We all have a story to tell...

One of the easiest stories for people in business to tell, is story behind their business name. Although most of us spend lot's of time telling you what we can do for our customers, many companies miss out the story of how they came to be and why they chose the name they did. How many times have you sat in a networking group or looked at a webpage and wondered why did they call the company that?

Sometimes it's obvious - "Diane's Party Planning" or "Flowers by Freda" but more often than not there's a hidden story to a name that is worth telling.

Adding a story about how your brand came about, can help humanise your company quickly and add an insight to the personality behind the name.

So why did we become "Sudol Media"

The brand name is a nod to Katharine's Polish heritage and represents a long line of entrepreneurs who built their businesses from scratch before, during and Post-Second World War.

They thrived, despite the restrictions during the communist regime, and incredibly, always found a way to succeed. They are still going from strength-to-strength in business today and are truly motivating and inspiring.

Our logo was the monogram used on Katharine's parents' wedding invitation.

It was not only the first letter of both their surnames, but symbolised nearly 50 years of trust, partnership and loyalty. We chose the colour red because it represents the energy and passion for our business.

Call me old-fashioned but I'm old-school. I love my pillarbox red Filofax and the joy of having a proper diary and writing with a fountain pen.
Electronic versions might be quick and easy but I spend far too much time staring at a screen already. Plus, I fear my Android phone may have a seizure and lose all my dates and notes.

Invented when Lloyd George was Prime Minister, it's one of the classic inventions of our time and one of the most durable.
Born in 1921, this compact organiser took its name from a 'file of facts'.

In the 80's, loose pages in a smart leather binder the size of a paperback novel was carried with pride.

The arrival of laptops in the 80's, electronic organisers and smart phones in the 1990's followed by ipads in 2010 threatened the filofax, yet the lure of pen and paper remains...

It's safe to say that Lyndon prefers technology and won't be using one anytime soon.

Do you love an old-school diary or a digital diary?

A book of hope for uncertain times.

TODAY marks the 25^th anniversary of World Book Day, held to celebrate reading for pleasure today and all-year round, which focuses on getting books into the hands of children.

As a freelance journalist and an avid reader, it seemed appropriate, in light of the harrowing situation in Ukraine, to recommend my favourite illustrated books on #WorldBookDay for those who may need it.

‘The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse’ by illustrator Charlie Mackesy is a book of hope for uncertain times.

Based on four characters, it is a beautifully-illustrated story about love, kindness, friendship, bravery and courage that speaks a universal language.

The best-selling author, who has sold over £1million copies since its release, said his messages of kindness resonate with so many of us and have never been so important.

Laura Higginson, an Editor at Ebury Publications said recently of the book: “No matter who you are, what your age, what your belief system is, there are universal feelings and experiences which unite us all.”

Charlie’s moving illustrations lifted the nation during the Covid-19 pandemic and he is now sharing them on social media in support of Ukraine, in particular the quote and illustration; “Sometimes”, said the horse. “Sometimes what?” asked the boy. “Sometimes just getting up and carrying on is brave and magnificent.”

The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and the Horse by Ebury Publications is available to order from all bookstores, (RRP £16.99) but please do support independent booksellers where you can.

I choose to support our local and friendly award-winning independent book shop ‘Book-ish’ in Crickhowell, Powys.

Books can be ordered via their website www.book-ish.co.uk or why not pop into the shop and enjoy a coffee and cake in their delightful cafe afterwards.

I would love to hear what you are currently reading and your recommendations. Please share them via our social media channels Instagram Sudolmedia, Facebook @Sudol Media or Twitter@SudolMedia

To find our more about World Book Day Visit www.worldbookday.com

Accuracy is so important in your messages, as is double checking before you post. Whether it's your latest blog or a simple Facebook post, get your message right first time. By the time you've noticed your error, umpteen potential customers have already noticed your mistake.

In this example, The Daily Mail managed to invent the county of 'Grent', used 'taking' instead of 'taken' and also managed to change Matt's name to Mark twice all within the space of four bullet points.

That takes some doing.

Can you spot the typo in this public information poster?

A Tempererature ?

Always check and then re-check, particularly on mobile devices that have autocorrect functionality, it's always best to do a re-read before you hit send.

What is that we've all seen on a keyboard, probably used at least one, can be found in different locations depending on where you live and we might called something different depending on it's use?

Of course we are talking about the Octothorpe. That little symbol that you look at and have to think - do I need a shift key to use it ?

Ok, probably, you use one of it's more catchy names such as hashtag, number sign, or pound symbol (if you are American). We all love a #.

For most of us, it is the humble Hashtag. Whilst today it is associated with social media to identify digital content on a specific topic, it has been around for many years and been used for various uses even today.

As a symbol of our Social Media existence, it can be used to represent an area of shared interest - #photographs, #London, #Weddings or used as to help promote brands, social messages or even to label a craze - #ShareACoke,  #BlackLivesMatter, #IceBucketChallenge.

The hashtag is there to help label your message and can lead to greater engagement, can boast your brand’s social media engagement and improves your number of likes, shares, comments, and followers.

It is so easy to get a little carried away and start over-using a hashtag. You'll find that some users will try and cover all bases and use loads of hashtags. Sometimes even to the point of using more words in the hashtags than they do words in the original message. Hashtags should be relevant and not there and not desperate for attention.

A hashtag should be relevant to your post and not just added in to exploit a hashtag that is trending at that moment in time.

To find a hashtag that is specific to your message, brand or your audience, you’ll have to do a little research. There are plenty of free hashtag research websites that will give you an indicator of what you could be using. Again though, try and keep them short, sweet and on topic. It is always worth researching relevant hashtags and keeping a note of the one that you think might be relevant for you for future posts.

In conclusion, an Octothorpe can be your friend and help you reach your target audience but....

• Keep hashtags to a minimum
• Keep them relevant to your particular message
• Don't try to hijack trending hashtags for the sake of it
• Research relevant hashtags
• If you can't use a hashtag now, keep it for next time
• #LoveYourOctothorpe