PR advice from the experts

Many people sick of the rat-race have decided to work from home or set up their own business.

So called kitchen industries are booming. However, working alone can have come with it's problems and it's not a decision to be taken lightly. Good public relations could turn your business around, in this interview we spoke to PR GURU Antonia Chitty who discussed setting up your new business and gaining the right publicity.

So, why is PR so important?

Anybody who is running their own business wants good exposure but must take PR seriously. Even if you just donate a few minutes a day, by calling around newspapers. It will pay dividends for you in the long term.

I see, what about the internet or business cards - are these important?

No business can afford to ignore the internet. Getting your business card right can also make all the difference. Just make sure you've got a few key phrases to hand to sum up what your business has to offer. One definitive piece of advice I would offer is to get help from a friend. You can talk away and it can be hard doing it by yourself. If you sit down and get a friend to make notes....that will help you. It can be very lonely setting up your own business and you can feel you're doing it by yourself. There are lots of forums online where other people are setting up their own business. GO online and seek out other people in the same situtation as yourself, you may even form great friendships.

You're a Mum. Can you empathise with parents who wish to become their own boss?

I went back to an employed position for nine months after I had my daughter. I wasn't happy, it wasn't the solution I thought it would be. As I was working four days a week and thought I could fit my previous five days into four, this didn't work. When you're running your own business you've got to be prepared to work some evenings if you need to. Your relationship may suffer a bit and it's going to be like that at some point. For instance, only recently I've managed to move house and launch a new book in the same week but I can be there for school events. You have to way up the pro's and cons but my little boy only goes to nursery two or three mornings a week now. He gets to spend much more time with me than my daughter did when she was in nursery I was always working everything around getting to the office on time. Equally there are people who go into business and find it a struggle.

What would your top tip be for someone wanting to do their own PR?

Pick a newsworthy idea. What is new about your business, write in the style of the magazine or newspaper you're approaching. A good idea would be to give them a call and ask them what interests them in a story, tell them about your business they may even offer you some ideas. Once you've made contact they'll think you're helpful and will probably remember you when you finally send them a press release. Plus, this will save you valuable time in sending press releases that they are not interested in.