Networking is key to business, so why do so many events not cater for the growing number of mum run businesses?  We have to juggle work around childcare, school runs, housework and grocery shopping so why should we miss out on networking?  Social networking goes some way to filling the gap but nothing beats face to face contact with other mums in your area.  This is why I have decided to launch my very own face to face networking specifically for mums in business but we won’t turn away anyone – especially if they share our love of cake!

We will meet once a month in a child friendly location near you, so please register your interest now.

I’m so pleased that Breastvest (as seen on my favourite daytime programme This Morning) are exhibiting at Darlington Baby Fair on 30th May.  Some of the best ideas are those that you think “why didn’t I come up with that?” and the Breastvest is one of them.  Initially designed to hide that post birth tummy whilst breast feeding the vest now also doubles as a pregnancy bump cover up when your normal clothes no longer meet in the middle.

Breastvest will be supporting our breast feeding area so now there is no need to leave the event when your baby gets hungry!

… and I am trying to get to grips with it.  Leaflets, newspaper ads, website ads, radio, the options are endless but with a limited budget how do you work out which options to use and which to ignore?  I’m sure I’ve made some expensive mistakes, who hasn’t when trying to get the marketing right, so this time round I am getting some advice.  11 weeks till Darlington baby fair and I would normally be thinking well I have ages yet but experience has told me I don’t!

My marketing has now been split to target exhibitors and visitors instead of a ‘one email fits all’ approach, and I have a survey running for the visitors from Middlesbrough so I can see where they heard about us and what they liked and didn’t like about the event.  All important things I need to consider for future events.

So the hunt is on for exhibitors for this exciting event, the plans for the day are pretty much all in place with a lot more going on during the day.  Birthday Buddies are providing characters to walk round at regular intervals and there will also be the chance for kids to have their pics taken with them, and we have more class demonstrations which will be running all through the event.  So all that is left is to get the marketing right – and it will be right!

I would like to say I have been really busy and that is why this blog hasn’t been updated recently and largely that is true.  So much has been happening both with Coochie Cou and my other ventures but I really do need to keep you all updated!  In case I ‘forget’ to renew this blog why not join us on facebook, we have a fan page and group as well and do try hard to keep that up to date.

Anyway, back to what has been going on.  We are well underway with plans for Middlesbrough Baby Fair following the success of Northallerton in November.  Middlesbrough baby fair is going to be a celebration of mothers to tie in with Mothering Sunday on 14th March and so we are looking for any businesses that can provide a pampering treatment or some samples for the goody bags.  Please get in touch if you can help.  We have three fantastic event sponsors in Raring 2 Go, Waterbabies and Baby Brite as well as lovely exhibitors booked in – we still have some spaces so it’s not too late to get in touch.  We have the lovely Anita attending from Huckleberries who will be doing facepainting and balloon models on the day as well as a demonstration of her party entertaining (I can personally recommend her!)

We have also added another new event this year.  Darlington Baby Fair will be held in the Dolphin Centre on 30th May.  We will be bringing all the fun and shopping opportunities to Darlington so put the date in your diary now and keep checking the website for more details of who will be exhibiting on the day.

I have just received the pic that was taken when I called in to the SCBU at the Friarage to donate the money raised from Northallerton Baby Fair – I hate seeing photos of myself but I have added it to the press page on the website.

So, it is all fun here at the moment with goody bag inserts and advertising bookings coming in along with the exhibitor bookings – please contact me if you want to be part of it all!

I can’t quite believe how quickly the past 8 weeks have gone.  I am now in the final preparation stage for Ripon Mothers Market and despite a few hiccups in the last week things are back on track and going well.  We have around 20 wonderful exhibitors – all mum run businesses from the region – and we have handed out almost all of our 10,000 leaflets advertising the event.  I can honestly say I have thoroughly enjoyed arranging this event, even the sleepless nights with a head filled with ideas, and I am now looking forward to meeting all the inspirational business mums on Tuesday.  If you are near Ripon Racecourse please pop in and say hello and perhaps make a start on your Christmas shopping?

If you want to take part in Business Mum Week (which kicks off today with a fantastic conference in Birmingham) then check out the website for events in your area.

We are thrilled that Make an Impression, a baby fingerprinting and casting company, have agreed to become sponsors of both Northallerton and Middlesbrough Baby Fairs.  The company produce lasting keepsakes of your baby as either jewellery using a fingerprint or castings of hands and feet.  The results are gorgeous and can be given as a gift or kept for yourself.  We are really looking forward to seeing examples of their work!

With Middlesbrough Baby Fair being quite a way off yet it is a little on the back burner planning wise.  We have the venue arranged, and are happy to take bookings from exhibitors.  We are particularly looking for a professional baby photographer who would be interested in our photography sponsorship deal.  We do have some provisional bookings already from Barefoot Books, Talking Tots, Rhythm Time, Phoenix Trading, Jamie at Home and Signing Tots, and our facepainter has agreed to cover this event for us too.

So what else is there to sort out?  Well we will be making some special Mothers Day goody bags up and we are also looking to have someone do a pamper treatment or two for our mums/mums to be on the day, so it must be pregnancy safe.  Maybe a manicure or makeover?  Anything that will spoil our mum visitors.

We are also on the lookout for companies interested in sponsoring this show.  With such a dense urban area we expect a fantastic turnout for this event so it would be an excellent chance to get your brand out there.  Don’t forget we will be producing at least 20,000 flyers and posters which will be sent all around the region to attract visitors.

Nearer the time we will be working harder on this event, to keep updated with everything going on please subscribe to our newsletter through the main baby fair site.

The bookings are starting to come in and the grand plan for our first baby fair is in place.  We already have Waterbabies confirmed and have provisional bookings from Forever Living Products, Nappy Love and Phoenix Traders, with class demonstrations of baby massage, sing and sign and dance class.  We also have a facepainter booked in for the children for the day.

We have an offer of samples from Lansinoh and will be approaching the special care baby unit of the local hospital to be the beneficiary of our charity raffle on the day.

So what are we looking for?  Well, apart from more confirmed bookings, we really need raffle prizes, more goody bag samples and more a Santa!  If you are able to help with any of these please get in touch.  We are still looking for show sponsors too – it is an excellent package which will get your company right under the noses of the people in North Yorkshire.

Ok so this is mainly to put something on the page before I go to bed, so here goes.  Coochie Cou is my project to make baby fairs more accessible for small business owners like myself.  I find that a lot of the bigger baby fairs are now getting so expensive to exhibit at that I cannot justify spending that much on one event.  There is a breed of determined business mums up and down the country now organising smaller and more affordable baby fairs in town centres so they are more accessible to exhibitors and visitors alike.  Coochie Cou is the company bringing them to North Yorkshire and Teesside.

While I am working on the blog please visit the main website for more information, or follow us on twitter