Tapping into the wealth of local experience, expertise and network of business owners to grow your business. At the heart of a vibrate community is the unsung hero, the business owner and this podcast is about running a profitable business and supporting owners to do their thing. As the local Federation of Small Businesses Membership Advisor, John is meeting business owners daily. Championing companies supporting local trade and recommending people through his extensive network. Subscribe today and become part of a dynamic and growing network. wisdom
Interview with Sarah Rugg Whitehouse Financial: The Financial hub were services are beyond the standard... Specialists in Financial Services where we provide Recruitment ( https://www.whitehousefinancial.co.uk/financial-services-recruitment/ ) , Mortgage & ( https://www.whitehousefinancial.co.uk/mortgages/ ) Protection ( https://www.whitehousefinancial.co.uk/protection/ ) , Pensions & Investments, Secured Loans, Wills and Trusts & Financial Website services that you can rely on! Serving clients throughout the UK, we provide everything the Financial Service industry needs and are continuously adding to our services. Whitehouse Financial are here to make it an easy process for you and make sure you receive the best customer service, it's even easier when you're dealing with someone who knows the score! Fill in the questionnaire and we will arrange one of our experts to give you a call, it's as simple as that! Don't worry, if there's a service that you are looking for that we haven't listed – Get in touch with us anyway and we will see if we can point you in the right direction!
Interview with Gareth Rees Senetus Limited is a consulting company that exists to help businesses deliver an amazing customer experience by improving their Implementation, Onboarding and Retention Strategies through excellent Customer experience and strategic delivery. Senetus grew from my belief that developing the right attitude and a lightweight delivery program at the right time in a business's development will mean that customers are happier and the risk of churn are greatly reduced We offer a number of services from 1 day audits and guidance in customer experience strategies to the support in building and delivering service delivery strategies. We also offer tailored made services to accelerate the growth plans of our clients from finding the right skills needed to fit into their teams to handling discrete projects.
Interview with Debbie Hancock I help sports and fitness business owners to grow profitable businesses and give owners clarity around business financials. Small businesses often get stuck, they don't necessarily need a full time finance director but they desperately needing support. I offer an outsourced finance solution to free up business owners so they can focus on the things that they love.
Interview with Damian Gevertz Widgety supplies incredibly detailed holiday content from a wide range of cruise lines and tour operators to travel agents online for websites, social media, quote systems and use in store. Widgety was created in the Summer of 2014, initially providing basic cruise ship content to travel agents. There was a simple API and our first widget (Meet The Fleet) that allowed a search for ships on our platform. Two years later in 2016 we started adding brochures, expanding the range of ship information and adding in basic itineraries and pricing. In 2018 we launched an easy to embed Cruise Search, with smart linking that allowed travel agents to find a cruise ship or range of itineraries and post the link to social media or use in email marketing. Last year saw us starting to work with Tour Operators to add in their brochures to our platform. Every relationship is personal and we know and work with each of 40+ cruise lines in the UK and abroad. We care passionately about the detail and accuracy of the content in our platform. We have grown our initial team of 3 to 8, ripped up ideas, re-built Widgets and re-envisaged the API. The basic principle has not changed however. Widgety does not not build websites, we are purely a technology platform to make it easy to access the content you require to sell the holidays you wish to focus on. We build solutions that fit all budgets, are completely flexible and easy to install. We also make it really clear what you are paying for, what content we have and where it comes from. As we reach the end of this Summer, Widgety is working on a new API, one that brings together Cruise Line and Tour Operators into one single place. Our aggregation API will be complimented by a new type of embeddable and white label Holiday Search, offering an upgrade in the New Year to our current Cruise only search widget. We have been using this year to talk to agents and operators, research and redesign from the ground up in preparation for the new reality of selling holidays. We would love you to get in touch and ask questions, test our API, find out more and start a conversation.
Daley Hub offers a genuine alternative to traditional business consulting. We've worked with national and multinational clients across the globe to realise effective solutions to business challenges. You'll be supported by a small team of practical, experienced and multi-talented professionals who are on your side, solving problems from day one. We use our decades of experience in your market to take complete ownership of teams and projects. We become a true part of your business and delivering the results you need to thrive. From sales to strategy to supply chain, there's nothing our team can't take on and deliver on, as a real partner to your business (and to you!).
Interview with Mike Clayton *OnlinePMCourses gives you clear, practical Project Management knowledge, that is easy to understand and apply.* But Online *PM* Courses is not just a set of training videos. It is a program that will help you transform yourself into the Project Manager you want to be. To help you do this, we are building the most comprehensive portfolio of Project Management self-development resources on the web.
Interview with Charlotte Wickins *Human Architect: rebuilding self-leadership through transition.* An experienced business mentor and life coach – my purpose is to lift human spirit and potential. I love to motivate professionals to transition well through adversity and change. And to develop a purpose-driven leadership brand to raise confidence and recognition at work and in the marketplace.
Interview with Paul Lawton Rubicon-CSR® is the world's first self-funding, not-for-profit, Online Digital Donations Programme. We specialise in generating CSR funded digital donations from Individuals, Companies and Corporations to Charities By the end of 2020, this unique programme will become the ‘go to' place for digital donations and online support for charities everywhere. It will be a major ‘step-change' in online donations. Our objective is to channel at least 1% of the Global digital donations through Rubicon-CSR® by 2023 Rubicon-CSR® is set to change the face of Charitable giving everywhere – for good The Benefits for CSR Business Sponsors The Rubicon-CSR® Programme will deliver: 1. a significant and measurable increase in the financial impact of any organisation's CSR Strategy to contribute to charitable giving 2. a proven and highly effective Online Digital Lead Generation Programme that can quickly become ethically profitable and self-funding 3. the opportunity for CSR's to positively promote the success of their programme and enhance their reputation across all media using ethically gained profits 4. a measurable ‘return' on the sponsorship gained through added positive awareness and increased consumer propensity to buy the organisation's goods or services
Interview with Edina Spink The Purposeful Place provides interior design services with the added value of Feng Shui to residential customers. A home can provide so many benefits, why not use them. I create homes which are not just visually pleasing but bring many benefits to the residents. I pride myself in listening carefully and understanding what my customers need - sometimes before they do - and create a home 100% specific to their requirements. The achieve that, I use the principles of interior design and the teachings of Feng Shui. Feng Shui is an ancient wisdom about the flow of energy. The principles emerged from thousands of years of practical observations. Interior design combined with Feng Shui is a powerful tool. I keep the two in balance therefore my customers never have to choose between great design and great energy. They will have both. I work entirely online which saves time and money for my customers and means a lot more convenient and comfortable process from start to finish.
Interview with Cliff Jerred I'm Cliff Jerred, a life coach who knows about making life choices. Now based on the south coast in Hampshire. I enjoyed 20 years in senior training, learning & development roles Presented with a redundancy opportunity, I chose to take time out to invest in my own development. I took control and spent 2 years studying the theory and practical elements of life coaching which is when, as an accredited New Insights Life Coach, Qualitymind was born. I'm delighted I made the decision to make those changes; now I'm sharing the principles that led me to change many of my own thought processes. I enable others to identify their life purpose. It's a privilege to engage with people, build mutual trust and work closely to uncover what's really important to them. I have always been direct, sometimes to others chagrin, however, I am using it to my advantage and have become the "No nonsense coach".
Interview with Caroline Micallef-Wragg The Starflower Company Limited provides strategic marketing and sales solutions for small and medium sized businesses. Working with an holistic approach, we get to the core of what is important and apply those hard core strategic marketing and sales activities that get results. We have created a unique income stream mapping system that enables companies to plan and work on marketing activities, with our guidance and support, that are relevant to their business. Services are delivered via group based programmes for business owners as well as 121 strategic marketing coaching packages and implementation systems for companies that require more focused and intensive marketing growth. Talks, workshops, connections and collaborations form part of our services offering too.
Interview with Jamie Griffin FLYTE Creative Media works with clients to create bespoke projects that support the full range of communications. Run by Jamie Griffin & Sarah Griffin, we are a full-service video production house, offering pre-production, post-production (including audio) and commercial drone services. We also offer marketing support for businesses, plus other creative services. We travel the length and breadth of the UK and Europe, shooting on location and working with the best software in our editing suite to deliver stunning content for clients time and time again. Thanks to continued expansion, FLYTE now offers a full-range of creative services including product photography, location photography, copywriting, audio post-production and marketing support. Clients rely on FLYTE Creative Media to produce high-quality content and are happy to view them as both valued partners and as an extension of their business. Jamie Griffin – Creative DirectorJamie is an accomplished and highly experienced videographer, photographer and post-production editor.
Premium Hampshire travel company specialising in tailormade luxury holidays for the discerning traveller. I plan and organise travel experiences for my clients, not just the run of the mill, but the unusual, the exciting, the adventurous, the off the beaten track. So, if there's a holiday, trip or adventure you've always dreamt of, maybe now's the time? It could be visiting the natural wonders of the world, going on a pilgrimage, taking in the beauty of Japan's Hakone National Park, a Lantern Festival in Thailand, relaxing on the white sands of Mauritius, partaking in a cookery class with a local family, trekking in South America, witnessing the great migration in the Serengeti or taking time out to see mountain gorillas. Whatever you dream of doing, I will put together the perfect trip just for you.
Interview with Sam Sutton New Forest Activities provide fun and enlightening activities. From families who want to make the most of their time together, to helping business leaders bring their team together, there's something for groups of all sizes. Beaulieu Estate provides the stunning backdrop to most of the experiences, with great facilities both on-site and nearby. This ensures you have everything you need on hand to have a fantastic time in the Great Outdoors.
Interview with Dr Jeff Callander Two parts - my engineering company and my consultancy - both started within a few years of each other (30 years as a strategy and leadership coach, advisor and facilitator and 26 years joint owner and director of an oilfield analyitical engineering firm). Today I still do consultancy (sold my engineering business last year) and lecture part-time, as I have done for the past 16 years. at universities on executive education programmes (Henley Business School and University of Southampton). I have used my skills to help major clients improve their commercial results, with particular focus on enabling businesses to develop insight about their operations and customers. I have a unique set of skills to support businesses in change management programmes and coach business leaders in the areas of strategy and leadership. In 2020 I completed a DBA with my research into goal setting at a business level and its effects on organisations as this is a particular area of interest. As a consultancy. Apart from the direct clients I have, I also work, in my specialist areas, with other consultancies including training other consultants. I am multi-lingual in English, Spanish and Portuguese and have lived in a variety of countries around the world including LATAM, West Africa, Europe and the USA which means I truly have worldwide experience having performed field audits, run workshops and worked with the trade-in over 50 countries spanning more than 160 assignments.
Interview with Hatty Fawcett Hatty Fawcett, Founder of Focused For Business, has been raising money for businesses and projects since she was eight. She has worked in three startups and raised £250,000 for her own startup. Hatty has seen investment from both sides of the fence. As a Founder raising investment for her startup but she also what angel investors expect , having managed some of the investments Kelly Hoppen made when Kelly was a “Dragon” on the TV show “Dragons Den”. This gives Hatty a unique perspective on raising invest ment. In the last 12 months, through her coaching and training programmes, Hatty has raised a total of £1 million for her clients, with individuals raising between £10K and £350K. She does this by giving clients the clarity, connections and confidence to communicate exactly what investors want to know so a business owner attracts a number of offers and can choose the right one for their situation. Hatty is Regional Manager for Angels Den, the national angel network, a Talent Spotter for The Start-up Funding Club and also works with all the main crowdfunding platforms.
Rock Paper Copy is a Shopify Expert agency, specializing in SEO. We work with e-commerce businesses, wanting to skyrocket their organic Google traffic and improve conversion rate [sales] in their online stores. We've helped a number of Shopify stores boost their sales by up to 252% in a matter of weeks. We have also helped our clients get to Google page #1 in two months through blogging. Our signature service is SEO Monthly package, designed to help small to medium-size businesses take the fast lane to e-commerce success.
interview with Mark Norton Mark Norton Consulting was created in the belief that human PERFORMANCE is fuelled by LEADERSHIP and TEAM DYNAMICS. The conditions for performance are created by the climate and environment created by the leadership characteristics that prevail. The relationships and connections between people then powers the performance engine. Throughout my military, consulting and executive careers, I have a consistent track record of working with LEADERS and TEAMS to: - Create a culture of CONNECTED LEADERSHIP and develop a shared understanding of team and organisational PURPOSE - Embed a PERFORMANCE mindset and standards of behavours - Design SYSTEMIC EMPOWERMENT by defining and implementing: operational MECHANICS that enable fast, accurate delivery of team results in both a real and virtual team context; and coach and facilitate individual and team DYNAMICS for optimum performance
Interview with David Webb David Webb is the lead business adviser of DNJ Solutions; a business which is there to help other businesses keep in control of their business. We do that by giving advice but first of all we listen to you and learn what your business is about, why you set it up and what you want to get out of your business. We then talk through what you know about your business metrics and how you are using these to drive your business forward. If you don't have these, we work how to set these up. DNJ Solutions works with clients in a number of sectors, primarily but not exclusively SMEs in the healthcare sector, from set up to survival and from growth to diversification. David has also supported a number of rural based SME businesses, both directly and indirectly, and continues to maintain a key policy interest in the area of rural affairs and how these impact on rural businesses.
*Interview with Maureen Frost* About Astrality Business Services Owner Maureen Frost set up her business last year having moved to Torbay in Devon after 20+ years working for Chambers of Commerce most recently as CEO of Hampshire Chamber where she had responsibility for working with 1700 businesses of all shapes and sizes. Astrality Business Services will work with you on business strategy & planning, marketing strategy & implementation giving you the support you need to drive your business forward. Other services include business event management and help with funding applications and award entries. We provide the framework and focus to help your business stand out from the crowd
*Interview with Brad Mackay* Being online at this time is key to making a sale or getting in front of customers. Unfortunately most people aren't sure the best way to do this, that's where we come in! We help businesses utilise the free and paid online services to get seen by the right people. DM us on Instagram or Facebook or call us on 02394 370 001 to see how we can help you!
*B* rownie Addiction was founded in 2020 by entrepreneurial couple Michelle Cox and Kevin Southgate. Michelle Cox, also Head of product development, has an impressive background as a Cordon Bleu trained chef who has spent more than ten years perfecting her brownie recipe before co-founding Brownie Addiction. Kevin Southgate, with his customer-centric obsession, is responsible for the strategic vision of Brownie Addiction. Starting out during Covid-19, providing a pick me up treat to put a smile on the faces of local residents, Michelle's Brownies quickly became a local hit in the Hampshire area. Fast forward a few months, and with the objective to take that smile UK wide, Brownie Addiction was formed. All our full-size brownies were perfectly optimized to fit through your letterbox without jeopardizing size, quality, or price for our customers. We are now well established in our unit in Fernhurst Business Park, near Haslemere, Surrey, with the capacity to produce up to 1,500 brownies per day. We supply our delicious luxurious brownies, and blondies made with the finest Belgian chocolate not only to consumers UK wide but our local business partners too. Whether you are looking to sell our Brownies in your cafe, send gifts to all your amazing staff for going over and above or favors at your dream wedding.
Interview with Roark BioSweep UK Ltd provide services in decontamination, including the removal of odours, bacteria, viruses, VOCs, mould spores and fungal hyphae; disinfection; long lasting anti-microbial treatments; mould remediation; and air and surface sampling.
*Interview with Jonathan Dyke* "I founded Storehouse Photography to help people tell their unique stories, and to capture important moments on camera. In terms of photography, I believe that one cannot adopt a 'one-size-fits-all' approach, and it is important to tailor a service offering to the individual needs of the client. There was a slight sense of the unknown when I started the firm, especially going self-employed for the first time in my life, but the sense of independence and enjoyment has been immense. Starting a business from scratch is hard work, but the rewards are there, especially those of personal satisfaction. Photography is a crowded marketplace, but I believe this is the best professional decision I have ever made, and being shortlisted for a Customer Service award from Guides for Brides last year, was a hugely proud moment for me. I am a photographer with experience across a number of fields, and whether it is weddings or corporate projects that my clients need support with, I look forward to helping many more people capture the moments that matter to them most."
*Interview with ian Gribble* From the creator of the biggest LinkedIn Local event in the UK, Ian Gribble will be sharing some tips and ideas on how to get the most out networking. Ian's approach to networking helped form the talked about LinkedIn Local Portsmouth events which have proved to be very successful in providing a platform for people to meet up, connect and form business relationships. As a keen networker for a number of years Ian has developed a style of networking that is effective both offline and online. In fact with the rise and popularity of LinkedIn as a business social media platform, bridging the gap between offline and online has never been more important.
Hollie Whittles is an award winning TEDx speaker and Director of two digital companies. Her passion is to EDUCATE, ENTERTAIN and ENGAGE. Spending more than 5000 hours speaking to audiences across the UK, she has helped hundreds of business owners to grow their businesses. Hollie is in constant demand. Her charismatic and knowledgeable approach empowers people to get the results they want through adoption of the right technology, strategic planning and digital marketing. In 2020, Hollie was nominated as one of the top 40 Women in Tech. She was presented with a certificate from the British Computer Society for her work in the UK digital industry in 2018 and was awarded a certificate of recognition by the Woman Who Awards. In 2014, Hollie was voted one of the Top 50 Women in Tech by PCR Online and was Woman of the Year finalist. Hollie is also the area lead for the FSB Shropshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire.
*Interview with Helen Pengelly* For many years Helen Pengelly, a former school teacher, struggled with her physical, mental and emotional health. She escaped an abusive marriage, raised 3 sons, was diagnosed with coeliac disease in 2003 after being dangerously underweight and anaemic for most of her life, lost a lot of money and her house after her first business suffered in the financial crash of 2008, was bullied at work and deals with a son who has addiction problems. She talks about her challenges openly, not to gain your sympathy, but to show you that you don't have to be a victim to your circumstances. In 2005 she came across meditation and coaching and put what she learned into practice to transform her life. She also educated herself about good nutrition and through her diet and meditation practice nurtured herself back to health and now has more energy in her 50s than she did as a child. She is an author, accredited coach, EFT practitioner and teaches meditation and mindfulness as well as being naturally highly intuitive. Helen helps coaches to heal from their own past and understand their subconscious minds. She takes an holistic approach to help you balance your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. She gives you a whole toolbox that you can use for yourself as well as your clients that will set you apart and create a massive impact. Her first book was published in September 2020.
Interview with Dave Ford Big Cat Capital was founded to provide a platform in support of the SME sector with businesses that turnover between £1-10M. The services we provide are: * To provide a support to business leaders around Strategy, Leadership and Investments * To support distressed businesses in need of turnaround support * To enable owners to exit their business, realising the true value of their life's work There are several ways to invest in a business, when developing strategy with a client we examine these in depth, ensuring the route that provides the greatest value towards goals or objectives, is fully understood. As we are active in the merger and acquisition sector ourselves, we bring live and current experience to our clients. Conscious of ensuring value to clients, we have developed an extraordinary network of specialists, in a broad range of sectors. This underpins an industry agnostic capability, enabling our clients to trust in the capability, knowledge and experience on offer. One group of people that is often not invested in with many organisations, is the leadership team. We believe our leadership coaches often have the most significant impact. Coaching is a tool that creates a safe space to explore the challenges of leadership. Nothing more complex than a conversation between two people, but extremely powerful in its impact. Paper after paper has been written on the unequalled ROI that can be derived from professional coaching,
*Interview with Johanna Hooper* Limitless Peak Performance is a company that focusses on the maximising the power of people! It provides consultancy services to help organisations determine the size, shape and skillset of workforce needed to deliver their mission, both now and in the future. And then it helps them get that workforce. Having managed to achieve that ideal workforce, Limitless Peak Performance then also helps organisations get the best out of their people through leadership mentoring and coaching. There's no point getting the right workforce if you then can't keep or motivate them to deliver great things!
*Interview with Lyndsey Lee* LCL Virtual Personal Assistant is a full service virtual support company. I help time poor business owners claim back time by supporting them with a range of different services including, Creating Documents and Social Media posts in Canva, Bookkeeping, creating and building a mailing list with Mailerlite, managing projects effectively using Trello to the more basic of needs like managing their inbox, I'll make sure your customers get the professional support and attention they deserve. As I handle the administrative tasks, my clients are able to focus on generating further revenue for their businesses. Running an efficient business takes a lot of time and effort, and I am here to help.
*Interview with Julia Ngapo* Julia Ngapo is a business coach with over 20 years' experience of the corporate world. She works with women, taking them from authenticity to empowerment, giving them not only the practical, but the mental, emotional, and spiritual tools they need to achieve business success. Having owned and run several businesses, Julia understands the particular blocks and issues that women in business may encounter. Her passion is helping women to succeed. To help them understand their why and align that with their business goals and objectives. To help women believe they CAN run a successful business and that they CAN achieve the success they desire.
Interview with Karen Skidmore Karen Skidmore is a growth catalyst, Business Books Awards finalist 2020, podcaster, and business mentor with 25+ years experience. Her coaching and training business, True Profit Business, uniquely combines the being-ness and doing-ness of business to grow purpose-driven businesses. She knows that most business owners are burning out trying to drive their business forward. They may look successful on the outside, but inside the founder is exhausted. True Profit Business offers business growth programmes that place you and your wellbeing at the heart of business so that you get the right business model, systems and team needed to scale both profit and impact, and be able to thrive in the process.
Interview with Peter Allday AlldayApps is a small web application and mobile software company. We specialise in creating business applications for customers with web and/or mobile user interfaces that allow their workforce to use them whether in the office or out and about. We mainly work with SME's, especially those with limited budgets and try and find a solution that will work for the customer within their available budget. Our work to date has been varied, creating our own products which include a mobile app that helps actors learn their lines and a system for the building trade to manage resource allocation, tracking, billing and general finances. We have also written bespoke software for customers which includes training courses for the NHS, air quality monitoring software for Brighton University, a Recruitment system for a local company, and a QR code based system for identifying trees in an Arboretum.
*Interview with Jayne Williams* We at VA Jayne are professionals specialising in managing Credit Control. We are an outsource company and operate UK wide covering invoicing B2B and B2P. We aim to be as seamless as possible to complement your business structure. We understand fully the importance of your invoices being paid on time and are driven to reduce your debtor days. We provide reports with current payment status on invoices as requested by you on a weekly, bi-weekly, monthly basis. Using cloud technology such as Xero allows you have access to the latest information on your invoicing information at your fingertips. VA Jayne removes the stress of your knowing that right now your invoicing is not being looked at. We are professional, always personable and remove discomfort and awkwardness felt when asking for payment of overdue invoices.
*Interview with David Mellor* Since 2001 David has developed a portfolio of activities which derive principally from 25 years' experience in commercial and investment banking with HSBC and Deutsche Bank. His consultancy activities embrace strategic planning and implementation, and mentoring existing and aspiring entrepreneurs. He is a recognised expert in his field, regularly speaking at conferences and running seminars and workshops. He provides one-on-one and group mentoring to aspiring entrepreneurs, many of whom are aiming to establish themselves as consultants. He published “From Crew to Captain” in 2010, written for people making the transition from working for big institutions to working for themselves. He has followed that up by launching “From Crew to Captain: A Privateer's Tale” in 2014, which is written for people establishing consultancy practices. The third book in the trilogy – “From Crew to Captain: Commander of the Fleet” was released in November 2015 and addresses the “growing pains” issues faced by successful startups. He is also co-author of FT Publishing's “Inspirational Gamechangers” which launched in 2015. Earlier this year he launched “Changing Tack” , for people considering the transition to semi-retirement. He is an Honorary Senior Visiting Fellow in the Faculty of Finance at Cass Business School, where he has run workshops on managing strategic change, entrepreneurship, corporate entrepreneurship, leadership, building high performance teams and sales. In addition, he has acted as course director and provided facilitation and mentoring support to participants in small groups and on a one-to-one basis. As well as working with the student community, he has participated in Executive Education programmes for major private sector institutions from UK, Middle East , South Africa and Asia, plus UK public sector institutions (NHS, TfL, DfT, and the College of Policing.) David is a Freeman of the Guild of Entrepreneurs and of the City of London. He holds a Bachelor's and a Master's degree from the University of Cambridge. He is a Certified PRISM Brain Mapping Practitioner.
Many years ago at a breakfast networking event in the basement of Selfriges an American speaker talked about a portfolio career. This was 1996 and rang a loud bell, since having just left self employed corporate life, a bit of direction was needed. Fast forward to today and that fledgling portfolio career has blossomed to the extent there is now focus and direction within, but still with a number of strands. Combyne Group brings everything together under one brand, whether it be direct sales, helping people save money, make money or both, coaching, mentoring, running networking groups, or simply being a great egg and creating lasting connections and passing referrals.
Interview with Shirin Lee At Mitch's Kitchen we create delicious, Chef developed wholefood meals - perfect for people living a Fast-Paced, Plant-Based® lifestyle. From our base on the South Coast, we're on a mission to become the UK's best selling range of Plant-Based meals. We're passionate about providing food for all to enjoy, using honest ingredients packed with flavour, full of nutrients and good for the planet. That's why all of our products are Vegan and Free-From Gluten, Nuts, Palm Oil and Refined Sugar as standard. For every meal sold, we donate a meal to a child living in poverty across 19 countries globally, through our collaboration with Mary's Meals and Work For Good.
*Interview with Charla Grant* The Grateful Hearts Club is a gratitude-based business that's aim is to help people to live happier lives, by being more grateful for what they already have. Gratitude is proven to be an effective self-care tool. One, if practised regularly can improve mental health, increase optimism and promote a better night's sleep. After experiencing a tremendous amount of loss and grief, Charla, the founder of The Grateful Hearts Club used gratitude as a way of getting back to the positive person she once was. Launched in 2019 a set of gratitude cards were created to encourage people to write down what they were grateful for. To help everyone fully understand the benefits of gratitude, a workshop was designed to support the cards and in March 2020 an ‘Introduction to Gratitude' was launched. Queue an unprecedented pandemic and the workshop naturally evolved into an online version. It has since been adapted as a highly successful on-line workplace workshop. As employee mental health is key in business right now, the workshop creates a sense of connection and shares easy ways to become more grateful. Giving back is a huge part of what The Grateful Hearts Club is about. So, for every work place workshop, one around resilience is gifted to a partnering charity - The Literacy Hubs who work with young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Interview with Alison Edgar Based on her work with entrepreneurs, Alison now works with huge conglomerates such as Sky and The Discovery Channel to teach their teams to think intrapreneurially which encourages growth mindsets, outside of the box thinking, and leads to an increase in sales. Alison's debut book ‘Secrets of Successful Sales', is an international best-seller with over 120 5-star reviews, has been stocked in the Top 10 Business Books in WHSmith, and was featured in the Independent's 2019 Top Business Books written by Women.
*Interview with Kay Coombs* Founded in 2016 by close friends Rebecca and Kay, Peas in a Pod Consulting has a clear mission; to solve the people issues that keep business owners awake at night, without breaking the bank! With over 20 years hands-on experience between us in the fields of HR, Employment Law, Leadership, Business Strategy, and People Performance, we are very much a ‘roll your sleeves up' type of company. Our approach enables small business owners to manage their HR functions safely and strategically, freeing them up to concentrate on growing their businesses!
*Interview with Steve Tracey* At *More-effective* we work with small businesses to get the most out of their everyday efforts. We were initially set up to bring the most innovative methods in manufacturing to the SME sector, but like many before us we found that no matter how compelling an improvement was on paper, the “right way” was difficult to implement and even harder to maintain. There was some piece missing from the puzzle, and that was peoples innate behavioural biases. After working with some of leading Behavioural Economic practitioners we migrated the business away from just manufacturing solutions, and now look at what behavioural factors are stopping businesses achieving their potential. We still help them identify practical solutions, but also address the barriers to their implementation. In addition we work with clients on using modern behavioural insights to make low/zero cost changes that will positively influence consumers, suppliers, staff and investors. We are about optimizing what businesses were going to do any way, to get the best return on their investment.
Interview with Ali Matthews Love-Dogs is an online Ecommerce Store selling lots of different products for people who simply love dogs. Everything is branded with pictures or slogans about dogs. You can buy products from Tshirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, Tote bags, bags, cushions, pillows, blankets and mugs. All available from adults, to babies and delivered to your door in UK, USA, Europe and Australia. Soon to be available are dog beds, coats, leads etc.
Interview with Robert Haylor Boost Digital Media is a website design agency based in Torbay, but services businesses across the UK. As a collective team of professional creative and technical individuals we deliver tailored websites to businesses that typically operate within the tourism, hospitality, retail and not for profit sectors. Each website we produce is unique to the client, and starts out life as a pencil and paper drawing before going through a tried, tested and proven process. Before a website goes live we carry out a 60 point quality check to ensure the highest possible standard and maximum opportunity for growth for the client. Once a website is launched we can then provide monthly support and related services to ensure the website is working for the clients businesses.
Interview with Chloe Jessamy Helping Business Owners Find Time to Concentrate on Priority Tasks and Self Care I'm Chloe and my Supportal team are here to take the weight off your shoulders. Running a business is hard and time consuming, so make sure you outsource those tasks that keep you chained to your desk after hours, that don't bring you joy, or that simply aren't within your skill set to me. Outsourcing helps you take advantage of professionals in their field who will dedicate their time and effort to the tasks at hand in order to free you up to build your business. You don't have to load up your payroll and increase your office space, simply hire our team of experts to complete these tasks remotely and to the highest standard. I have a roll call of skilled assistants at my disposal, ready to deploy the right person for the right task in your business. They work hard, know their job inside out and get you the results you need. From organising your files to automating your workflows, creating your online content to project managing special events, if you need to bring in expert help, Supportal can provide that. I have been running Supportal since 2016 and, during that time, I have helped a host of very happy clients whose businesses are thriving, but who can still get home to see their children and can take time out to look after themselves as well. Don't try and do everything yourself. Give yourself a break. Take care of yourself and allow this trusted, successful and dedicated service to take some of the stress out of running your business.
Interview with Clive Loseby At Access by Design, we have been building award-winning websites for 14 years. Whether it is a full bespoke design and build or one of their lower cost Run Your Own Websites, the build quality is exactly the same. This is because we only use own code., we do not buy theme from anyone else. Every website we build is Mobile, Tablet and Google Friendly because we believe that if you are going to build anything, you should always do it properly. Whether you are looking for a 5 page brochure website or one with integrated e-commerce, we guarantee the quality of our work. Not all web designers are the same!
Interview with Tim Mitchell *Upper Hand Digital's Tim Mitchell has helped hundreds of smaller businessess increase sales and leads with hands-on marketing and training (including LinkedIn). Clients now work with the NHS, Heathrow & Lloyds of London to name just a few.* *Tim's also in demand as a corporate trainer in the UK and internationally (drawing on his 25 years of experience). He recently, for instance, delivered a 3 day marketing/communications workshop to a global organisation in Oman.*
Interview with Sara Starling I help businesses to sparkle with unique, award-winning British voiceovers. It's never 'just talking', my work is about that all-important human connection, bridging the gap between you & your clients. With 30 years' experience, I work with major brands, SME's & local businesses, voicing everything from TV, Radio & online commercials, to corporate presentations, explainer animations, museum & audio guides, e-learning, narration - including medical & technical, radio imaging, on-hold messages, IVR & more. I work from my own broadcast quality studio. Clients include BBC, Volvo, Danone, Samsung, GlaxoSmithKline, the NHS, Cisco, Deloitte, Diageo, Governments & NGO's, Mercedes, Mothercare, Bosch, Ocado, Citizen, Royal Museums Greenwich, Global Media Group & many, many more.
Lucy's a marketer by trade, but likes to get stuck into sales and business strategy, too. With more than 25 years of experience (15 of those running her own consultancy), her experience spans start-ups to plcs. Her MBA and business book habit means she's never just thinking about marketing on its own. With a background in both software and small business, Lucy loves getting stuck into Marketing strategy with a wider approach of how this is going to help a business work better and grow. She can't code but has spent a lot of her working life surrounded by people who can, and her experience in software marketing includes being part of the original Xero launch team in the UK. She remembers when Google was in beta and also when software came in boxes (as she had to write the words that went on the outside of them!). More recently, she's been co-founder of two tech start-ups, and has worked on feasibility studies, marketing audits and go-to-market plans for other tech businesses.