As an owner of an online business; Taylor’d Bundles, the time had come for me to invest in myself and learn more about the world of social media. I wanted to find out how to grow an engaged audience by creating an online strategy that would help grow the business further.

I found an online social media course with Digital Mums and from this TW Talent was born. I have a genuine passion for small businesses as all the collaborators I work with are themselves small businesses, so it was a topic that I had a huge amount of interest and experience in.

From the skills I had gained, I was able to identify personas to be able to talk to residents and small business owners in the area to help create an online community to achieve 2 things; 1) encourage more of us to use the resources and services available on our very doorstep 2) create an online presence for businesses (both on and offline) to give them the opportunity to talk more about what they do and can offer.

The response I received from my first few months of starting TW Talent has really been quite overwhelming and it’s also highlighted something more about our lovely postcode that I will talk about later. From the immediate support and encouragement from Lisa at Teddington Together who introduced me to so many people, helped create content as well as co-hosting my first ever Tweet Chat last Sunday on the Food and Drink scene in the area is something I will never forget. The relationship we’ve created from chatting on Instagram has grown into something that has really helped to put TW Talent on the map, and for this I owe her a bottle of something good when we next catch up for sure!

Another highlight was seeing TW Talent appearing in our local magazine too – TW Magazines. What an honour to appear alongside other renowned businesses and individuals, it really was such a compliment. The invites to launches, workshops, events, and the mentions the platform has received from residents and businesses too has made me recognise that there is a genuine need and want for all that TW Talent stands for, however it’s not just the talent that TW has in it’s bucket loads, there’s far more to this amazing postcode than first thought.

The genuine sense of community and support that our home has to offer has been a real eye opener. Whilst I wanted to help people talk and hear about what we have available in the form of our neighbours, the engagement from so many of you has really been amazing. Genuinely, EVERYONE wants everyone else to do well and I love this about TW. From the comments and shares of any good news, awards, developments, new services – I’ve been able to analyse what happens to news such as this and it really does spread like wild fire. The neighbourhood is anything but passive, it’s very much active and caring about the people around them and this is something that I want to continue to showcase.

For example, take the video that was created by a local videographer; Caroline Jones. Caroline was given 24 hours to turn around a video to help announce the OFSTED inspection news from Stanley School. In true TW style, she jumped at the chance and created the best video that was easy to share and explained so brilliantly their great news. The comments that came from what what we personally shared was incredibly heart warming – another great example of how everyone in the neighbourhood has the back of their neighbours.

So what now? TW Talent has grown into a community that I really want to grow and nurture so I have decided to take my foot off the gas in May to go away and come up with a plan for how to make TW Talent a platform that works for both businesses and residents in the best ways possible. I have also been approached by someone who wants to work with me to make this a ‘thing’ so lets see where our discussions take us.

I will kick off June with news and information around Health and Beauty businesses and individuals and already, we have our next Tweet chat in the diary too alongside my buddies from Teddington Together. Please be sure to get in touch if you have any news or promos in the meantime, and I’ll get the news scheduled as normal.

So all that is left to say is thank you for all your support and involvement so far and please stay with me. Once I have a little lie down and gather my thoughts, I promise to be back in June with a plan that will knock all your socks off and I’m already excited to get the plans launched for you all to get involved in once again.

Selling your home, restyling, decluttering, planning a renovation or wanting a change of scene. Whatever your aim with your space or home, Louisa Jane Interiors can help get the most out of your space at an affordable price, and with staggering return on investment too.

‘The question is not what you look at, but what you see’. Henry David Thoreau

Louisa Jane Interiors offers an affordable interior design service, based in St Margarets, Twickenham and covering the surrounding areas. From concept  to completion, she will work with you to create the  best possible design, for the way you live or the way you want to live.  

Did you know that a property that is properly staged or presented, can gain an extra 8% in price and sell twice as quickly? On a property that is £750,000 that’s an extra £60,000. I’m sure you will agree that is an amazing return on investment – what would you do with the extra money?

Here is a basic guide, created by Louisa Jane Interiors that will help you get the most from your home staging.

Curb appeal

First impressions count, consider painting the front door and renewing the door furniture. Adding fresh plants and tidying the garden will ensure potential buyers get the message that you care for your property and in turn will make it much more appealing.

Clean the property

Clean the property from top to bottom, including windows, doors and skirting boards. Have carpets professionally cleaned and warn floorboards revarnished. Wash curtains, add fresh bed linen and towels.

De clutter – everything should earn its place

There should be a minimum of half a metre floor space around each piece of furniture that you can step around. Ensure each piece has a purpose and serves the space well. It should enhance a space not overwhelm it. De clutter everything, including Bathrooms, cupboards and cloakrooms!

Remove old dated pieces

The general rule of thumb is if it’s over 7 years old its dated and out of fashion! Of course there are exceptions with the vintage arm chair or the kitsch table that adds character and warmth. Generally modern living sells. Replacing key pieces can be very costly so consider up cycling or sourcing new pieces from markets or auctions.

Balance & purpose

Be careful with large items! These can make a room feel smaller and draw the eye inwards rather than outwards. Large items also need to balance a room, like a rowing boat. If large items fill one corner and the rest of the room isn’t balanced with similar pieces it can feel unbalanced and uninviting. An example of this is a corner sofa, they can look modern and luxurious but if consideration isn’t given to the rest of the room it will tip!

Consider the target market

Consider who would want to buy your house. Are you trying to capture the hearts of the young or old? If there are good school’s in the area a family will be attracted to your property. What can you do to connect emotionally with who you are you staging for? A good example of this is if you have turned a bedroom in to a study or gym, it may need to be turned back into a bedroom so that the buyer can easily see its full potential.

Find the focal point and make it memorable!

Each space should be remembered for its purpose. Find the focal point, i.e. a bed, fireplace, sofa, dining table and work around it. The buyer should easily be able to remember each space and its purpose. “the office had a great view of the garden” or “the bed was framed perfectly against that textured wallpaper”. Enhance what the property already has to offer. Create emotion with pops of colour, textures and points of interest. Boring doesn’t sell.

Avoid personal taste

Personality can really make a house feel like a home but too much can overwhelm the buyers mind, making them unable to visualise themselves in that space. Having said this, do not get too caught up with the detail. Home staging doesn’t have to fit perfectly. Its not a deal breaker to have the wrong shaped table or not enough chairs. It needs to be ‘just enough’ to create atmosphere without being overbearing or compromising the space you are trying to sell.

The WOW factor

In order to ensure you maximise your return and get ‘top dollar’ for your property it should stand out from the crowd with the WOW factor. This can be achieved by adding some luxurious wall coverings. This could include a textured wall covering in the hallway, wallpapering a boring cloakroom, adding a chalk board feature wall or updating a kitchen splash back. Give the buyer something to say WOW.

The way you live in your home is very different to the way you sell a house….

Find out more about Louisa Jane Interiors by following her on Instagram, signing up for her brilliant newsletter, or why not visit her website that showcases a range of her projects, details more around the services along with her most recent testimonials too.

Introducing our new addition to TW Talent; Take Five.

Over the last few months, I have been collecting the ideas behind the brilliant businesses that make the TW postcode such as wonderful place to live. It’s my plan to create a set of short stories that you can enjoy reading whilst taking 5 minutes out of your day to grab yourself a cuppa and put your feet up.

So here it is. The first of my Take Fives with Suzy Rowland, the owner of the inspriational ‘Happy In School’ project.

Name: Suzy Rowland

Name of business: #happyinschoolproject

Number of years business has been going? Less than one year.

Background before you started this business? I worked in corporate communications, PR & copywriting. 

What makes your offering/business/service unique? With two teachers in the family, a son with autism, and a flair for communication I’m passionate about equality in education and have managed to fuse these skills together in setting up the #happyinschool project. Working with parents and partners to improve the prospects of children and young people with autism is not just about the individual child or family, I believe it’s about building a fairer more inclusive society. I bring elements of holistic healing to the sessions to remind and inspire parents of their unique opportunity to positively influence and shape a special human being. 

Describe a typical day? As the business is still in its early stages, every day is full of planning, writing and phone calls. I work with charity partners and local authorities to make sure we communicate with parents who would benefit from the project, delivering #happyinschool workshops to parents, writing and curating social media posts, researching and writing new content for the next project, which will be aimed at secondary parents of children with autism. I’m also working on building a YouTube channel, which is coming later this year. I’m also finishing a book, so yes, every day is incredibly busy and I love it that way!

Proud moments? Being invited to be a guest speaker at the Express Autism Conference at the Rose Theatre (March 20, 2019), being invited to speak to volunteers about the #happyinschool project at a very influential autism charity, SOS SEN and being invited to feed my thoughts and ideas into meetings with professionals, all of which will ultimately help the understanding of autism and ADHD in schools. 

How would you sum up your offering in one sentence? The Happy In School Project is information & empowerment for parents & educators, enabling children with #autism & ADHD to be #happyinschool.

Suzy has very kindly offered a discount for three discounted parent coaching sessions if you mention TW Talent. Courses must be redeemed by end of July 2019. Contact Suzy here for further information and to book your session.

Suzy Rowland
07947 801044
Writer | Poet | Founder, happy in school project

www.happyinschoolproject.com
www.songsofmysoul.co.uk

A recent poll identified that 67% of people in the local area, are still not sure what they will be buying their Mum this Mother’s Day. With Mother’s Day only 8 days away, I’ve compiled a gift guide full of ideas, all of which can be purchased from TW based businesses. Experiences, blooms that will blow your Mum’s socks off or a voucher for something that will give your Mama some well deserved time off. We’ve got 9 great gift ideas all from independent TW’ers.

1 Annie Sloan painting course – hosted at Sheldon Paint Shop in Hampton Hill, this is a lovely gift for any Mum who is looking to learn a new skill, up-cycle a cherished but old piece of furniture or who’s wanting to try something new. Having taken part in one of their courses last year, I can vouch for how wonderful the 3 hour course is. Not only do you get to understand more about Annie Sloan paint, you walk away with the skills of how to make furniture look distressed, antique, white washed and perfectly painted. 4 skills that can help make any piece of furniture, no matter what the material, look like something completely shiny and new. To reserve your Mum a place at the next session, simply email jane@sheldonpaint.co.uk

2 Shiny feet and toes – the concept behind House Cats London is so lovely, it makes a wonderful treat for any lady looking to be pampered alongside a glass (or bottle) of prosecco. Shellac, simple paint and polish, blow-drys and make up are all available from the House Cats beauty salon on Teddington High Street. There is also the ability to book the salon out for you and your friends too, so maybe it’s a treat that can be booked between you and your friends for a gang of wonderful Mums? Head to House Cats London to either make a booking, or to reserve some vouchers to pop in a card for next Sunday. 

3 I’ve got your back sweater – Taylor’d Bundles is a gifting service based from ‘the Studio with the pink door’ in Hampton Hill. Their ‘I’ve got your back’ sweaters, tops and tees make a gorgeous gift for any child who wants to show their support, encouragement and or love for their brilliant Mum. Each top not only comes with a set of beautifully designed wings on the back, but has a discrete and personal message embroidered to the cuff aimed directly at the owner. Simply lovely. Available with Liberty of London wings, animal print or foiled wing designs (in a variety of colour ways), this collection has taken the UK by storm and is now appearing on the backs of some very well known people. Order your Mum a top by Tuesday 26th March and they will guarantee delivery by the day before Mothering Sunday too.  ‘Be the reason someone smiles today’.

4 Eating out – why not take your Mum to a restaurant where she can be treated to great service, a lively and welcoming atmosphere and food that is simply to die for. If this idea tickles your fancy, then there is only one place that your Mum deserves to be taken to and that is the recently renovated family run restaurant in Teddington High Street; Shambles. For £38.50 pp for 3 courses and a children’s menu starting from £12pp, the whole family can eat like kings. Slow cooked ox cheeks, cavolo nero & buckwheat polenta, Grilled whole seabream, marjoram, lemon & Swiss chard and Coconut meringue Pavlova, cream, kiwi & passion fruit to name but a few of the wonderful food options available as part of their mouth-watering menu. Their wine list also offers pages of options – you will be spoilt for choice. To avoid disappointment, and to be one of the first to witness their incredible refurb,  head to http://www.shambles-restaurant.co.uk

5 Memories set in paper – Hooray for Hector is a TW based business that oozes with talent. An online business that has been creating some of the most stunning paper cuts I’ve seen for a very long time. Whether you have a photo that you want to create into something even more special, have a phrase that you want to create into a piece of art, or have ideas for creating something from scratch, Sarah is the lady to go to. Her creations can either be purchased framed or unframed, but what I can say, is that once you look at her site, you will be a customer for life. 

6 Sweet treats – Enchanting Bakes creates sweet treats that will say all there is to say about how you feel about your Mum, as her designs are as special as she is. Whether you’re looking for a bespoke message, or you choose from the set of designs that are available from her Etsy shop, your Mum will love the sentiment behind these gorgeous handcrafted treats. Order by Monday to avoid disappointment.

7 Get fit, feel confident – if your Mum is looking to get back her mojo, and fancies getting involved in a course, or would love a soft tissue massage, Kate Smart Fitness is the place to head to. Kate Smart offers Holistic Core and Restore classes both online and as classes based in Hampton Wick as well as other fitness classes that your Mum will love to get involved in. Based in Teddington, Kate has years of experience when it comes to women’s health, pre and postnatal fitness and is a trained soft tissue masseuse too. Get in touch with Kate to arrange a pre paid voucher that can be redeemed against any of the courses or massages.

8 Blooming marvellous – Gardenia in Teddington is in my humble opinion, one of the best florists in our local area. Their flowers are always beautiful and last for ages, and always arrive looking breathtakingly gorgeous. I have a friend who treats herself to a bunch every fortnight and whenever I see them arranged beautifully in her kitchen, I normally go down to buy myself a bunch too! Once you see an arrangement from Gardenia, you will want to keep going back and back. Simply stunning.

9 Simply Skin – once you arrive at Simply Skin in Teddington, you immediately feel relaxed. The treatments available are vast and can cater for all ages and skin types, meaning there will be a treatment that will be perfect for your all important Mum. Simply Skin UK is a beauty and skincare centre that opened in Teddington in April 2006. They offer a full range of beauty treatments and use fantastic products such as Dermalogica, Caci, Universal Contour Wrap, Fake Bake, Jessica, GELeration, LVL Lashes, Nouveau Beauty Group, The Natural Spa Factory, Spongelle, Yodeyma, MAD beauty, Lycon and Dermapen – only the very best for Mum.

Foundry Fitness PT encompasses everything I love about small business owners in TW.

This fitness & personal training business was founded by two brothers; Stu and Martin who between them have over 30 years experience in personal training, fitness and nutrition. Their soul, passion, motivation and energy is clear to see from the moment you meet them and their attitude to fitness is infectious. I started the circuit training session feeling a little bit anxious, but left feeling that I had accomplished something big. I loved it.

Throughout the session, Stu spoke to everyone about how to get the most from each exercise by explaining how our bodies work when exercising which I found fascinating. A real value add.

‘It’s not about baffling our customers with technical terms they don’t understand. For us, it’s so important that our customers are educated about why we work them the way we do. They begin to learn how to move correctly and safely as well as working on their posture which is responsible for a lot’.

The class started at 6pm prompt at their HQ located on the corner of Shacklegate Lane and Stanley Road in Teddington. The building is deceptively big as it houses 3 treatment rooms, a rehab studio, unisex changing and toilets and work out studio at the back that comes with a fully equipped TRX frame, weights and the latest equipment for boxing and working out.

I was pleasantly surprised by the mix of ages and abilities that took part too. I wasn’t sure how the circuits were going to work and whether or not I would be left behind not able to keep up, but having two trainers in each session offering a 1 to 4 or 1 to 3 ratio makes all the difference.

I was in a class of 7, and took part in TRX exercises, kettle bells (which I have never tried before and really enjoyed), strengthening and cardio. They also spent the last few minutes stretching and cooling us down which I most definitely needed.

‘Let’s turn your body into a calorie burning furnace’.

Talking to Stu after the session, I found out that the business was a life long dream that was made a reality by a family investment made some 6 years ago. He spoke about his passion for running, and the challenges he has been setting himself over the last 10 years to stretch his ability. He’s most definitely an impressive sportsman who has achieved great things leaving a wonderful legacy for his children. His determination and fitness have not only enabled him to support charities and causes deeply close to his heart, but that have also led him to personally become a World Guinness Book of Records holder too.

‘In 2016 I decided to challenge myself with my hardest challenge yet – walking from John O Groats to Landsend. It took me 4 days and 17 hours, 17 hours faster than the previous set world record. I am now the world record holder for completing that circuit which I’m so proud of. Not only that, I raised a lot of money for a cause very close to my heart too’.

Before I sign off, I wanted to mention that as well as the personal training and fitness classes, Foundry Fitness works with physios on site to help rehabilitate people navigate through injury, with particular focus on stroke patients. Monthly talks are also arranged at the HQ offering attendees insight and advice on nutrition, technique and other such topics making this family run business, a true gem that I will be wholeheartedly supporting, and I hope you do too.

To book your sessions, or arrange a complimentary body composition test, head over to http://www.foundryfitness.co.uk/. Let’s all start to get fit together.

Leaving my 9-5 and going it alone has genuinely been one of the best things I’ve ever done, however when I talk to others thinking of taking the leap, I feel it’s important to mention the emotional side that comes with such a big step. Whilst it gives you the possibility to see more of your family and be in charge of your own destiny, it’s a rollercoaster of a ride that comes with moments of self doubt, worry and at times stress so I thought I’d share with you my view on what the actual experience feels like verses your possible thinking. Be prepared for a mad ride, but its so worth it!

1. Be realistic about your partners support – please remember that just because your partner has agreed to support your ambition, doesn’t mean they will be positive about the move the whole of the time. The reality is that they take on the responsibility of shouldering the potential loss of a constant monthly salary and they may at times, feel a little envious of the fact that you’re going out there to make your dream a reality. I’ve been very fortunate to have a husband who wholeheartedly supports our business, but the compromises that we’ve made to get where we are with my business have at times, been hard to swallow. For him, he sees the endless time, calls, meetings, preparation and missing out of family time that I have had to forfeit. So when he compares now to how I used to work, he gets frustrated. I get it. I really do, but I keep my eye on where the business is going and forgive the times when its not all high fives and confident chats between us both.

2. Have a plan – if your plan is a simple one, it’s still a plan that you can refer back to. If simply you want to go freelance for a while to get more experience, to find a way to feel less stressed, to get more money, gain more flexibility to do more of what you love, great. Providing you have a plan on how you’re going to achieve your ultimate aim, this will help keep you on track. If you don’t know what you want to get from this change, you’re going to go round in circles which can fill you with self doubt and worry and no one wants that.

3. Be agile – if something ain’t working, change it. Learn to quickly be able to review a situation and come up with a plan b, c, d and put plans in place to make the change. The changes can be minor such as sharing the pick ups so you can work a little longer or maybe it will be writing your to do list the night before so you can hit the ground running first thing. Enjoy being in charge of your time, don’t let it take over your life and leave you feeling overwhelmed. Feel empowered instead. 

4. Be prepared to compromise – compromise generally makes people feel like they are missing out on something to get something else that they want. Yes, this can be true, but in this instance, your compromises must be viewed as a short term loss that if you remain focussed and committed ,will give you long term gain. 

5. Don’t seek the approval of EVERYONE – this is really important to note as it will turn you into a paranoid mess if you don’t take this on board. The reality is some people in your social world will NEVER Like, share or comment on anything you do simply because they aren’t YET engaged. Remember, you’ve stuck your neck out and gone for it. They may still be stuck in the job that you’d left, or they may feel they could never take the leap of faith you’ve taken. If what you’re doing ticks your boxes and is giving you satisfaction creatively, financially, socially, PLEASE let that be enough. If you seek the approval of everyone you meet, you are never going to be satisfied and are likely to give up before you’ve really achieved what you’re truly capable of. Believe me, if you’ve decided to go it alone, you’re braver than you think anyway.

Get involved with TW Talent whether you’re a business owner or not…

Since setting up TW Talent, I have come into contact with so many wonderful businesses & services that are all based in the TW postcode. I have lists of companies, events and individuals that are all going to be featured in the coming months in the hope that local residents will begin to use more of the resources that are available on our very doorstep. I have also been thinking about how I could list all the contacts I’ve found in one place, so that everyone can access it as a resource page – would this be something that you’d be interested in appearing in, or using as a local resource page?

For now, we need to keep feeding the community with details of the services available in our local TW neighbourhood to keep the momentum going, so I wanted to ask that you all get behind the idea of promoting who and what you love about TW to make it as full and informative as possible. So how can you get involved I hear you cry?

LOCAL BUSINESSES WANTING TO GET INVOLVED

In order for you to be part of TW Talent, you can do so in 2 ways. You can either contact us directly by emailing twtalentpool@gmail.com with information about what you offer, or if you have a great customer base that loves you enough to write a review of their experience, encourage them to write a review directly onto our Facebook page and we will get in touch to find out more. We’d also suggest you follow our Facebook page too so you can be in the know as and when we feature new ideas and promos too.

GET YOUR FAVOURITE LOCAL BUSINESSES THE RECOGNITION THEY DESERVE

For people looking to recommend a service or business that is based in the TW area, customers and fans can simply leave a review on our Facebook page by using the hashtag #twtastic. Once a review has been added, we will then be in touch with the business to let them know that they have been recommended and send them this ‘As featured in’ badge to add to their site too. A little recognition goes a long way so let’s get recommending and showing our appreciation for all the brilliance TW has to offer.

Tuesday 5th February is Chinese New Year – a wonderful day of the year that is full of colour, happiness, vibrancy and good fortune. The history and symbols associated with the day are fascinating so I wanted to share some fun facts about the biggest day in the Chinese calendar, some which maybe new to you…

1. The date for Chinese New Year changes every year. Every year uses a zodiac symbol, this year the symbol is the Pig which is the 12th symbol. 
2. The most fireworks at any one time, are set off on Chinese New Year. This is down to the legend that a little boy fought off a monster on New Years Eve with firecrackers.  
3. Red envelopes are given to children filled with money to signify good luck and fortune. 
4. Red and gold are lucky colours that are made the most of during Chinese New Year. 
5. Anyone who’s born in the year of the pig is said to have a beautiful personality and are blessed with good fortune. 

For the best Chinese meal, TW Talent recommends the Imperial China restaurant on Stanley Road in Teddington however you MUST BOOK in advance. The Imperial China has been rated 21st place as part of the Observer Foods Monthly as one of top 50 hottest places, people and trends in food too (hence the need to book).

Wishing you all a wonderful Chinese New Year!

Introducing the TW Talent Community.

Before I started my own business, I was unaware of the huge amount of emerging talent that lives in our local area. Not only is it a beautiful place to reside with easy access to our Royal Parks and independent shops filling our high streets, we are quite literally surrounded by talented, motivated and inspirational people, all of whom live on our very doorstep.

Over the years, I have had the pleasure of meeting, and in some instances working alongside, some of the talented individuals that live in the TW area. However, what I found was that many of these individuals have a presence online and not necessarily on the high street. It’s therefore my intention to highlight the individuals both on and offline, that make our neighbourhood so vibrant – a one stop shop of evident talent.

If more of our neighbours knew what this postcode has to offer, it would encourage more of us to use the talent pool that’s around the corner from where we all live.

With the likes of Holly Tucker turning her kitchen table business; Not on the High Street into a multi million pound international business (and more recently opening the hugely inspiring Holly & Co in St Margarets), and Graham Bosher who founded businesses such as Graze and LoveFilm (both of whom are local residents), it’s my aim to celebrate our skills and services in a way that has not been done before.

I hope you enjoy my unveilings, blogs, ideas, network opportunities and mentions – I’d love to know what you think so please feel free to share, comment and like. I’m also always on the look out for news and new talent, so if you’d like to be featured, please do not hesitate to let me know by emailing twtalentpool@gmail.com