Thursday 23 November 2017

Don't drop any baubles when juggling this Christmas


With Christmas fast approaching, I wanted to take a step back and look at how you can effectively manage your time and have a fun and productive period. For me personally, I have a business to run, kids to please, as well as Wimbleball middle distance triathlon to train for!

Mastering the art of juggling

Managing to keep on top of everything and provide a memorable Christmas for all of your family means being able to juggle multiple tasks at once. Here are some of my top tips that I use and which you can try as well.

Be organised ahead of time

As a global award-winning PR, I understand the need for preparation. It helps you stay organised at busy times and keep on top of all tasks. This means preparing not just your business schedule, but also all other tasks of running a household, and any other passions you pursue.

Set expectations

This means managing everyone's expectations of what you will be able to get done. What is actually achievable in the time given? This includes any clients, you have, as well as kids who are expecting to get to see their mother more over the holidays. There are only 24 hours in a day and you have to be realistic in terms of what you can deliver.

Take some time off

This comes down to great preparation and is crucial to avoiding burnout. The Christmas period is a time to see your family and actually take some time off. So, even though you will still be busy, do schedule in some much needed time to switch off. It also means putting in the extra effort for the first two weeks of December. Four weeks' worth of work needs can be squeezed into two, and it will be worth it in the end, trust me.

Online shopping is great!

I wonder how much time it would be if you calculated the hours spent queuing in department stores and sitting in traffic. Shop online and spend a little bit more for gift wrapping and you can get 90% with the click of a button. I actually buy gift throughout the year too so that there isn’t as much to do in December.

Where’s the proof?

Well, I’ve been doing exactly this, and much more, for years now, and Christmas 2017 will be no different! My triathlon in Exmoor takes place next June and I’m already well into my training schedule. My plan over Christmas is to get up early so I can still see my family in the daytime, as well as training with my daughters and the dog, who are also passionate triathletes – LOL. To top it off, I will be hosting Christmas day this year!

As a final tip, if you are also cooking Christmas dinner, why not save a little time by roasting all vegetables, rather than spending hours preparing and cooking four (or more) varieties. Also, why fill the entire oven with a whole turkey that takes hours to cook, when you can just by for a crown, which is far less effort and cooks twice as quick!  I also get a lot of the items in foil trays.  To reduce washing up!

Have a happy, productive (and cost effective) Christmas.

Thursday 16 November 2017

Unmissable business workshops


Serial entrepreneur and PR guru, Sara Tye, and successful businesswoman, Natalie Lovett, have joined forces to create an incredible series of workshops aimed at businesspeople with a desire to grow their business, boost their marketing and increase their profile.

Sara Tye is an award-winning top 500 international PR, business and organisational development expert. She’s also a passionate and engaging motivational speaker. Natalie Lovett is an entrepreneur and CEO of the hugely successful Love To Plan wedding and event planning business. 

Together, they are planning to help businesses and individuals grow with a series of workshops with a series of big name presenters.

“We’ve seen so many enterprises with great prospects struggle because they don’t necessarily have the skills or the time to market their business,” said Sara Tye.

“It’s a changing world. Social Media, blogging, SEO and PPC are essentials now to any business. We want to share our experiences and our expertise.”

The first workshop took place on 1 November, where Sara Tye offered ten top tips on how to create and develop a successful brand. She was joined by Data Protection consultant Cathy Brode, who spoke on what the requirements of the GDPR are and how to meet them.

Following the this workshop, there will be more inspirational speakers sharing their expertise:

Wednesday 10 January 2018 – Natalie Lovett delivers '10 top tips on how to gain business from consumer shows and maximize B2B trade shows' and Gel Studios will have lots of advice on 'SEO Tips'.

Wednesday 7 March 2018 – Sara Tye will speak on 'How to get coverage in the Press' and Emma De Maio from redheadPR will present 'Social media expert - Instagram vs Facebook vs Pinterest vs Twitter etc. - what to do and make it work hard for you'.

Wednesday 2 May 2018 – Angie Petkovic from APT Marketing will present 'How to develop a marketing strategy' and Sara Tye will discuss 'How to write a great blog/vlog'.

Wednesday 4 July 2018 – Tom Davenport from Digital Marketing Specialist Ltd will talk about 'Social media targeting and paid advertising' and Emma De Maio from redheadPR will present a masterclass in Photography and mobile devices.

Wednesday 18 October 2017

Sara Tye shortlisted for Female Entrepreneur of The Year Award in the 2017 South West Business and Community Awards


Entrepreneur and PR guru Sara Tye has been shortlisted for Female Entrepreneur of The Year Award in the 2017 South West Business and Community Awards.

The nominations will be judged by an independent panel of influential entrepreneurs, business leaders and charity ambassadors from across the UK. These awards recognise businesses, charities and individuals that have made an outstanding contribution in the region. 

Alec Jones Hall, director of Great British Expos - the national leader in business exhibitions - said: “South West Business Awards are in true recognition of excellence and achievement. When you work and contribute to business or charity, we believe you should be applauded and recognised - hard work takes commitment and the candidates nominated and awarded have done just that. They have worked hard to achieve their best.”

Sara is a mentor to many business people, providing advice, guidance and growth strategies. Some companies that have benefited from this have increased their revenue by a staggering 50%.

Before founding her current ventures including redheadPR, Sara headed up communications at Yellow Pages, developed stakeholder relations in-house at Thames Water Utilities and was the personal PR agent for The Body Shop’s founder, the late Dame Anita Roddick.

In 2008, Sara moved redheadPR to her hometown, Swindon from Covent Garden, London. redheadPR is a blue-chip public relations consultancy with a highly impressive client portfolio.

Sara's other awards and accolades include reaching the finals of the first Cosmopolitan Women of the Year Awards in 1999, winning the Wiltshire Business Person of the Month Award 2015 and being shortlisted in the First Women in Media category in the First Women Awards 2016. Sara’s Make Your Mark for a Tenner campaign was commended for being one of the CIPR’s best sustainable PR programmes. 

A keen sports woman, Sara recently became the Chair of Swindon Triathlon Club and is the CEO of luxury cycling and skiing company. The Etape Suisse events have been attended by international athletes such as Tour de France winner Cadel Evens and cricket legend Michael Vaughan.

On being nominated for the award, Sara said: "I’m absolutely honoured to receive recognition from my peers in the south west. I’m is looking forward to the ceremony, and wish all the nominees the best of luck."

The winners will be announced at a evening dinner awards ceremony on 18 January 2018 at The DoubleTree by Hilton, Swindon.

Friday 13 October 2017

Sara Tye and redheadPR become latest member of Swindon & Wiltshire Initiative


Serial entrepreneur and PR guru Sara Tye and redheadPR are the latest members of the Swindon and Wiltshire Initiative, a prominent local business leadership and campaign group. 

The Initiative, by Business West, was formed out of the long-established Great Western Enterprises, and works to connect some of the biggest employers in the Swindon and Wiltshire area with various influential decision makers at both a local and national level. Since its formation, the Swindon and Wiltshire Initiative has been furthering its social and economic objectives through engagement with these bodies. Current members include Honda, Intel, BMW, Nationwide and Zurich.

Sara Tye is the founder and managing director of Redhead PR, a dynamic PR consultancy based in Swindon, as well as the CEO of luxury cycling event organisers Etape Suisse, and chair of the Swindon Triathlon Club. An expert in PR and business organisational development, and voted ‘Green PR of London’ by the Independent, Sara is a motivational speaker, coach, and serial entrepreneur who’s headed many successful commercial endeavours. 

Sara started her career working in faculty development for the Royal Military College of Science. Over the course of her career, she has worked with firms like BT, Yellow Pages and amassed a multimillion-pound property portfolio, opened and run several businesses, and helped run a residential care home in Swindon and hotel in St Ives, Cornwall.

Her addition to the Swindon and Wiltshire Initiative comes after a recent employment report from leading job site Glassdoor, which identified 2017’s top 25 best UK towns and cities to work in, in which Swindon took 5th place.

Sara Tye said: “I was born in Swindon and have always been a huge advocate of the town. I’ve always campaigned on the opportunities that the town presents to individuals and businesses locally and nationally. Swindon has further potential and will become more desirable once work starts on the electrification of the Great Western Mainline in 2019, and it’ll take just 45 minutes from Swindon to Paddington.” 

Ian Larrard, director of the Swindon and Wiltshire Initiative, said “We welcome Sara and her wealth of business experience to the Initiative. Sara is an asset to the business community and together, we can positively influence the way our Swindon is shaped, managed and developed.”
Business West, a non-profit business that employs 200 staff and has an annual turnover of £10 million, are pushing forward with plans to make Swindon and Wiltshire the best place in the UK to live and work. Since they were founded 2007, they’ve helped 21,000 businesses start up and grow, and get their voices heard in local and national government bodies. All profits are reinvested back into the organisation, and are used to further their mission.

Saturday 7 October 2017

As seen in Boutique Hotelier, Sara Tye on ‘Networking’


How can networking really benefit a hotel business? 
Firstly, hotels are perfect venues for networking, whether that’s at business meetings, conferences, parties or weddings. Face-to-face activity at your own hotel is drawing in people who may themselves choose it as the location for their own party, wedding or regular business meetings. We have a hotel client and a key objective of our work with them is to get as many businesses familiar with it so that the hotel becomes the meeting location of habit. 

Secondly, getting known among the general public by inviting them in for evenings to meet the hotel staff helps them understand the facilities available and the experience they’ll have. They may not venture in from an advert or social media post. And, of course, everyone wants to be friends with a great bar mixologist. It’s great to take friends to a hotel where you know the bartenders as it helps build confidence for the visitor and their guests.

Lastly, it’s good for a hotel manager and staff to be out and about in the community it serves.  Being seen and becoming familiar will help you become well connected.   

What are some of your top tips for success networking?
My top six tips are:

  • make time to go out to networking events or host your own - once you get chatting, the time will fly by 

  • think about your 60-second introduction and rehearse it. Then, when someone asks you what you do, you’ll have your response ready. This will give you the confidence to speak with other people. 

  • think about how you’ll enter the room and who you want to approach. I rehearse this regularly, especially before large functions

  • if you’ve been able to see the guest list beforehand, target key people. Even better, introduce yourself before the event. This breaks the ice in advance of your first meeting. LinkedIn and social media sites are great for this.

  • join successful networking groups. I’m a director consultant at BNI and it’s a great way to get to know other businesses. I’m sure it would help you get referrals to your hotel

  • Use a PR agency and get them to help. They can create a programme of networking events of your own or get you involved with others

Tuesday 3 October 2017

How I built my personal brand


I was asked by Boma Camp for my opinion on building my personal brand, and here’s what I said…

I was building my own brand from the day I started work.  

What I wore, how I carried myself and how I acted were all linked to this. It was long before we had mobile phones or social media - business in those days was done via landline phones or in face-to-face meetings. 

Now, we do the same amount of work, but through multiple channels.

I keep my photos and film footage up-to-date. I spend at least two days executing my personal brand photos, so they fit with the messages I’m conveying.

I work on my social media channels extensively. It’s not a full-time job, but I’m always on. I work in the media industry, so I have to demonstrate best practice.

Keeping yourself in the media helps to build your personal profile and enhance your website’s ranking in search engines. It also helps customers and your other stakeholders understand you and what you do. It’s about building a story

I speak at events, write editorial for publications, network and get involved with charities. I’m chair of Swindon Triathlon Club, which is a volunteering role. This allows me to put something back into the sport I love.

Sara Tye is an award winning, top 500 international PR, business and organisational development expert and serial entrepreneur. She is the founder and managing director of redheadPR and CEO of Etape Suisse.

Voted ‘Green PR of London’ by the Evening Standard, Sara is a passionate and motivational speaker, writer, coach, mentor and trainer. A keen networker, Sara is a top BNI member and Director Consultant in the UK.

Sara leads a team of smart, passionate people who identify opportunities and deliver return on investment for ambitious brands, individuals and organisations.

Sara has over 20 years of communications expertise and was a finalist in the first Cosmopolitan Women of the Year Awards in 1999. She played a key role in the implementation of the BT’s environmental policy and the development and management of the philanthropic Best Practice process at Yellow Pages.

Watch my video here 

Tuesday 26 September 2017

Sara Tye talks about her book inspiration!

As a successful woman, Healthista asked Sara Tye to talk about the inspirational book that has helped her most.

Here's what she said about Detox for Life: The 28 Day Detox Diet and Beyond:

"I was really quite ill with endometriosis, and just overdoing it in most areas of my life. At the time, I was in Boston and it was so cold. I was so ill and traveling on the subway, and I thought I drastically needed to change something, so I decided to try something radical. 



It was a while ago and detoxing was quite new, but I was recommended this book. I read it twice first; you need to, so you can manage the food each day and the preparation. You need to eat what you are told and in the correct order. Lastly, you need to practice affirmations, body scrubbing and salt baths daily.  It’s a full body and mind change.  I felt unbelievable. I do all this and more now. 

I am gluten-free and I exercise 12 hours a week. I still drink coffee and have treats, but it changed my whole outlook. I learnt that you can completely change your eating and life habits, it just takes real commitment."

Tuesday 19 September 2017

Sara Tye featured on Real Business - The biggest PR disasters in history

I was recently asked by Real Business to share what I believe to be one the biggest PR distastes in history.

For me, there was one disaster that stood out.

Here's what I said:

“One of the biggest PR disasters was the lack of comment and action from HRH the Queen after Princess Diana died. Probably one of the most high-profile news items and deaths ever – it was handled poorly by the Royals and by Buckingham Palace.

“There is a saying that ‘A gap left with no communication can be filled with misinterpretation, fear and dread’. We’ve all felt that at some stage in our lives, and the country felt this when the Queen left it days to return to London to mourn the death of Princess Diana with the people. She made a decision to stay with the boys in Scotland and unfortunately it was misinterpreted by many.
“This was the start of a profile/perception issue for the Queen. It took years to turn it around. It took films, documentaries, softening up, Prince William and social media to make sure our Queen felt more accessible. Could this have been mitigated? Of course. Better decision-making and discussions at Buckingham Palace on immediate and short-term PR actions, plans and outcomes would have helped.
“There was probably little communication of the reaction in London and at the gates of Kensington Palace until the family saw it on the news. Had someone been there and relayed the information correctly, then maybe a different decision would have been made. Also, the softening of the Queen could have started earlier. The approach taken now by the Royals in terms of perception is just fantastic and maybe it took a crisis to turn it around.”
For the full story, visit Real Business.

Thursday 2 March 2017

Sara Tye appointed chair of Swindon Triathlon Club

Sara Tye, award-winning entrepreneur, top 500 international PR, business and organisational development expert and triathlete, is the new chair of Swindon Triathlon Club.

Sara succeeds Paul Cox, who steps down from the chair after two years. Paul said: “It’s been a real pleasure to serve as chair of the Swindon Triathlon Club. Throughout my term in the role, we’ve achieved so many milestones. The club has grown in membership, our members are in races all over the world and I’m now delighted to be passing the reins on to Sara. She’s a keen middle distance triathlete and proven businesswoman with a deep commitment to the town of Swindon.”

Looking forward to her new role, Sara said: “Paul has done a fantastic job as chair at Swindon Triathlon Club, so I’m delighted to be taking up the role with the organisation in such great shape. We have an amazing membership, which includes around 140 people of all abilities. My aim is to bring a dynamic new culture to the club and invest in our members. Working with Justin Robbins, our head coach, who is also a former GB triathlete, we’re implementing a sophisticated new coaching strategy. Other new developments include swim analysis, which started last year.”

Established in 1985, Swindon Triathlon Club is a British Triathlon affiliated and insured club catering for all abilities of triathlete, from novice to international Ironman competitor level. Swindon is one of the best training areas in the UK, with access to outstanding running and cycling routes, a great swimming pools and fantastic lake venues.

Flexible membership options allow joiners to focus on one or two training disciplines rather than all three, yet still have access to expert knowledge and advice. Swindon Triathlon Club is run by triathletes for triathletes with the aim in helping members to achieve and surpass their fitness goals and ambitions.

Committee:
Sara Tye, Chair
Vince Knight, Treasurer
Mark Tredgett, Membership
Louise Wadsworth, Secretary
Felicity Westall, Social
Joanne Jackson, Communications and Welfare
Rosie Benson, Club development
Ben Walter, Committee member
Paul Cox, Committee member
Laura Rothwell, Communications and Welfare
Justin Robbins, Head Coach
Alec Cox, Website


Find out more about Swindon Triathlon Club at www.swindontriathlonclub.co.uk.

Friday 20 January 2017

Top PR tips from top PR

The other day someone asked me what advice I would give if they embarked on their own PR

I said;

  • Do it consistently and for the full life of the brand, organisation or individual
  • Always produce brilliant content
  • Engage with people properly


Start as you mean to go on. If you develop a presence on social media, keep it there all the time your brand is active, especially if that brand is you. Intervals of silence don’t go down well as they’re not consistent with best practice customer engagement. Worse, you’ll lose your place in the front of people’s minds and, eventually, be forgotten.

The same applies to journalists. Once you start sending them information, don’t suddenly stop. Also, make all the information you send excellent in every way. Position yourself by using vivid photographs, producing engaging films and writing compelling copy. In the end, content is everything: it’s you, it’s your business and it’s your brand.


Finally, always, always reply when people engage with you, even if it’s late in the evening. If you start a conversation, be around to keep it going. Be privileged when people show an interest in you and repay it by being courteous and curious with them.