Candyfloss & Dreams

Author: Kat Candyfloss

Using Social Media To Grow Your Online Business

Growing a business online and creating a strong social media presence is so vital in this day and age. A huge amount of business is now conducted online only through e-commerce shops, sites, social media selling groups and network marketing professionals. It’s really key that, as a business owner that is looking to grow their network and customer base that you find the right way to do this online.

Produce Unique Content

I can not stress this enough. Copy paste adverts only do so much and they absolutely do not work for every person that is trying to sell online. If you want more customers then you need to find a way to connect with them. I always recommend that you create your own advert, especially if you’re selling online through social media selling pages. Buyers want to see unique, interesting, punchy and informative content that is going to show your product in the absolute best light. As a business owner you should be looking for ways to stand out from your competitors and show that you have something worth showcasing. As an individual selling online, people buy from people so it is important to be as authentic as you possibly can.

Do Not Spam

This is absolutely key. No one likes, or wants, spam and follows on nicely from the above and copy paste content. Copy paste content is constantly being flagged across social media as people that get frustrated with seeing the same thing all the time do report it. If you come across as a spammy business profile then you are likely to be unfollowed, muted, deleted or blocked. No business wants a red flag against their name online and saying the same thing repeatedly, copy pasting messages or just not being professional can really damage your reputation online. People do talk, and they are quicker to spread bad news than good.

Maintain a Positive Social Media Presence

People love a colourful, bright, supportive and positive feed. It brings people in. I can’t lie, if I see an attractive stand, cute pictures, creative images then I am instantly drawn in regardless of the product that’s on show. I want to see bright, vibrant, unique images that really showcase what’s available. Social media is a fantastic way to reach new people and should be used often. Maintaining a positive social media presence is key and should be a strong part of the day. This, again, doesn’t mean spamming your feeds with your product but instead creating unique and shareable content that draws people in and, more importantly, gets people to engage with your pages. The only way you will reach new people is if you maintain a positive feed with strong engagement. Today, big followers mean nothing if you don’t engage with your audience and they need to respond. Once you’ve started building a name for yourself, especially as a networking professional, keep the negativity, pessimism and drama away from the online world – unless of course, you’re a blogger and you are known to have a good rant! But that is beside the point. When it comes to your business you need to be alert, excited and positive at all times.

Make Use of Photo and Video

Showcasing photos of you with your products helps to increase confidence. If you’re working with customers always be happy to share their photographs – with their permission of course and full credit to them – with a personal testimonial or review. Video is also becoming a really popular way to connect with your audience. Showing tutorials using the products, a live Q & A with product experts or even getting on the live applications yourself and demonstrating products has really opened the door to doing business through social media. It’s a great way to sell yourself and allow your audience to really get to know the face behind the brand or product.

Build Relationships With Your Followers

As a blogger there is nothing I love more than finding a brand I love and engaging with them. I love building up that working relationship with a new brand and getting to know the company. If your followers are liking your pictures, give them a follow and like their pictures too, don’t be afraid to send a message asking what they like about your brand, you’ll get some good, old fashioned honest feedback, for free, and potentially a new buyer who will be flattered you took the time out to think of them. It’s so important to value your followers voice, opinions and feedback so always be prepared for some criticism and take it on the chin with a smile. As a sole business owner, especially one that works from home or online exclusivily, building relationships is the social part of your day and should be done in a professional manner. You need to genuinely love the demographic you’re looking to sell to, or they just won’t pay any attention.

Do you work online? How do you market your business?

August 5, 2016
Brunch at Urban Meadow Cafe & Bar, London

Urban Meadow Cafe is a gorgeous cafe attached to a hotel on Bayswater Road, London. It was around a five minute walk from Notting Hill Gate tube station and very easy to find on the corner. We were lucky enough to find a Wowcher offering a two course brunch and a bottle of Prosecco for £25 which was an absolute steal and we were so happy to find such an amazing deal. I was in London for the Big Blogger Expo and knew we would need somewhere that was affordable and provided something filling, the bottle of Prosecco was a real bonus and made me feel really pampered.

We booked a table for 12noon and arrived a little early. The staff were more than happy to seat us though which was nice. There was plenty of seating outside which looked beautiful however we decided to stop inside where it was nice and cool. We headed towards the back which had plenty of lovely comfy bench seating, clean tables and lovely table decoration.

Urban Meadow Cafe is absolutely gorgeous. It was lovely to sit in a light and airy space whilst enjoying our food. The seating was comfortable, it was clean and the staff were really friendly. We did visit the ladies on our trip to brunch which is situated in the hotel reception and is open to guests of Urban Meadow. They were clean and had some lovely soap and hand lotion!

We had already paid for our brunch so we could literally just sit down and order. The croissant came first and it was huge! I was really impressed with the portion size for such an excellent value brunch. We were offered butter and jam which came in individual pots and was absolutely delicious. The only problem with croissants is they can be a little messy, especially when they’re so huge! The Processco came chilled and with champagne glasses topped with a strawberry which was a really nice touch.

We then had our second course which was really filling and again a great portion size for the price paid. I went with the Eggs Benedict which was delicious, the eggs poached to perfection and a delicious hollandaise sauce.

I was really impressed with Urban Meadow Cafe and I would recommend it to anyone in the area as they seem to have a great amount of deals on including a burger and a pint for just under £10! That is a pretty perfect lunch time deal if you ask me! It’s a lovely setting, easy to find and offers really great food. It was the perfect start to our day in London and I would love to return with my family.

July 26, 2016
Say C’est La Vie to Oops Moments

Oops Moments Happen To Everyone!

I am always happy to discuss things that I am passionate about on this blog and today we’re talking Women’s Health. When referring to women or men’s health, we’re generally talking about the bits ‘down there’ although this piece is more about bladder control, which affects both men and women. But nobody really talks about it. Working in partnership with Tena Lady I am here to say C’est La Vie to Oops moments.

Being a women, after having a baby, I’m not really happy to admit it but my bladder just isn’t as good as it used to be. Every morning I get up and drink my water, coffee and have breakfast straight away. If I have anything past about 7.15am I know that throughout the entire walk to school I’m going to be cursing myself for not popping to the loo enough. Fair enough, it takes me an hour, but I never really had to worry before about being out the house and there not being a loo available. I don’t have any accidents, but when I need to go, I need to go. Pregnancy and birth really put a lot of pressure on the all the organs and so it’s quite natural to have a weaker pelvic floor and then, well, that’s when the Oops moments begin. I’m sure you all know what Tena Lady products do, and we are here to say that they are normal, natural and there are ways to prevent it from happening.

To talk about this a bit better and to go through a few other normal, annoying Oops moments, I have been sent a beautiful goodie bag to help me with daily Oops moments and struggles and to help me say C’est La Vie, it can be fixed!

The first item in this set was a set of fruity scented nail polish remover pads to fix any dodgy nails. These have a fair few multi purposes which makes it a great product. Handy for tidying up nails and any spells of polish that fall onto the carpet. What I love about these is they can also be used to sanitise and clean metal makeup tools be it for nail art or fixing up those brows with tweezers. Another item in the goody bag was dress tape to help keep everything in the right place and prevent any awkward slips!

The cutest item in the bag was the mini sewing kit which we’ve already put to good use using it to sew up any awkward holes and hems!

Other items included a lovely makeup fixing spray which instantly refreshes tired makeup looks, anti static spray to stop skirts and slips from riding up, very handy for the wedding I’m attending next week and some of my favourite makeup remover wipes from Soap and Glory. My favourite item in the bag was the gorgeous smelling St Tropez gradual tan face cream which is helping me build up a lovely glow and balancing out other tan products I’m using to stop streaks from appearing.

All of these products help fix those Oops moments throughout the day, they happen, that’s life! C’est La Vie!

The last item was a pack of Lights by Tena to help prevent any little leaks when laughing too hard, bouncing too much, excersising, walking or just, well, to help. To give more women a C’est La Vie attitude towards a weak bladder. With one in three women experiencing light bladder weakness at some point in their lives, lights by Tena has recently upgraded its range to make it even easier to wave goodbye to unexpected (and unwelcome!) leaks. For more information and a free sample head over to Lights by Tena.

If you’re brave enough feel free to share a funny Oops moment in the comments!

***Disclaimer: I received this goody bag in exchange for this post to help raise awareness for women’s health issues***

July 11, 2016
British Politics: How I Feel About Brexit

Politics is something I rarely write about on my blog but now a week has past since we cast our vote and I wanted to pen down some of my thoughts and feelings. This could be a mistake…mainly because I know recent politics have really divided our country and I know it’s a bit of a controversial topic to go in to. I will say that I am proud to be one of the 48% that voted to remain within the EU last week. But my household was divided, my family all had different views as I talked about in this post, and in the aftermath we’ve all been discussing it.

I was not shocked with David Cameron’s resignation either. He said he would and for once a politician has kept a pledge and I understand why. I wouldn’t be able to lead negotiations in something I thought was wrong either. At least in this one area he is sticking with his beliefs. He has also made a breakthrough with the LGBTQ community with making marriage legal. Despite being heterosexual, this means a lot to me and I am proud to support that. So we’re going to be getting a new PM and I am crying out for a general election.

I have a lot of personal opinions when it comes to politics and I do not support and will never vote for the Conservatives. I am a Labour lady, I am proud of that and I am actually a big fan of Jeremy Corbyn. I know there are people that disagree with me, and I do not want him to resign from his leadership. I know that he wasn’t at the forefront of the campaign to remain, which doesn’t really bother me. I wasn’t voting for a politician, I was adding my voice to help our government make a decision. The entire referendum campaign on both sides was just awful. Both parties wanted to control people through fear and that is not something I will ever condone. Brexit was lead by two politicians who’s views I just don’t agree with, they do not sit well with me and I don’t think they ever will.

So my vote didn’t win but then again I can’t really say it’s a clear majority for those that voted to leave either. In the grand scheme of things it was around a million more votes to the leave side, but I don’t see that as a majority. I would have seen a majority vote being 80% more on the leave side but it wasn’t. Either way, a vote has been cast and the only change I’ve seen is a lot of poor, xenophobic and racist behaviour. No longer are Brits keeping their stiff upper lip and moaning about whatever they want behind closed doors, keeping their hatred rational and private but they are outwardly shaming people in the street. Whats more some of these vile outbursts have been towards children and it absolutely disgusts me. I want to be clear, I know that not every leave voter is a racist xenophobe with nothing but hate in their heart, just as I know not every remain voter is moaning and bitter about the result – a lot of us are just sat here, getting the kids ready for school and fighting the usual daily battles that come with life. But their are some that are making Britain feel like an unsafe place to live.

I honestly thought racism was behind us. I mean, I agree, that if people choose to come and live and work here then they need to appreciate that we are a western country with a Christian foundation – I am not religious at all, I mean, the Church of England was founded so that the King could get divorced, says a lot about us doesn’t it…anyway, I digress…I have no problem with a multicultural society but I also think political correctness has gone a bit too far and we’re so focused by pleasing everybody. I respect that when I visit other countries I need to adapt, and I think that should be expected of people that choose to migrate or visit here.

Politics is a funny thing but the idea behind Brexit was not to form a racist nation. What I will never, ever do is want to make this country unsafe and it seems that a minority of people are doing just that to others and that is not right. I never thought that I would wake up one day and be ashamed of living in a country so full of hate for migrants. It’s ridiculous!

Instead of blaming migrants for coming here and “taking all our jobs” that companies exploit by paying lower wages, why don’t we blame the lazy that can’t be bothered to work – trust me, there are some, and what makes me ashamed is that they are people my age or younger. Instead of blaming migrants for claiming all our benefits, why aren’t we trying to change our welfare system so that people stop having kids to get bigger houses? A certain interview on This Morning a few weeks ago with a mum of like, 12 kids comes to mind, or Josie Cunningham, didn’t she get a boob job on the NHS by playing the system? Surely the system is wrong then, rather than people that just want to come and live here?

I am not scared of change, I am not scared for my daughters future, well, I am, but not because of Brexit – which is a horrible threat to make, by the way, saying you have ruined your children’s lives…what I’m worried about is this behaviour from others as a result of the referendum, especially when we haven’t actually left the EU yet, and all this let’s call 24th June Independence Day, what a dickish thing to say. I’m also concerned that the few that are wanting to run for Tory leadership do not sit right with me at all. They’re not going to move this country forward. Perhaps it’s time for a major shake up within British politics. MP’s need to reconnect with their constituencies and the people that live in them rather than making up assumptions. Politicians need to stop controlling this nation with fear and using scaremongering tactics. Everyone needs to pull together and move forward united.

***Politics can be a controversial subject. Before commenting, please appreciate that this is my own personal view, I am not trying to force what I think on anyone. I am happy to discuss and debate but I will not tolerate any abuse posted on this blog. Please respect that. If you have nothing healthy, happy or balanced to say, then it’s best not to say anything. Thank you.***

June 30, 2016
Top 7 things to do on Isle of Wight

What is Isle of Wight like?

The Isle of Wight is an island of the coast of Hampshire with direct ferry access from Southampton and Portsmouth. It’s very easy to get to and for me, it’s like another little world. We had our first family holiday there with Park Resorts in October 2014 despite living in the county for the majority of my life. I want to introduce my daughter to plenty of different places that I never went to as a child, especially places quite local to home. My partner used to visit the Isle of Wight a lot as a child and loved each of his trips there. As it’s part of England, of course it has our beautiful British weather but it also has lots of wildlife, beaches, hills and fun attractions for families. It’s a really beautiful place and features lots of exciting things to do.

Getting Cosy in our Caravan

We stayed in Shanklin when we stayed with Park Resorts and it was a great holiday. We were there for a week and took advantage of seeing as many sights as we possibly could which can be tricky without a car. There are plenty of bus routes around the Island throughout the summer but this dwindle down in the colder months and the train only runs from Ryde down to Shanklin. As you can come over by passenger and car ferry having access to a car is really helpful as it means you can see a lot more if the Island without relying on public transport. When we went in October the train was running fine down to Shanklin however the buses were a little less frequent. We were still able to use the bus transport to get to Newport.

Top Attractions for Families

Isle of Wight Zoo

We had an amazing time at the Isle of Wight zoo after a walk along the beautiful coastline from Shanklin all the way up to Sandown. It was a really long walk but we enjoyed exploring the zoo and seeing all the animals there. Zoo’s are always great for families and a chance to get up close and personal with the animals.

Owl & Monkey Sanctuary

This is located near Newport and is a large, open space. It was incredibly quiet when we went due to the rain but it was a really lovely place and a great chance to see a huge variety of monkeys and owls in all their enclosures. Throughout the day lots of demo’s go on and on our visit we had a lot of chats with the keepers who were very knowledgeable. They also had some very tasty cream teas in the on site cafe.

Coastline and Beaches

When we visited the tide was right in and splashing up the sides of the path however there was a great stretch of coastline which is beautiful to walk across in the sunshine and plenty of midway stops for ice cream. Shanklin to Sandown has plenty of sandy bays for a quick play.

Robin Hill Adventure Park

This is one place we will be heading to on our next holiday to the Isle of Wight, it sounds beautiful and is a place my partner absolutely loved to go to as a child. Plenty of attractions, animals and places to explore all over the national park.

Blackgang Chine

The place of imagination, according to their website, and my partner. This was another big hit for him as a child and a place I think my daughter will absolutely love. Definitely on our destination wish list.

Isle of Wight Attractions & Events

Shanklin Chine

This was one of my favourite places to visit on our trip. It’s a beautiful walkway filled with trees, beautiful flowers and waterfalls. We really loved it and my daughter firmly believes it’s a place to look for fairies.

Isle of Wight Festival

If you love music festivals then the Isle of Wight has one every year and it’s such a beautiful place it’s worth going and making a holiday out of it. You can camp or stay in some of the nearby hotels.

Where is your favourite holiday and what do you love to do as a family?

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June 15, 2016