What We Love About Our Business!

As Valentine’s Day approaches, February is known as the month of love – or historically a month of ‘new beginnings’ – so we’re asking business owners across our Total Guide communities to share what they love about their own business

By Chris Roberts MBE, journalist & business promoter of Chris Roberts MBE PR offering blogs, articles, business and event promotion, based in Fairford in the Cotswolds.

What do you love about running your own business? 

1. I love working from home and being my own boss

2. I love meeting and interviewing lovely new people

3. I love poking my nose into other people’s business and then writing stories about them!

What do you love about your business community? 

There are so many different businesses in my business community. In the world of journalism, PR, blogging and promoting, I love the fact that there are so many people with positive, unique, diverse and incredibly interesting stories to tell about their business.

What do you love socially/geographically about your community? 

I live in the Cotswolds, which is one of the most beautiful areas of the UK. Beautiful walks with rolling green hills, lakes for water sports, swimming and fishing, idyllic river walks, woodlands with bluebells or primroses or cowslips, the honey-coloured cottages, quintessentially English villages, traditional village games like wanging the wellie or the woolsack races! 

The Cotswolds is also the place where many celebrities and Royals want to set up home, so it has become a very desirable place to live.

While we are locked down – name any business you have ‘loved’ and bought from in your community over the last few months? 

1. Jen Winnett Art

2. Fussels Fine Foods

3. Sam Groves bird boxes

February 17 is Random Acts of Kindness Day – have you carried out any  random acts of kindness (business or otherwise) over the last few months? 

I know an incredible florist that grows her own flowers, lives ‘just down the road’ and, as well as having her own flower business, has also joined forces with three other floral businesses to form the Fairford Flower Collective. 

Every month for the past four months, I have bought a £20 bouquet from them to have delivered to someone I know that is suffering or needs cheering up. The month of February will be a little different, as it is my daughter’s birthday on 2nd February, so the February bouquet will go to her!

Has anyone shown kindness to you? 

I have received several small and intensely kind acts.

Someone I don’t actually know, but whom I follow on Twitter chose me to send a bar of chocolate to. She said she loved reading my tweets!

My neighbour handmade some face masks for me and dropped them at the front door.

A friend of my daughter sent me a large box of gin samples completely out of the blue because she said she thought I was the kindest person she knew and wanted to repay the kindness that I show others! That made me cry.

Is Valentine’s Day a key moment in your business? 

Valentine’s Day can be a key moment in any business if you let it be. In the world of journalism and blogging, there are always lots of wonderful romantic stories to tell about love, caring, partnerships and romance. 

I recently heard a very heart-warming story from a client, which I will probably write about. I have already submitted my business article for The Advertiser in Faringdon and have included a romantic tale of how Richard Branson wooed Joan, bought Neckar Island and has now been married for 30 years, but together for longer.

What would your advice be to a business owner who is feeling ‘flat’ in February? 

If business is a bit flat then try to start reviving it with more advertising, a special Valentine’s Day offer or a quirky offer revolving around Pancake Day (which is usually in February). If this doesn’t work, then use the time to start planning ahead for the rest of the year.

And finally!:

Never give up! Whether it is a new business or long-standing one, there may be hiccups along the way. Just persevere, work harder to get your name out there and have a positive attitude. I am a firm believer that anyone can obtain anything they really, really want. I was an only child, so was used to getting what I wanted when I was younger. Nowadays I live by the motto: “I can make things happen!” And this really can apply to anyone.

For more information visit www.chrisrobertsmbe.co.uk