Latest news with #CarolineMarshall
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Heart club receives hundreds of pounds from donations
A HEART club has received hundreds of pounds in donations. Bournemouth Heart Club recently received a £400 donation from Bournemouth Rotary Club. This is nothing new for Bournemouth Rotary, with their longstanding commitment to support 'local health initiatives'. The president, Virginia Beck, presented the cheque of £400 to Caroline Marshall, the general manager of the heart club. Founded in 1996, the heart club provides rehabilitation support for individuals recovering from cardiac procedures or living with a high risk of coronary heart disease. Today, its services also extend to those managing chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes, offering tailored exercise programmes and health education to improve long-term outcomes. A spokesperson for Bournemouth Rotary said: "The club's support of the Heart Club spans decades, with former member the late Peter Bath instrumental in funding the construction of the gymnasium in 1996. "This latest donation reflects Rotary's continued dedication to promoting community well-being." President Beck stated that Bournemouth Heart Club represents 'the very best of community care'. She said: "The Bournemouth Heart Club represents the very best of community care - compassionate, consistent, and life-changing. "We're proud to support its mission and hope this contribution helps sustain its vital work for those recovering from cardiac issues and managing long-term health conditions."
Times
27-05-2025
- Business
- Times
"I spent £10,000 on PR – and got almost nothing back" – 9 big business blunders
Running a small business means wearing many hats, and sometimes, it means making costly mistakes. Whether it's investing in the wrong software, paying for services you don't need, or hiring the wrong people, it's easy to lose money in the early stages. We spoke to small business owners who've shared the spending decisions they regret, and what they've learnt in the process. In this article, we cover: Read more: Best business savings accounts 2025 Caroline Marshall, who runs virtual assistant agency Upsource, was keen to streamline her business after returning from maternity leave, but ended up paying the price. She said: 'I spent thousands on a software platform that just wasn't right for us. It looked impressive, but we quickly realised it didn't comply with GDPR rules, and that's essential for our business. It felt like such a frustrating, expensive mistake, especially because I was just coming back into the business and trying to scale.' She now always gets second opinions, tests the free version first and double-checks the platform's compliance before signing up to anything. Even if a tool looks great, Caroline stressed that it has to be legally watertight. 'Just because something works for another business doesn't mean it's right for yours,' she said. Read more: Best accounting software in 2025 Jemma, who runs CBD tea brand Four Twentea, used to believe all businesses needed a high-end accountant from the start. She said: 'I was paying £1,200 a year for accountancy support, and I wasn't making any money yet. I thought it was essential. Now I use a basic profit and loss spreadsheet and meet with an accountant once a year over Zoom. 'I found her on Fivrr originally. She helped me get my books in order and now we just video chat once a year. She helps me file everything for £200 for two hours of her time.' This stripped-back system has also given her more financial confidence. Jemma said: 'My accountant explains things as we go and I'm not scared to ask questions. I still don't use Xero or expensive software; I just pay once a year when I actually need it.' Read more: A guide to small business tax Hiring before your business is ready can be one of the costliest mistakes. Sían Downes, founder of events company Strawberry Lemonade Events, said: 'I spent thousands hiring sales staff who didn't bring in a single booking. 'I thought I was being proactive, building a team, but we weren't ready. They didn't have leads, and I didn't have the structure to support them properly.' Now, she takes a far more cautious approach. She starts with freelancers on a short-term basis and only brings in regular support once she's clear on what success looks like. She said: 'It's less risky, and I've found some amazing people that way.' Setting targets and reviewing progress regularly has helped her avoid repeating the mistake. Read more: How to start a business Jennifer Bailey, who runs footwear brand Calla, designed for women who suffer with bunions, has tried multiple consultants over the years, often to disappointing results. She said: 'I assumed other people knew more than me because it was my first business. But most of the time, they told me things I already knew. One woman charged £1,000 for a marketing session, then disappeared. It shook my confidence.' She now only works with people who show transparency upfront and offer case studies or client feedback. Like many other founders, Jennifer has found far better value in peer-led communities where she can ask real business owners for advice. She said: 'Joining Facebook groups like Lightbulb for small businesses has been brilliant. You get help from people who are actually in it with you.' Read more: Best business savings accounts 2025 Bharati Manchanda now orders small sample runs rather than bulk ordering Bharati Manchanda, who runs sustainable accessories brand Embellished Truth, learnt the risks of ordering too soon, and too much. She said: 'I spent around £600 on the wrong leather when I first started my business as it was the only eco-friendly option I could find for my sustainable accessory brand. I then spent hundreds more to make handbag samples, only to discover the leather wasn't suitable at all.' She now orders small sample runs, even if they cost more per unit, despite shipping fees being more expensive. 'I am also much more experienced in sourcing materials,' she said. Read more: The best payment services for your business Karen Webber, who runs Goodness Marketing, realised how much she was spending on courses she never took. She said: 'I bought four Facebook Ads courses before it clicked that I was just repeating the same thing. Ironically, the only one I actually finished was the cheapest, at just $25.' She believes many small business owners fall into this cycle, investing in courses and workshops in the hope they'll be the magic fix. 'What most of us need isn't more learning, it's more doing,' she said. She's since reined in her spending, also cancelling three memberships she never actually used. 'Altogether, those three were costing me nearly £1,000 a year,' she said. She's also started blocking time in her calendar specifically to work through any resource she pays for. Anthony Badmus now works with micro-creators instead of expensive influencers When trying to raise your profile, it's tempting to go straight to a PR agency, but Bharati warns against jumping in too soon. She said: 'I spent nearly £10,000 on a PR company in New York with very little coverage. It was early days, and I thought PR would change everything. I got a couple of mentions, but nothing I couldn't have done myself.' She now uses platforms like PR Dispatch and Lightbulb to pitch stories directly and build journalist relationships herself. 'I've had better results this way, and I've learned so much in the process.' Anthony Badmus, founder of skincare tools brand Smuuv Body, admits that one of his early mistakes was sinking money into the wrong influencer partnerships. He said: 'I said yes to creators who didn't match the product or audience, purely because they had reach. Great people, poor fit.' Now, he works directly with micro-creators who understand the product and speak to the right communities, even if their following is smaller. 'The content performs better, and I waste far less budget.' Sían was lured by the promise of 'no win, no fee' grant funding support, for which she paid £3,000 upfront. But when the funding application was rejected, she never saw the money again, despite the guarantee. 'They wrote utter rubbish and never refunded the money,' she said. Now, Sían takes a far more measured approach. 'I'm much more cautious with my budget, especially during uncertain times,' she said. Instead of chasing every growth opportunity that comes her way, she focuses on sustainable decisions that genuinely move her business forward. Read more: How to get a business loan Simon Driscoll, founder of skincare brand UXB, admits he fell into the trap of paying for expensive video and graphic design subscriptions. 'I bought all these fancy tools, thinking they'd take my content to the next level. I was paying £60 a month on the full Adobe Creative Cloud package,' he said. 'Now, I use AI tools in Canva to remove backgrounds and add to product shots. The strawberries on my homepage are AI generated. I also use tools like Clipfly AI to turn still images into video for online ads, cutting down on costs of licensing royalty free videos which can be upwards of £50 a pop.' For small business owners stretched for time, creating social media content, blogs, and email marketing can be also overwhelming. AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude can streamline the process. While you'll still need to tweak them to fit your brand voice, they provide a solid starting point. Read more: How AI can help your business: six tips for success Some of the products promoted are from our affiliate partners from whom we receive compensation. While we aim to feature some of the best products available, we cannot review every product on the market. Although the information provided is believed to be accurate at the date of publication, you should always check with the product provider to ensure that information provided is the most up to date.
