Sibling Camaraderie

A close friend asked me recently  "Are you ever worried that your youngest (she is 6 months) may have ASD?".  My answer..."Almost everyday."  

I mean she is a bright little spark, squealing at her brothers like a little peacock, smiling away...but I do find myself scrutinising every new move.  When she popped her little chubby finger into my mouth, my husband and I looked at each other with silent alarm.  You see, at that age, my ASD son used to constantly pop his finger into the mouth of every person who held him, which we later discovered was a symptom to do with his sensory interpretation.  

I am lucky in a way, my eldest son was diagnosed with ASD when my second son was 5 months old.  I never had to go through the stress of "Will my second child also be special needs?" which is a fear that many other parents have to go through.  Earlier studies suggested that  autism in siblings was in the 3-10% range, however recent research has found autism in 19% of younger siblings. These are really scary statistic!  So I can perfectly understand why some parents choose not to have another child.  I know that when we decided we wanted a third child, it was definitely something on our "cons" list.

When we discovered that we were having a girl, I was a little less worried as girl siblings are only 9% likely to be autistic compared to 26% of boys.  Having one ASD child is hard work, I can't imagine what having two or more must be like.   

But, my younger son was a godsend.  Most ASD children have problems socialising with other children, not knowing how to approach them.  My ASD son really struggled with this, and with learning how to play with other children (my turn, your turn).  So you can imagine our delight when last year we saw him not only playing with his younger brother, but initiating a game (which for him is a BIG deal!).  This game play with his brother opened up the way to game play at school.  Don't get me wrong, it's not like he fully participated in all the games the kids played, but he did at least gain the confidence to approach the other children and join in some easy games...on occasion.

He has learned to be responsible for his younger brother, being very overprotective, constantly making sure that my daredevil second son doesn't hurt himself.  He has learned the idea of ownership (mine, yours), the importance of sharing and thinking of others (he always brings something home from the sweetshop for his brother when he goes with his dad - in fact he insists on it). He has learned the value of language and communication, (my second son is quite the little chatterbox), and finally he has learned the comfort of companionship (they share a room and have pushed the beds together to sleep close to each other).  It really warms my heart to see their camaraderie. 

Their sincere brotherly love has taught him all these things and so much more!  I can't wait to see what his sister will teach him...

Whose to blame?

"So what do you think causes autism?"  is a question I am often asked by parents and therapists alike.  Everyone is looking for something to blame...but why?  I think that people (especially parents) believe that if they can figure out what causes it, then they can somehow avoid their child "catching" it.  But before I tell you what I believe, lets run through some theories...

"You probably already know what causes autism, it is the MMR vaccination."  I have heard this from a lot of parents, and it is a hot medical topic, even today.  Did you know that the link between MMR and autism was suggested by parents.  And that well-documented, wide-ranging studies have discounted any association time and time again, including most recently a study by the Llewyn group published in The Journal of the American Medical Association which surveyed nearly 100,000 children.  Other theories on the anti-vaccination bandwagon include blaming the mercury (thiomersal) that was formerly used in vaccinations and combination vaccines.
So why blame vaccines?
Well I suppose that if vaccines are to blame, then it is not the parents fault.  No, it is the pharmaceutical companies and the doctors.  However, to me this is all false logic as
firstly autism existed before vaccines were invented, secondly, many children who are not vaccinated still turn out to be autistic, and thirdly, modern evidence indicates that it is more likely genetic.  As the mother of an ASD child the suggestion that it's just brain damage caused by vaccinations is actually insulting, as it does not represent who my son is at all.  
In fact a lot of ASD children are brain advanced!  I mean check out Daniel Tammet, Temple Gradin (and of course Jacob Barnett).

Before the vaccines, they tried to blame the mothers, claiming that it was due to some harmful substances ingested during pregnancy.  Others suggested that certain environmental factors are to blame: including being born before 35 weeks of pregnancy (premature birth);  environmental toxins like mercury which are more prevalent now than in the past;  allergies to gluten or dairy products, or exposure to alcohol or certain medications during pregnancy.  However there is no conclusive evidence to prove any of these so called "causes".

Then there is the genetic approach that suggests some people have a genetic predisposition to autism, meaning that certain genes a child inherits from its parents could make them more susceptible to developing ASD.  Although researchers are looking for clues about which genes contribute to this increased vulnerability, (for example, the most common form of Down syndrome is Trisomy 21, a condition where individuals have 47 chromosomes in each cell instead of 46, so doctors can screen for it), there has not been any specific gene linked to autism.  This is because even though thousands of ASD children have been genetically screened, it is never the same gene affected (in fact I read somewhere that over 15 different genes have been affected in autistic children, so no pattern there!). 
My son's only genetic test was for Klinefelter syndrome which is known as 47 XXY because he was very tall with a large head (but test came back negative).  Although other genetic testing could have been done (the most common being fragile X syndrome) we decided not to pursue it.  Firstly because it took 4 nurses to hold my son down to get blood out of him (a traumatic experience for both my son and husband- thank god I wasn't there!).  Secondly, what would I gain from it?  Knowing where it came from would change nothing for me or my son.  

So what is my theory about the causes of autism?  That nothing that can be controlled is to blame. 
I believe that it develops from the very beginning (in the zygote) but lies dormant in your child.  That it will awaken (this is inevitable) but that the "trigger" is different for each child.  My son's trigger occurred at around 4 years of age - 2 years and 9 months after his MMR.  I had a normal, healthy pregnancy, in which I drank no alcohol, and took no medication (I drank the odd glass of red wine through my second pregnancy and my second son is not ASD).  He was born at 41 weeks, and is not allergic to gluten or dairy. 
Whatever his genetic cause is, I blame no one.  Not the doctors or pharmaceutical companies, not even myself.  I know that this is hard for some people to accept, but it is just one of those things- it happens in life and we just have to deal with it. 

In the end I decided to put all my efforts into helping my son improve, not into finding out what is to blame.  And so far it has worked out wonderfully!   

Fwd: Stop Learning, Start Thinking!

I cannot take credit for these extremely wise words.  They come from the mouth of a 14 year old ASD boy; Jacob Barnett.  But I tell you what, these words changed my life, because they changed my understanding of how my son learns, and what he needs in order to learn. 

How did I find out about this amazing child?  Well, a couple of years ago I became slightly obsessed with TED talks (a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks) using many of them as a teaching tool, mainly for my older classes (I am a Secondary school teacher).  Well, Jacob Barnett was in the news because he was doing a Masters in the field of condensed matter (at aged 14!).  His work was so original that he set a record, becoming the world's youngest astrophysics researcher.  Anyway, when I typed his name in Google,  I found he had done a TEDxTeen talk called "Forget what you know" (I highly recommend watching it).

So, what did I learn from this unique young man? 
Firstly that I had to allow my son to look at things in his own unique perspective.  To do this he had to "stop learning and start thinking".  At the time, the summer holidays were approaching and even though the therapists gave me a lot of material to practice, I decided to not really do too much.  The odd lesson here and there and one or two worksheets at the beginning of the holidays.  I decided to take a risk (as I was constantly being told that he had to be worked continuously) and let him think through all the material that he had learnt that year.  And guess what...it worked!

Observing him, i could see that he was working things out, that the wheels in his head were turning.  Words, verbs, nouns - they suddenly became clear to him.  For the first time he could show me exactly which noun / verb I was saying without repetition and hesitation.  He did so well that most of the therapists thought I had worked him all summer long.  I would just smile and keep my little secret, whispering it to myself, (thank you Jacob Barnett).

From that day on, we made sure we gave our son some thinking time.  Even now we organise his lessons into blocks of time, (September to Christmas, January to Easter, after Easter to summer) and give him a whole week off afternoon therapies halfway through each block, so he can think about the material he has covered. 

The second thing that clicked for me, was the notion - why does an ASD child need to do all the things another child does.  Barnett was working on disproving one of Einstein's theories and he is a child prodigy, but he can't draw a cat or tie up his shoelaces -  so how important are these little skills in the grand scheme of things?  My son struggled with his colours and learning songs.  How important are these things in his life? Not very, so I told his therapists to lay off them for a while.  I would like to say that he knows them now, but that would be lying.  Some days he knows his colours, some days he doesn't.  When he is happy he sings song he knows, but we don't push him to pronounce each word clearly.  We just enjoy his happiness.   

So there it is, true inspiration from a truly remarkable source.

Where is the Therapist Unity?

With the treatment jungle out there, it is hard to know what advice to take; what advice is useful and what advice is detrimental to your child's development.  Everyone is an expert in their own field but not each others.  Through conversations with other Special Needs mums and dads, I have found that many therapists heavily promote their own field of expertise, criticizing other therapies, even telling parents that other therapies are not necessary.  Or the one that really infuriates me - diagnosing a child with something e.g. ADD, ASD or ADHD without going through the correct testing process, for example watching a child for 20 minutes and deciding they are ASD (this actually happened by the way).  One parent even confided in me that her child was diagnosed with ASD by a well known psychologist/psychotherapist, who told her not to send her child to any therapies until he was 8 years old (but obviously to come to her once a week). Oh my God!  I really wanted to go to this psychologist's office, turn into a banshee so that I could scream at her
HOW DARE YOU!!!
How dare you diagnose something you are not an expert in and not refer the child to someone who is!  How dare you tell a mother not to take her child to therapy so that you can line your own pocket!  How dare you delay the correct therapy and not allow a child to reach his full potential because you think you know everything, taking advantage of parents that are trying to process the news you have just broken to them!

Taking a short course in ASD (autism spectrum disorder) or ABA therapy (applied behaviour analysis) does not make you an expert.  I mean does doing a first aid course qualify someone to work as a doctor in a hospital? Of course not! So parents please, if you want to truly diagnose your child, go to someone who specializes in Developmental and Behavior Pediatrics.

I admit, I am lucky.  We have managed to find therapists who have gone out of their way to help our child, but more than that, they have been willing to work with the other therapists to help my son generalize his skills (as ASD children tend to acquire a skill with one therapist but do not know how to transfer that skill to other parts of their lives like school, home etc...).  And this is thanks to our Developmental specialist who recommended we have a communication book that we pass around all our therapists and teachers (both in the morning at school and in the afternoon at his private therapies),  Each person involved in his development has to write what they have done with him that lesson, his behaviour, the outcome, goals, etc...  Then everyone else can read what he has been working on, adapt it and consolidate it in their lesson. 
It has worked beautifully, allowing my son to feel confident and progress in leaps and bounds.

In October 2013, I attended an extremely interesting seminar about bridging the gap between ABA and Speech/Language therapy.  She explained the main misconceptions these therapists have about each other and then the strengths and limitations of each.  What I understood was that these 2 therapies were like pieces of a puzzle.  The Language therapy part of the puzzle understood the anatomy/physiology of speech production, the challenges of motor speech disorders and the components of language, whereas the ABA therapy part of the puzzle had formal training in behaviour management strategies, specialized in autism and had expertise in instructional design.  When these two pieces of the puzzle join together, learning and collaborating with each other, the benefits for the child are immense.  In the UK and USA there are schools that incorporate all therapies under one roof on a daily basis, because they recognise that one therapy does not hold all the answers.  But here....

So to all the therapists out there, please recognise your limitations (we won't judge you on them), leave your misconceptions at the door, and find your therapist unity...for all our children's sakes. 

The treatment jungle..Christalla Mouskou

As a teacher, it is my natural instinct to go into research mode and after my son's diagnosis, that is exactly what I did. 
Overall I have found that there are hundreds of treatments for ASD, all with stories about how their child was miraculously "cured" of ASD by this treatment, (I hate that word "cured" as ASD is not a disease!).  I used to read all about a treatment and go to bed dreaming that I found the right one for my son; that he took the pill or did the therapy and woke up the next day.....fully communicating.

I started, (along with my doctor's guidance), the B6 and magnesium therapy.  This was the first treatment I found.  It was natural / non invasive (to an extent) and easily accessible.  The research/medical journals I read conducted an experiment on children that were weak in school, and claimed that it increased their concentration levels.  Others stated that ASD children had a deficiency in magnesium, or that B6 with magnesium decreased any side effects from the B6, together improving verbal skills, non-verbal skills, and social interaction skills. 
Sounds amazing, right? 

What it failed to tell you was how to get your 5 year old ASD son, who has issues with texture, to swallow the bloody stuff.  We tried everything!  What finally worked was hiding it in a chocolate (B6) and putting it in his juice (magnesium).  Although even that didn't last long as my bright spark of a son soon worked it out, refusing to cooperate.  His concentration did improve but to this day I do not know if it was because of the treatment or due to the intense ABA therapy he was doing at the time.  I like to think it was a bit of both, but to be truthful even when I stopped the treatment after 6 months, (because the battle to get him to take it became too difficult), his concentration levels continued to improve. 

Next I read about chelation therapy (which uses medication or other agents to remove metal,in particular mercury, from the body).  This study asserted that ASD children have decreased detoxification, so have a build up of mercury in their system.  It hypothesized that "If similarities between mercury exposure symptoms and autistic symptoms are so great, could it be possible that, in fact  mercury can be blamed as one of the main culprits in epidemic of autism?".  Now I believe in a kind of providence, and this time it came in the form of radionics.  This form of diagnosis is done through analyzing some of his hair, so it was completely non invasive, a big relief after the exhaustion of the B6/magnesium therapy.  The results found him to be healthy,
his toxin levels were practically zero, so no detoxification needed for my son.

I also read about Animal therapy, but my son is scared of any animal coming at him, so we did not pursue it.  Getting him a bunny rabbit to stroke was the closest we got.  He refused to hold her, and would only stroke her if I held her very still on my lap.  Even then, it was done with trepidation.  He does love his rabbit, but only because she is in a cage and so can't come near him. 
More recently, there has been the broccoli sprout treatment (sulforaphane) which has said to improve irritability, lethargy, hyperactivity, awareness, communication, motivation and mannerisms..  Now my son likes broccoli because he likes eating the "little trees" as he calls them, but he won't eat them everyday...who would?  I bought him the sulforaphane tablets but after the B6/magnesium and a hilarious afternoon trying to teach him to swallow a tablet (in which he kept pushing the tablet forward with his tongue), I have put it on hold for the time being.

So for a long time I have relied solely on his language, occupational and ABA therapy.  They are the ones that have yielded the best results up til now, through good old-fashioned hard work!
But, I never lose hope that one day I will find that miraculous elixir...

So this is as far as I have trekked through the treatment jungle.  There are a lot more treatments out there, some I am willing to try like scuba diving (a form of hyperbaric oxygen therapy) and aroma therapy, and others I am not, like risperidone (antipsychotic drugs) and secretin (used for digestive problems). 

There is a lot out there in the wilderness, and my advice is to continue to walk the safe path of recognized therapies, because time has shown that they will yield the best results.

The waiting game...

All special needs parents know that after denial comes the waiting game.  Waiting for him to settle into his new routine, waiting for him to get used to the teacher/therapist, waiting for his receptive skills to improve, waiting for him to play with other children, but most importantly, waiting for him to speak...

"In his own time" are words that I hear a lot, and say a lot, and although most of the time I mean them, sometimes I just think the unthinkable..WHY? Why does my poor child have to have language therapy twice a week, occupational therapy twice a week and ABA therapy three times a week, to be able to say the simplest of sentences, that my four year old could say at the age of two?  Why can't he be out playing with other children (which he finds difficult because he can't communicate very well verbally) or be in a swimming group instead of having to have a special needs swimming teacher, or be in a sports club? 
Why do I have to wait for these things to happen (or never happen as in many cases)? 
When I see the progress of my younger son, how he has the ability to have all these things, it really makes me sad, then frustrated, and then angry that my eldest has been denied them at the "appropriate age" or "milestone".  That he has to struggle and work so much harder than other children in order to reach so much lower than them!   

But then he smiles at me. And my build up of anger/frustration/misery subsides.  What you don't realise at first, what takes time to see, is that in between the waiting... and the achieving... there is the understanding.

It took me a year to understand that my son sought solitude at school break times not to avoid playing with other children, but to recuperate from the sensory carnival that was his classroom (as he is hypersensitive to sound); or to understand that he is proud of the fact that he can now say four or five simple sentences because it means I comprehend exactly what he wants without him having to point at it or get it himself; or to understand that he loves having one on one swimming lessons because it means the attention is completely on him, and he doesn't have to spend time waiting for his turn. 

I then pass on this understanding to his teachers and therapists so that all those around him know what I know...what he wants and more importantly what he needs.
So even though I hate the waiting game, I try to take a deep breath and wait for the understanding...

denial

Hi, my name is Christalla and I am an ASD (autism spectrum disorder) mother.  

I would like to begin with the worst point of my life because in my experience, when you become a special needs mum, you always begin with rock bottom.  For me that was July 2011 when my eldest son, who was four at the time, was diagnosed with ASD.  I remember sitting in the doctor's office, tears streaming down my face as he relayed to us the full diagnosis.  Then that sickening feeling...why didn't I realise it sooner.

They always tell you that as a mother you know when something is not quite right with your child.  Well I was a mother

AND a teacher - so I should definitely have known.  "I should have done something about it sooner" - that thought plagued me and ate me up inside for many many years.  It took over 2 years for me to let go of that feeling of guilt, to forgive myself. 

So why didn't I get him diagnosed sooner?  The simple answer is, denial.  When they say "don't ever underestimate the power of denial", it is true.  I have meet many mothers and fathers of ASD children who are in denial and who have had to go through the same emotions I did.  I think it is because our children are not born with obvious characteristics like parents of down syndrome children, (don't get me wrong, all special needs parents go through the same roller coaster of emotions), it is just that because ASD is diagnosed later in a child's life, it is easy to deny what it is, especially if like my son there are no obvious early symptoms.

I remember going through the checklist after his diagnosis:

     Did he make eye contact while breastfeeding?  Yes

    Did he smile when smiled at?  Yes

    Did he respond to his name or to the sound of a familiar voice?  Yes

    Did he point or wave goodbye or use other gestures to communicate?  Yes

    Did he make noises to get your attention?  Yes

    Did he initiate or respond to cuddling?  Yes

    Did he imitate your movements and facial expressions?  Yes

    Did he reach out to be picked up?  Yes

    Did he play with other people or share interest and enjoyment?  Yes

And the list went on and on.  My son did all of them, he reached all of his milestones except one...speech.  For speech, he reached the first few milestones, then stopped talking altogether.  However there were plenty of other reasons to feed into our denial:  we were a bilingual house and bilingual children tend to have an observation periods where they stop talking; boys tend to talk later than girls;  he had a problem with his ears (his ears were not getting rid of the excess wax, so he couldn't hear very well until the doctor removed the wax); he was shy..  However when there was still no progress after six months and speech therapy twice a week, we could deny it no longer, we had to see a developmental specialist.  That was where our denial stopped.

In my job I meet plenty of people, who when they find out I have an ASD son, tell me that their friend/relative has a child with obvious symptoms but the parents refuse to acknowledge it, lying to their friends, family and even doctor about what their child can do.  As an ex- denial expert I don't really know what to say except pray for them, pray that they see the light / or a developmental specialist sooner rather than later, because what the doctors and experts say is true - the younger you work them, the greater they become.  My son was four - by ASD standards quite old -  but I have seen him improve in leaps and bounds.  I still imagine where he would be now if my denial had ended earlier...

Lavender Festival: Celebrating the healing powers of the Queen of Herbs

Lavender is an aromatic flowering plant which belongs to the Lamiaceae family. There are many varieties of lavender, some are flowering throughout the year, but have no aroma, others flower for a shorter period of time and are highly aromatic. You can't have it both ways! The lavender variety that has the most powerful medicinal properties is Lavandula Angustifolia (English Lavender). It is highly aromatic and flowers in June and July. Lavender is often called the Queen of Herbs, for its fantastic aroma, colour and because it has so many healing properties, you could fill a book with them.

Lavender has been used for centuries as a herbal remedy. It was used to relieve a variety of ailments, such as muscular aches and pains, insomnia, the ache of rheumatism and nervous headaches, colds and flu and digestive upsets. It also has antiseptic, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, anti-convulsive, and anti-depressant properties.

To benefit from its healing power, lavender can be used internally as tea and externally as essential oil. The tea effectively deals with issues of the nervous system such as stress, anxiety, irritability, nervousness, depression, exhaustion and insomnia. It is also used to combat headaches, migraines, colds and flu, upset stomach and digestive disorders.

To make a relaxing lavender tea, simply pour boiling water over half a teaspoon of dried lavender flowers for one cup of tea. Leave it to steep for 10 minutes, then strain and drink. To use as ice tea, leave the tea to cool after straining and put in the fridge to chill.

At Cyherbia we also make a liqueur with lavender, which is an ideal nightcap. It takes you into Morpheus' arms in no time!

On the skin, lavender essential oil is an effective remedy for acne. Simply dab a drop of lavender oil directly on blemishes. The oil disinfects and dries out the spot without drying out the skin. Face cream and tonic made with lavender are ideal for all skin types but especially for skin with blemishes. The oil can also be used on wounds, burns and scaldings. Lavender oil soothes insect bites and acts also as a mosquito repellent. It is one of the few essential oils which can be used neat on the skin.

Lavender is also a well known moth repellent. Put a few organza lavender bags in your wardrobes to keep your clothes free from moths. A lavender bag will keep its scent for several years. Once in a while you may agitate the contents a little to release more aroma.

All these wonderful healing powers certainly deserve our attention. CyHerbia Herb Gardens in Avgorou will host their third annual Lavender Festival from Saturday June 14th until Sunday June 29th. During the Festival visitors can take a stroll in the lavender lined herb gardens, witness the extraction of lavender essential oil, taste unique homemade biscuits, ice cream, ice tea and liqueur made with lavender, as well as take part in various craft workshops, also with lavender. The gardens will be open daily from 9 am till 6 pm. This is truly the most fragrant festival of the year and not to be missed!

On Saturday the 21st of June at 12.30 the Minister of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment will officially open Cyherbia's new distillation unit.

For more information please visit www.cyherbia.com, www.facebook.com/cyherbia, or Tel 99915443

Emma's Lunch Boutique Bakery - Interview with Vanja Radivojevic-Savva

Elegant rose-, peony and orchid-decorated wedding cakes, Disney-inspired birthday cakes, cupcakes, cake pops, push pops, meringues, brownies, minions and the list of her repertoire could continue…

We have seen her sweet creations at birthdays, weddings, baptisms, business events, as she has been working on delicious and breathtaking sweet creations for the past few years from her home base in Larnaca. Vanja Radivojevic-Savva’s unique products adorn many special family or corporate celebrations and at the next Larnaca Parents Network’s monthly event on 21 May, 2014, she and her team at Emma’s Lunch Boutique Bakery offer a slice of confectionary expertise to those interested. Beata Pal-Christodoulou, an LPN mum went to see Vanja and asked her about her life as a cake-creator, a businesswoman and above all, a mum of two girls…

You are hosting a cake decorating workshop next week. Whom do you recommend this workshop for and what are the techniques, skills you will teach participants at this event? Will they be able to prepare and embellish their own cakes at home, following this session?

This workshop is great for beginner decorators. We will learn how to roll out fondant, how to cover cakes and create simple 3D designs. After this session you should definitely be able to decorate your own cakes.

How did the idea of opening your own bakery come to life? Were you always in the kitchen with your mum as a young girl? Was she your inspiration and role-model in becoming who you are now?

I never spent much time in the kitchen, besides helping mom or grandma with little things. I never really got into it until I got married and had to! Once I had kids, I wanted to make things as amazing, as they could be for them and I wanted to be the one doing it for them. That is how the “cake making” came about. My mom, however is my role model. She has been a private business owner since I can remember. She never gives up; no matter what, she does what needs to be done to the fullest and to the best of her ability. She is always ready to help. She is strong and kind and giving.

Was it an easy transition becoming self-employed after being an employee at a big company? How did you feel moving away from the corporate world and starting your own business?

Starting this business was a decision that came about because we came at a crossroads. I was working from home and we were getting so many orders that we had to make a decision. We had to decide whether to start turning down some orders to make a more manageable, leisurely schedule or going at it full steam and opening a shop officially. There was not much time to wonder about it, once we created a business plan and a feasibility study, we went ahead with it. I guess, being exposed to entrepreneurs, like my mom and dad, it was an easy transition. Although sometimes I wonder what I was thinking. Being employed by others is definitely an easier life.


How did your years on Wall Street help you in this new venture? What did you learn there that you can apply now?

Having a business background was an enormous help. The skills I gained, I still use on a daily basis. Experience with previous bosses definitely helped in deciding the kind of business owner I want to be. Generally, from making business plans, marketing, dealing with customers, etc., everything comes from that first invaluable experience.


What is one word that encapsulates your character?

I would say, being unrelenting - when I set my mind to something, I go for it and do not give up.


You have hired new people in your new shop. Does it mean that Emma’s Lunch could grow, despite the challenging economic climate in Cyprus? What is the secret of your success?

Emma's Lunch will definitely grow. We are eyeing a small internal expansion, to accommodate for the growing demand, as our little kitchen does not fit us anymore - although this is still in the examination stage. How we do it? It is consistency, attention to detail, respect and appreciation of our customers and of course having an amazing team you can rely on. I am lucky to have people I can count on in my team, they are the backbone of this business, because without them, I just couldn't do it alone and we would be nowhere. That is why hiring someone is a long and arduous process that requires a careful selection. We want to find people with skills or people, who can be taught the skills and be productive and not disruptive to the team.

How do you find the balance between busy working days and spending time with your family? How do you organize your days? Is there a typical day?

There is no such thing as a “typical day”. Each day is different and there is always a new challenge. The good thing about being your own boss is that you can create your own flexible schedule. So, I am lucky to be able to pick up the kids from school and take them to afternoon activities, be there, when they need me. Working 9-5 would not afford me such a luxury.

What has been the most challenging cake order?

I have to say it was the first Mickey Mouse Club House cake. It had a wooden structure as well! Once we managed that one, everything else was a piece of cake!

What has been the biggest disaster in the kitchen you have ever had?

I would not call it disasters, they are mistakes that happen, but can be easily corrected. Disasters for me are when cakes are out for delivery. I do not want anything to happen and if I get a call much sooner from delivery than it takes to get there, I always assume the worst.

What's your favorite cake to eat?

My favourite cake.... I can't eat cake.... especially when it is ready. It is because I have tasted all the crumbs before that, but I do love our amazing red velvet. Yum! My other favourite product of ours is the chocolate chip cookies. I cannot stop eating those. Whenever there is an order, I ask our baker to create extra!

Do you have a sweet tooth?

I do have a sweet tooth, I have always had... There is no way around it now.

How do you keep your family on healthy meals when you have a cake shop within arm’s reach, full of delicious sweets?

With my present work schedule it is very difficult for me to prepare meals at home as well. I am extremely lucky to have my mom and mother-in-law, because without them I don't know what I would have done. We go to my mother-in-law for lunch every day after school. It is a big family and she creates giant pots of food that is enough for everyone. It is even enough for unexpected guests that may come. So, there is always tasty and healthy food and enough for Lia, my younger daughter to take to school the next day. We eat dinner with my mom a couple of times a week and at weekends either at our house or hers. So, I have been spared of cooking for some time now. The challenge is limiting sweets, but as long as everyone is on the same page and all the food-providing family members know what to give and what not to give, we are ok. We are getting there, although, if I had to give anything sweet to the kids, it would be one of our cakes, because they are homemade. There are no preservatives, all true, fresh ingredients, so I prefer our cakes to store-bought chocolates.

What is the next step of growth, looking into the future? Could we see a network of island-wide shops of Emma’s Lunch bakeries?

That is definitely in the plans since day one. The challenge is choosing the right time and place. We have been open for 1.5 years now, so another shop is a bit further still.
What is your next personal challenge?

My next personal challenge is finding more time with my kids that doesn't have to do with driving them from place to place. I also would like to pull out of the cake-making process as much as possible to concentrate more on marketing and dealing with customers.


Thank you!


Emma’s Lunch Boutique Bakery Cake Decorating Workshop – LPN May event

When: Wednesday, 21 May, 2014 8pm

Where: Aradippou, Pavlou Liasidi 8, Shop 1 (behind Lidl)

What: the event will be showing participants how to cover cakes with fondant, create simple sugar roses and a fondant dog. You will be decorating your styrofoam Cake as you please with the designs you’ve created. You will learn basic cake decorating techniques. Bring your own rolling pin!

Cost of materials: 15 euro (including styrofoam cakes and fondant)

Length of class: 1.5-2 hours

Places are limited, please call Vanja to reserve: 99382652

No Caesarean again! - Natural Vaginal Birth after Caesarean in Larnaca by Veronika Christodoulides

Having a spontaneous natural birth, even after a caesarean, is usually no big deal. But for Larnaca or Cyprus, in a private clinic, it is. Cyprus has an average of 60% of caesareans in privateclinics and 45% in public hospitals. This is one of the highest rates WORLDWIDE. Something is going very wrong over here, and I very much doubt that all these women are asking for a caesarean, like everybody keeps saying. 

You can have a natural birth after a c-section in Cyprus, but it is not the standard thing to do, as I experienced with my last pregnancy. The medical details and statistics about Vaginal Birth after Caesarean (short VBAC) are available on the web. This article is about local information on therapies in Cyprus. Here in Cyprus, you need to know the right people who will direct you to getting the right information. With my first child I knew from books which therapies might help, but I did not know that there are people in Cyprus that do these and could help. This time round, I knew whom to ask.

The most important factor for having a natural birth was my strong wish that drove me. You have to speak about it with your doctor from an early stage on, since some doctors might not do VBAC. Then you have to make sure the reason why you had your previous Caesarean does not exist in this pregnancy. For me, it was the wrong positioning of the baby.

Like the first, my second baby turned head up around week 30. This time I took it more seriously since that was the reason for my caesarean. Bare in mind I was never 100% sure whether I could actually have a natural birth, until I came to the clinic with strong contractions to give birth. But with my baby's head up, I would not have even gotten that far. So when my private doctor Costas Christoforou saw my daughter's head up, he said that it is most likely my body is a certain shape, which will force all my babies into this position. Well it made sense, but I was devastated. I really wanted a natural birth for the sake of my baby and my body.

This is my personal road to a natural birth from a wrong positioned baby:



​


One method to stimulate a baby's movement is moxibustion. It relaxes the uterus and gives it more space to move. There is an anaesthetist who is also trained in acupuncture that does this in Larnaca,

Dr. Claire Hadjikakou. I had learned about her from Tina Poetis preparing for my first baby with her antenatal class, but I went to Dr. Hadjikakou too late with my first baby (after week 37). This time I was early enough, and my husband and I did this therapy at home every other day. Very relaxing for the belly, but the baby did not turn.

Of course I did pregnancy yoga and pilates twice a week which you can do with Rachel Petrou at The Body and Soul or with Anna at the Earth Spa or with Marina Kyprigenea at the Zogonos Holistic HealthCenter to stay fit, practice conscious breathing and to be prepared for my little birthing-marathon. There are also a couple of positions which you can do regularly which might help the baby turn. Well it might have worked for others, but not in my case. Having said that, I did not want to miss any of my yoga and pilates lessons!

The next person I turned to was Doula Claire Anne. She came to my house and took my wish for a natural birth seriously, which was great emotional support. She showed me a few helpful things but most importantly she introduced me to ElinePedersen- Chiropractor here in Larnaca. Here I learned about Webster technology and how chiropractic can help you during pregnancy. In short, when your pelvis, which is holding the uterus with the baby inside, is not in place, there might be some restrictions which stop the baby turning. This tension from the misalignment or previous scaring can cause tensions in the ligaments of the uterus which prevent the baby to get in the right position. After my first session I felt so much better. I was less tired, did not need to turn that much during the night and after the fourth treatment the baby turned. It was a bit more than two weeks before my calculated birth date and she was finally in place!

(Another option is an External Cephalic Version of the baby by a gynaecologist. It was not an option for me. If you go for this method, make sure that your doctor really knows what he/she is doing.)

In the end I gave spontaneous vaginal birth without any medication to a healthy girl.

Looking back at both of my experiences and for anybody who is hesitating: I recovered so much faster after natural birth. Yes, you have to be prepared and it is exhausting, but it is definitely doable and a very special experience. The c-section is fast and seems painless, but the physical and emotional trouble you have afterwards with the recovery is so much stronger and longer for both you and the baby. I remember not wanting to wear trousers for months, not because I did not fit but because they were bothering my scar, while I was back in my pre-pregnancy jeans only 2 weeks after my natural birth. And I am not even starting to write about the emotional sadness of me feeling after my c-section for month.


The first child usually is the more difficult one. Despite fully breastfed we had colic, sleeping problems.... The second one now is such a happy baby. So balanced and she found her own rhythm with eating and sleeping so fast. All right, we also learned as parents and know now what we are doing: but I am sure in our case, our first child would not have been so difficult if she could have decided when to come out by herself - naturally.

So if they tell you to go for Caesarian because of a wrong positioning of the baby or a previous c-section and you want a natural birth - perk up your ears and see what you can do for you and your baby. Even if the baby does not turn, it is good to know that you did everything you can do and do not have to look back afterwards thinking, this could have been done differently.

If you are in a similar position and need support do not hesitate to contact me through the LPN or facebook or any of the people mentioned in the article.

RE: driving tips for the newly-arrived: Cyprus

I've lived in Cyprus for 7 months now. This brief residency qualifies me for nothing really. At best I could be described as a happily-long-term tourist. Before we moved to Larnaca, Cypriot friends in Australia had warned me of the perils of driving and parking here.

And as a weekday pedestrian and a weekend driver, I can definitely confirm that my most incredulous moments in Cyprus have involved cars.....

- In Cyprus, anything longer than a 5 minute walk is considered driving distance.

- Never trust a traffic light, either as a pedestrian or a driver.

- You WILL receive grief from other drivers if you DON'T run a red light. 

- Should you see a pedestrian waiting for the traffic lights to change, just stop the traffic and let them through, regardless of what the lights are doing. Once the (brave) pedestrian has passed your side of the road you are free to continue driving, even if the lights are red. What drivers approaching from the opposite direction do is entirely up to them (again, BRAVE pedestrian).

- When crossing one way streets, do not assume traffic will only be coming from one direction.

- Why indicate when you are changing lanes or turning corners? Make eye contact with your fellow drivers or put your arm out the window to show your intentions - it's just as effective...

- Mobile phones provide the perfect form of entertainment when driving becomes boring.

- On freeways, you will often encounter police who appear at first glance to be just standing on the hard shoulder watching the traffic – they are in fact doing just that.

- Speed limits tend to be more guidelines than rules. Feel free to increase your speed by at least 20% before you risk attracting the attention of the law.

- You will discover well-maintained, free, but underused public car parks. By some unwritten decree, these are purely for tourist use. Cypriots will park on a narrow street, blocking traffic.

- If stuck for somewhere to park, look for double yellow lines – these appear to be most popular. Corners in particular are highly sought after, as are the above mentioned narrow streets, particularly during school runs.

- And finally - a footpath is an entirely occasional and indeed, personal, concept and NOT something on which you should rely.

Sara Harrington is an Australian living in Larnaca with her Irish husband and young daughter. When not enjoying a year's leave on a Mediterranean island, she can be found in the Radio Marketing Department of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in Sydney.

Let's talk Larnaka

When: Wednesday 23rd January
Where:Larnaka Town Hall (Civil Marriage Office)
Time: 8:00pm - 9:30pm

LPN is delighted to Welcome the Mayor of Larnaka Mr Andreas Louroutziatis to our January and start of year  LPN monthly event. "Let's talk Larnaka" giving us Parents & those of us in Business the opportunity to put questions to the Mayor and hear first hand the future development plans for Larnaka city .

The purpose of this event which will be in English is to encourage a dialogue between the residents of Larnaka and the Mayor, and to foster a greater sense of community. It will be a valuable opportunity to find out first-hand what is in store for Larnaka and to discuss with Mr Louroutziatis how this will impact us personally and professionally.

Parking will be available: turn right at body shop follow road to end of street you will see open parking on your left civil marriage office is on your right.

Creative Writing Course with Eve Makis

CALLING LONELY WRITERS

Established author with professional experience in creative writing tuition seeking aspiring writers to tutor in all aspects of fiction writing including getting started, characterisation, dialogue and more… Friendly, intimate, two hour classes. For more information or to book to place and start that novel you’ve always wanted to write call Eve Makis on 97 656100 or send a message to evemakis@hotmail.com.

Course runs from January 2013 for ten weeks at a cost of 200 Euros.

Payment can be made in advance or per session.

www.evemakis.com

Early Learning Centres in Cyprus

Just to inform everyone that Early Learning Centre around Cyprus have a very special offer on at the moment.

Offer:

• 20% off all the Action & Adventure collection

When:

• Thursday 22nd November
• Friday 23rd November 
• Saturday 24th November

For more information at www.elc.com.cy

Facebook for Parent-preneurs. Have you ran out of ideas?

Dear LPNeur on Facebook,

This article touches a bit on etiquette but it is mainly focused on content for your Facebook business page. In previous articles we have discussed what the users of social media crave for as regarding posts in general but we haven't really gone into the details of a posting strategy. All Facebook page owners or administrators know that great content is essential and that engagement follows as a tool to keep the business or cause in potential consumers' minds. The next step is to take the person out of the social media platform and approach them via phone, email or even face to face. 

When living in a small island like Cyprus many times business owners feel betrayed by acquaintances or friends who start doing as they do and they feel they are being followed and mimicked by a certain person. This is reinforced by the fact that it is common practice for similar businesses to start popping up around the same time in a given area. Why is this happening? On one hand, it is a small place and there aren't many options. Once someone tries something and it seems to work, immediately others follow. Is this fair? That doesn't really matter in the end, what matters is that it happens and it is not illegal, so basically there's nothing you can do about it. 

This could lead to a lot of antagonism, not pure, healthy competition, but some kind of bitter, awkward feeling that takes a lot of energy from the person who is building up their business or activity. Since Facebook is nothing but the reflection of reality, many page administrators get the same feeling. The danger is that at some point administrators might start finding it extremely difficult to share original content and this might lead to inactivity. 

We have to put things into perspective. There are people who are opportunists and there are the ones who sit on the side waiting for someone else to test an idea and then just copy. We have to learn to live with this and just carry on with our plan, focus on our strategy. One way of doing it is to invite these people to work with us (not for us) as we can all benefit from each other. If this is too difficult to pursue we can just ignore them but if we still can't then we need to understand that not only Cyprus or Larnaca but the whole world has become a small place for entrepreneurs. People are aiming more and more at working from home, spending more time with their families and being less dependent on someone else's conditions. The activities or services that can be carried out as new business ideas are limited. The most successful ones in the Facebook environment are the cute or delicious creations like custom jewellery or beautiful dessert ideas. Then we have the entertainers, beauty related activities and services of all kinds. This is Cyprus. Let's not allow this reality to take away our energy, determination and great ideas from us. Let's accept that others can feel attracted by doing what we do and they can do it their own way. It will all fall into place at the end. Not two beauty salons are exactly the same. When the person comes into contact with the service or product, there is a unique chemistry and each consumer will find his favourite place and at the end all business owners will find their niche. There is enough for everyone and we musn't fear or stop doing what we are doing because of others mimicking us. Let's create, share, express and include instead of the opposite. It is a lot more productive to congratulate our 'competitor' and even cooperate when possible than ignore or feel aggravated. Hostility should be completely out of the question. don't you agree?

How's your page doing? I haven't heard from anyone in a long time. I do get visits on my page occasionally. I would like to know if these articles are useful in any way or if you would like me to write about something specific. If it helps you it might help others too. 

Thanks for reading and hope to hear from you soon,

Veronica

--

Connect with me on my

Facebook business page , Business page on g+

Pinterest boards, LinkedIN public profile

Personal blog

Facebook for LPNeurs - How to organise your timeline content using photo albums

Dear parent-preneur with a Facebook business page,

The timeline format allows you to scroll back in time as you scroll down your Facebook page. If you have been using this format for some months now it means you probably have a lot of valuable content that you have created, curated or shared from others. Maybe it's time to look back and start sorting it into groups so that you can find it easily according to self explanatory categories. 

There is a tool on the Facebook platform that enables you to do this: the photo albums. Oretta Norris from SocialMediaHive has written an article that explains how to create albums and even includes a step by step video with a great example on how to take advantage of this feature to increase your Edgerank score.  

I can think of a couple of LPN mums with their Facebook pages linked to their blogs. For example Emma's Lunch has done a fantastic job sorting their photos on Facebook by the type of product: Wedding cakes, Biscuits, Gift Boxes and more. This is great because every time there is a new product it can be added to its corresponding album and the new photos will appear on fans' news feeds as clusters and with a higher Edgerank score (which basically means the photos will be seen by more people). This could be taken even further and the articles in her blog could also be included in a Facebook photo album. Would be great for the followers to be able to find the articles on certain areas from Facebook itself with the aid of a photo that links to each article. This can be done by choosing a photo for or from each article and adding a description of what the article is about as the photo description plus a link to the article for those who want to read more. I have personally used it to put together my blog articles for LPNeurs so that anyone interested can read what each article is about and can click on the link to the article that interests them then and there.

You might wonder why should you go through all this trouble if your blog is already organised by categories and by dates. Well, I am all for having all of this linked to your Facebook page. Remember the 1 billion users and the fact that people go on Facebook to unwind as opposed to going to a specific blog that they will probably visit only if they are specifically looking for what this blog or website offers. Chances are they are more likely to be unwinding than going directly to your blog, so you ought to take advantage of your Facebook presence and remind them about your products. It's diversification of your marketing strategy and increase of your online presence through social media. If you want to have a look as to how I organised my LPN blog articles in my Facebook Album click here. By clicking on any photo you can read a description as explained above. In this way I am using my Facebook photo album to promote my blog articles. After all there is time and effort put into all of what we do and this is a very easy way to retrieve that information through your Facebook page's photo albums.I am also planning to create an album for each category of the posts I have published and some will be: Inspirational quotes, Links to useful blog articles by others and Humour. I already have Albums, like most of us do but it would be a good idea to revise what else can be done to be able to refer our potential customers to our work in a more efficient way. Reposting is also a wide accepted practice and this a way to be able to find your most successful posts quicker, by category, rather than scrolling down your timeline. 

Image credit discountschoolsupply.com

If you want to check on your photo albums, just click on the photo tab at the top of your timeline and then click on the Albums option. There are 3 default albums that every page has: Wall photos, Cover photos and Profile pictures. If you only have these three and you have been an active poster, there is some sorting that can be done. 

Hope you've found this article interesting. It is great to be able to share the new tricks that I come across or think of with you. Would love to read your comments below.

Thanks for reading,

Veronica

-- 

Connect with me on my

Facebook business page , Business page on g+

Pinterest boards, LinkedIN public profile

Personal blog

Facebook for LPNeurs - Simple ideas to run a promo and to increase engagement on your page.

The ultimate goal of your social media presence is to take your followers out of there and into your shop, activity or cause. This is part of the process and even though only 10% of our Facebook posts should be promotional, I've seen very successful pages doing 100% promotional posts. They have gorgeous and affordable jewellery or irresistible shoes and handbags. Their crowd just never gets tired of looking at their products, especially when new collections arrive at the beginning of a new season. Ah! And one musn't forget the cake pop ladies, of course.

What if you don't offer jewellery, delicious and beautiful cakes or irresistible shoes? Well, then you have to find other ways. Facebook pages terms and conditions specifies that you are not allowed to use their own 'share, comment or like' actions to enter your fans into any promotions with the exception of the 'liking of the page' itself, so you can use this to reward 'new likes' or new fans/followers by drawing a discount voucher or a gift voucher every week or every month, exclusively for your new fans. Facebook encourages page owners to install applications to enter fans into contests/promotions but usually fans are discouraged to enter as they have to install the app and this takes time and might appear intrusive to some people. I will share with you some other simple ideas that businesses have used without the fans having to install an external application on their Facebook profile.

Invite fans to email (not to post on your wall/timeline)  a photo wearing or using your product to enter a draw on regular basis for a period of time

 

Another possibility is to draw a winner every so many number of likes to your page. This is the only accepted use of a FB feature to enter a draw: to like the page (not a photo posted on its timeline). A variation could be to draw every so often, on weekly or monthly basis, just from the new fans. This encourages new fans but it is not so inviting for your 'old' fans to share the page with their friends. You don't have to state it, but by rewarding ANY fan when reaching a certain number of likes for your page, you are encouraging all of them to share your page with their friends to reach the target number.

 

An American company posted a coupon in the past and invited fans to find it so that anyone who did was rewarded. If you have a business that has been around for many years, or you offer a product that has been offered from before, you can have a promotion coupon that anyone can find on your timeline, print it and be able to purchase this product at the price it used to be sold in the past. In this way, everyone who finds the coupon is a winner, so there's no real competition, you just encourage a 'treasure hunt' on your timeline. You can easily past date a post by clicking on the little clock icon on your page's posting window. 

Finally, I want to leave you with a link to an article that was written in March this year but it is quite useful for those of you who run your own Facebook page. Very simple ideas that can help you increase your exposure. Click here for the whole article.

Thanks for reading, stay healthy, happy and safe until we 'meet' again,

Veronica

Facebook for LPNeurs - Filter the info and always enjoy

As parents in today's information loaded life we know how overwhelming it is when we read and read more about how to do our job properly. So we have to be able to choose from that vast amount of facts and advice and be realistic as to what we can comply with while enjoying what we do. The same applies to our online presence: so many experts, so many rules and so much advice. I hope this article will structure your journey as a Facebook user and make it as enjoyable as possible. 

Here's a checklist that will help you take that one step at the time we talked about the last time: (a bit of new tips squeezed in there!)

Did you.....?

1. Update your page's cover photo with a recent photo, product or development.
2. Add a description once you've uploaded the cover photo. - There you can include a call to action and a phone number. In this way it's not on the photo but it appears on the news feed of your fans when you upload the photo.
3. Make sure your link to your webpage or blog is visible at the top of your page's timeline. Remember you have to type it in the 'About' section of your page.
4. Edit your email signature section to include the vanity URL to your Facebook business page and a link to all your other internet pages. 
5. Like other relevant pages as your page and edit your Featured likes to appear on your timeline so that you offer more value to your page's visitors.
6. Allow posts by others as they expect to be able to have a conversation with you on your page and not to find a 'closed wall'
7. Post frequently using the ratio 70/20/10 where 70 represents % great content that informs and entertains your fans, 20% relevant shares from other pages and only up to 10% promotional content. Click here for more details.
8. Engage with your fans by answering all their comments, thanking them and liking their feedback. Maybe you have to answer to some criticism as well. 

 

So how do you filter all the information? Take the points above, start from the one that's easiest for you at the time and cross them out as you cover them one by one. There are too many dos and don'ts for us to be expected to perform to perfection. Make your own list and allow yourself to completely ignore those points that you don't agree with. But come back to this checklist after some time as you might have certain experiences on the way that might make you change your mind after all. I have personally changed my mind on certain issues once I understand other people's points of view. Be yourself and act as you would in any social interaction and this will reflect the real you and will lead to real connections. 

Finally, I wanted to stress again that everything we do should be enjoyed. Exposing ourselves or our business on a Facebook page or on any kind of social media can generate quite a lot of pressure on our daily lives. As if we don't have enough already! Well, I can tell you a thing or two on this but the bottom line is 'Do not take anything personally'. If you see a decrease in your number of likes it might be due to Facebook deleting fake accounts or people closing them, so they are deducted from your total fan count. It doesn't mean that you did something wrong. And if someone 'unliked' your page purposely it's because they were not going to become a customer ever so it was a fake like. You should prefer quality over quantity. I hope you are enjoying your Facebook page experience and would love to hear from you in the comments below. If you want to read more about my personal experience and how I became a Facebook page passionate, please visit my personal blog Baby steps on Social Network and Marketing in which I address some of these issues in more details or some other issues that I haven't discussed with LPNeurs. 

Thank you very much for reading and click on any of the links below to connect from the different social platforms.

Cheers to the journey,

Veronica
www.facebook.com/GeekOroklini

https://plus.google.com/u/0/

www.pinterest.com/ocg201

http://cy.linkedin.com/pub/veronica-solorzano-athanasiou/56/a48/b8a

Facebook for LPNeurs - One step at the time

Dear reader,

Today I would like to share some tips from experts that have helped me on my Facebook journey. You must not wait until you have the perfect outcome in mind to go out there on your Internet presence. It is better to start small and build up and improve as you go along. 

I received a seven step guide to succeeding on social strategy by expert Mari Smith whose page is http://www.marismith.com 

The first step is having a strong and consistent brand, create a logo and use it as your page's profile picture, send the right message through your cover photo and be consistent throughout all of your Internet pages. The next two steps are content and engagement that we have discussed in previous articles. The fourth step is promotion with two great tips: include your URL at the foot of all emails and engage with other pages as your page and not as yourself. Next is conversion of your new contacts into business by offering your product or service. Last two steps are metrics of your progress to see how you're doing and ways to scale up as social media presence and business grows.

Facebook pages offer all of the tools to follow this valuable series of steps. Remain focused and work on them one step at the time, do as much as you can and you'll be doing your best, feel proud of every little achievement. As with most things practice makes perfect so trying new ways of presenting your product, new posting hours and new kind of posts is all part of your strategy. The Vanity URL can be set in the section of your Admin Panel for Editing your page. Make it simple and easy to remember so you don't have to cut and paste the link every time you want to share your page. Once you have a Vanity URL you just type 'facebook.com/yourpageschosenname'  and it automatically embeds in Facebook's HTML. This translates into a preview of your page including its logo/profile picture appearing in any message or comment you type it into within the Facebook platform. As part of Fb etiquette it's better to share your page's link in comments only if you're asked to do so. You are free to share on your personal timeline, in your group or any other pages you might have as many times as you want. Since the exposure is only 16% for every post, make sure you share it several times a week and at different times of the day. You must do this consistently over time to increase your fan base. Not all your contacts or group members get to see every single share, so you won't be spamming their news feed or notifications if you repost cautiously. There are other ways such as 'like ladders' and 'Fanpage parties' where you are specifically asked to share a link to your page or to tag your page. The way to tag your page is by typing @yourpagename and it pops up highlighted in blue within the Facebook platform. Another way to promote your page and your products or services is by writing it all in a blog. Here's a link for more on that http://www.thechoicedrivenlife.com/3-big-reasons-your-online-business-needs-a-blog-2/ 

Remember we said that inbound marketing brings the business to you rather than you going out there and promoting on billboards, printed mags or TV. So 5% of your page's content should be on what you offer. Make sure you use this slice of the pie and promote what you sell. You can even install an application with a shopping cart for people to be able to shop online directly from your Facebook page! Of course if you already have an online shop, then all you have to do is to link it to your Facebook page or viceversa. Make it easy for people to find your webpage by adding it into the About section of your page so that is visible on the timeline, right under your page's profile picture. What you do should be clear at a glimpse of anyone who clicks on your page's name. People's attention span is very short when on social media as they are unwinding when they're on it.

Facebook has the page insights that you can check from you Admin Panel and it shows you how popular each post has been in the last month. It is good to study these once a month to analise what kind of post was more successful and also to determine at what time did you get the maximum response. The general tendency is that visual posts are the top engagers but you have to find your 'sweet spot' for best timing of your posts according to your audience and time of year. 

Last but not least you must have a plan in place for when your business starts growing and you don't have the time to manage the inbound marketing through social media. Are you going to assign someone in your company to do the work for you or are you going to hire the help of people who concentrate on the use of social networks for this purpose. This is what mentor Mari Smith suggests and I wanted to share it with you in the our Cypriot context. 

Thanks for reading,

Veronica

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www.facebook.com/GeekOroklini

https://plus.google.com/u/0/

www.pinterest.com/ocg201

http://cy.linkedin.com/pub/veronica-solorzano-athanasiou/56/a48/b8a

Facebook for LPNeurs - Etiquette, Featured likes and Fake accounts.

Dear LPNeurs,

What do you do when your competitor likes your page or asks you to like their page? Once you are 'out there' you must not only offer content, engage and have a clear branding strategy but you must also be polite. Social media is there to make connections and so you must, even with your competitors and specially if they ask first. 

You just concentrate on what you do while keeping an eye on what your colleagues (rather than competitors) are doing on your area of expertise. Some ideas will come out of them first and on other occasions you will be pioneer. There is just a limited number of options for certain activities and 'Hey!' going to school is a bit like paying to copy someone else's ideas so mimicking is part of the learning process. How many times do you see articles on 'how to create the best CV or internet profile'. Aren't we just using third parties' ideas? It doesn't mean that we won't be original and we'll become copycats, we must find the right balance. 

Do not get upset when someone does what you're doing. Occasionally you'll have to follow some sort of structure too and you'll be 'copying' someone else. It takes practice but it's good to know that it happens. A very interesting view on the death of intellectual property is found in this inspirational TED video that lasts 17 minutes when you can spare some time. http://www.ted.com/talks/don_tapscott_four_principles_for_the_open_world_1.html?source=facebook#.UDMkUebgRFB.facebook

You wouldn't promote a competitor on your timeline as a Featured like but you must offer some connections on your area of expertise to your fans, so it could be pages that inspire you or products that you use to manufacture your own. If you don't want to 'add' a like on a competitor's page, you can 'like' it from your business page instead of from your personal account and it doesn't 'count'. It is only added to their fan base numerically if it's a like from a personal Facebook profile. On my Facebook Page design's page I have featured another 6 social media pages with more experience than myself for my fans to find some value beyond what I can offer. Below is how the window looks on my page's timeline. There are always 5 pages at any time and, if you don't set your featured likes and you have liked your competitors', they might pop up inviting your fans to like their pages. 

On Facebook profiles, the latest news indicate that the company is going to delete over 80 million 'fake' accounts, the most obvious being those people make for their pets but also those with a name of a company or business. Only pages are allowed for pets or businesses, not personal profiles. So if you haven't created your page yet, do so now.

A bit more on Facebook etiquette that is mentioned by many social networkers I follow is the question of adding people to groups without their permission. In general don't do it. It is better to send a message to your friends that might be interested in a group and suggest they like it or talk about it face to face if the administrator of the group requires you to add more members in order to advertise in their group. I prefer to use groups that are inclusive and without conditions for me to post on them. Networking is not only about numbers, at some point you must start selecting the people you want to engage with and promote your page in ways that you feel comfortable with. You can always create your own group and invite your friends, just like LPN has done to promote their webpage/blog.

Finally for today, I'd like to mention whether you should post as the page or as yourself and how much personal content you should share with your fans. It is very easy to switch from posting as the page to posting as yourself using the voice bar that appears at the top of the page. When you engage with other pages, it is better to interact as the page and not as the person. Sometimes your fans appreciate the person talking rather that the brand, so do it sparingly and when appropriate. Facebook fans love it when you share something about your private life, not meaning that you must publish photos of your children or home, but a place you visited with you in the photo works wonders. After all, in a healthy state of mind, we should all enjoy our fellow humans' success. The less we fear jealousy and the more we are willing to share, to be transparent and to work for the common good, the more successful we will become.

More on how to convert all this into profit on our next article. Stay tuned and thanks for reading,

Veronica

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