Setting out into the big wide business world on my own had been a long time dream. My family are quite entrepreneurial and so working the 9 to 5 had never sat quite right with me. With the birth of my little boy, I was soon adding other priorities like work/life balance and time at home to my list of reasons to start up alone. People say that starting a business whilst juggling a newborn is a little crazy but I know a number of women who have done just that. I think sometimes it helps to give you the perspective of exactly what you want in life - and the drive to go for it!

Being a mum is the most rewarding thing I've ever done and I have to say, despite the hard parts, I'm loving every minute of it. What caught me by surprise though, was how much I lost my own identity. Nearly all of my clothes didn't fit, and when they did they were hardly practical or appropriate. I wandered around shops thinking 'What would a mum wear?'. It took me a while to 're-find' myself and my new sense of style. So on a summer evening, after plenty of brainstorming and dreaming (and disastrous style choices!), Mother Knows Best was born.

Mother Knows Best hosts a range of playful, ‘tongue-in-cheek’ Tees for stylish mamas out there, unashamedly winging their way through motherhood. Because sometimes mums need to focus on themselves just as much as their babies.We’re still in our infancy as a business, so although I'm learning every single day I have learned a few big lessons so far.

1. YOU CAN’T DO IT ALL

At the beginning I ordered blank T-shirts with a plan to somehow do it all myself. Apart from that being impossible, I lacked the skill or the equipment to create anything worth buying. Research your product well and put your trust in others. Hire the expert, get the help and learn from them.

2. YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR

Pay peanuts, get monkeys. I learned this the hard way at the very start. It sounds crazy I know but I looked to Facebook Marketplace to find a designer. The plan was to save money but instead I paid upfront and received nothing from one and something I could have created myself from the other. I was conned because I was looking for a cheap solution. A harsh but brilliant lesson!

3. SET YOUR BUSINESS HOURS AND STICK TO THEM

I'd wanted to set up my own SME to give myself a better work/life balance but I actually ended up working more. There was never an off-switch and my passion for my company meant it started to become the main focus. Setting specific hours and delegating work to suppliers has helped me work smarter.

4. LEAN ON FRIENDS AND FAMILY

I've always been a bit of island. I think I can do it all on my own and wince if I have to ask for help. That simply doesn't work when you own your own business. Sit down and think carefully about your network, who can help you and how, write it all down and get talking!

5. WRITE A BUSINESS PLAN

It's so important to have a clear vision of what your company is about and where it's going. Knowing that I wanted my T-shirts to 'do good' meant that my business plan led me to giving charity donations from each sale. There are plenty of websites offering sample plans. Having a crystal clear idea of exactly what you want will help you get there quicker.

Good luck!

Laura Claire
Mother Knows Best

www.mkb.org.uk

Ten Top Tips for Spotless Interview Hygiene

When we come to interview a candidate, we are very likely to base our opinions on first impressions. Hey, I’m not judging! It’s human nature to do this, after all. It’s all too easy to forget that our candidate is likely to do the same. In this post, I’ll discuss why it’s healthy to ensure your interview hygiene is spotless and put your best foot forward.

1. SET EXPECTATIONS

Interview hygiene starts long before the interview. If you can make time to accurately set a candidate’s expectations ahead of time, you will ensure they are comfortable and that they have a good interview experience. Regardless of whether you offer them the job, you want them to walk out of your building feeling positive about your brand. Have a think about all the key bits of useful information and either send your candidate an email or offer a short phone call to tell them everything they might need to know beforehand, such as:

Your office location - is it difficult to find? Where is the nearest public transport?
Your office dress code - if you have a smart casual dress code, it’s worth telling your candidate they don’t need to be suited and booted. It gives them an opportunity to dress more comfortably and save any embarrassment.
How many interviews they will have, with how many people and how long for?
What format will the interview questions take?
Will the candidate have a chance to answer questions and who will be best placed to answer them? If the Recruiter or HR will answer questions about salary and benefits, then let your candidate know this up front. This will avoid awkward situations where they are asking your CEO about salary!

2. DO YOUR RESEARCH

How many interviews have you walked into, where the interviewer leads you via the printer so that they can pick up a freshly printed copy of your CV? None? Well you’re lucky! This is another little message to your candidate that you haven’t planned ahead and that you’re not hugely interested in them. Read their CV thoroughly BEFORE the interview and make notes; look for the needle in the haystack and plan to ask them about it. Is there a gap in their employment? Did they do a degree unrelated to their career path? Did they work on something that you’d love to find out more about? If you can make time, check out their LinkedIn profile (even better with a Recruiter LinkedIn licence) and Google them to see what else pops up. Spend some time thinking about the role you are recruiting for and the key attributes you’ll need from an employee. Make a list of the questions you can ask your candidate that will really uncover whether they are a good match.

3. BE EARLY

If you can, arrive early to collect your candidate, but absolutely CATEGORICALLY do not be late. A lot of emphasis is often put on the candidate to be on time, or arrive early (but not too early!), but in my time on both sides of the fence I have seen too little emphasis put on the interviewer to do the same. Think about the underlying message; if you’re late you’re basically telling your candidate that you value your time over theirs. As first impressions go, it’s hard to undo. If you arrive to collect your candidate even just two minutes early, you have time to greet them, walk to your meeting room and get started bang on time. If your diary often gets blocked out or double booked, block out the 15 minute slot before the interview and mark it as ‘Important - do not double book’, so that you know you’ll have enough time.

4. KNOW WHERE YOU’RE GOING

Don’t forget to book a meeting room well in advance of the interview and check which one it is before you go and collect your candidate. You don’t want to be wasting time walking up and down corridors, or find yourself in a situation where you have to kick a bunch of people out of a room so that you can get in. Even worse, in a situation where you don’t have a room at all! This is a surefire way to show your candidate that you haven’t planned ahead. You can use the same trick with your meeting room as your diary - book it for 15 minutes ahead of the interview time, or even better 30 minutes, so that you can spend a good bunch of time reading your candidate’s CV, scouring their LinkedIn profile and preparing your questions.

5. REMEMBER THEIR NEEDS

I don’t know how many times I have been to an interview and not been offered so much as a glass of water. Offer drinks, ask your candidate if they need a comfort break and check whether the interview room is too hot or cold. I know you’re busy and you have a lot going on, but just remember your candidate is a human being, they are potentially a bit nervous, and a little bit of empathy and a human touch can go a long way to giving them a positive experience of your organisation.

6. SAY THANK YOU

Yes, your candidate should be thanking you for your time, BUT... you should also be doing the same. Often a candidate will have to take a day of holiday or call in a dodgy sick day to attend an interview, so just make sure you acknowledge this both up front and at the end of the interview.

7. NO DEVICES

Brought your laptop? Shut it. Brought your phone? Turn it over. And put it on SILENT, not vibrate!! Your candidate should have 100% of your attention and maximum eye contact for the duration of the interview. Remove any other distractions and commit to being present with your candidate. This is your only opportunity to get to know them and their only opportunity to get to know you. If you only have 40 minutes scheduled, you better make damn sure you’re making the most of the time. You can’t rewind and replay!

8. ACTIVE LISTENING

You’re either a note-taker or not, when it comes to interviews. Some of you will literally transcribe the interview (I have been this person in the past!), some of you will take notes of key points and some of you will rely on the old grey matter completely, without a pen in sight. The key thing to consider is how you listen. Active listening is the process of making a conscious effort to fully concentrate on what is being said to you. When your candidate is speaking, you need to, process what has been said, summarise and analyse, then form a response. Some of this is obviously about ensuring that you get what you need in the interview so that you can accurately assess the candidate, but it’s also about giving your candidate a positive experience. Regardless of whether they want to work with you or not, they will walk out of their interview with a positive perception of their experience if they really feel that they have been heard.

9. LEAVE TIME FOR QUESTIONS

Don’t forget that an interview is as much about the candidate interviewing you, as you interviewing them, especially in today’s job market! Allow a good 10 - 15 minutes at the end of the interview for the candidate to ask questions, and ensure that throughout the interview you encourage them to ask questions as they arise. A great interview feels like a great conversation, after all. If your candidate doesn’t have any questions for you at the end of the interview, that says something in itself (clue: maybe they’re just not that into you), but at least you have given them the opportunity. It may be subliminal but this is just another little piece that fits into the puzzle of creating a positive candidate experience.

10. DEBRIEF AND HIT PAUSE

Once you’ve thanked the candidate for their time and sent them off on their way, take some time out to debrief. Straight after the interview, review your notes or take some time to replay the interview in your mind and make some key notes about your candidate. Most importantly though, hit pause on your decision-making process. The yes/no decision you feel compelled to make right now is most likely subjective and emotional. I know it’s hard, but just try to make your notes as balanced as possible and include all pros and cons about the candidate and what you talked about. If you want to make a truly objective decision about whether to hire a candidate, you need to give your brain a bit of time to process. Your candidate may have been engaging, funny and fascinating, but if you had great rapport it can very easily cloud the more logical assessment you really need to do to make the best hiring decision. If you don’t believe me, just try it next time you interview someone. It’s a great way of challenging your thinking and staying rational about your hiring.

Good luck and happy interviewing!

Guest Blog: FIVE BIG LESSONS learned from starting a fashion business