We welcomed the following businesses this month at Restaurant Tristan Horsham:

Holding & Company

The Essence of Fashion

Warehouse Discount Club

Horsham Publications

Impact Positive

Sophie Photos

Chestnut Tree House

Sky High Marketing

Rawlinson Butler

The Healing Sanctuary

Nutrimetics

Sedgwick Park

Little Frog Design

Heart FM Sussex & Surrey

Beauty Works Horsham

Les Searle Plant

Jojo’s Cafe Horsham

GWA Insurance

Cancer Research UK

Clare Schofield

Cakes by Sharon Walker

A few weeks ago I moved offices! Not to a grand office in a serviced block (a la Regus) or even renting a room. No, I moved out to my garage and what a difference it has made to my work-life balance. No more nipping in to keep checking on my emails at the weekend or thinking I’m a bit bored in the evening and I’ll ‘do a bit of work’.

Now I am finding that I am actually working during the day – and not putting the wash on, unloading the dishwasher between phone calls and generally tidying up – I am working when I am supposed to and doing all the domestic chores when I finish.

Last year, it became apparent that I need to do ‘something’ to change the way I was working.
Although we had a dedicated office in the house (it was built as an ‘Executive Home’ so came with its own study), once my husband started from home too, I decamped to the dining room and transformed that into my home office. However, it was right by the stairs and in the central part of the house. Once my children started to be a college and university, they were coming in at all times and I was frequently having to deal with my 16 year old coming home in the day with his girlfriend and hear them giggling in the lounge (which was adjacent to my office) or cooking their lunch in the kitchen, not to mention the constant ringing of the doorbell!

It became even more unbearable in the last school holidays, so we started to actively look at alternatives. However, I realised once we started looking that we would need at least two offices as I just couldn’t work in the same room as my husband (we are both quite loud), so the prices were going up and up.

We then had a builder friend of ours round and he gave us a quote to build an office within our garage. Now I don’t know about you, but our garage was like Steptoe’s Yard. Someone could have even set up home in it. It had a sofa, a fridge and a freezer and even a wardrobe!! So, we got a skip and literally had a glorified clear out and Freecycle came in handy too. It’s amazing what ‘tut’ you think you have and someone else is quite happy with it.

And so, our office started to be built. We did check with the local council to see if we needed to adhere to any regulations and their only stipulations were that if we put a window in (which we did) that the opening was big enough for someone to be able to get in a hurry and we had a smoke alarm.

In all, it took about six weeks and the result is marvellous. I have a window to look of (ok, it does overlook some of our conservatory, but there is the laurel bush as well) and being lined with a specialist insulting board called Celotex, it keeps warm and I just have a small electric radiator.
I now work in peace and quiet and the results are dramatic. No longer do I keep getting interrupted and aware of other noise going on around me (apart from the odd squeak from the guinea pigs outside!) and I achieve so much more that I don’t have to keep working over the weekends to catch up.

It’s certainly been well worth the investment and we worked out that the cost of the work would have paid for 3 – 4 months rent on premises, so if ever we did grow far too big for our garage office, we haven’t lost any money (and I know my son has his eye on it for an art studio!).

Couples Massage/Reflexology/Facial

Beauty Works, Horsham, is offering you the chance to bring your partner and for you both to enjoy any of the above pure relaxation treatments.
We can offer you a 45 minute treatment each for just 28.00 pounds per person, and we will make a donation of 10% to St. Catherine’s Hospice.

All therapies are carried out in a private, warm, luxurious treatment room.

Gift Vouchers can be purchased and sent to you first class.

This offer is valid until 31st March 2012.
Please telephone or email for further details.

Debbie Pickles

Beauty Works, Horsham
Tel: 01403 267728
Mob: 07719 543410
www.beauty-works.biz

Our Next Meeting

Thursday January 26th at 12.15

“It will be bring a guest day. As there maybe quite a few of us I suggest that we hear about everyone’s business and then choose 2 people we would like to have a 10 minute one to one with to learn more about what they do.” says Alice.
Venue: Tristan’s Restaurant in East Street, Horsham
Price £15 for members and £20 for guests

If not, you will be missing the opportunity of tasting one of the following fabulous choices on the menu at Tristan’s:

• Bream, squid, boudin noir, salsify
• Pheasant, beetroot, chestnuts, red kale
• Trompette risotto, roasted root vegetables, beetroot, wild mushrooms

and … lots of new contacts on ‘bring a guest’ day.

Women in Business would like to wish everyone a Healthy, Happy and Successful 2012!

AliceClick to view slideshow.

Our Next Meeting

Thursday January 26th at 12.15

It will be bring a guest day. As there maybe quite a few of us I suggest that we hear about everyone’s business and then choose 2 people we would like to have a 10 minute one to one with to learn more about what they do.

Venue: Tristan’s Restaurant in East Street, Horsham

Price £15 for members and £20 for guests – buffet lunch and soft drinks included

http://www.lwscreative.co.uk/ is sending us her amazing guru Graham, to explain how to set up a Facebook page, as well as the pros and cons to having a Facebook page for business.

Book online at: http://www.wib-sussex.co.uk/

Members – if you would like your Facebook page or Blog link put onto this Blog, please just send your info to angiemartin@impactpositive.co.uk

East Street Horsham

http://www.restauranttristan.co.uk/home.php

About Tristan
Tristan trained in classic techniques at Marco Pierre White’s Mirabelle, further developing his skills at the Greenhouse with Paul Merrit, before becoming Head Chef at the Hare in Hungerford where, aged 29, he achieved his first Michelin Star.

Tristan is now utilising his enthusiasm and love for food to bring together the old and the new at Restaurant Tristan, which opened its doors in July 2008
Accolades:

• Michelin Star – the Hare Restaurant 2006/7
• Egon Ronay star 2006
• The Observer Jay Rayner Rising Star 2007
• The Good Food Guide London Best Up-and-Coming Chef Award 2008
• 3 AA rosettes 2008

How To Get Motivated and Stay Motivated  -  Speaker Nicky Kriel
‘One olive can make quite a difference.  Small changes can make quite a big impact in your business.’ Come and be motivated and inspired by Nicky Kriel, whilst enjoying one of the best lunches in town at our new venue.

Our special Tristan menu will be:

Amuse Bouche to start                           
Main Course with a Vegetarian Option                            
Coffee with Petit Fours

Price £15 for members and £20 for guests - lunch soft drinks included

Book online at www.wib-sussex.co.uk