybe you can see where you want your business to go but you’re not getting there?  Lynette will help you face up to the reasons why.

Are you a `mumpreneur` working from home but not feeling very professional?

Are you struggling with a work / home life balance?

Are you trying but failing to get the best out of a tricky employee?

If so, let Lynette help!

Filming will take place in March 2011.  To put yourself forward you must be happy to be filmed at home and at work.  Colleagues and other family members should also be happy to be on camera.  You should also of course be up for talking openly about the issues in question.

If you think this could be for you please email catherine@handleandspout.com no later than Wednesday 2^nd March, 2011.  Please also include a brief outline of your predicament as you see it, tell us where your business is based and provide a daytime telephone number.

Please also be aware we will not be able to respond to everyone.  We look forward to hearing from you!

Jules is going to be sharing more video expertise in the new year: you can find out more and sign up to stay in touch on his Pocket Video Power site.

A national women’s glossy magazine is looking for women over 35 who have changed career direction after redundancy. Ideally you will have moved into another area of employment, as opposed to starting up your own business, but all stories will be considered. If redundancy gave you the push you needed to pursue your dream career, or maybe you’d never thought of changing jobs before but it gave you inspiration to retrain and try something new, whatever the story, if this sounds like you or someone you know, please get in touch.
ALSO, have you changed career by taking on an already established business 9aged 35+. Perhaps it was a family business that you’ve taken on, or maybe it was a cafe you always visited that came up for sale. Whatever the story, if you’ve recently taken on an already established business and changed your career path, please get in touch.

AND, are you over 35 and have recently become a barrister? I’m after women who have had a complete career change in the last few years to do this.

For all these enquiries, contact antonia@familyfriendlyworking.co.uk with a bit about yourself, and attach a colour photo to your response and I’ll pass it on.

The second section of the book deals with the business side of the equation. How do you start and develop a freelance business? Who do you go to for advice or to submit articles for publication, and how do you negotiate your fee? Also, Marc does not forget to discuss the mundane but important issue of where do you work. In this day of self-workers and home-businesses, there is always room for talking about how to set an office up, and how to use current social media technologies to market your new business.

As with all ‘How To’ book, the key measure of their credibility is the extent to which extra resources are mentioned, and this book has a wealth of places and organisations that a budding writer can go for advice and for further information. If you are looking to report the news, or to get involved with all facets of writing then you would do worse than to read this book.

OVERALL MARK 4/5

How To Work As A Freelance Journalist – Marc Leverton

There has been a huge surge in popularity over recent years, for parents particularly, in ‘portfolio careers’ – basically an exciting sounding phrase meaning ‘do even more work than someone with just one job’. There are of course benefits – you get to use different skills, explore your creative side, meet different people – variety is, after all, the spice of life.

But there are also downsides, particularly if you are self-employed and working from home. The main problem is boundaries. When you have so many plates spinning at once, just how to you decide which to focus on, which to let spin, so that they don’t all end up a pile of broken crockery at your feet? As a seasoned portfolio career woman, and a single mum of two, I’ve had plenty of chance to hone my circus skills, and have come up with the following essentials:

Be organised: We all know filing is boring, but it is a necessary evil when it comes to being self-employed and managing multiple projects. You don’t want to be searching through bags of knitting needles for your memory stick, or getting icing from your bespoke cup cake business all over an important business plan. Each job is separate, so keep it physically separate too. If nothing else, this is a great excuse to take a trip to Staples for some lovely new files and coloured sticky labels.

Plan your time: When you have so many things on the go, it can be hard to know where your priorities lie, so plan, plan and plan some more. Planning needs to be both long and short term. Map out the next month or two, blocking out time for large projects, to make sure you don’t end up taking on more work than you can handle. On a daily and weekly basis, look at shorter term priorities, but keep long term deadlines in mind.

Focus on one job at a time: It sounds simple, so why do I find it so hard? Choose which hat you’re going to be wearing for the next hour/day/week and keep it on. Don’t try putting on more hats at the same time, you’ll just look stupid and they’ll probably fall off.

Take breaks: Tea and biscuits are an essential ingredient of home working. It’s hard to switch from one task straight into something completely different, so take the opportunity to switch off, have a coffee, put on some washing, and clear your mind ready for the next job. You could also experiment with cakes and/or crisps.

So there you have it! Follow my top tips to success and in a few months you’ll become calmer, more efficient and at least half a stone heavier. What are your tips for juggling?

FQ magazine, often described as ‘the essential dad’s mag’, was first published 8 years ago to celebrate parenthood and the lifestyle changes that come along with being a new father.  The FQ Digital eZINE features exclusive celebrity interviews, gadgets, competitions, special offers, product reviews and recommendations of the latest nursery and baby products.

Price: Usually £1.79 per copy or £8.89 to subscribe for one year (6 issues)

FQ will be free for a limited time to celebrate the launch.  To view the April/May issue log on to www.fqmagazine.co.uk, password: friday (lowercase).

Or for further info on embedding FQ Digital eZINE within your website or as a pack promotion/added benefit or for editorial reviews and competitions please contact Sylvia or Martin on 020 8460 6060.

Six of Britain’s most respected female entrepreneurs have thrown their weight behind a groundbreaking new initiative that supports mums in business.

Sally Preston, Laura Tenison, Antonia Chitty, Wendy Shand, Leila Wilcox and Rachel Jones are backing Mentoring Mum, a unique mentoring scheme for self-employed women.

They will draw on their extensive experience to offer help and guidance about all aspects of business – from law and tax to marketing and public relations.

In effect, the telephone service will provide ‘kitchen table tycoons’ with a direct hotline to some of the UK’s most high-flying businesswomen.

Remarkably, the experts – all of whom are leading figures in their fields – have donated their time for free.

The scheme – which goes live on March 15 – is the brainchild of ‘mumpreneur’ Allison Price, the founder of MotivatingMum.co.uk.

It was launched, she says, in response to the increasing number of mothers setting up their own business after childbirth.

”More mothers than ever before are setting up their own businesses,” she said.

”However, many of them lack knowledge or experience and face difficult challenges right from the start.

”This exciting new initiative will enable mums already in business, as well as those wanting to start up, to obtain affordable support and advice to help them achieve their dreams.

”The joy of the service is in its simplicity; it will enable mothers looking for advice to choose the most relevant expert and get in touch directly.”

The consultants include Sally Preston, the founder of Babylicious.co.uk – a successful baby and children’s food brand.

Fashion guru and MBE Laura Tenison owns JoJo Maman Bébé, a ”quirky and imaginative” range of children’s clothes, while award-winning tycoon Antonia Chitty runs PR firm ACPR, the Family Friendly Working site and The Mumpreneur Guide.

Wendy Shand, from Northamptonshire, runs global travel business Tots to Travel, and Leila Wilcox – described as a ”serial entrepreneur” owns a string of businesses including marketing firm Leila Communications.

Meanwhile, Edinburgh-based Rachel Jones is the inventor of Totseat – a ”washable squashable” highchair and 2007 winner of British Female Inventor & Innovator.

Wendy said:

”I wanted to offer my services as a mentor because I’ve been down the path, and wept the tears, of the new small business owner.

“Now it’s my turn to share my experiences, and help other women build their own successful businesses.”

In coming weeks, more women will join the consultancy panel. It means mums will be able to access a database of experts on the Motivating Mum website and select the consultant who most area suits their needs.

Advice is given over the phone, with a 30-minute session costing just £40.

Allison said:

”Time and again I am approached by mothers wanting guidance with their businesses. Many set out with great ideas and huge amounts of passion but struggle to realise their vision.

”The majority of them simply can’t afford professional help due to the prohibitive costs. I realised that there was a need for mums to be able to access affordable advice, and that the mums out there with established businesses were very happy to share their knowledge.

”By matching the two together I can hopefully help more mums across the UK establish themselves and experience the immense personal satisfaction of seeing their businesses grow.”

Saira Khan, runner-up in the first series of BBC’s The Apprentice and the founder of baby skin care range Miamoo, said the service was the ”perfect solution” for self-employed women.

”If only I’d had access to affordable, accessible mentoring from like-minded women, when I first started out,” she said.

”It’s the perfect solution for mums who need help with their businesses.”

In addition to working mums, the scheme will also support the Association of Post Natal Illness (APNI).

Allison said that all money raised through the launch will be donated to the charity.

APNI spokeswoman Siobhan Merrifield said: ”It is a hugely inspiring and worthy scheme which will be helpful for businessmums who could otherwise be isolated or alone – a situation that can sometimes lead to post-natal depression.”

Mentoring Mum sessions will be available to buy online from 11am on March 15. To secure your slot, visit www.motivatingmum.co.uk.

Alternatively, contact Allison Price on 0208 946 6868 or email alli@motivatingmum.co.uk.