In this episode, we talk to Jordan Patel from Art.Quarter, which will end up being, we think, Birmingham's most adventurous multi-use site yet; currently being built, it will end up housing commercial units, office space, retail outlets and pop-up shops, food and drink outlets, technology centres, AR and VR gaming centre, amongst many other things! All in the heart of Digbeth, the home of Birmingham's creative industries.

We find out how the build and overall project is going, especially with the inevitable setbacks with COVID19, who this venue is for, and how it can be utilised. Jordan also goes on to explain how the Art.Quarter project is going to be able to start supporting young & start-up businesses by offering countless routes of business support, to give the best chances possible of making it a success.

It's an ambitious, gargantuan task! But as you'll hear, with Jordan's passion and determination, we wish him every success with it. We're convinced it certainly will be... So sit back, listen, and enjoy!

You can find out more about Jordan and Art.Quarter online at the following links:

https://www.artquarteruk.co.uk

https://twitter.com/artdotquarter

https://twitter.com/jordanartdot

https://www.instagram.com/jordan.patel/

Brought to you by Brummies Networking, the home of free, stripped-back business networking.

https://brummies-networking.co.uk

Brummies Networking on Twitter: @brummiesnet

BrumPod on Twitter - @brumpod

Produced by Happy Content Co. https://happycontentco.com

Twitter: @happycontentco

Music by Birocratic - birocratic.com

Twitter: @birocratic

BrumPod - The UK Small Business Podcast. BrumPod is designed for small businesses, because 2/3 of the hosts are small businesses! Our goal is to bring you topics that affect you as a fellow small business owner directly; everything from website tools and technology, changes in regulations, business networking tips, business growth; plus we talk to regular guests from all walks of life, discussing their journeys in working with small businesses to make other people’s lives easier.

BrumPod Hosts:

Richard Heathcote(VoiceOver Artist) - https://www.richardheathcote.co.uk

Iwan Thomas(BusinessCoach) - http://www.iwanthomasassociates.co.uk

Jason Jones(SelfStorage) - https://www.accessstorage.com

In this episode we take a look at the issue of returning to the office after so long. How different are things going to be now? Is your workplace geared up and ready?  Is it safe? How do you feel about it all? What are the expectations, and your rights as an employee if things don't seem to be up to scratch?

Has all this changed how we work forever? There's certainly been a major environmental impact given a study we touch upon, as well as people's mindsets having changed and been slightly re-evaluated. 

We look at various scenarios, and offer our own thoughts on the situation. But of course, if you're needing advice as an employee or employer and need more information on your rights, please do speak to someone qualified in that field, in law/HR etc, don't take anything in this podcast as official advice! Always speak to a professional.

Resources and information we discuss in this episode:

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-almost-one-in-three-workers-ready-to-keep-working-from-home-after-lockdown-12025311

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-53484767

https://www.nelsonslaw.co.uk/returning-work-coronavirus/

Brought to you by Brummies Networking, the home of free, stripped-back business networking.

https://brummies-networking.co.uk

Brummies Networking on Twitter: @brummiesnet

BrumPod on Twitter - @brumpod

Produced by Happy Content Co. https://happycontentco.com

Twitter: @happycontentco

Music by Birocratic - birocratic.com

Twitter: @birocratic

BrumPod - The UK Small Business Podcast. BrumPod is designed for small businesses, because 2/3 of the hosts are small businesses! Our goal is to bring you topics that affect you as a fellow small business owner directly; everything from website tools and technology, changes in regulations, business networking tips, business growth; plus we talk to regular guests from all walks of life, discussing their journeys in working with small businesses to make other people’s lives easier.

BrumPod Hosts:

Richard Heathcote(VoiceOver Artist) - https://www.richardheathcote.co.uk

Iwan Thomas(BusinessCoach) - http://www.iwanthomasassociates.co.uk

Jason Jones(SelfStorage) - https://www.accessstorage.com

With special guest: Anthony Tattum from Big Cat Agency.

In this episode, we talk to Anthony Tattum, CEO of Birmingham based creative agency, Big Cat.

We discuss how, in a post-COVID world, the hospitality industry needs a radical rethink in how they operate, to optimise earnings and efficiency, given how there will be so many restrictions for months to come.

Many businesses have managed to adapt really well through lockdown, operating in a different capacity to what they're used to, by offering additional or amended services; takeaways, produce boxes, meal kits etc. Something which has been near-essential to survive. Anthony gives some brilliant advice and case studies of successful businesses' transitions, and how YOUR business can replicate some of these ideas to survive and thrive in the months and years to come.

Here's where you can find Anthony:

http://bigcatagency.com

https://twitter.com/anthonytattum

https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonytattum/

Brought to you by Brummies Networking, the home of free, stripped-back business networking.

https://brummies-networking.co.uk

Brummies Networking on Twitter: @brummiesnet

BrumPod on Twitter - @brumpod

Produced by Happy Content Co. https://happycontentco.com

Twitter: @happycontentco

Music by Birocratic - birocratic.com

Twitter: @birocratic

BrumPod - The UK Small Business Podcast. BrumPod is designed for small businesses, because 2/3 of the hosts are small businesses! Our goal is to bring you topics that affect you as a fellow small business owner directly; everything from website tools and technology, changes in regulations, business networking tips, business growth; plus we talk to regular guests from all walks of life, discussing their journeys in working with small businesses to make other people’s lives easier.

BrumPod Hosts:

Richard Heathcote(VoiceOver Artist) - https://www.richardheathcote.co.uk

Iwan Thomas(BusinessCoach) - http://www.iwanthomasassociates.co.uk

Jason Jones(SelfStorage) - https://www.accessstorage.com

In this episode, we talk to Daniel O'Brien, an insurance broker from Aston Lark.

We discuss the current state of the insurance industry in the midst of the pandemic, what cover you THINK you have, what cover you NEED, and lots of top tips and advice that all business owners should be aware of to ensure you're fully covered for all eventualities once we reach that golden egg that is 'the new normal'.

We cover areas such as what business owners and facilities managers need to consider when re-opening on July 4th, how the exposure to risk has changed now, how companies are adapting their business models in the wake of COVID19, and where we go from here - what are the things to look out for? 

Thankfully, Dan explains all. Tune in and subscribe to ensure you receive all future episodes automatically. 

You can find Dan at the following places:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-o-brien-dip-cii-a7a91358/

https://twitter.com/EmotionalRug

https://www.astonlark.com

Brought to you by Brummies Networking, the home of free, stripped-back business networking.

https://brummies-networking.co.uk

Brummies Networking on Twitter: @brummiesnet

BrumPod on Twitter - @brumpod

Produced by Happy Content Co. https://happycontentco.com

Twitter: @happycontentco

Music by Birocratic - birocratic.com

Twitter: @birocratic

BrumPod - The UK Small Business Podcast. BrumPod is designed for small businesses, because 2/3 of the hosts are small businesses! Our goal is to bring you topics that affect you as a fellow small business owner directly; everything from website tools and technology, changes in regulations, business networking tips, business growth; plus we talk to regular guests from all walks of life, discussing their journeys in working with small businesses to make other people’s lives easier.

BrumPod Hosts:

Richard Heathcote(VoiceOver Artist) - https://www.richardheathcote.co.uk

Iwan Thomas(BusinessCoach) - http://www.iwanthomasassociates.co.uk

Jason Jones(SelfStorage) - https://www.accessstorage.com

Today's Guest - Sarah Burns from Handled PA- https://handled-pa.com

In this episode we talk to Sarah Burns from Handled PA, a virtual PA service based in Birmingham.

As someone who runs an entire team completely virtually online, as well as of course their clients, she is well positioned to give some great advice as to how businesses might manage remote working and flexible working environments ongoing post-COVID19, in what has been referred to as 'the new normal'.

There is talk of some businesses re-evaluating their entire structure post-pandemic, and whether they will continue with large premises with everyone working on-site. Lots of businesses are already planning for lots of employees to be able to work from home permanently, the likes of Facebook, Twitter and BT already committing to enabling massive changes in the future.

Throughout this episode, Sarah will guide you through how she manages her team members, how the move to online can work best for you, with lots of tips and tricks, as well as telling us about useful online platforms that you might benefit from too in your business.

Brought to you by Brummies Networking, the home of free, stripped-back business networking.

https://brummies-networking.co.uk

Brummies Networking on Twitter: @brummiesnet

BrumPod on Twitter - @brumpod

Produced by Happy Content Co. https://happycontentco.com

Twitter: @happycontentco

Music by Birocratic - birocratic.com

Twitter: @birocratic

BrumPod - The UK Small Business Podcast. BrumPod is designed for small businesses, because 2/3 of the hosts are small businesses! Our goal is to bring you topics that affect you as a fellow small business owner directly; everything from website tools and technology, changes in regulations, business networking tips, business growth; plus we talk to regular guests from all walks of life, discussing their journeys in working with small businesses to make other people’s lives easier.

BrumPod Hosts:

Richard Heathcote(VoiceOver Artist) - https://www.richardheathcote.co.uk

Iwan Thomas(BusinessCoach) - http://www.iwanthomasassociates.co.uk

Jason Jones(SelfStorage) - https://www.accessstorage.com

We're now in Week 7 of Lockdown here in the UK. We chat about how things have changed, and where things might be going once Lockdown is lifted.

Will businesses still flock on their normal commute into city centres? Or will there continue to be more working from home? Big businesses to scale down their operations to maintain smaller centralised hubs? It would make sense maybe.

Our main topic is about the dangers of businesses not diversifying - with Primark being the prime example in recent days, them having ceased to make any money overnight since Lockdown went into effect. From £650 million in sales per month, to £0. Why? Because they have zero e-commerce or m-commerce systems in place, they are 'bricks and mortar' only.

So what would your business do if ever faced with this again? Have you come up with ways you can diversify? If you haven't, it's well worth taking a look at again. Always better to be prepared for any eventuality. We take a look at some great examples, in the form of some pizza and beer companies. What's not to like?

ALSO - the Government portal for registering and for checking your eligibility for the self-employed income support is now live. We chat briefly about that, about how nice and easy it is to do. If you're self employed, please do check it out and see if you're eligible. They will then contact you in due course when it's time to make your claim. Here's where to see for yourself:

https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/self-employment-support/enter-unique-taxpayer-reference

Resource referred to in the episode re. Primark:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52365191?at_custom4=D2E9F15C-83BC-11EA-A11C-41974744363C&at_custom2=twitter&at_custom1=%5Bpost+type%5D&at_campaign=64&at_custom3=%40BBCNews&at_medium=custom7

Brought to you by Brummies Networking, the home of free, stripped-back business networking.

https://brummies-networking.co.uk

Brummies Networking on Twitter: @brummiesnet

BrumPod on Twitter - @brumpod

Produced by Happy Content Co. https://happycontentco.com

Twitter: @happycontentco

Music by Birocratic - birocratic.com

Twitter: @birocratic

BrumPod - The UK Small Business Podcast. BrumPod is designed for small businesses, because 2/3 of the hosts are small businesses! Our goal is to bring you topics that affect you as a fellow small business owner directly; everything from website tools and technology, changes in regulations, business networking tips, business growth; plus we talk to regular guests from all walks of life, discussing their journeys in working with small businesses to make other people’s lives easier.

BrumPod Hosts:

Richard Heathcote(VoiceOver Artist) - https://www.richardheathcote.co.uk

Iwan Thomas(BusinessCoach) - http://www.iwanthomasassociates.co.uk

Jason Jones(SelfStorage) - https://www.accessstorage.com

In this episode, our special guest is Martin 'The Warrior' Warrillow, a stroke awareness campaigner, blogger and podcaster. 

Martin suffered a stroke in 2013 after dealing with a tremendous amount of job related stress. After collapsing whilst crossing a road & nearly being hit by an oncoming bus, he managed to drag himself to safety, with half his body paralysed, with only a foot between him and the passing bus. 

During this period of global lockdown, stress is going to be playing an ever-increasing role in many people's lives. Hopefully this episode will help in some way, giving you the tools to try and combat it.

Stress has played a significant role in Martin's life, turning it upside down. He talks about the dangers of stress, the warning signs, and how to cope with it. 

This is his story.

Find Martin online:

https://www.askthewarrior.com

https://twitter.com/warrior_martin

https://www.facebook.com/groups/askthewarrior/

http://thewarriorpodcast.libsyn.com

Brought to you by Brummies Networking, the home of free, stripped-back business networking.

https://brummies-networking.co.uk

Brummies Networking on Twitter: @brummiesnet

BrumPod on Twitter - @brumpod

Produced by Happy Content Co. https://happycontentco.com

Twitter: @happycontentco

Music by Birocratic - birocratic.com

Twitter: @birocratic

BrumPod - The UK Small Business Podcast. BrumPod is designed for small businesses, because 2/3 of the hosts are small businesses! Our goal is to bring you topics that affect you as a fellow small business owner directly; everything from website tools and technology, changes in regulations, business networking tips, business growth; plus we talk to regular guests from all walks of life, discussing their journeys in working with small businesses to make other people’s lives easier.

BrumPod Hosts:

Richard Heathcote(VoiceOver Artist) - https://www.richardheathcote.co.uk

Iwan Thomas(BusinessCoach) - http://www.iwanthomasassociates.co.uk

Jason Jones(SelfStorage) - https://www.accessstorage.com

This episode's guest - Greta Geoghegan from Digital Glue - https://digitalglue.agency

With the continuing coronavirus/COVID-19 crisis dominating every headline and website, we try to cut through things to offer some help and support for small businesses. 

In this episode, we're talking to Greta about how small businesses can utilise marketing and social media to their advantage to help get them through this period of uncertainty. What platforms might be useful for you. What tools she recommends for various tasks. And the importance of building community at this time of nationwide lockdown. How can businesses create and maintain a sense of community and togetherness when social distancing is the new normal?

Plus, we look at the 'new fangled' social media platforms like TikTok - should your business be on them? Some say so. Greta explains all.

Finally, we get Greta's take on marketing trends that will be likely throughout the remainder of what will be a very odd year all round.

Tune in and subscribe now....

Brought to you by Brummies Networking, the home of free, stripped-back business networking.

https://brummies-networking.co.uk

Brummies Networking on Twitter: @brummiesnet

BrumPod on Twitter - @brumpod

Produced by Happy Content Co. https://happycontentco.com

Twitter: @happycontentco

Music by Birocratic - birocratic.com

Twitter: @birocratic

BrumPod - The UK Small Business Podcast. BrumPod is designed for small businesses, because 2/3 of the hosts are small businesses! Our goal is to bring you topics that affect you as a fellow small business owner directly; everything from website tools and technology, changes in regulations, business networking tips, business growth; plus we talk to regular guests from all walks of life, discussing their journeys in working with small businesses to make other people’s lives easier.

BrumPod Hosts:

Richard Heathcote(VoiceOver Artist) - https://www.richardheathcote.co.uk

Iwan Thomas(BusinessCoach) - http://www.iwanthomasassociates.co.uk

Jason Jones(SelfStorage) - https://www.accessstorage.com

In this episode we're (unsurprisingly) looking at Coronavirus (COVID-19) and how it's currently affecting small businesses. With so much fear and worry in the world right now, small businesses are having to think on their feet, adapt quickly, and do what they can to survive through this period of uncertainty.

The hospitality industry is a particular worry, as the government tell the public we should be refraining from visiting bars, pubs, clubs and restaurants. So many are now turning to offer takeaways and collection/delivery services, in order to get through this period of otherwise having very few customers through their doors.

We also look at the government's advice and support plans to aid businesses through this, and look at how some businesses may not be insured for this crisis - check your policies now to see if you may be affected should you need to claim for business disruption etc. 

Plus we're looking at the concept of much of the UK working from home in self-isolation and for many what feels like quarantine. We mention a whole load of tools and platforms that might be of use in order to maintain business continuity and communication with your team members and customers, via methods like Zoom, UberConfererence, Slack, Skype, Microsoft Teams etc.

If you're affected by COVID-19, our thoughts are with you - hope you feel better soon, and that you can get back to a normal life and business routine. 

We're all in this together folks; so let's be kind and help each other.

Links to items we discuss during this episode:

https://www.creativebloq.com/advice/coronavirus-remote-working?utm_source=Selligent&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=15321&utm_content=170320_JM+&utm_term=698507&m_i=Imr0%2B%2BUEkj2hdPHZJiSgAytjmUyqsuZDWuXsVTfHfX9kT%2BYtxV9u_QTpXgZGaNtY4FHPjAgPsSrvHfxgwawys2TjZW%2BBnuIIIz&M_BT=244063946052

https://www.theregister.co.uk/2020/03/16/bt_broadband_network_wfh/

https://www.ft.com/content/ff00ec96-6481-11ea-b3f3-fe4680ea68b5

https://smallbusiness.co.uk/how-do-i-get-the-government-3000-coronavirus-grant-2549866/

https://www.abi.org.uk/news/news-articles/2020/03/abi-comment-on-coronavirus-and-commercial-insurance/

http://bit.ly/3dcubPc

Brought to you by Brummies Networking, the home of free, stripped-back business networking.

https://brummies-networking.co.uk

Brummies Networking on Twitter: @brummiesnet

BrumPod on Twitter - @brumpod

Produced by Happy Content Co. https://happycontentco.com

Twitter: @happycontentco

Music by Birocratic - birocratic.com

Twitter: @birocratic

BrumPod - The UK Small Business Podcast. BrumPod is designed for small businesses, because 2/3 of the hosts are small businesses! Our goal is to bring you topics that affect you as a fellow small business owner directly; everything from website tools and technology, changes in regulations, business networking tips, business growth; plus we talk to regular guests from all walks of life, discussing their journeys in working with small businesses to make other people’s lives easier.

BrumPod Hosts:

Richard Heathcote(VoiceOver Artist) - https://www.richardheathcote.co.uk

Iwan Thomas(BusinessCoach) - http://www.iwanthomasassociates.co.uk

Jason Jones(SelfStorage) - https://www.accessstorage.com

We're back from hiatus! In this episode we're going a bit self-reflective, talking about how Brummies Networking has recently turned 5yrs old! But as many will know, we've been going even longer than that, just under a different guise. 

We discuss how it all came about, the changes we've seen along the way, how networking attitudes have changed, how technologies have evolved for us to continue the networking far easier online, forging even closer relationships thanks to tools like LinkedIn; and how our group wouldn't be anything like it is now without our fantastic members.

We even give a shoutout to some of our members personally, using them as amazing examples of brilliant & effective networking in action! We've witnessed the birth of the Birmingham Sales Squad and how they've utilised business networking to ensure that customer service is at the forefront of everything. It really is a fantastic example of how effective networking and creating a positive supportive community can really benefit everyone, especially in the service industries. 

Are you mentioned? You'll have to listen to find out!

We also touch on some practicalities of networking and overall health. We're not trying to ring any alarm bells, but we do give a mention of Coronavirus and general illnesses that could affect how & when people should network, and if you're feeling ill (just generally), how it's better to NOT go networking. 

Brought to you by Brummies Networking, the home of free, stripped-back business networking.

https://brummies-networking.co.uk

Brummies Networking on Twitter: @brummiesnet

BrumPod on Twitter - @brumpod

Produced by Happy Content Co. https://happycontentco.com

Twitter: @happycontentco

Music by Birocratic - birocratic.com

Twitter: @birocratic

BrumPod - The UK Small Business Podcast. BrumPod is designed for small businesses, because 2/3 of the hosts are small businesses! Our goal is to bring you topics that affect you as a fellow small business owner directly; everything from website tools and technology, changes in regulations, business networking tips, business growth; plus we talk to regular guests from all walks of life, discussing their journeys in working with small businesses to make other people’s lives easier.

BrumPod Hosts:

Richard Heathcote(VoiceOver Artist) - https://www.richardheathcote.co.uk

Iwan Thomas(BusinessCoach) - http://www.iwanthomasassociates.co.uk

Jason Jones(SelfStorage) - https://www.accessstorage.com