Guest: 👩‍💼 Carol Butts — Accelerate HR LinkedIn | Search “Carol Butts Accelerate HR” Email: [email protected]

Most small businesses only think about HR once something’s already gone wrong but by then, it’s often too late. In this episode of Ask JT, Justin sits down with Carol Butts, founder of Accelerate HR, to unpack the everyday HR traps that quietly cost small employers money and time. From missing contracts to messy probations and zero-hours confusion, they explore the simple, practical steps that keep your business safe and your team running smoothly. You’ll hear:

- The top 3 preventable HR mistakes that small businesses make every week

-Why “no contract = no rights” is a costly myth

- The truth about probation periods, zero-hours contracts and redundancy rules

- What an HR specialist really costs — and why it’s often cheaper than a tribunal

- How AI tools like ChatGPT are changing grievance letters

- 3 quick wins that cut 80 % of your HR risk this week

Learn how UK “trivial benefits” work: the £50 per-occasion rule, the £300 director cap, and how to use non-cash gift cards for staff without triggering PAYE/P11D. Clear do’s/don’ts, per-head averaging, and when a PSA can rescue mistakes. Actionable, fast, and HMRC-compliant.

A client asked me recently: “Justin, how do you stay so motivated?” Here’s the truth: I don’t. Some days I’m tired, some days I’m low on energy. But after 20 years of running businesses — from my accountancy firm, to a letting agency, to AskJT — I’ve learned that motivation isn’t what gets results. In this episode I share: Why motivation is unreliable (and why you shouldn’t depend on it) The goals and systems that keep me moving when energy runs out A client story about how delegation and systems gave him more time with his family How purpose makes discipline stick when motivation disappears If you’re a business owner waiting to “feel motivated,” this episode will show you what really works. 👉 Subscribe to the AskJT Podcast for weekly tips on business growth, tax, and finance.

Every small business reaches the point where you ask: should I hire? In this episode, I share the honest truth about taking on your first employee, why most of us are bad managers at the start, and how to avoid the biggest mistakes. I talk about: Why you’ll probably be a bad employer at first (and that’s okay) Why stress and sick days are more about management than “lazy staff” The Nicola story – how I hired for grit, not CV Why profit dips before it grows Five lessons I’d give to anyone on the edge of hiring This isn’t theory — it’s what I’ve lived through running my own business, and the advice I give to clients in the same position.

If you’re great at what you do but struggle to turn enquiries into clients — this episode is for you. Justin shares the exact sales engine he built inside his accountancy firm that now closes 86% of leads, without pushy tactics, awkward scripts, or time-wasting calls. You’ll hear the story of Tom — a small business owner with a fantastic marketing setup but a painful 15% conversion rate. After working with Justin and implementing these strategies, Tom’s conversion rate jumped to over 78%. This isn’t theory. It’s practical, proven, and doable — even if you think you're “not good at sales.” 🎯 In this episode, you’ll learn: Why giving something away (the right way) builds trust fast How a boring checklist can transform your client onboarding The hidden power of asking for reviews at the right moment Why likeability, authority, and belonging matter more than you think How scarcity — used honestly — makes people act What changes when you stop winging it and build a system that sells for you 🔁 Apply this to your business and you'll shift from chasing work to attracting the right clients — with confidence and consistency. 📚 Want to dive deeper into the psychology behind these tactics? Grab Justin’s book The Science of Business on Amazon. 👉 For more weekly business tips, tools, and unfiltered lessons from the real world, subscribe to the AskJT Podcast and follow @AskJT_uk on your platform of choice.

Every week, I see small business owners wasting thousands on marketing that will never work — and the worst part? The mistakes are completely avoidable. In this episode, I share the 5 most common marketing mistakes I see in my accountancy practice, and how you can fix them to stop the leaks and start winning more customers. We’ll cover: Why not collecting customer emails is costing you thousands How to use education to build trust (and sales) The biggest mindset shift you need to make about your marketing Why giving people too much information kills your campaigns How to track results so you stop guessing and start making smart decisions Whether you’re a florist, tradesperson, café owner, or consultant, these tips will help you turn wasted spend into profitable marketing.

In this episode of the AskJT Podcast, I’m joined once again by business coach, TEDx speaker, and author Dave Rogers for a deep dive into how technology is reshaping the way small businesses operate and where the human touch still matters most. We explore: Why delaying tech adoption could be costing your business more than you think The double-edged sword of AI and automation in small teams The tools we actually use in our own businesses (Slack, Loom, Zapier, Riverside, practice management systems) Whether tech enhances or stifles creativity and collaboration The customer service sweet spot between systems and soul 💬 Justin shares stories from his accountancy firm and a brilliant real-world example from a local butcher who nails customer service — without using a single piece of software. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by tech, or wondered if AI is worth the hype, this is a grounded, real-world conversation that cuts through the noise. About Dave Rogers: Dave is the founder of fuelfitandfire.com, a business coach, and author of Fueled, Fit and Fired Up, a practical guide to mental and physical wellbeing in business. Connect with him on LinkedIn 🔔 Subscribe to the AskJT Podcast for honest advice on small business growth, finance, and future-proofing your business.

Most self-employed people in the UK have no pension savings at all. And it's no surprise — the early days of saving feel painfully slow. But what if you knew exactly when the magic starts? In this episode, Justin Turner from AskJT breaks down the game-changing concept of scale of capital, the tipping point where your investments start to work harder than you do. We cover the exact timelines for when your savings start compounding faster than you can contribute. Using real-world examples at £100 and £300/month, this episode walks you through what happens at year 7, year 14, year 23 and why you might earn £100,000 in just two years near the end of your savings journey.

In this episode of the AskJT podcast, Justin Turner dives into why electric vehicles (EVs) are transforming company car schemes and how business owners can make the most of it. Learn how EVs create massive tax advantages through benefit-in-kind rules, salary sacrifice schemes, and corporation tax savings. Justin also explains how offering EVs can boost staff retention, lower fuel costs, and reduce your business’s carbon footprint. 🚗 Topics covered: Why the benefit-in-kind rate on EVs is a game changer (currently just 3%) How salary sacrifice schemes work and why they benefit both employer and employee VAT, corporation tax, and NI savings explained Real-life examples from Justin’s own business and clients Challenges with charging, apps, and infrastructure (and how to handle them) Whether you're a director looking to save on tax, or an employee exploring your options, this episode gives you a clear, honest take on why EVs are the future of fleet and company car policy. 🔋 Subscribe for more tax-smart business ideas every week.

This week, Justin shares a story that sounds like it’s straight out of a Black Mirror episode, but it really happened. On the day he paid off his mortgage, Justin decided to test HSBC’s voice recognition security system. Instead of using his real voice, he used an AI-generated voice clone, created using ElevenLabs and was granted full access to his account. Twice. In this episode, we explore: How biometric voice security works (or doesn’t) What happened when Justin told HSBC what he’d done Why this matters for small business owners How AI voice clones are easier to make than you think Practical steps to protect your team and your business from deepfake threats 🔒 If your business relies on voice authentication or phone-based approval, you’ll want to hear this. If this episode gets you thinking (or makes your stomach turn), hit subscribe and share it with someone who needs to hear it. Your voice might not be as private as you think...