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For Laurelle Darroux, the COVID-19 pandemic has been a time of huge change. Made redundant from her role in international maritime policy, mother-of-two Laurelle turned to self-employment as a way of progressing her career.

Having spent early lockdown making silk pillowcases to protect her baby daughter’s hair, Laurelle saw an opportunity to turn that endeavour into a viable business, 

The interest and encouragement Laurelle received from friends motivated her to make and sell her pillowcases more widely. However, though she believed in her product, her lack of experience in entrepreneurship meant she was unsure how to start a new business. So she turned to Google for help.

“I’d shared the pillowcases with friends and they liked them,” Laurelle says. “But taking it to the public meant getting a prototype. And so I set on finding a manufacturer. I started searching on Google, as it was lockdown and that was all I could do at home. 

“Most manufacturers I contacted weren’t interested as they were all focused on making face masks. But I was determined. And so I continued searching and emailing. Wouldn’t take no for an answer! Eventually I found a local manufacturer who was willing to work with me, and it all went from there.” 

With her product designed and manufactured, Laurelle was ready to sell to customers online. But she needed a working website and a strong social media presence. Lacking the technical knowhow to build these herself, Laurelle signed up for the Google 1-to-1 Mentoring programme for some additional support.

“I didn’t have the digital skills to create a website or a social media following, but I used Google to learn them,” Laurelle explains. “Then once I got followers, it became all about how to keep them. It was through emails from Enterprise Nation that I found out about Google 1-to-1 Mentoring. I signed up straight away and it’s been like university for me!” 

Through the mentoring, Laurelle was able to learn more about the fundamental elements of an e-commerce site. Her mentor emphasised the importance of knowing the customer by researching their behaviours and habits while online.

He also told Laurelle to study her competitors and use that information to understand what kind of content she could create to drive interest from her target audience.

“I got so much value from the sessions,” Laurelle says. “Things that I was struggling with, my mentor would help. Getting traffic to the website, for instance. Obviously I’ve invested in the site and it’s new, so I’m anxious not only to attract customers but to know the site is converting. I had opportunities to ask my mentor about conversions, and we did audits and so on.” 

The mentor also taught Laurelle about the benefits of a compelling story and using her website to educate people on the company’s mission and values. Fortunately, the narrative that underpinned Laurelle’s business was one that would resonate. 

“I started Sleepgoddess during the pandemic, at a time when a lot of people were feeling isolated or had lost their jobs. They’d suffered throughout this period, and the importance of sleep had never been more glaring. Also, more people seemed to be striving for a more sustainable way of life, having recognised issues around mental health and wellbeing. 

“I really wanted to create innovative, multi-functional, good-value products. I have the name Sleepgoddess, so people were coming to me for help with their sleep. Because I’d suffered insomnia myself, I was able to offer that kind of support.” 

On her mentor’s recommendation, Laurelle began using social media to give customers a glimpse into the inner workings of her business. Initially nervous about the prospect of peeling back the curtain, Laurelle soon found it a tactic that could really pay off. 

“I’ve been showing some of the behind-the-scenes action, and showcasing what happens when I create a product,” Laurelle says. “I share things that are little interactions in my day. When I receive orders, for instance, or restock products. I’m still new to the business world so I just try to show whatever is authentic, and people seem to appreciate that.

“And it isn’t only customers; there are other business owners interested in my journey as well. I’m happy to share it all with them. Because everyone has to start somewhere.”

Get free 1-to-1 Mentoring to help your business grow online.

Mentors from Google will share expertise and ideas on how to improve your digital marketing and social media strategies, become more discoverable on Search and more.

Since launching in 2005, the Enterprise Nation team has helped thousands of people start and grow their businesses. Led by founder Emma Jones MBE, Enterprise Nation continues to be the most active UK small business community and a leading campaigning voice for small business. Joining Enterprise Nation connects you with resources, community and connections you need to reach your business goals.

Through Google 1-to-1 Mentoring, this ethical wellness brand learned the key to a compelling business story

A business owner who needed to learn digital skills turned to a Google mentor.

Do you offer support programmes for small businesses, such as grants, funding or mentoring? 

 on Enterprise Nation, where they’ll be seen by thousands of eligible small business founders.

As part of our partnership with Mastercard to deliver Strive UK, we’re 

proud to present our new partner upload feature

, where Growth Hubs, local authorities and universities can showcase their learning material.  

It’s quick and easy. Join a UK-wide learning network bringing together major business support providers in both the private and public sector.

Creating a self-serve account for you and your colleagues is free, and will act as a hub to gain insights and see engagement metrics for all learning material you upload.

Upload your programmes, events and content

You’re now ready to upload your programmes, which will be matched to small businesses according to region and area of support.

 to upload your programmes to the UK's most active small business community. 

 and send a message through Enterprise Nation.

Upload your business support programmes today!

We've teamed up with Mastercard to release this brand new feature.

Many business owners see Januarys as a fantastic opportunity to set goals and resolutions, but how can you make sure they're stuck to? 

Enterprise Nation adviser Melissa Gauge, also fonder of 

, talks through how entrepreneurs can ensure their goals are sustainable and achievable. 

It’s not always easy to stick to your New Year’s resolutions. Whilst it’s great to have lots of ideas about taking up new hobbies, learning new skills or committing to eating more fruit and veg, what most of us really should be aiming for in 2022 is an easier life.

However, with kids, work, and other chores, the simple life can often seem far away.

This is particularly challenging when you are working from home, or if you have recently set-up a new business and don’t yet have the support of a team.

Whilst there are huge benefits to working from home (or working for yourself), including having more freedom to manage your working day, you can often feel like there are not enough hours in the day.

The truth is, you don’t need to choose between your hobbies, family life, or running your business to have a simple and easy-to-manage lifestyle. There is no one-size-fits-all-solution, but here I have rounded up a few tips that I find helpful which you can start implementing today, and start 2022 as you mean to go on:

This is not to put a dampener on your dreams. Always dream big! The idea here is to start small and set reasonable, achievable goals that help you along the way to your big dreams.

Most New Year’s resolutions fail because they commit to too much, and we give up on them at the first struggle. Start small and enjoy the feeling that success brings.

I am a big fan of making lists as it’s a great way of taking back control of your day (week or month). At the start of each month, make a list of your top priorities for the month. You can then break these down into more manageable weekly or daily goals.

By having a list, you will instantly feel more organised and in control of your life. Don’t worry if you don’t achieve all the tasks you have set out for the month. This is a part of life. Perfection is procrastination!

This can be a tough one for small business owners, especially if you are a start-up and doing everything yourself. Your business is your baby after all, and it is scary to relinquish any control. Who do you ask for help? What if it doesn’t work out?

The truth is, there will always be a risk in asking for help or outsourcing administrative tasks. The great news is that there are more and more virtual assistants out there to choose from.

Virtual Assistants (VAs) can handle everything from answering emails to managing your social media and getting your books in order.

Here are three reasons you should consider hiring a VA:

This one is easier said than done. It’s a common misperception that working from home is less productive than working from an office and that it encourages slacking off.

 that you can work longer hours when you are working from home versus in the office. For example, you may find yourself working much later into the evening when you’re at home than you would otherwise. Without the start and end time of an office environment, it is harder to manage your working day.

Whether you’re working from home or from an office, it’s still important to take regular breaks to help boost your creativity. I like to schedule my breaks throughout the day, which helps me to keep focused. You can use a timer (on your phone or laptop) to remind you when to take that break. And don’t forget to make time for things like exercise, a walk, some fresh air, or meditation as well as that cup of tea!

These three simple resolutions are easy to implement and very achievable. Just remember, you don’t have to do it all at once and you don’t have to wait until the new year to start implementing some of these ideas. 

Start small, be kind to yourself, and don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Connect with Melissa for more incredible business support. 

Finally, if you possess expertise that can help our growing community of small business owners, 

&lt;p&gt;I left the City in 2016 when it became clear that life with small children and a full-time executive career wasn’t for me. &amp;nbsp;I wanted to create something that really helped people, like me, who were forging a way forward, balancing work with family life.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;When my children went to school I realised there were many highly talented individuals unable to return to work due to the limitations of childcare. &amp;nbsp;I also started to meet a number of exciting small&amp;nbsp;businesses in need of support but were struggling to find an appropriate level of flexibility, quality and knowledge for their growing businesses.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;This developed into a passion for building a solution for both sides. &amp;nbsp;A truly supportive working environment where people can thrive outside a classic 9-5 office structure whist providing reliable, high calibre support to businesses and individuals looking to achieve more productivity and peace of mind.&amp;nbsp;&lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;SpareMyTime was born!&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Founder

Make your life simpler in 2022: Three New Year’s resolutions that you can stick to

How can you hit your 2022 goals in a simple and sustainable way?

Editor-in-Chief at About Time Magazine

Editor-in-Chief

Lunch and Learn: Increasing your visibility through social media and PR

Enterprise Nation is hosting a daily Lunch and Learn webinar to give you a boost and offer advice from experts.

Followed by Barack Obama on Twitter, the Bank of England on her newsletter list and a regular expert speaker with BBC TV and radio, Fin walks the walk of social media.
An accredited Facebook Marketing Partner and Trainer, Fin works with FTSE 100 and ambitious startups to confidently master and implement online marketing tools, strategies, ads and tactics step by step.

Social Media and Digital Marketing Consultant

business.connected: An introduction to social media advertising

Learn about different social media ads and how to use them.

We are a based in &nbsp;Stokesley in North Yorkshire. Whether you are a new business or well established we can provide excellent value for money to cover all of your marketing needs. We are experts in developing your social media using bespoke strategies and excellent quality content.&nbsp;

Business Owner

Lunch and Learn: Google My Business – a necessity for your business!

_x000D_
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We are a small but perfectly formed consultancy based in the market town of Stokesley in North Yorkshire._x000D_
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Whether you are a new business or well established we can provide excellent value for money to cover all of your marketing needs.

87% Mental Fitness. Be ready for when life happens

Everything we do in life is affected by how mentally fit we are. 
Building mental fitness is not as hard as you may think, it is all about building your resilience, through self-awareness and self-reflection and that's where 87% can really help you.

£250 off Webgains Affiliate Recruitment service

On average,&nbsp;Webgains&nbsp;Edge&nbsp;clients&nbsp;generate&nbsp;over&nbsp;£35,000 in&nbsp;sales&nbsp;during the first 6 months of their programme.&nbsp;This&nbsp;fantastic&nbsp;offer, exclusive to Enterprise Nation Members,&nbsp;will get your&nbsp;Webgains&nbsp;affiliate programme&nbsp;off to a flying start.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Boost your business online with Vodafone

Get everything you need to sell professionally and securely online with a Vodafone business boosting package, powered by&nbsp;Wix.​

&lt;p&gt;Get free one-to-one digital support from a business adviser on Vodafone's V-Hub, covering a range of topics from how to build an online presence to managing online security risks.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Call 0808 005 7400 or Live Chat for free &lt;a href="https://www.vodafone.co.uk/business/small-business-advice/personal-advice?cid=en-ent/vhub/vhub-adviser-offer/prch/10.2/ntst"&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
These Business Advisers are available to discuss an array of digital topics including getting your business online, digitalmarketing , digital security and remote working.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That means that they’ll be able to provide you with support and guidance on the following topics:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;b&gt;Getting online and marketing digitally:&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;- Building a digital presence&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;​- Creating a website&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;- How to track who has visited your website&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;- How to get your products online or on your existing website&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;- Where to start with SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;- Social media advertising for business&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;b&gt;Digital Security:&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;- Common security threats&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;​- How to approach security for multiple devices&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;- Ransomware and what you can do to prevent it&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;- Protecting company data when employees are working remotely&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;b&gt;Remote Working:&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;- Keeping your team productive when working from home&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;​- How to give staff remote access to work files&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;- VPNs (Virtual Private Networks), and whether you need one&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;- Your options on online collaboration tools for your team&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Want to access free insight, guidance and support for small and medium-sized businesses – all in one place? Visit the knowledge centre on V-Hub &lt;a href="https://www.vodafone.co.uk/business/sme-business?cid=en-ent/vhub/vhub-meet-up/prch/10.2/ntst"&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Live chat with a Digital expert

&lt;p&gt;Got a burning question on how to create your own website, improve your SEO, or which collaboration tools your business should be using? Click here to Live Chat now with a Vodafone Digital Adviser, for free&lt;u&gt;&lt;font color="#000119"&gt;.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.vodafone.co.uk/business/small-business-advice/personal-advice?cid=en-ent/vhub/vhub-adviser-offer/prch/10.2/ntst"&gt;https://www.vodafone.co.uk/business/small-business-advice/personal-advice?cid=en-ent/vhub/vhub-adviser-offer/prch/10.2/ntst&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Request a call back from a Digital expert

&lt;p&gt;If you&amp;rsquo;d like a call with a digital adviser but now is not a good time to chat, use the button above to request a call back from an expert adviser who can help on all things digital.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://www.vodafone.co.uk/business/sme-business/small-business-advice/request-callback"&gt;https://www.vodafone.co.uk/business/sme-business/small-business-advice/request-callback&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

In a small business it’s easy to feel you have to do it all yourself; sales, marketing, finance, HR plus your own work. It takes too much of your time and can make for long days and a lonely place. Who's there to share the stress, who can you bounce ideas off? It’s easy to forget why your wanted to run your own business.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Now more than ever, it's difficult to focus, to assess where you are. But maybe the bigger question is how do you successfully navigate the opportunities – and challenges – that changing markets provide?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
With 25 years’ experience of setting up and running businesses I work with clients to help them bring operational functions in line with 'bigger picture’ business goals. Small businesses need more than a coach who hands over a report and makes their exit.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I get actively involved in helping you get to the next level. I've developed a very thorough and logical mindset. I know the questions to ask and, of equal importance, I know how to listen. And I’ve successfully navigated recession and growth.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
If you’re unclear on how to get your business where you want it to be, contact me for an initial conversation about how to navigate your way through, what may be, uncertain paths. Call me on 07809 909839 or e-mail sandra.murphy@businessdoctors.co.uk

Director

Supporting business owners who want a successful, profitable business

&lt;p&gt;In a small business it&amp;rsquo;s easy to feel you have to do it all yourself; sales, marketing, finance, HR plus your own work. It takes too much of your time and can make for long days and a lonely place. Who&amp;#39;s there to share the stress, who can you bounce ideas off? It&amp;rsquo;s easy to forget why your wanted to run your own business.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Now more than ever, it&amp;#39;s difficult to focus, to assess where you are. But maybe the bigger question is how do you successfully navigate the opportunities &amp;ndash; and challenges &amp;ndash; that changing markets provide?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
With 25 years&amp;rsquo; experience of setting up and running businesses I work with clients to help them bring operational functions in line with &amp;#39;bigger picture&amp;rsquo; business goals. Small businesses need more than a coach who hands over a report and makes their exit.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;I get actively involved in helping you get to the next level. I&amp;#39;ve developed a very thorough and logical mindset. I know the questions to ask and, of equal importance, I know how to listen. And I&amp;rsquo;ve successfully navigated recession and growth.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
If you&amp;rsquo;re unclear on how to get your business where you want it to be, contact me for an initial conversation about how to navigate your way through, what may be, uncertain paths. Call me on 07809 909839 or e-mail sandra.murphy@businessdoctors.co.uk&lt;/p&gt;

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Take the first step to successfully starting and growing your business.

Find the right support to start and grow your business today.

Not sure where to start? Make a Plan today.

Not sure where to start? Make a Plan today.

Why join Enterprise Nation?

We help people start and grow great businesses

Expert advice

Events

Community

Personalised dashboard

Facebook #SheMeans Business

Free 1-to-1 Mentoring with BT and Google

Amazon Small Business Accelerator

business.connected digital skills training

School of Sales

Facebook #SheMeans Business

Free 1-to-1 Mentoring with BT and Google

Latest member stories

Nick Cave

Martin Kearvell

Samar Fazil and Rabia Khan

Get The StartUp Kit for free

The Enterprise Nation community by numbers

500,000+

Businesses supported over the last year

4,000

Event attendees every month

12,000

Active and trusted advisers

Our partners

We work with brands that champion small businesses to deliver tailored support packages.

Join the community today!

Take the first step to successfully starting and growing your business.

Facebook
#SheMeans Business

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#SheMeans Business