Lisa McCloskey is a Chartered Accountant with over ten years experience working in the Uk, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.

With the wealth of knowledge she gained across many industries she decided to launch The Lady Accountant in 2021. Lisa wanted to offer a more personalised modern approach to Accountancy and empower the Business Owner to take control. 

In this episode Lisa covers each of the following topics in detail, giving actionable advice for business owners. 

1. Bank Accounts

2. Profit Margin

3. How to calculate an hourly cost rate.

4. Importance of hiring an Accountant.

5. Goal Setting

Lisa also discusses the three biggest hurdles a Business Owner has to overcome financially:

1. Paying yourself a salary

2. Hiring employees

3. Becoming VAT registered

If you are starting out in business or have a business and the financial part of it all feels overwhelming, this is an episode for you.

To find out more and follow all the advice from Lisa and her team, follow on social media

@theladyaccountant

Website https://www.theladyaccountant.com/

The Digg Podcast is brought to you in Partnership with https://wildandfreeoutdoors.com/ 

Check out all our other guests on:

https://www.diggforsuccess.com/

Amy Smith is a virtual assistant and is usually called upon when a Small Business realises they aren’t quite so small anymore! And the realisation has hit them that their time could be better spent elsewhere, there must be a better way, right?!

In the Digg Podcast Amy gives five ways to help become more efficient in business.

1.Map out Processes

Can anything be removed or combined? 

Can anything be automated? - easiest places to automate are CONTRACTS,  INVOICES, BOOKINGS, PROJECT/TASK MANAGEMENT 

Can anything be delegated? Task aligns with another team member's skillset etc. Weigh up a system cost with your hourly rate and decide whether it’s cheaper to spend the money or spend the time. 

Use programs like Hello Sign, Docu Sign and Ever Sign to make your contracts easier for clients to sign and get back to you in a timely fashion. 

2. Diary Management

Diary is there to be managed not filled. White space is not evil. Flexibility is key. Batch where possible, are you multitasking or just jumping from one task to another and thinking it’s productive.

Colour code - look ahead and see how your week/month is shaping up.

3. Inbox Management 

Your inbox should work for you, not cause you work. 

Archive older than 12 months - tip search unsubscribe to bring up newsletters Create subfolders. Not too many! 

Follow the 4D rule - DO, DEFER, DELEGATE, DELETE. 

Reduce your check-ins 

Use your email providers features, for Gmail for example use Templates for  emails you send on repeat or Rules to send certain emails into designated  folders.

4. To-Do Lists

Out of your head and onto paper/digital.

Prioritise - colour code. Bad day? Look and see what has to be done and ditch the rest. 

Give timings. Be realistic!

5. Outsource 

Take away and trim back, get as much out of what you have as possible before adding anyone in. Few mins here and there might be the difference between having the budget to hire/contract someone or not. 

Outsource before you need it. Easier to get organised whilst it’s not crazy busy  and they’re dropped in at the deep end. 

Get recommendations from others in your line of work, check the Society of  Virtual Assistants for ‘Approved’ UK VAs.

Communicate honestly, set boundaries around response times, methods of updating etc. 

Review how things are going!

If you would like to connect with Amy then send an email to 

[email protected]

Or follow on Instagram @vamosadmin

The Digg Podcast is brought to you in Partnership with https://wildandfreeoutdoors.com/

Colin McClean is founder of Bob and Berts, which started off as a small coffee shop in 2013 in Portstewart, Co. Antrim turning over two hundred and sixty pounds on its first day. Ten years on, Bob and Berts, the high street coffee and food chain, has twenty seven sites and has reached a turnover of twenty three million pounds.

This has been one hell of a journey and one, which was at times, wasn’t strategically planned. However as expansion crept in Colin began to put systems and measures in place to protect the brand and expand beyond his wildest dreams. 

In this episode Colin shares the journey of his early career and work, talking about the difficulty of trying to work as an employee whilst growing a business at the same time. He shares how growth happened, franchising and how he managed it? 

Retail, customer experience, growing a brand, growing a team and ultimately allowing yourself to dream big were all discussed.

Colin also talked about challenging issues including the struggle with work/home balance.

He shares some examples of small measures he has put in place to help reduce costs which have had a huge financial impact on the business. 

Colin ends the episode with great advice for business owners who are trying to make it happen and ultimately be successful. One not to miss!

Links from episode:

Website -

https://bobandberts.co.uk/ 

LinkedIn -

https://www.linkedin.com/company/bob-&-berts-artisan-coffee/?trk=public_profile_experience-item_profile-section-card_image-click&originalSubdomain=ie 

The Digg Podcast Series 6 is brought to you 

In partnership with Invest Northern Ireland  

https://www.investni.com/ 

Delivering nibusinessinfo.co.uk 

https://www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/my-new-business 

Check out all our other guests on:

https://www.diggforsuccess.com/ 

Tina McKenzie is one of the best-known business figures in Northern Ireland.

She has been appointed as UK Chair of Policy and Advocacy for the Federation of Small Businesses, the UK’s biggest business organisation representing the interests of self-employed people and smaller businesses. As a result, she will serve in one of the most senior positions on the organisation’s Board of Directors. This new appointment means NI will have a strong business advocate right at the heart of FSB, who in turn can take messages directly into Parliament in Westminster.

Tina is CEO of Staffline, the largest recruitment agency in Northern Ireland and the second largest across the island of Ireland. It employs over two hundred people and has up to eight thousand contractors. 

Throughout her life, Tina has had so many achievements in the world of work. She is also a wife and mum of three. Navigating the challenges of balancing work life and home life is something she is very open and honest about.

In this episode Tina talks about how she was treated as a woman trying to grow a career and how she navigated it. She shares examples of going with her gut when it comes to making big decisions.

As public speaking is one of her many strengths she offers advice to business owners who struggle with this but know they need to be more vocal about their business and connect with their audience. 

Does Tina have any regrets when she looks back over her career? Listen to the episode and find out.

A refreshing and honest conversation about business and home life. An episode not to miss.

Links from episode:

LinkedIn -

https://uk.linkedin.com/in/tina-mckenzie-6883877 

Staffline -

https://www.staffline.ie/?source=google.com  

The Digg Podcast Series 6 is brought to you 

In partnership with Invest Northern Ireland  

https://www.investni.com/ 

Delivering nibusinessinfo.co.uk 

https://www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/my-new-business 

Check out all our other guests on:

https://www.diggforsuccess.com/ 

In this episode you will hear all the questions which were put to the guest speakers at the live event. It is most probable that these will be questions you too have wanted to ask over the past few weeks as you have listened to all the inspirational guests. 

Guest Speakers:

Laura Kearney - The Walk In Wardrobe (Episode 70)

https://walkinwardrobeonline.com/ 

Benny O’Hanlon - Todds Leap (Episode 68)

https://toddsleap.com/ 

Catherine Casey - The Marketing Club (Episode 66)

https://www.instagram.com/_themarketingclub/?hl=en 

Pete Boyle - Argento/Let’s Go Hydro (Episode 64)

https://www.argento.com/ 

https://letsgohydro.com/ 

Alix Mulholland - Field Day Ireland (Episode 65)

https://fielddayireland.co.uk/ 

Anthony Kieran - Used Cars NI (Episode 73)

https://www.usedcarsni.com/ 

The Digg Podcast Series 6 is brought to you 

In partnership with Invest Northern Ireland  

https://www.investni.com/ 

Delivering nibusinessinfo.co.uk 

https://www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/my-new-business 

Check out all our other guests on:

https://www.diggforsuccess.com/ 

Anthony Kieran is Co-Founder of Used Cars NI, which trades one billion pounds worth of cars annually. He is also the MD at Aurient LTD and Proprietor of The Regency, five star luxury residence in Belfast.

Hailing from Crossmaglen, County Armagh, experiencing the effects of the Troubles first hand as well as a traumatic school life at St Colman’s Secondary School, gave him the drive to want to make something of his life.

There aren’t too many people who can say they have worked at NASA but Anthony made the best of his time in America earning great money and playing Gaelic Football. He travelled the world and then returned home to a situation where he had no job. 

In this episode Anthony talks of his traumatic start in life and how these experiences set him up as a determined young man wanting to make something of himself. He explains why he moved to America and what he learned from this experience.

As Co-Founder of Used Cars NI, he shares how he met his business partner and how they overcame all the negativity when they first started the business.

He talks about failed business adventures, how he felt and how he dealt with it at the time. He also talks about the importance of risk taking, evolving, trends and the importance of treating your staff well.

His father told him to ‘Live a good life’. Anthony explains what this means to him.

He ends with lots of tips and advice for people who are trying to ‘Make it Happen’.

Anthony is a force to be reckoned with. One not to miss.

Links from episode:

LinkedIn -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonykieran/?originalSubdomain=uk 

Used Cars NI Website -

https://www.usedcarsni.com/ 

The Regency -

https://theregencybelfast.com/ 

Aurient Ltd -

https://www.aurientinvestments.com/ 

The Digg Podcast Series 6 is brought to you 

In partnership with Invest Northern Ireland  

https://www.investni.com/ 

Delivering nibusinessinfo.co.uk 

https://www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/my-new-business 

Check out all our other guests on:

https://www.diggforsuccess.com/ 

The ethos of all of Series 6 is about businesses who are making it happen. In this episode you hear from a panel of businesses who have made huge strides in the last few years.

Making it happen can mean different things for different people.

Angeline Murphy, of Angeline Murphy Design, turned her side hustle into something that could potentially be her main job some day. So far she has collaborated with Joe Malone - how did she make that happen?

Instagram -

https://www.instagram.com/angelinemurphydesign/?hl=en

Mark O’Neill of Roof Window Specialist wanted to turn his long years of slogging and worrying about money into a positive working life for him and his family. He wanted work that didn’t negatively impact his mental health. In the last four years his business has gone from zero to seven figures. He describes himself as one man. How did he make that happen?

Website -

https://www.roofwindowspecialists.com/

Karen Daly who is the Growth Accelerator manager at Unislim and CEO OF 11:11 Bang on trend wanted to free herself up with more time to spend with her family and working on her businesses and not in them. That’s not an easy thing to do but she made it happen. How?

Instagram -

https://www.instagram.com/masterofweightloss/?hl=en

11:11 Bang on Trend -

https://1111bot.com/

You will also hear from our event partners:

Sian Keane from BTL Aesthetics

https://btlaesthetics.com/en

Brigid Duggan from BD Consultancy

https://www.bdconsultancy.co/

Julian Simpson from Hyperfast NI

https://hyperfastni.com/

Jill Annett from McKees Law Firm

https://www.mckees-law.com/

The Digg Podcast Series 6 is brought to you

In partnership with Invest Northern Ireland

https://www.investni.com/

Delivering nibusinessinfo.co.uk

https://www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/my-new-business

Check out all our other guests on:

https://www.diggforsuccess.com/

International Women's Day is a celebration of all the great things women are achieving and a way to come together and unite to make a difference. This year I was asked to speak at a lot of events and this episode of The Digg Podcast was recorded at an event organised by Armagh Banbridge and Craigavon Council. It was an event for young women still at school to encourage and inspire them for the future.  

 To follow all the behind the scenes of The Digg Podcast make sure to follow us on social  @diggforsuccess across all the platforms.

Laura Kearney is CEO of The Walk in Wardrobe, one of the leading female fashion retailers in Ireland and the UK. In 2022 they dispatched over one hundred thousand orders online alone, thus not including the sales in their luxurious bricks and mortar store in Banbridge, County Down. Over the past few years Laura has successfully grown her team and now employs twenty four people in total.

Her business is at the forefront of her customers' minds due to her online marketing strategy which has her showing up daily on social media, sometimes three times a day, across multiple platforms.

In this episode Laura shares her background, where her love of retail began and how she went from working in retail to owning her own boutique.

The business grew so much so that she outgrew her bricks and mortar space, her team grew and with that came fear. She talks about how fear never leaves her but how she uses it to drive her on.

Laura shares tips on how to create magic online which in turn generates sales. As they launch new collections daily across various social media platforms, Laura shares how they schedule the making of this content. She talks about the importance of analysing figures and how they actually do this.

The Walk in Wardrobe has sixty thousand email subscribers. Laura shares tips on how to grow your list and why it is so important to do so.

She ends with actionable advice to the people who are trying to ‘Make it Happen’.

An episode talking about all things fashion, e-commerce, marketing, social media content, strategising and much much more. One not to miss.

Links from Episode:

The Walk In Wardrobe

Website -

https://walkinwardrobeonline.com/

Instagram -

https://www.instagram.com/walkinwardrobe/

Facebook -

https://www.facebook.com/TheWalkInWardrobeOnline/

Laura Kearney

https://www.instagram.com/laura.walkinwardrobe/?hl=en

The Digg Podcast Series 6 is brought to you

In partnership with Invest Northern Ireland

https://www.investni.com/

Delivering nibusinessinfo.co.uk

https://www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/my-new-business

Check out all our other guests on:

https://www.diggforsuccess.com/

Many people want to launch a podcast but don't know where to start. Ryan Loney from BNL Productions speaks openly on The Digg Podcast about the initial stages of starting a podcast. 

He outlines simple steps you can take to getting started and how to maximise the impact of the podcast by ensuring you have a distribution strategy in place. 

He speaks about the benefits of having a podcast for your business and how it can have huge impact when done right. 

To find out more about BNL Productions 

https://www.bnlproductions.co.uk/

To follow all the productions tips and tricks from Ryan 

https://www.instagram.com/loneydude/?hl=en

The Digg Podcast is in partnership with Invest Northern Ireland 

https://www.investni.com/