Ridgeway Marketing

07/09/2025

Very pleased with this brilliant article about my lovely customer Jim Lee of Lee and Fletcher Ltd as he celebrates 35 years in business. Love it when PR works!

The local coffee company is celebrating its 35th anniversary

04/06/2025

Lovely afternoon spent at Volunteers Week celebration at the Flower Pod in Southwell. Tea, sandwiches, cake and the High Sheriff of Nottingham (I didn’t eat him you will be pleased to hear!) I also made a fly deterrent from a plastic bottle, washing up liquid, apple juice and vinegar, which I am now trialling in my fly covered conservatory.

If you are in Nottinghamshire and would be able to spare some time, volunteering at Reach Learning Disability will be one of the most rewarding things that you can do. There are also opportunities for corporate volunteers at Flower Pod which are great for team bonding in a beautiful environment.

Or if you could raise funds in any way, it would be really appreciated. The government pays Reach £12 per person for a morning or afternoon session at one of their sessions, which does not cover the costs of delivering the services that Reach offer, so they rely on fundraisers to support them.

04/02/2025

When you have just finished delivering a training session on social media for schools, and these two reviews pop up on your Google Business Profile, that’s job satisfaction!

14/12/2024

Impromptu visit to the new Nottingham Central Library this week, and I was so impressed. Thanks to Roy from the Business and IP Section for giving me a tour. There really is something for everyone - from the children’s library with lots of cosy nooks for sharing a story and an amazing immersive room, to a local history section with exhibitions, plus lots of space for working (great if you are WFH but need to get out) and a cafe with coffee from a well known local independent coffee roaster! I really recommend a visit.

If you are a business, Roy can help you with market research as they have subscriptions to lots of (expensive) databases and reports. You can book an online meeting with him, and he will send you all the information he can find.

13/09/2024

Seeing Jessica Ennis-Hill on Who Do You Think You Are? last night reminded me of the blog I wrote about "What Can Small Businesses Learn From the Olympic Athletes" after the 2012 Olympics, which really shows Jessica's resilience.

Jessica could not compete in the Beijing Olympics due to three stress fractures in her right foot. She has had to re-train herself to take off for the long jump on her left foot. This didn't stop her winning a gold medal four years later. Interestingly, it is that resilience that she identified in her ancestors. It is that resilience that you need to cope with running a business! Link to the blog in comments.

02/09/2024

Well this was a lovely surprise - a Reach Business Champion Certificate! I have worked for Reach Learning Disability since about 2018, and I love working for them as they do such important work to improve the lives of adults with learning disabilities and their families. Reach makes a real difference in enabling their clients to live independent and fulfilling lives. If you are looking for a charity to support, or a team bonding day or an organisation where your volunteering could make a real difference, please get in touch with Reach.

18/05/2024

Popped in to see Simona at Ex Display Furniture Nottingham today as she was celebrating her third business birthday! I first met her about 2 years ago when she attended a series of marketing workshops with me. I have loved seeing her business grow since then - she’s a star student as takes in everything and runs with it. She recently won a Theo Paphitis award, she has been to the Houses of Parliament and works tirelessly to promote her business and look after her two little girls.

And I do have a lovely kitchen table from her, which was an absolute bargain, so do follow her and keep an eye out as she has some beautiful furniture at knock down prices.

22/04/2024

I have gone international...

with my Social Media Training for Schools - an Irish school and a Scottish school in this group! But very little difference in the issues faced by their schools. Thanks to Kinross High School, Dorset Studio School and St Augustine's School, Dublin - a great group.

The next Social Media Marketing for Schools workshops are on the 2nd May and 25th June, so if you know any schools that need to work on their social media, please share the details with them (link in comments).

03/04/2024

Free Masterclasses for Newark and Sherwood businesses.

🌟 Join us at Make Your Marketing Work Masterclasses and learn no-cost and low-cost tactics to boost your business! 🚀

Dates: 23rd April, 23rd May, and 4th June
Time: 09:30am-15:30pm
Venue: Newark Beacon, NG24 2TN

Get expert guidance on Marketing Planning, Digital Marketing, and Social Media strategies by Beryl Pettitt. Limited spots available for maximum benefit! Don't miss out on this opportunity to take your business to the next level 💼📈

Register here: https://nbv.co.uk/training-and-events/

31/03/2024

I’m not a Radio 4 or Woman’s Hour listener, but came across this interesting programme on female entrepreneurs in a Facebook group. It’s a really interesting listen, recorded in Doncaster, a former mining area like much of Nottinghamshire. Also encouraging to hear that 40% of Start Up Loans (from the government via the British Business Bank) are to women.

What needs to happen so more women can turn great ideas into successful businesses?

07/11/2023

Another scam affecting Facebook business pages. Watch out for people accessing your page.