FastForward

Have you ever left a meeting, call or client visit and wondered what on earth that person was even talking about? I’m sure you can think of at least one occasion!

Clear and effective communication is one of the easiest ways to reduce workplace stress, boost productivity and build better relationships with co-workers and customers.

Whilst we all benefit from working with diverse people, to work in harmony we need to speak the same language.

In this episode Ashley Boroda, a qualified iMA coach and specialist communication trainer, decodes communication styles and shares the secrets of effective communication to help you employ the right people for the right jobs and skyrocket your business.

Key takeaways:

- Why it's important to understand different communication styles - in life and business
- What iMA is
- How to understand your colour, categorise those around you and tailor your communication style accordingly
- How iMA and colours relate to job roles
- How to colour code your board
- 3 important rules for presentations

Host: Patricia Keating
Guest: Ashley Boroda, founder Ashley Boroda Training and Development www.ashleyboroda.com/
Listening Time: 40 mins
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Lydia Jones started her first business at just 15 years old. Her experience of school was lonely and isolating. So, she made the decision to leave and follow her passion. After launching and growing one business she then encountered a problem which she knew she had to solve.

The teenager from Liverpool saw international students being exploited by greedy agents and unscrupulous landlords and decided to do something about it.

Housemates was founded in 2018 to make the lives of landlords and students easier, providing an end-to-end accommodation solution.

Lydia shares her entrepreneurial journey; her inspiration and motivation, the lessons she’s learned along the way, the challenges she’s overcome and her vision for the future.

Key takeaways:

- The importance of iteration
- Age is just a number
- Why mentors matter
- Why resilience in business is key

Host: Patricia Keating
Guest: Lydia Jones, founder Housemates
 Listening Time: 60 mins
Follow Tech Manchester:
Twitter: @tecmcr
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/techmanchester/
Or visit us at www.techmanchester.co.uk

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Starting a business is tough. But starting a business on the brink of a recession can bring a whole new set of challenges.

Recruitment firm Adam had been trading just four years when it was hit hard by the recession in 2009. The company went through a rocky time and weathering the storm also had a deep personal impact on its founder, Leon Milns. His mental health suffered and the stress led to the breakdown of his marriage.

Adam not only survived but grew stronger. Today, the firm has offices in Manchester and London and has grown to team of 20 recruitment specialists.

In this episode Leon talks openly about both the business and personal challenges he faced during the economic downturn and the lessons he’s learned from that period.

He also shares his thoughts on workplace culture, how its evolving and how the best companies are attracting and retaining top talent.

Key takeaways:

- The impact of a recession on a startup and founder
- Overcoming challenges and learning from them
- Expanding a business into difference cities
- How workplace culture is evolving
- How the best companies attract and retain top talent

Host: Patricia Keating
Guest: Leon Milns, founder Adam www.weareadam.com/
Listening Time: 35 mins
Follow Tech Manchester:
Twitter: @tecmcr
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/techmanchester/
Or visit us at www.techmanchester.co.uk

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Exhibitions can be a great way of generating new leads and gaining exposure for your business. After you have spent time, effort and money into planning your exhibition – you want to make sure that you get people to your stand to engage with your brand or product.

It’s a fantastic way to increase your sales pipeline, bring in new and repeat customers, and generate sales revenue. But are you maximising every opportunity before, during and after the event?

Lee Ali is the founder of Expo Stars, a company that helps businesses generate more quality leads by taking a different approach to exhibiting. His team have now managed over 3000 projects in 53 countries worldwide.

He shares his knowledge of how to best approach trade shows and how to persuade those potential customers to sign on the dotted line.

Key takeaways:

- Planning a strategy for getting the most out of exhibitions
- Why your sales team may not be the best people to work the floor
- The 5 motivators that encourage people to buy your product or service
- The common mistakes that companies make at exhibitions and how to avoid making them
- Learn how to politely end a conversation and move on!

Host: Patricia Keating
Guest: Lee Ali, founder Expo Stars www.expostars.com/
Listening Time: 72 mins
Follow Tech Manchester:
Twitter: @tecmcr
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/techmanchester/
Or visit us at www.techmanchester.co.uk

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Do you need a killer marketing strategy? If you're struggling to create an effective strategy from scratch, this episode is for you.

To skyrocket your business to the next level, you'll need a solid marketing plan. In this episode we share the steps you need to get your business noticed and take it to the next level. Learn why marketing plans fail and how to ensure yours doesn't.

Mike Pye is founder of Mike Pye + Co that, according to the website, helps to make marketing brilliantly accessible.

Top Takeaways:
- Where to start with your marketing plan
- Where businesses fail when it comes to marketing
- The three pillars for effective marketing: Plan, Produce, Polish
- Why you should think about incorporating recruitment into your marketing plan

Host: Patricia Keating
Guest: Mike Pye, founder Mike Pye + Co www.mikepyemarketing.com/
Listening Time: 34 mins
Follow Tech Manchester:
Twitter: @tecmcr
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/techmanchester/
Or visit us at www.techmanchester.co.uk

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entrepreneur

Renée Watson is a founder with a purpose, she’s on a mission to give one million children a wonder-filled experience of science. Her passion for science began when she was just 6 years old in rural Australia. Following a career in scientific research she launched The Curiosity Box in 2015 – the UK’s first STEM subscription box aimed at making science more accessible for children.

What a journey it’s been for Renée. After coming to the UK with just £16 in her pocket, last year she was named one of Melinda Gates’ six women in STEM to watch in 2018 and she also managed to close a £250,000 funding deal – in a day!

In this podcast she shares her journey of how she turned her passion into purpose.

Key takeaways:
- If you have a passion, don’t give up on it, no matter how difficult the circumstances
- The difficulties of running a business and juggling family life
- How belief can make it happen
- Approaching funding rounds with creativity
- Why founders need to be more honest about the challenges as well as their successes

Watch Renee's TEDx Talk: www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzdPqC3YQB8

Host: Patricia Keating
Guest: Renée Watson www.curiosity-box.com/
Listening Time: 51 mins
Follow Tech Manchester:
Twitter: @tecmcr
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/techmanchester/
Or visit us at www.techmanchester.co.uk

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Behind every successful businesses are good relationships. To grow a business its vital to build relationships with a wide range of people including investors, peers, employees and of course, customers.

Building long-lasting relationships takes time, effort and focus but the key skills for developing and maintaining relationships can be learned.

Kirsty James is a business consultant who works one-to-one with small businesses on networking strategy and skills training. She also run Colony Networking events in Warrington, Liverpool and Chester.

Kirsty James shares her top tips for building key relationships which center around the 'C' word...

Top Takeaways:

- Why good business networks are vital for startups and small businesses
- Knowing your 'why' to start networking
- How to maintain relationships after that first meetup
- The 'C' words you need to remember

Host: Patricia Keating
Guest: Kirsty James
 Listening Time: 42 mins
Follow Tech Manchester:
Twitter: @tecmcr
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/techmanchester/
Or visit us at www.techmanchester.co.uk

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Research has shown that companies which recognise the importance of profit, planet and people can maintain a profitable, growing business while also making a social impact.

In June, representatives from Greater Manchester’s business community took a very Mancunian message to London as part of the Geatahead festival. Hosted at the Omeara live music venue near London Bridge, Getahead is a fast-growing not-for-profit mental health event with a 25-year plan to positively impact a billion people.

Getahead 2019 featured a wide range of expert speakers, practical productivity workshops and interactive activities which linked together mindfulness, workplace wellbeing and better financial health.

A special discussion panel, entitled Profit, Planet, People – how Greater Manchester is embracing inclusive growth to transform its communities and empower its people, was also part of this year’s programme.

Patricia Keating joined Richard Jeffrey, Director of Business Growth at the Growth Company, Elizabeth Vega, Group CEO of Altrincham-based Informed Solutions, and Neil Robinson, Group CSR & Future Airspace Director for Manchester Airport Group (MAG).

The aim of the session was to showcase the rapid progress Greater Manchester is making on the adoption of inclusive growth as a guiding, strategic principle.

Key Takeaways

- Greater Manchester’s commitment to inclusive growth
- Projects designed to encourage positive employees and productive citizens
- Why it matters to a national audience

Host: Patricia Keating
 Listening Time: 36 mins
Follow Tech Manchester:
Twitter: @tecmcr
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/techmanchester/
Or visit us at www.techmanchester.co.uk

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Mindset is vital to achieve success, whether you're a CEO, founder or you're just thinking about launching your own business. Deciding how your day will unfold before you even leave for the office has a powerful impact on the type of day you will experience. After all, if your mind isn't right your decisions won't be right.

Kathryn Eade is the founder of Up+thrive. An expert in mindset and resilience she empowers entrepreneurs to develop the right mindset to embrace change and thrive.

Kathryn shares her experience of building a business and why she's passionate about helping others to get comfortable with being outside of their comfort zone.

Key takeaways:
- How to manage change
- Understanding you why; your reason for being in business
- Why you need to determine your personal definition of success
- Invest your time positively but quit managing time - manage energy instead
- Begin to understand what you're afraid of and unlock the secret of what is holding you back from achieving your dreams.

Host: Patricia Keating
Guests: Kathryn Eade Founder Up+thrive www.upandthrive.com/
Listening Time: 44 mins
Follow Tech Manchester:
Twitter: @tecmcr
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/techmanchester/
Or visit us at www.techmanchester.co.uk

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Consumers are spending more money online than ever before but the online world could be about to go through an evolution, just like we’ve seen on the high street.

Manchester-based eCommerce platform Mercarto is shaking up how we buy and sell products on the internet. Founded by Sean Brown the public platform is designed to allow budding entrepreneurs to set up an end-to-end eCommerce store in minutes for free.

Sean shares his entrepreneurial journey from working as a diving instructor on super yachts to building Mercarto, which has turned over seven figures in its first year of trading.

Key Takeaways:
- The importance of support and collaboration
- Have an business idea? Just start.
- The problem with retail
- How the online marketplace is disrupting eCommerce
- How you can start selling online

Host: Patricia Keating
Guests: Sean Brown, Mercarto
 Listening Time: 52 mins
Follow Tech Manchester:
Twitter: @tecmcr
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/techmanchester/
Or visit us at www.techmanchester.co.uk

Let us know what you'd like to hear to take your business forward. Don't forget to subscribe and leave us a review.