Retreat with me in January

I’ve created a long weekend that takes care of you, where you don’t have to think about making dinner or looking after anyone else, and you can simply focus on looking after you and your business.

In my own life and business planning, I’ve found it completely invaluable to have time out, in a different (and beautiful!) place, with a group of like-minded people. You’ll have chance to reflect on your business as it is now, the things that have gone well, and the dreams you have for the future.

Small Creative Business Retreat 2017I’ll be running workshops that will help you identify your core strengths as a business and an individual, that will help you to plan for the next year, and that will inspire you to move your business forward.

The practical workshop stuff will be balanced with some real retreat stuff, too, to make sure you go home on Monday feeling rested, nourished and energised. You’ll be able to have a massage, sleep in, take naps, take walks in the beautiful gardens, and have time to read and write. We’ll do some simple meditations together that will settle us in to doing the important business planning work.

Small Creative Business RetreatWorkshops will be as a whole, and in smaller groups, and I’ll be available throughout the weekend to have some one-to-one time where it’s needed. I’m confident you’ll be leaving with plenty of ideas and tools to help improve your business.

Ready to book your place? Click here to choose your room and book.

 

 

 

Save the date: Friday 6 to Monday 9 January 2017

When: arrive Friday afternoon, leave early Monday.

Where: Pedington Manor, near Berkeley in the Cotswolds

Who: me, you, and a group of wonderful small creative business owners
(up to 14 people max.)

This particular retreat weekend is only available to new attendees, those who haven’t retreated with me before. This year, I decided to offer repeat retreats for my existing group so that we can dive deeper the second or third time around. Anyone who retreats with me for the first time in 2017 will be able to do the same next year!

 

Previous years

I’ve been lucky to have so many brilliant women at my retreats in previous years. Here are the highlights:

2015:

 

2016:

 

Accommodation and catering

We’ll be staying in Pedington Manor in the beautiful Cotswolds. It’s a gorgeous and cosy manor house with lovely and inspiring suuroundings. We have the whole place to ourselves, and lots of opportunity for comfort and relaxation.

When planning the retreat, I wanted to find somewhere luxurious but cosy and homely – somewhere we could really settle in together and would feel like an escape. Pedington is full of open fires, squishy sofas, and comfy beds. There are places for a peaceful moment all to yourself, and plenty of room to connect and create with our supportive group.

A number of accommodation options are available to suit different budgets and preferences. I’ve included more info below.

Small Creative Business Retreat

The retreat is fully catered from Friday night to Monday morning. If you have any dietary requirements, we can work with that – just let me know. There’ll be copious tea and cake, naturally!

There’s plenty of parking available at Pedington. Your travel to the retreat isn’t included in the price, but I can help to coordinate travel from nearby train stations.

 

Rooms and prices

The accommodation at Pedington Manor is all gorgeous, with a variety of different rooms available to suit your budget and preferences.Small Creative Business Retreat

En-suite individual room: £1,200
Individual room: £950
Standard twin room: £750
Dorm room: £550 (up to 4 people sharing)

 

 

 

All rooms (except individual en-suites) have lovely shared bathrooms.

Please note prices do not include VAT.

 

Who’s coming

Our group will be a maximum of 14 – a number that allows us to get to know each other and create a truly supportive group. This retreat weekend is for new retreaters only. I’ve had such a high re-booking rate (hooray!) that, this year, I decided to offer repeat retreats for my existing group so that we can dive deeper the second or third time around. Anyone who retreats with me for the first time in 2017 will be able to do the same next year!

I firmly believe that everyone coming on this retreat will benefit not only from a restoring weekend, but will also receive the ongoing support of a close and non-competitive group. We connect with each other in a private group on Facebook before we meet in person, and we really work as a group to listen to and see each other clearly.

Why retreat with me?

I adore running retreats. It honestly feels like the work I’m meant to do in the world. My work as a coach and mentor brings me plenty of experience working with individuals and groups, and I bring a wealth of experience – personal and professional – to the table.

I’m open, honest, and I hold the space for you. I bring structure to conversations about who you are, who your brand is, what you really want, and how to move forward. I know from personal experience that big change can come from retreats and deep insights. Sometimes it’s gentle, sometimes dramatic, but it’s always from a place of truth and authentic growth.

If you’re up for a relaxed, informal, yet insightful way of learning how to improve your business and your life, this is the retreat for you. And you’re bound to make some friends along the way.

To book:

  1. Pop over here and choose your room type
  2. You can choose to pay in full now, or pay a £250 deposit with instalment options. If you choose to pay in instalments, I’ll email you to set this up.

Please note your deposit is non-refundable. If you change your mind or are unable to attend, your place can be transferred to someone else if available. Otherwise, you will be charged in full.

Any questions? Please let me know if there’s anything you’re worrying or wondering about. You can email me: jenny (at) thejennyhyde.com

I can’t wait to see you there!

Jx

 

The Big New Idea: Crowdfunding

blog-13-aaA couple of weeks ago, over at Copper Boom Studio, we launched a Crowdfunder campaign to raise some money for our expansion.

Now, I’ve never done a Crowdfunder myself before. I’ve worked with a couple of clients on similar things, but I’ve never done one myself.

I started thinking about it when I was figuring out financing the growth of Copper Boom. We’ve taken on a big studio space and we’re aiming to grow the business quite quickly in order to keep up with demand. It seemed important and exciting to involve clients of the business and create some brilliant benefits for being early supporters of the business.

So I created packages for VIP membership to Copper Boom, allowing for annual discounts, support and more. There are a few different levels for different business needs, and of course some smaller packages for smaller businesses and family and friends who want to offer support.

Why Crowdfunder?

The most popular platform is Kickstarter, but Crowdfunder is based in the UK (which I like) and has more general business projects, rather than focusing on funding an end product. I also chose to keep whatever we raise, rather than having to reach a target in order to get any of the money people pledge.

Setting a target

So I set a target for £15,000. It’s ambitious, especially considering I’ve never done this before. But the theme of Copper Boom has become go big or go home, so I figured we might as well aim to raise enough to buy equipment and props to last us a really long time. While £5,000 would get us a really long way in terms of lighting and set build, £15,000 would allow us to get way more specialised with the props and set-ups we create. It also means I can invest time training the team on creating amazing copy and marketing content.

My intention is that by expanding our capacity we will also extend our quality because the team will be more specialised. We’ll be able to get super mega lenses for working on jewellery, and we’ll be able to build sets so that we can photograph bigger pieces.

Creating pledges

I decided to offer VIP year-long packages as pledges, giving discounts, first refusal, my Planning With Purpose course, and lots more. The idea is that pledgers will be on our radar at the studio, and we’ll give them the VIP treatment when they book in work with us. We’ll create mini style guides, boxes of props and backgrounds, and tone of voice documents for every VIP backer.

I’ve also put together helpful PDF guides on conversion rates, photography and writing skills (love these so much!) to offer our expertise to small businesses, not just bigger companies.

And of course there are some BRILLIANT Gilmore Girls enamel pins and a gorgeous investor certificate for every single person who supports us in this launch period. Because seriously, I’m grateful for every single penny right now.

Progress

We’re currently nowhere near our target. That’s okay, because we get to keep whatever we make, but I’m also thinking about ways to spread the word in the last remaining weeks. I’m thinking about showing the value of what we do. I’m thinking about sharing more and more on social media (so prepare to be inundated!) and asking people to spread the word.

We’ve had 25 backers so far. I love every single one of them. If you haven’t already backed us, I’d be honoured and humbled if you’d consider it. Each pledge makes a big difference to us: £5 gives us more mountboard colours for backgrounds, £100 means we can get another desk to work and shoot on, £300 means I can get the team another laptop so we can stop borrowing ancient and heavy personal laptops, £1,500 would allow us to get shelving and storage for EVERYTHING, making us more efficient (and less messy).

How you can help

Honestly, I’m nervous. I’m excited, of course, but right now, cashflow (as many of you know) is challenging as I balance work coming in with being able to grow and afford rent for the first time.

So. Every single share, pledge, investment, comment, click, positive thought (and did I mention pledge?) makes a HUGE difference to getting this thing firmly off the ground and supporting small businesses.

Is there a pledge you’d like to see?

Let me know. If we can offer support in a different way, I’d love to hear about it!

Jx

Recommended: supportive courses for Christmas

For the past two years, since I started mentoring small creative business owners, I’ve run Progress not Perfection – an email and care package programme to bring support and ease into the busiest weeks of the year.

This year, I’ve made the decision not to run it because I’m pretty tied up in Copper Boom Studio, as well as planning my January retreats.

But I wouldn’t want you to feel unsupported over Christmas! So here are a few recommendations for ways you can get some calm and love in your mailbox.

1. A Thankful Heart by Gabrielle Treanor

Gabrielle is a passionate and gentle soul, seeking to guide busy people towards a more grateful and joyous everyday life. This particular course starts on 7 November and is all about finding little bits of good in every day. I’ve personally read every email and listened to every recording, and this course is a lovely way to create more gratitude and happiness.

2. Savor by Rachel Cole

Every year for the past five years, I’ve taken Rachel’s festive season offering. The first one got me through a very hard winter, before I knew that I wanted to leave my job (and relationship) in search for something more on my own terms. I’ve worked with Rachel for three years (she’s my coach) and I love the way she brings her wisdom to the Christmas season. This year’s Savor course sees new guest teachers offering meditations and pauses for thought. Lovely!

3. Being Boss Podcasts

I love having something to listen to while I’m working, and I’ve found the Being Boss podcast so helpful and inspiring. This option isn’t as gentle as the other two – it’s more business advice and getting you thinking, which might not be quite right for this time of year. But it’s full of wisdom and “me too” moments. Tune into episodes you most need or simply catch up on the regular programme.

 

And, of course, the invitation is open to join me in January in the Cotswolds for a weekend of restoration, inspiration and creativity. Booking in on a retreat is one of the only ways to work with me in the coming months.

Sending love your way,

Jenny x

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