Spring Fair Presentation

as you may already know, on Wednesday I traveled to Birmingham to give a presentation and to speak as part of a panel of guest speakers at Spring Fair International. it was a really interesting opportunity, which I said yes to immediately after being invited, despite my huge fear of public speaking. even though it was unpaid I wanted the experience of speaking to a group of strangers, and of sharing a little bit of the knowledge I have gleaned since starting Ladybird Likes.

my solo presentation was first - I was extremely nervous beforehand, not least because on the journey to Birmingham I was feeling really poorly and faint, and I was a bit worried that I might just collapse in the middle of my presentation! luckily I had my right-hand guy with me - my lovely boy-o came along for moral support and I don't think I could have done it without him! I was speaking on the topic of creating a brand identity and showcasing this in your photos, and also on the importance of using photos on social networking sites to tell your brand's story. it's a topic I am really passionate about, not least because I think that this is one of the key ways in which I have actually grown Ladybird Likes.  my presentation was really well-received, and I had numerous people come up to me afterwards to ask questions and take business cards which was really nice!

the panel discussion was next - I was with Stacie Swift who I already know from craft fairs, so that really put me at ease as it's always nice to see a friendly face! our panel discussion was talking about unleashing the power of social media - it was really interesting hearing the questions people had. I think sometimes I take for granted that I use social media for every aspect of promoting my business. there are so many people out there who struggle with this, and who have no idea how to use social media to grow their fanbase and to spread the word about their company or products. I think I preferred the format of a solo presentation however - it was easier to get your thoughts and points across than in the panel format.

I'm hoping to start offering some sort of business talks and one to one mentoring this year. that's not to say I'm some sort of business expert, but I do feel that over the last two years of running Ladybird Likes I've learned a LOT about starting and growing a small independent business, and I'd love to be able to share this with other people.