Every Day's A Business School Day

In this episode, Nicky draws on her extensive networking experience to explore what makes you memorable in a room full of introductions. She explains why traditional, sales-heavy pitches often fall flat—and what to do instead. Focusing on clarity, authenticity, and storytelling, Nicky and James break down how to approach a 30–60 second introduction in a way that sparks curiosity and leads to more proactive conversations. They also cover common mistakes, simple frameworks, and practical ways to stand out by showing how you genuinely help people.

What We Talk about

• Why networking is not a sales activity (and what it actually is)
• The real purpose of a 30–60 second introduction
• Why traditional, service-heavy pitches get ignored
• How to stand out in a room full of similar introductions
• The power of storytelling—and why it works so well
• A simple structure you can use to shape your introduction
• Common mistakes (and how to avoid them)
• How to balance preparation without sounding scripted
• Why your goal is the next productive conversation—not a sale
• The role of personality, authenticity, and personal brand
• Whether you should repeat your pitch or change it each time
• Practical tips for making your introduction more engaging
• Alternative approaches if you don’t feel comfortable “pitching”
• Why staying within your time limit matters more than you think

Getting a mortgage feels complicated (and a bit scary). Getting one as a business owner? Even more so.

In this episode, James and Nicky sit down with Mortgage and Protection Advisor Vicky Probert from Honey Financial, to break down exactly how mortgages work when you’re self-employed or running a small business. From how lenders assess your income to why your accountant matters more than you think, the conversation focuses on the practical steps you need to take to actually get approved—and avoid costly mistakes.

What we talk about:

• How lenders assess income for sole traders vs limited companies
• That it’s ok if you don’t have payslips
• Why most business owners need 2+ years of accounts
• The biggest mistakes self-employed people make before applying
• How to prepare 1–2 years in advance for a mortgage
• Why your accountant is key to your mortgage success
• The truth about using a broker vs going direct
• Why you should get familiar with your credit file
• Fixed vs variable rates—and what matters for business owners
• Why income protection is critical if you’re self-employed
• That you can get a mortgage but it is wise to plan ahead

Most businesses attend events because they feel like they should — but very few stop to ask the most important question: What’s the point?

In this episode, James and Nicky chat to Marketing and Events expert, Zoe Wadsworth from Ask Zoe, about how to approach events strategically so they actually deliver results — whether you're networking, exhibiting, or hosting your own. The conversation covers practical tips you can apply immediately to improve results from your next event.

What we talk about:

• Why attending events without a clear goal wastes time, money, and energy
• The difference between tangible vs intangible return on investment
• How to plan your pre, during, and post-event strategy
• Why “busy” doesn’t mean “productive”
• How to choose the right events for your business
• Smart ways to follow up (that most people completely miss)
• What makes event merch memorable (and not a waste of money)
• When it’s worth hosting your own event — and when it isn’t

AI is everywhere right now—but should you be using it in your business?

In this episode, Nicky and James are joined by Diane Hall from Evolved3 CIC to take a grounded and practical look at how AI actually fits into small business life and how we can start the process of identifying ways it can facilitate competitive advantage. The episode explores how AI should support humans – not replace them – and why applying common sense is really important. If you’ve been unsure where to start—or worried about getting it wrong—this episode gives you a simple, realistic way forward.

What we talk about:

• Why AI isn’t going anywhere (and why that’s not a bad thing)
• The biggest mistake small businesses make when adopting AI
• How to use AI as a “critical friend” to improve your business
• The risks of over-relying on AI (including hallucinations and bad data)
• Practical ways to save time, generate ideas, and make better decisions
• Why the human element is still your biggest competitive advantage

In this episode Nicky and James are joined by branding expert, Clare Froggatt from We Brew Your Brand, to discuss one of the most misunderstood areas of marketing: branding.

They explore why branding goes far beyond logos and colours, and how it actually shapes every part of your business—from the way you communicate to the clients you attract. Clare shares practical insights on building a brand that feels authentic, evolves over time, and creates real trust with your audience.

The conversation delves into the importance of values, consistency, and clarity, as well as practical steps business owners can take to audit and strengthen their brand—whether they’re just starting out or ready for a refresh.

What we talk about:

• What branding actually is (and why it’s not just a logo)
• Why so many small businesses misunderstand branding
• The role of trust and consistency in building a strong brand
• How your personal identity influences your business brand
• Why values are the foundation of everything in your business
• How branding evolves as your business grows
• The difference between a brand refresh and a full rebrand
• Why most startups don’t need a rebrand (yet)
• How to audit your current brand and spot inconsistencies
• The importance of tone of voice and language in branding
• How to choose the right branding partner or agency

Pricing is one of the biggest anxieties for business owners — but it doesn’t have to be!

In this episode, Nicky and James are joined by business and leadership strategist, Heath Gunn from Move That Mountain, to delve into the psychology, strategy, and practical steps behind pricing your services with confidence.

We explore why so many business owners undercharge, how pricing impacts your freedom and profitability, and why raising your prices might actually improve your business.

What we talk about:

• Why pricing feels so uncomfortable (and how to fix that)
• The real reason clients don’t leave when you raise prices
• Why being the cheapest is probably hurting your business
• The difference between vanity metrics and real profitability
• How pricing affects your time, freedom, and growth
• What to do when clients push back on price increases
• Why customer value matters more than customer volume
• The importance of positioning in your market
• How to approach pricing when you're just starting out
• The danger of racing to the bottom on price
• Why confidence is the most important pricing skill

In this episode, Nicky and James talk about the process of strategizing and delivering a successful podcast.

We talk about how important it is to stand out with a good quality format and to research and pilot the podcast to ensure that it is hitting the mark.

We chatted about the journey we went on together to develop the strategy for this podcast.

And we also spoke about how podcasting is such an effective marketing tool that can answer the questions your customers are asking in a relaxed and entertaining way.

What we discussed

• That podcasting is a brilliant way to support storytelling in your marketing activity and can help scale your business.
• It brings to life and humanises the way you do business and builds trust
• What free and low cost kit to use to elevate the quality of your podcast
• How being clear on your target audience will ensure the content is consumed
• That pilot episodes really help you to hone your plan and future content
• A simple plan for starting a podcast

Follow and Review

Keep up to date with all our episodes by tapping the 'Follow' button so you get new ones as soon as they're released. We have some great lessons planned!

Help us to help more small businesses! We’d love your reviews to help us be found more easily by businesses who need some help and support.

Want to network with us?

Why not visit The Growth Community at one of our online or in personal networking meetings. You’ll be guaranteed a very warm welcome and some great onward conversations.

https://www.thegrowthcommunity.co.uk/locations/

More about the hosts

Nicky Thomas is Founder of The Growth Community. A place where growth minded business people hang out to connect and help each other be more successful in business. Through enjoyable, productive fortnightly networking meetings and great onward conversations, our members and guests share knowledge and introductions and make valuable business friendships.

Find out more on our website or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Linkedin.

https://www.thegrowthcommunity.co.uk/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickythomas-growthcommunity/

https://www.facebook.com/GrowthCommunityNetworking/

https://www.instagram.com/growthcommunitynetworking

James Marriott is the owner of podcast consultancy, Sound Media. With an extensive background in broadcast media, he helps people to unlock the power of podcasting to give businesses and brands an unique and strategic opportunity to connect with their audience.

Find out more on our website or connect on Linkedin.

https://wearesoundmedia.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-marriott-podcast/

In this episode we spoke to IT Specialist, Phil Farey, about the slight scary topic of cyber attacks.

He talked us through some of the simple ways we can make ourselves less vulnerable to being targeted without it costing the earth. He also talked to us about the potential damage that being hacked can cause – not just physically but reputationally too.

Phil also made the point that just because we are small businesses does not mean we are flying under the cyber attack radar.

Who is Phil Farey?

Phil is the owner and Director of Flyford Connect who offer the full suite of IT services for business of all sizes. Whether that’s providing support, software or full consultancy for business growth activities.

What we discussed with Phil

• That most small businesses are not adequately prepared for a cyber attack
• What two (or multi) factor authentication is and how to quickly and easily apply it.
• What is involved with Hacking and Phishing, and how to protect against it
• Low cost and free options that can help small businesses get tighter security
• Strong password formats and password managers
• Being safe when working remotely
• Cyber security and growth and how staff can become a vulnerability.
• That your business trades on trust. So, a data breach could have a big impact.

Resources

Connect with Phil on LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philfarey/

Website: flyfordconnect.co.uk

Follow and Review

Keep up to date with all our episodes by tapping the 'Follow' button so you get new ones as soon as they're released. We have some great lessons planned!

Help us to help more small businesses! We’d love your reviews to help us be found more easily by businesses who need some help and support.

Want to network with us?

Why not visit The Growth Community at one of our online or in personal networking meetings. You’ll be guaranteed a very warm welcome and some great onward conversations.

https://www.thegrowthcommunity.co.uk/locations/

More about the hosts

Nicky Thomas is Founder of The Growth Community. A place where growth minded business people hang out to connect and help each other be more successful in business. Through enjoyable, productive fortnightly networking meetings and great onward conversations, our members and guests share knowledge and introductions and make valuable business friendships.

Find out more on our website or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Linkedin.

https://www.thegrowthcommunity.co.uk/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickythomas-growthcommunity/

https://www.facebook.com/GrowthCommunityNetworking/

https://www.instagram.com/growthcommunitynetworking

James Marriott is the owner of podcast consultancy, Sound Media. With an extensive background in broadcast media, he helps people to unlock the power of podcasting to give businesses and brands an unique and strategic opportunity to connect with their audience.

Find out more on our website or connect on Linkedin.

https://wearesoundmedia.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-marriott-podcast/

** This episode was recorded in spring 2024 and therefore some of the regulations and information mentioned may have since changed **

In this episode James and Nicky chat to Accountant, Michael Harle, about navigating the tricky world of tax and keeping on top of our business finances.

We covered why tax should be taken seriously, but that with the right systems it doesn’t have to be ‘taxing’ or scary.

And we talked about the differences between how businesses are set up (self employed versus limited companies) and how that affects the way you manage your money and your dealings with HMRC.

Who is Michael Harle?

With over 20 years as an accountant working with small and national accountancy practices, Michael knows a thing or two about staying on the right side of HMRC.

His focus as Owner and Founder of Prosper Accountancy is to put all of his clients’ needs first and give them a tailored and personal approach to their business finances.

What we discussed with Michael

• That we need to get into the mindset that everything you earn is not actually ‘yours’
• Who needs to collect VAT, when you need to worry about it and how it works
• How an accountant can in fact save you money (and give you back time) in the long run
• How cloud based accountancy works and how it can save you loads of time and stress
• HMRC are not as scary as you think
• You can’t take your family to Disney World on expenses

PLEASE NOTE: This podcast is for guidance on general tax and business knowledge. We absolutely recommend that you take advice from your own accountant or advisor as the law on taxation changes regularly with government budgetary policy.

Resources

Connect with Michael on LinkedIN https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelharle/

Website: https://www.prosperaccountancy.co.uk/

Follow and Review

Keep up to date with all our episodes by tapping the 'Follow' button so you get new ones as soon as they're released. We have some great lessons planned!

Help us to help more small businesses! We’d love your reviews to help us be found more easily by businesses who need some help and support.

Want to network with us?

Why not visit The Growth Community at one of our online or in personal networking meetings. You’ll be guaranteed a very warm welcome and some great onward conversations.

https://www.thegrowthcommunity.co.uk/locations/

More about the hosts

Nicky Thomas is Founder of The Growth Community. A place where growth minded business people hang out to connect and help each other be more successful in business. Through enjoyable, productive fortnightly networking meetings and great onward conversations, our members and guests share knowledge and introductions and make valuable business friendships.

Find out more on our website or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Linkedin.

https://www.thegrowthcommunity.co.uk/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickythomas-growthcommunity/

https://www.facebook.com/GrowthCommunityNetworking/

https://www.instagram.com/growthcommunitynetworking

James Marriott is the owner of podcast consultancy, Sound Media. With an extensive background in broadcast media, he helps people to unlock the power of podcasting to give businesses and brands an unique and strategic opportunity to connect with their audience.

Find out more on our website or connect on Linkedin.

https://wearesoundmedia.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-marriott-podcast/

In this episode we had a chat with Mandy Allen about all things CRM – what it is, all the forms it comes in and why we need it.

We discussed the basics of getting started and how it supports you in delivering the best experience you can to your greatest asset – your customers.

Mandy also shared some useful tips on preparing the way for CRM implementationincluding mapping out a clear view of the customer journey.

Who is Mandy Allen?

Mandy works for CRM Insights who offer guidance and implementation of CRM solutions – not just in choosing the right software but getting the business systems in the right place before implementation. She is always incredibly generous in sharing her wealth of knowledge on the subject with anyone who needs advice.

What we discussed with Mandy

• What we mean by CRM – i.e. Customer Relationship Management
• Why it’s important to take care of your data and customers and how a CRM system can support your success
• About how we can go about finding the right solution for our business as everybody’s needs are different.
• CRM at the different stages of your business & moving systems
• The importance of mapping your customer journey to get the most out of CRM.

Resources

Connect with Mandy on LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mandyallen1/

Check out CRM Insights website (including their useful blog): crminsights.co.uk

Follow and Review

Keep up to date with all our episodes by tapping the 'Follow' button so you get new ones as soon as they're released. We have some great lessons planned!

Help us to help more small businesses! We’d love your reviews to help us be found more easily by businesses who need some help and support.

Want to network with us?

Why not visit The Growth Community at one of our online or in personal networking meetings. You’ll be guaranteed a very warm welcome and some great onward conversations.

https://www.thegrowthcommunity.co.uk/locations/

More about the hosts

Nicky Thomas is Founder of The Growth Community. A place where growth minded business people hang out to connect and help each other be more successful in business. Through enjoyable, productive fortnightly networking meetings and great onward conversations, our members and guests share knowledge and introductions and make valuable business friendships.

Find out more on our website or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Linkedin.

https://www.thegrowthcommunity.co.uk/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickythomas-growthcommunity/

https://www.facebook.com/GrowthCommunityNetworking/

https://www.instagram.com/growthcommunitynetworking

James Marriott is the owner of podcast consultancy, Sound Media. With an extensive background in broadcast media, he helps people to unlock the power of podcasting to give businesses and brands an unique and strategic opportunity to connect with their audience.

Find out more on our website or connect on Linkedin.

https://wearesoundmedia.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-marriott-podcast/