Feel like you are banging your head against a brick wall trying to source factories to get your products manufactured? Todays Episode I chat with Kate Hills founder of Make it British whose mission is to keep British Manufacturing alive and helps connect entrepreneurs who want to make products in the uk with the factories that can produce
We discuss the impact of Brexit on manufacturing, the rise in prices of raw materials, and the difficulties in importing from overseas. With her expertise, Kate provides valuable insights on finding and working with UK manufacturers, from researching and defining a clear brief to understanding the costs and expectations of the sampling process.
Join us as we discuss the  world of UK manufacturing and it's future. 

Key Take Aways
The Importance of Clear Briefing for Manufacturers: "If you don't have those clear instructions, that example I've just given you could get back that's going to be the manufacturer' interpretation that you're going to get back. Chances are it's not going to be what your interpretation was and therefore you're going to have to get another sample made and another and sampling, because it's a labor, there's quite a lot of labor that goes into it costs more than production."
The Cost of Sampling in Manufacturing: "Manufacturers usually lose money on the sampling side. Even if they're charging you two, three times the production cost, because they've got that initial discussions with you, they're running through the tech pack, they're going through it with their staff."
The Importance of Labels and Packaging in Manufacturing: "You need to decide that early on because particularly things like labels sewn into garments, they can't start the work until they've got the labels there because they're going to have to be sewn in at some point or attached to the garment on the production line. They don't want to stop and start things."
Brexit and Rising Manufacturing Costs: the problem is raw materials. Raw materials, fibers, yarns, a lot of that stuff that we don't have locally here, even wool, because a lot of that comes from New Zealand. So prices have risen on raw materials and that  has had a big impact."
The Pros and Cons of Manufacturing in the UK: The positives to manufacturing in the UK . Shorter lead times, great communication with your manufacturer, not having to fly your product from the other side of the world, so a lower carbon footprint, the ability to go and visit the manufacturer so you can keep an eye on your quality, and actually the flexibility to not have to buy a huge amount of stock... China is going to be cheaper, particularly if you're not out there visiting the factory and buying direct, but you're having to go through a middleman."

Speaker Bio
Kate Hills is a seasoned professional with a background in design and buying. With over 25 years of experience, she has worked for renowned brands like Burberry and Marks and Spencer, witnessing the shift from UK manufacturing to overseas sourcing. Recognizing the potential disadvantages of relying solely on international production, Kate began to explore the idea of supporting local manufacturers

Kate Hills Links 
https://makeitbritish.co.uk/british-brand-accelerator/
https://makeitbritish.co.uk/
https://www.instagram.com/makeitbritish/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/katehills

5 Steps to Finding a UK Manufacturer mini course. Free with code NICOLE

https//www.makeitbritish.co.uk/5-steps

Nicole Higgins Links
https://www.instagram.com/thebuyerandretailcoach/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolehigginsuk/
https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/
https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/newsletter-sign-up/
https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/free-discovery-call/
https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/blog/

How do you create a brand that connects so deeply with your customer? In today's episode, Nicole is joined by Sharon Keegan, the founder of fitness brand Peachylean, to discuss the remarkable journey and growth of the brand. They delve into the strategies behind creating a brand that deeply connects with customers, exploring Sharon's story, Dragons Den appearance, and the success of Peachylean.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Peachylean sells more than just activewear—it represents confidence. Sharon started the brand after feeling unseen and unsupported in the wellness industry due to her postnatal journey. After noticing the lack of imagery and suitable activewear for postnatal bodies, she wanted to provide suitable activewear and empower others in similar situations.
• Through her experience working with other brands, Sharon discovered the importance of staying true to your story, values, and authenticity. She believes that by building a community that aligns with your brand, you will consistently attract customers who resonate with your product and those customers will be there for the duration.
• Peachylean do not Photoshop imagery as they want to empower women's real body types and show imagery of real women. They want to show that there's nothing wrong with real women.
• One of the biggest things Sharon has learned is to keep on top of your cash flow, really understand when and how your money is coming in and out. Having only recently come out of a bit of trouble with this, Sharon would recommend elongating the timeframes that you expect cash to come in. 
• Sharon built her brand's community by focusing on empowering individuals who often feel left behind. There are so many women who don’t get opportunities and support, those who may doubt themselves or feel stuck in life. Sharon believes that everyone needs someone who believes in them and she wants to be that person for others, giving them the confidence and strength to go after what they want.
• Sharon says it all begins with self-belief. Age or gender doesn't matter; anyone can start a business, even at 60. The biggest obstacle we face is often our own mind, doubting whether others will approve or criticise us. But here's the truth: "They," the ones we worry about, are usually just our own insecurities.

BEST MOMENTS
‘Stay true to what your core customer values and asks for’
‘I was sat in McDonalds and got a phone call from Dragons Den’
‘The video has 7 million views on YouTube’
‘Don't forget, “They” don't pay your bills’
‘Success can be anything you want it to be’
‘I love stories, I love women’s stories and empowering them’

EPISODE RESOURCES
Peachylean
P E A C H Y L E A N ®️ (@peachyleanofficial) • Instagram photos and videos
The Marketing Agency Sharon recommended - doodledevelopment.co.uk

ABOUT THE GUEST
At the age of 33 founder and CEO of Peachylean, Sharon Keegan, became a new Mam and struggled with postnatal depression. Being no stranger to throwing herself into adversity, Sharon decided to go back and study Innovation and entrepreneurship in University College Dublin. This helped her to not only overcome her anxiety and postnatal depression, but also compelled her to help other women who were going through similar experiences.
After designing and experimenting with multiple products, Sharon realised that her passion was in physical and mental wellbeing. Having found huge solace in exercise throughout her most arduous times, Sharon decided to create a product that she couldn’t find on the market: supportive, comfortable, excellent quality leggings that would not only support a woman’s shape, but would also help give them the confidence and self-esteem to move for their mind. Sharon’s mission was simple, to help women to silence their inner critic, to stop holding themselves back and discover their true potential in life, and to ultimately love them 'Self.'

ABOUT THE HOST
Buying & retail expert Nicole Higgins spent the last 18 years working for companies such as Primark, M&S, Debenhams and Asda, sourcing & developing products from all over the world, building strategies for blue chip businesses, and increasing bottom line sales and profit, adding over £40 million in incremental business to the bottom line.
Nicole now uses that experience and works as a consultant and coach for entrepreneurs and small to medium sized business owners, helping them start and scale their product businesses as The Buyer And Retail Coach (TM)
Join the Start Scale Succeed waitlist. How to start & scale a product business. A 12 Week programme:  thebuyerandretailcoach.com/startscalesucceedwaitlist

CONTACT METHOD
Website http://www.thebuyerandretailcoach.com
IG https://www.instagram.com/thebuyerandretailcoach/
Link to my blog https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/blog/
TikTok www.tiktok.com/@thebuyerandretailcoach
LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/nicolehigginsuk
Email [email protected]
Newsletter https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/newsletter-sign-up/
Book a call with me https://thebuyerandretailcoachltd.as.me/discoverycall

After selling her previous fashion brand, Nicki Hoyne launched her first collection of crossbody camera bags in October 2020 and she followed in 2021 with her footwear collection. Nicki has a wealth of experience in both the footwear and accessories industry, being nominated for multiple awards. That’s why she’s the perfect guest to join Nicole on this episode of Start Scale Succeed to share with you her knowledge through her life story.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Nicki thought that her launch in October 2020 couldn’t have been a worse time, but the opposite was true as people were looking for feel good inspiring stories. They naturally wanted to know about this Irish, sustainable, female led brand.
• Before the brand launched, Nicki spent 6 months posting mood boards as part of her brand storytelling journey and secretly hiding her shoes in the background of Instagram posts.
• Nicki Hoyne is the name of the brand because the brand is Nicki Hoyne, it has her passion and personality in its DNA. As a founder this allows you to just let the brand be an extension of your personality and that helps sell the story.
• One of the things Nicki found the hardest was the design drawings, this is why she likes to surround herself with people who are talented at what they do. She brought in someone who she can explain the designs to and they make the technical drawings.
• Nicki Hoyne is handmade in Spain by master craftspeople. All materials are sourced as close as possible to the factory. Their factories are Leather Working Group (LWG) certified and their recycled materials are certified Global Recycled Standard.
• Nicki’s biggest pieces of advice are that nobody cares what you’re doing, just go for it, got for it today! Why are you waiting? Get that plan together, get that budget together and start 6 months before you need to.

BEST MOMENTS

‘If you lived your life backwards it would all make perfect sense’

‘It’s all about timing selling a business’

‘I would love to work with other people, I’m working alone so much of the time’

‘Surround yourself with people who are better than you at the things you’re bad at’

‘What I’d say to anyone is to aim beyond where you think you should’

EPISODE RESOURCES

Nicki Hoyne

Nicki Hoyne (@nickihoynecollection) • Instagram photos and videos

Nicki Hoyne (@nickihoyne) • Instagram photos and videos

ABOUT THE GUEST

Nicki Hoyne launched her first collection of crossbody camera bags in October 2020. She followed in 2021 with her footwear collection.

Nicki is nominated as “One To Watch” at the Drapers Sustainability Awards 2023. She has been nominated as an Image Businesswoman Of The Year in 2023 & 2022. She won Irish Design Institute’s Rising Star 2021 and Runner Up in the Design & Craft Council Of Ireland (DCCI)’s Irish Business Design Challenge 2021. Nicki Hoyne has been stocked at Brown Thomas CREATE in Dublin and in Los Angeles, New York & London.

Nicki previously founded award winning online accessories store, My Shining Armour in 2014. It shipped to over 40 countries and appeared in Vogue, Cosmopolitan & Grazia.  She is a TedxTalk speaker and had her own successful podcast, The Hero Podcast sharing inspiring stories.

Nicki is passionate about creating meaningful fashion accessories that are fun, unique and comfortable. She wants to inspire you to celebrate and cherish fashion, not just consume it and throw it away.  She created her collection to bring you fun, quality designs with a conscience. We celebrate individuality, vibrancy and a passion for well made, slow fashion products. She hopes to one day have a fully sustainable fashion brand.

ABOUT THE HOST

Buying & retail expert Nicole Higgins spent the last 18 years working for companies such as Primark, M&S, Debenhams and Asda, sourcing & developing products from all over the world, building strategies for blue chip businesses, and increasing bottom line sales and profit, adding over £40 million in incremental business to the bottom line.

Nicole now uses that experience and works as a consultant and coach for entrepreneurs and small to medium sized business owners, helping them start and scale their product businesses as The Buyer And Retail Coach (TM)

Join the Start Scale Succeed waitlist. How to start & scale a product business. A 12 Week programme: thebuyerandretailcoach.com/startscalesucceedwaitlist

CONTACT METHOD

Website http://www.thebuyerandretailcoach.com

IG https://www.instagram.com/thebuyerandretailcoach/

Link to my blog https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/blog/

TikTok www.tiktok.com/@thebuyerandretailcoach

LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/nicolehigginsuk

Email [email protected]

Newsletter https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/newsletter-sign-up/

Book a call with me https://thebuyerandretailcoachltd.as.me/discoverycall

Nicole is joined by Sam Smith, the founder of HELLO TIME and the creator of the HELLO TIME Planner that has transformed how people organise their lives. With a keen eye for innovation and a dedication to helping individuals achieve their full potential, Sam has become a leading figure in the world of productivity and time management. She’s on Start Scale Succeed to share her story and give you advice on starting a stationery brand.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The HELLO TIME Planner offers a practical and intuitive solution for organising your daily life. Its thoughtful layout allows for effortless management of tasks, work schedules, family commitments, to-do lists, notes, goals, and ideas. With its minimal design and adaptable structure, the planner provides ample space to declutter your thoughts, maintain your schedule, store information, jot down reminders, brainstorm ideas, and find clarity.
• A lot of us are spending our time not doing the things we love, we’re often in auto pilot. We have about 4000 weeks on this earth so people need to be organised to avoid wasting that time. That’s how HELLO TIME came about, Sam wanted to start a stationery brand that was more than just that, one that helped people and businesses manage their time better.
• One thing that was important to Sam when launching her brand was that the planner itself was made in the UK and was high quality. She had seen a lot of bright pink planners that didn’t look professional and weren't items you’d be proud of. Having manufacturing in the UK allowed her to keep the quality high while also being sustainable and supporting other local businesses.
• Wholesale can be scary because you have to sell a lot more due to the lower margins, but equally to build a business and a brand you need more people to know about it and you do that by getting the product out there. Not every product needs to go wholesale, be selective about which ones you choose.

BEST MOMENTS

‘After a time of helping others successfully build their brands, I decided to put myself on the other side of the fence’
‘I want to turn it into a brand that helps other people with running their business’
‘You’ve got everything you need to plan in there, that’s its USP’
‘I make use of every millimetre on the page so you can use that space’
‘There’s no perfect time, at some point you’ve got to jump’

 EPISODE RESOURCES

HELLO TIME Planner & Time Gifting Stationery
Undated Planners & Time Saving Stationery (@hellotimeplanner) • Instagram photos and videos

ABOUT THE GUEST
Sam Smith is an experienced creative and branding specialist with over 27 years of design expertise. As the founder of HELLO TIME and creator of the HELLO TIME Planner, she has worked with various industries, from motorbikes to groceries, collaborating with multinational start-ups and small businesses alike.

With a focus on branding for print, digital, and environmental platforms, Sam has partnered with renowned brands like Virgin, Chinawhite, Mars, and McDonald's. Her approach combines creativity and brand-savvy strategies to deliver tangible commercial results.

After supporting others in building successful brands, Sam founded HELLO TIME following a period of burnout. Today, HELLO TIME continues to thrive under her leadership, marking four years of progress.

ABOUT THE HOST
Buying & retail expert Nicole Higgins spent the last 18 years working for companies such as Primark, M&S, Debenhams and Asda, sourcing & developing products from all over the world, building strategies for blue chip businesses, and increasing bottom line sales and profit, adding over £40 million in incremental business to the bottom line.

Nicole now uses that experience and works as a consultant and coach for entrepreneurs and small to medium sized business owners, helping them start and scale their product businesses as The Buyer And Retail Coach (TM)

Join the Start Scale Succeed waitlist. How to start & scale a product business. A 12 Week programme:  thebuyerandretailcoach.com/startscalesucceedwaitlist

CONTACT METHOD
Website http://www.thebuyerandretailcoach.com
IG https://www.instagram.com/thebuyerandretailcoach/
Link to my blog https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/blog/
TikTok www.tiktok.com/@thebuyerandretailcoach
LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/nicolehigginsuk
Email [email protected]
Newsletter https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/newsletter-sign-up/
Book a call with me https://thebuyerandretailcoachltd.as.me/discoverycall

If you’re an existing product business, chances are you'll make an average 50% of your yearly sales in that last quarter, with a substantial part coming in the lead-up to Christmas. How can you capitalise on that and drive more people to your site? Increase your exposure so that people buy more products? Today Nicole is joined by Rosie Davies, founder of PR Dispatch, and they are going to be talking about getting press coverage for your business, particularly focusing on Christmas and getting into gift guides.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• When pitching your product business to journalists the key thing you need to include is good  imagery. Include high-quality product images or videos that can be used alongside the article, making it more visually appealing. You also want to include some Lifestyle shots and some Behind the Brand shots to show off who you are. 
• It can be scary reaching out to someone for press coverage but it can be as simple as identifying a journalist who regularly posts features which fit within your niche. Then getting in touch with them and saying what your business does, who you are, and why it’s relevant. If you have a personal story to tell the better. This is who I am and how I overcame this problem. 
• To get your product into the Christmas lists and publications you really need to be pitching yourself in July. Monthly magazines will be compiling between July and September, weekly publications will be compiling between September and the end of October. Then the dailies and online will be compiled from October to just before Christmas. 
• Look at last year's gift guides, you’ll be surprised how many categories your product will actually fit into. 
• Themes that come up every year are gifts under certain price points, secret Santa gifts, stocking fillers, her, him, kids. You also see changing themes such as in 2020 there were lists for people who had started working from home. Most will be from small businesses but some lists are only small companies or ethical and sustainable brands. 
• Don’t find the contacts yourself, get access to press contacts databases because the person doing the lists will change pretty much every year. 

BEST MOMENTS
‘You are never ever too small to do PR. You should be doing PR for the lifetime of your business’
‘Journalists are looking for interesting stories and you’re helping them’
‘Last year there were over 29,000 products featured in Christmas gift guides’
‘About 60% of those products are just from small businesses’
‘It’s not about sales, it’s about brand awareness’

EPISODE RESOURCES
PR Dispatch
Rosie | PR Memberships (@prdispatch) • Instagram photos and videos
PR Dispatch will be hosting a free workshop on the 29th of June at 10am, covering How to use the summer to get press for Christmas 2023. Register your free place here.
Join PR Dispatch for the Christmas gift guide membership tour 10am, on 6th July to to guarantee a 2023 Christmas gift guide PR membership. Book your space on the tour here. You can learn more about PR Dispatch's fastest-selling Christmas gift guide PR membership here.
Watch PR Dispatch's ''10 steps to getting your products featured in the Christmas gift guides'' workshop. Access here.
Want your e-commerce business to reach thousands of new people this Christmas? PR Dispatch has written this piece explaining how you can, for free.

ABOUT THE GUEST
Rosie Davies-Smith is the founder of PR Dispatch, the UK’s first affordable PR membership platform supporting over 450 product-based e-commerce businesses to do their PR in-house.
After running a PR agency for over a decade, Rosie founded PR Dispatch in 2017 to give brands the insights, support and press contacts they need to succeed in PR for just 3% of PR agency retainer fees. Members include startup founders that do it themselves, established brands that delegate their PR to their team and in-house marketing teams at larger e-com businesses.
Thousands of pieces of both product and profile press have been generated through PR Dispatch. PR memberships start at £60/mo.

ABOUT THE HOST
Buying & retail expert Nicole Higgins spent the last 18 years sourcing & developing products from all over the world, building strategies for blue chip businesses, and increasing bottom line sales and profit, adding over £40 million in incremental business to the bottom line. She now uses that experience and works as a consultant and coach for entrepreneurs and business owners, helping them start and scale their product businesses.
Join the Start Scale Succeed waitlist. How to start & scale a product business. A 12 Week programme:  thebuyerandretailcoach.com/startscalesucceedwaitlist

CONTACT METHOD
Book a call with me https://thebuyerandretailcoachltd.as.me/discoverycall
GET IN TOUCH HERE https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/instagram/
Newsletter: https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/newsletter-sign-up/

How do you actually succeed? How do we create a process in ourselves to allow us to grow and connect with our desires? Nicole is joined on this landmark 100th episode by success coach Charlotte Pridmore who helps entrepreneurial women through positive human design, the combination of human design and positive intelligence. Together they will be discussing how understanding human design can help you in your business.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Human Design is a system that combines astrology, the I Ching, the Kabbalah, the chakra system, and quantum physics to understand an individual's unique energetic makeup and life purpose. It provides insights into personality traits, strengths, and ways of functioning in the world. Using birth data, Human Design generates a body graph that guides decision-making, relationships, and personal growth. 
• In Human Design, there are several different types, each representing a unique energetic blueprint and approach to life. The five main types are:
  Manifestor: They have a powerful, initiating energy and are here to bring ideas and innovations into the world. 
  Generator: They have a sustainable and abundant life force energy.
  Projector: They have a focused and penetrating energy, able to deeply understand and guide others. 
  Reflector: They have a highly sensitive and reflective energy. Reflectors are rare, and their role is to mirror the health and well-being of the community they are in.
  Manifesting Generator: They combine the qualities of Manifestors and Generators. Manifesting Generators have a fast and creative energy, often juggling multiple projects and interests. They are designed to respond to life's opportunities while also initiating action.

BEST MOMENTS
‘Being inwardly successful allows it to outwardly manifest’
‘My intuition kept pulling me back to it’
‘It’s a took to help you understand yourself more and how you work from an energetic perspective’
‘I won’t push something now, it has to feel good to me’
‘Manifesting generators are like the jet skis, generators are the steamboat’ 

EPISODE RESOURCES
Charlotte Pridmore
One To One - Charlotte Pridmore
CHARLOTTE Success Mentor (@charlotte_pridmore) • Instagram photos and videos

ABOUT THE HOST
Buying & retail expert Nicole Higgins spent the last 18 years sourcing & developing products from all over the world, building strategies for blue chip businesses, and increasing bottom line sales and profit, adding over £40 million in incremental business to the bottom line. She now uses that experience and works as a consultant and coach for entrepreneurs and business owners, helping them start and scale their product businesses.
Join the Start Scale Succeed waitlist. How to start & scale a product business. A 12 Week programme:  thebuyerandretailcoach.com/startscalesucceedwaitlist

CONTACT METHOD
Book a call with me https://thebuyerandretailcoachltd.as.me/discoverycall
GET IN TOUCH HERE https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/instagram/
Newsletter: https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/newsletter-sign-up/

The first ever guest on Start Scale Succeed, Moira Fuller returns to episode 99 of the podcast to tell Nicole all about how she sold her subscription box business. Moira is a business coach who helps small business owners boost profitability and create breathing space through online and one-to-one coaching. Listen in to find out about the process of selling a small business, how to know when it’s the right time to sell, preparing your business for sale, negotiating price, and so much more helpful advice.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• In Moira’s initial approach to selling her business she started with very informal conversations with other businesses who might be interested. It was only after this stage that she had more of a prepared pitch with facts and figures. 
• Working with a broker was something Moira knew she could do if she needed, but felt that she could do many of the things they offered for a high fee by herself. Many of them were offering to get her three times what she thought the business was worth which she felt was unrealistic. 
•  The valuations for buying a whole business are 2 to 3 times the net profit of the business averaged across the last few years. The idea being that someone can get their investment back within 3 years. 
• From starting the process to completing the sale it took Moira around 6 months to sell her business. Timescales can vary depending on the scale of the business. You also have to remember that you’re going to put hundreds of hours of work into the sale. 
• When you’re looking at selling your business you need to already be implementing systems and processes so the business can run without you. If you are what makes your business work then why would an investor want to buy it and remove you from the picture. 

BEST MOMENTS
‘I explored working with a broker but it reminded me of working with an estate agent’
‘If you can show you have high customer retention, that shows value’
‘I wanted to sell to someone who I knew the team would get on well with’
‘Get your business ready to sell’

EPISODE RESOURCES
Website: https://www.moirafuller.co.uk/
Newsletter: https://www.moirafuller.co.uk/newsletter
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moirafuller_

ABOUT THE GUEST
Moira Fuller works with small business owners to create more breathing space and profitability in their business, with online and one-to-one coaching.
She’s run multi-six-figure businesses, including her subscription box, which sent tens of thousands of boxes to her subscribers, but started with just 22 in the first month - grown with profits from the business, before being sold.
She coaches an aligned way to grow, giving founders more focus on strategic, exciting projects, and less time on the hamster wheel of day-to-day tasks.

ABOUT THE HOST
Buying & retail expert Nicole Higgins spent the last 18 years sourcing & developing products from all over the world, building strategies for blue chip businesses, and increasing bottom line sales and profit, adding over £40 million in incremental business to the bottom line. She now uses that experience and works as a consultant and coach for entrepreneurs and business owners, helping them start and scale their product businesses.
Join the Start Scale Succeed waitlist. How to start & scale a product business. A 12 Week programme:  thebuyerandretailcoach.com/startscalesucceedwaitlist

CONTACT METHOD
Book a call with me https://thebuyerandretailcoachltd.as.me/discoverycall
GET IN TOUCH HERE https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/instagram/
Newsletter: https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/newsletter-sign-up/

Today Nicole is joined by Vicky Shilling, The Wellbeing Business Mentor and author of Just Start Now, a guide to unlocking your entrepreneur mindset and growing your wellness business. We are going to be primarily chatting about using email marketing to grow your business and what strategies you can use. Listen in for tips on how to convert subscribers into paying customers, strategies for increasing email open and click-through rates, what to avoid in email marketing, and so much more.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Having your own mailing list is your way of having your own data on your customers and potential customers. It’s your own way of communicating with them and is entirely yours as opposed to social media where you’re at the mercy of someone else’s decisions and changes to the algorithm.  
• Vicky’s top 5 tips for growing your list are: 1. Incentive - Entice people to join the list with some kind of freebie or discount or some content with added value. If it is content, does it solve a problem they have? 
• 2. Talk about that incentive everywhere - Make sure all of your potential audience knows about this and what your list can offer them. Put it on your socials and in your podcast ect. 
• 3. Get in front of new people - Once your current audience knows about your incentive, how can you push that to a new set of people?
• 4. Send really great emails - Your list will grow if people are finding it useful and people within your circle are sharing it. We need to know the person on the other side of the email and curate the content towards them and their needs. 
• 5. Concentrated effort - Plan specific timings for when you’re really pushing your email list, this could be monthly, quarterly, when you have a new incentive, make pushing your list a real focus for a period of time. 
• Success requires persistence, the people you see achieving their version of success in life and in their chosen fields. They are the people who just keep going, for Vicky it’s only 20% skill and 80% being able to pick yourself back up again. 

BEST MOMENTS
‘A really good email is one that serves the customer you’re trying to help’
‘You need to believe in yourself to make it work’
‘If social media disappeared tomorrow you’d have no way of contacting those people’
‘Even in 2023 it’s still the most effective online marketing method’

EPISODE RESOURCES
Homepage: Business mentor for wellness entrepreneurs | Vicky Shilling
52 ways to grow your email list
Podcast: Just Start Now Podcast - Vicky Shilling
Book: https://vickyshilling.com/book
Instagram: https://instagram.com/vicky.shilling
Facebook: Vicky Shilling
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vickyshilling

ABOUT THE GUEST
Vicky Shilling is the Wellness Business Mentor, helping health practitioners turn their expertise into income. She is dedicated to making wellbeing solopreneurship as simple and supported as possible in a world of advice overwhelm. She shares tips and straight-talking action steps through her Just Start Now book and award nominated podcast, community and 1:1 mentoring.
Vicky is a respected voice in the world of business for health professionals and guest teaches at many of the nutrition and health colleges including the College of Naturopathic Medicine (CNM), IINH and the Institute for Optimum Nutrition (ION), where her book is on many of the recommended reading lists.
She is a regular guest on podcasts and speaks at wellness based events in the UK, Ireland and online about turning your passion for health into a career, including Thrive Festival and Fitness & Wellness Summit in Dublin and The Nutrition Society and Nutrition Graduates online.

ABOUT THE HOST
Buying & retail expert Nicole Higgins spent the last 18 years sourcing & developing products from all over the world, building strategies for blue chip businesses, and increasing bottom line sales and profit, adding over £40 million in incremental business to the bottom line. She now uses that experience and works as a consultant and coach for entrepreneurs and business owners, helping them start and scale their product businesses.
Join the Start Scale Succeed waitlist. How to start & scale a product business. A 12 Week programme:  thebuyerandretailcoach.com/startscalesucceedwaitlist

CONTACT METHOD
Book a call with me https://thebuyerandretailcoachltd.as.me/discoverycall
GET IN TOUCH HERE https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/instagram/
Newsletter: https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/newsletter-sign-up/

Today Nicole is joined on Start Scale Succeed by Jason Withers, a Certified Profit First Professional Coach and the only officially recognised Profit First Guide for the UK. They dive into the topic of using the Profit First cash management system in your business to maximise profitability. Drawing from his 25+ years of commercial experience as a business coach, consultant, and CFO, Jason shares valuable insights and strategies for implementing Profit First.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The Profit First cash management system is a financial framework developed by Mike Michalowicz. It aims to help businesses prioritise profitability and improve their financial health. The system advocates for setting aside profit first rather than considering it as an afterthought.
• The core concept is based on the idea of allocating income into different bank accounts, each serving a specific purpose. These accounts include, in order of priority are Profit, Owner's Compensation, Tax, and Operating Expenses. So they are reward based first, then protection based, then service based last. 
• Profit First provides a clear and practical framework for business owners to manage their finances effectively. It helps in creating a healthy financial ecosystem where profit becomes a priority, allowing businesses to thrive and grow.
• By implementing the Profit First system, businesses ensure that profit is protected and allocated before any expenses are paid. This approach encourages business owners to focus on profitability and make intentional financial decisions. It helps to ensure that the business is consistently profitable and sustainable.
• The system also emphasises cash flow management and expense control. By examining expenses closely and making necessary adjustments, businesses can better allocate resources and increase their overall profitability.
• Vital, Negotiable, and Cut is a productivity concept used to categorise tasks based on their importance and priority. Vital tasks are high-priority activities directly contributing to goals, while negotiable tasks are important but flexible. Cut tasks are low-value or non-essential activities that should be minimised or eliminated.

BEST MOMENTS
‘Turnover is vanity and profit is sanity’
‘Business owners don’t pay themselves what they should because they don’t trust the money in their bank account’
‘It’s about understanding where we are and moving towards those targets’
‘No business misses 1%’

EPISODE RESOURCES
Instagram
Facebook - Profit First Pro - Jason Withers
Jason A Withers

ABOUT THE GUEST
Jason is a Certified Profit First Professional Coach since 2019, specialising in helping owner-managed and entrepreneurial businesses implement the Profit First cash management system. With over 25 years of commercial experience as a business coach, consultant, and CFO, he helps business owners improve profitability through strategic and tactical financial support. As the only officially recognized Profit First Guide for the UK, Jason mentors and coaches other UK-based Profit First Professionals. He empowers business owners to gain clarity, certainty, and mastery over their money using the Profit First system, enabling them to prioritise paying themselves and make informed financial decisions for accelerated growth and profitability. Jason believes that every business owner deserves to be financially rewarded for their efforts, providing them with greater choices and a positive impact on their personal, business, and social life.

ABOUT THE HOST
Buying & retail expert Nicole Higgins spent the last 18 years sourcing & developing products from all over the world, building strategies for blue chip businesses, and increasing bottom line sales and profit, adding over £40 million in incremental business to the bottom line. She now uses that experience and works as a consultant and coach for entrepreneurs and business owners, helping them start and scale their product businesses.
Join the Start Scale Succeed waitlist. How to start & scale a product business. A 12 Week programme:  thebuyerandretailcoach.com/startscalesucceedwaitlist

CONTACT METHOD
Book a call with me https://thebuyerandretailcoachltd.as.me/discoverycall
GET IN TOUCH HERE https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/instagram/
Newsletter: https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/newsletter-sign-up/

Founder of the Sleep Care Company, Anne Marie Boyhan joins Nicole on this episode of Start Scale Succeed to discuss the importance of sleep and how better sleep leads to more success as an entrepreneur. Anne Marie shares her own personal story with sleep and tells you how you can improve your quality of rest to help you achieve and succeed in business. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Exposure to blue light (and white light, which contains blue light) can make it difficult for you to fall asleep and stay asleep. Exposure to white light during the day can have positive effects, including boosting alertness and mood.
• Some of our most important ‘heavy lifting’ while sleeping is done between 10:30 pm and midnight. This produces our growth hormone which affects beauty sleep, cell repair, and fat breakdown. Beauty sleep isn’t just a saying. 
• Between 1 and 3 am our liver is doing a lot of its detoxifying which is vital for cleaning our bodies. If we’re not getting sleep during those hours then it’s like your office isn’t being cleaned overnight. 
• The signs that you might be sleep deprived are brain fog, a hangover feeling, hunger even after eating, and not having enough concentration to get through daily tasks. When you don’t get enough sleep it also releases stress in your body. 
• Most of us can’t just jump into bed and sleep, we know that we need a buffer of time to wind down and get ready for sleep. This could be as simple as lighting a candle and listening to a podcast, doing some reading, or just brushing your teeth. The routine triggers your brain to think it’s time to sleep. 
• If you want to sleep well then avoid coffee and tea, even if your last cup was at 4om, it will stay in your body until 11pm. Swap them out for decaf versions in the evening and afternoon. You should also avoid vigorous exercise which raises your body temperature before bed. 

BEST MOMENTS

‘To set ourselves up for sleep success should be our number one goal in our wellbeing’ 

‘If you have less than 4 hours sleep then it’s like you’re going to work drunk’

‘If we look at the top athletes in the world, they prioritise sleep to increase their performance’ 

‘Within an hour of waking get sunlight into your eyes’ 

EPISODE RESOURCES

The Sleep Care Company

The Sleep Care Co. (@thesleepcarecompany) • Instagram photos and videos

ABOUT THE GUEST
“A few years ago my only focus in life was excelling professionally at my corporate career in marketing. It’s something I had worked hard for my entire life. I was working for C-Suite executives but I was burning the candle at both ends - I had young kids at home whom I never saw as I was working so much and was ‘always on’ working late into the night, often responding to emails in the middle of the night and managing a team in a stressful job during the day. 

I lived on coffee to keep my energy going and in a bid to try and wind down I'd often have wine after work and always felt tired and wired. All of the time my sleep suffered- I was lucky if I slept 4 hours a night. My insomnia was relentless. One day I fell over, I couldn’t focus and went to my doctor who ran some blood tests on me. When my bloods came back ‘all clear’ over the phone he told me that I was sleep deprived and was burning out. That was the kick I needed. What I realised was what I wanted was to have a career where I was able to prioritise my family.”

ABOUT THE HOST
Buying & retail expert Nicole Higgins spent the last 18 years sourcing & developing products from all over the world, building strategies for blue chip businesses, and increasing bottom line sales and profit, adding over £40 million in incremental business to the bottom line. She now uses that experience and works as a consultant and coach for entrepreneurs and business owners, helping them start and scale their product businesses.
Join the Start Scale Succeed waitlist. How to start & scale a product business. A 12 Week programme:  thebuyerandretailcoach.com/startscalesucceedwaitlist

CONTACT METHOD
Book a call with me https://thebuyerandretailcoachltd.as.me/discoverycall
GET IN TOUCH HERE https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/instagram/
Newsletter: https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/newsletter-sign-up/