Start Scale Succeed

Today on Start Scale Succeed, Nicole is joined by Lydia Howard, a footwear designer and developer who mentors those who want to start their own footwear brands. She’s been designing and developing shoes for 20 years and when she moved to Spain she decided to go out on her own and start her own business. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• When someone has a discovery call with Lydia about starting their own footwear brand they are often starting from different places, one might have an idea for a product, one might have a factory and wants to make the most out of it, or one might even just be someone with a passion. 
• The first thing you should be doing is really understanding the market for your product, what is the demand like, who the competition is, what are they doing, what are the costs involved. You should know all of this before you start getting ahead of yourself. 
• Lydia usually works with a minimum of 200 pairs as that is the least the factory will do. Lydia also tells her clients that if someone else comes in with an order for 10,000 pairs, then that’s the job the factory is going to prioritise. 
• The vegan option in leather footwear isn’t the most sustainable option as many use components that aren’t good for the environment and don’t last as long as regular leather. So Lydia has to ask her clients if they want to be vegan or more sustainable. 

BEST MOMENTS
‘Managing the expectations of my clients is usually the biggest job for me’
‘The most sustainable process is using a last that exists already’
‘I’ve had box manufacturers coming back to me saying they need an order of 1000 for a product with only 200 pairs’
‘I make sure the communication between the clients and the factory works’

EPISODE RESOURCES
Footwear Designer & Developer (@lydia.creates.shoes) • Instagram photos and videos
footweardesigninsight

VALUABLE RESOURCES 
www.thebuyerandretailcoach.com
www.instagram.com/thebuyerandretailcoach
www.tiktok.com/@thebuyerandretailcoach
https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/newsletter-sign-up/

ABOUT THE GUEST 

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/
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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today Nicole is joined by Kate Roath, founder of Wild Source, a beauty brand with ritual and meditation at its core, who are now stocked at Liberty and Harrods. Kate is here to tell her business story of going from working at her kitchen table to being stocked by massive retailers. Find out what drives her passion and why she was the perfect person to start this skincare brand. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Kate started Wild Source in 2017 using her background in skincare and aromatherapy. She wanted to make something that would feed her skin that also felt luxurious. She was having to go to healthcare stores to buy products that wouldn’t cause a reaction on her skin, and that wasn’t the shopping experience she wanted. 
• Wild Source launched with four products which covered the everyday essentials that all women will have in their bathroom. It was then from there that she was able to launch more products to fill more niches. 
• Kate’s skin is very sensitive so she wanted to make a product that everyone could use without worrying about eczema flare ups or anything like that. 
• One of Kate’s biggest worries when starting her business was that when the stress of the business caused eczema flare ups, she didn’t want to go out and meet potential stockists. She thought who would want to buy skincare products from someone who didn’t have perfect looking skin. 
• Wild Source treatments in Liberty will be running throughout November and then will be back in January 2023. 

BEST MOMENTS
‘That shopping experience didn’t feel very luxurious to me’ 
‘With time and growth your brand changes, I’m not the same person I was then’ 
‘The proof was in the pudding, my skin was transformed’ 

EPISODE RESOURCES
Kate on LinkedIn
Wild Source

VALUABLE RESOURCES 
www.thebuyerandretailcoach.com
www.instagram.com/thebuyerandretailcoach
www.tiktok.com/@thebuyerandretailcoach
https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/newsletter-sign-up/

ABOUT THE GUEST 
Kate’s own practical yet ritualistic approach to skincare can be felt through-out the bones of Wild Source.
The daily act of applying products presents the perfect opportunity for a mindful moment – but for many of us, the struggle to remain present can mean our skincare routine is sometimes mindlessly applied without a second thought for what our skin really needs.
Wild Source works under the holistic principle that mental calm and healthy skin are seamlessly intertwined. Kate is on a mission to prove that the power of meditation combined with supportive, holistic skincare is the real answer to great skin.

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/
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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today Nicole is joined by Sarah Birchall, founder of the beautiful individual clothing brand Cub & Pudding. Cub & Pudding are a unisex family brand bringing happiness to your wardrobes with hand-drawn prints created just for you. Sarah is on Start Scale Succeed to tell you her story of starting her own kidswear business and how she evolved her brand to focus on the adult market to improve its growth potential.

KEY TAKEAWAYS 

• Sarah started Cub & Pudding after finding herself stuck in a rut when her eldest turned three and the offerings for boys' clothes became a sea of diggers and dinosaurs and navy and brown. Zero originality. Sarah loved seeing him in cheerful colours and exciting prints but there were so few options, so she decided to design for him and his little sister, despite having zero fashion experience.
• The biggest hurdle Sarah faced was just the fact that she was a complete novice in the field. Everything was new to her and she didn’t know. Luckily her coach put her in touch with another client who had a factory in Portugal.
• Instagram was always Sarah’s happy place when it came to the brand. In the beginning, she used a lot of influencer marketing which helped her initially grow. Sarah has seen an uptick in sales when she’s targeted her brand at the right influencer and her following has grown along with that. She only uses gifted promotions instead of paid ones.
• The brand started as unisex kidswear but Sarah kept getting messages asking if they would stock adult sizes. People loved the fact they could be “twinning” with their kids. It also opened her up to a bigger market, not just people with children.
• To Sarah success is still being around in five years time running her own brand, having the freedom she has now and not working for someone else.

BEST MOMENTS

‘Some people call it risk-taking, but I didn’t want to look back and think what if’

‘You put so much trust and financial trust in other people’

‘I feel when you pay someone to wear your clothes it feels inauthentic’

‘There’s so much fast fashion out there for kids’

EPISODE RESOURCES

Website: Cub & Pudding

Instagram: Cub & Pudding (@cubandpudding) • Instagram photos and videos

VALUABLE RESOURCES

www.thebuyerandretailcoach.com

www.instagram.com/thebuyerandretailcoach

www.tiktok.com/@thebuyerandretailcoach

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

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/

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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today the tables are turned and I am the guest and my host is Vicki Weinburg. I was a guest on her podcast Bring Your Product Idea to Life and it was too juicy an episode not to share with you here. We chat about my top tips from developing and launching your brand, to how to grow and scale your business, and common mistakes to avoid. I share a range of excellent resources I know that you will want to investigate. Whether you are starting out, or looking to take the next step in your business, there are lots of takeaway actions in this episode.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Nicole worked as buyer and head of buying for over 18 years for retailers such as Primark, MandS,Debenhams and George at Asda, gaining experience in buying, product development, strategy and leadership and global sourcing. In 2020 she established the Buyer and Retail Coach to help small businesses start and scale their product business and increase their sales and profits.
• From working with larger companies Nicole’s advice is that if something doesn’t work, and there will always be something that doesn’t, you should fail fast and move on. The quicker you can find a solution and move on, the quicker you’ll be able to bring in more money. You can then review why something didn’t work.
• Understand your customer, without them you have no business. Don’t ignore your older customer if your business changes, take them on the journey with you.
• A lot of new business owners try to do everything themselves. It’s always a better idea to bring in someone with the skills you need or outsource that part of your business to someone who can do it better.
• When sourcing the three main questions you want to ask any supplier are what their minimum order quantity is, what their lead time is, and what their payment terms are.

BEST MOMENTS

‘Know what you won’t compromise on’

‘A lot more people are using Instagram and TikTok as search engines’

‘Look at where you need to be from a price point, rather than working it out from your cost price’

‘If you’re not on TikTok, get yourself on there’

EPISODE RESOURCES

VICKI:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/productcreatorsclub (Join my free Facebook group for product makers and creators)

https://www.instagram.com/vickiweinberguk/ (Find me on Instagram)

http://www.vickiweinberg.com (Work with me)

USEFUL RESOURCES:

FREE RESOURCE: https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/questionstoasksuppliers/ (Questions

to ask suppliers when starting your business)

Brands and Resources mentioned:

Adam Frisby - In The Style

Katie Tucker | Market research | Author (@productjungle) • Instagram photos and videos

Common Objective

Alibaba.com

Pantee

https://mailchimp.com/en-gb (Mailchimp)

Klaviyo

https://www.launchrock.com/ (Launchrock)

Fiona Minett - http://bossyourpr (Boss Your PR)

Lucy Werner - Hype Yourself — The Wern (Hype Yourself)

Entrepreneur & Press Hangout – LIGHTBULB | Facebook (Lightbulb Facebook

Group)

VALUABLE RESOURCES

www.thebuyerandretailcoach.com

www.instagram.com/thebuyerandretailcoach

www.tiktok.com/@thebuyerandretailcoach

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

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/

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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are you in a position where you are looking for investment for your business to help you grow, scale or possibly survive? Today's Start Scale Succeed podcast is with Babs Jamieson founder of Jamieson Law, she joins Nicole to cover what you as a brand need to have in place to be investor ready. Babs has been a guest on the podcast in the past where she spoke about copywriting and trademarking, but today the topic is investments.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Babs set up Jameson Law about three years ago now. Originally in the UK and then expanded into Ireland. They are essentially helping small business owners and startups to get all their legalities in place, speaking in plain English, not legal jargon and telling you what you need to know.
• Getting investor ready is making sure that your business is in a position where an investor wants to invest in it, that the process is going to be straightforward, and that they're not going to uncover something that terrifies them and makes them run away.
• Due diligence is when investors will ask questions and root around your documentation. The length of that process and what they're going to find are going to be quite different. But regardless of where you are in that stage, they will be looking for certain things and they'll expect you to have taken certain steps.
• If they don’t like what they find then they could pull out of the deal or might try and take more equity for less money. They might offer you less money for the same amount of equity or they might pause the investment until you go and fix all the issues.
• The things investors will look for in terms of documentation is if you've registered as a company properly. You've registered with the Information Commissioner's Office for GDPR, 99% of businesses need to register with the Information Commissioner's Office. So if you think it doesn't apply to you, it does. You register at ico.org.uk. It should cost you 40 pounds a year.
• The second part is about making sure that you've got good client contracts in place, or terms and conditions. So if you're an eCommerce provider or you're selling a kind of downloadable software or something like that, an investor will ask to see your standard terms and conditions.
• A UK trademark takes about three to four months. Same for an EU one. A US trademark can take about a year. So they don't expect you to have a registered trademark if you're just starting, but they expect your application to be in and for it all to be going well.

BEST MOMENTS

‘I think sometimes people, they're afraid of that legal side and, afraid of what they don't know or think that they're gonna be bombarded with jargon’

‘If an investor is going to open the car bonnet into your business and dig in, what are they going to find?’

‘The negotiation of the legal documents could take six weeks or it could take six months, you never know’

EPISODE RESOURCES

Babs on LinkedIn

Jamiesonlaw.legal

@babsjamiesonlaw on Instagram

facebook.com/barbara.jamieson.52

Legal Leverage Podcast

VALUABLE RESOURCES

www.thebuyerandretailcoach.com

www.instagram.com/thebuyerandretailcoach

www.tiktok.com/@thebuyerandretailcoach

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

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/

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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today Nicole is joined by Lillie Kaye, who is the founder of Pachee, a Children's Wear brand which recently won a double award at the Junior Design Awards. Pachee is a children's lifestyle brand aimed at promoting adventure and learning through creating different products that represent children's achievements and also that represent themselves and their individuality. Listen in to find out all about Lillie and her story, as well as some really great tips when it comes to starting to work in the wholesale market. 
KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Pachee started when Lillie and her husband started worrying about what products would fill their son's room. They found a gap in the market for things that would represent children in a fun way. So they came up with Pachees, which the children could collect, and attach to the belt backpack which was inspired by the couple’s travels through Asia. 
• Lillie loves the community around selling her products and wholesale would just be increasing that community and helping Pachee on its way to be a household brand and be a place that parents can come to to buy a story as opposed to just a product.
• Before her first trade show at the last minute Lillie’s printers fell through and she didn't have any of the catalogues that she spent months working on. And in the end, she ran onto Canva and created a QR code and I handed that out as a quirky little Pachee passport. That saved her time and money and gave her an opportunity to engage in new conversation when speaking to the buyers.
• A lot of brands offer a 10 or 15% discount at trade shows on the day to incentivise people to get the deal done on the day. 
• This biggest problem Lillie is having is with social media. Mainly because it's a huge channel and a huge platform for them to sell themselves. There’s now an increase in demand to have to be on camera and to make reels. Making videos takes a lot of time and that time can equal to money.

BEST MOMENTS
‘There's days when I'll close one laptop just to open another one’
‘Anyone can burn out. So I think it's important to listen to the body when you have all these different roles to play’
‘Trade fairs are a big step to take both mentally and financially’
‘It's striking that balance between creating something that's eye catching and but not overspending too much as well’
EPISODE RESOURCES
www.instagram.com/pacheestore
www.pachee.co.uk
VALUABLE RESOURCES 
www.thebuyerandretailcoach.com
www.instagram.com/thebuyerandretailcoach
www.tiktok.com/@thebuyerandretailcoach
https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/newsletter-sign-up/
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/
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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We have all in our life experienced great leaders, the ones you have looked up to that really pulled a team together and made you feel valued and really knew how to get the best from the team and individuals as part of that team. Unfortunately we have probably experienced those managers, because I can’t really call them leaders, where you felt like you were just a number and that when working they made you really question your own self worth and ability. Today I chatted with Anna Woods, a leadership coach who specialises in helping retail leaders and brands. We are going to be talking about becoming leaders and going from a good leader to a great leader.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• To go from good to great a leader you need to have a backbone but also lead with heart. You can make all of those tough business decisions, but with compassion and care for employees and the business a whole.
• As a leader during the pandemic you had to think even more about the wellbeing of your staff. It went from last on the agenda to being front of everyone’s mind.
• Anna thinks that as a leader you should have a place to reflect, the world moves at such a fast pace and so does your business. It’s a gist to be able to have the skill to take a breath in the moment. Pressure comes from all directions so you need the capacity within yourself to take a moment and understand what is going on around you.
• The way a lot of girls are taught in schools discourages that behaviour which challenges authority and allows them to show their own authority.
• As a leader you need to be clear about what you stand for, what are your values. Lead with courage and compassion. People want their leaders to care.

BEST MOMENTS

‘Leaders need to get to a place of being responsive rather than reactive’

‘The biggest thing that I teach and help people grow is their confidence’

‘Fight, flight, or freeze dictates how we are as leaders’

‘Your role as a leader is to constantly be collaborating with your team’

EPISODE RESOURCES

www.instagram.com/annawoodscoaching

www.instagram.com/postive_retail

 www.anna-woods.com

VALUABLE RESOURCES

www.thebuyerandretailcoach.com

www.instagram.com/thebuyerandretailcoach

www.tiktok.com/@thebuyerandretailcoach

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

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/

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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How are sales in your business right now? If they could be better and you want to know how to improve them, then you’ll love today’s guest Vee Roberts. Vee is a sales and marketing expert who is going to be talking through her top tips to improve your sales and understand why you may be struggling in the first place. 
KEY TAKEAWAYS

• When it comes to social media, it takes a long time to create reels, especially ones involving the latest trends. A lot of product businesses are now making 15 to 30 second videos without all the frills. 
• You need to have a way to keep hold of your potential customers. If you don’t have a sign up to your mailing list or a link on your socials to your website then you’re losing that person's attention. 
• A good way to keep hold of people is through Facebook Pixel. The Facebook Pixel is a piece of code that you place on your website. It collects data that helps you track conversions from Facebook ads, optimise ads, build targeted audiences for future ads and remarket to people who have already taken some kind of action on your website.
• The understanding of your audience is what allows you to create a really appealing offer that will attract sales. 
• You should be proud enough of your product as a business owner that you’re happy shouting about it from the rooftops. Customers can tell if you’re not invested in your product. You can be a reason that people choose to buy from you rather than someone else. 

BEST MOMENTS
‘The ultimate outcome of branding and marketing is attracting leads and making sales’ 
‘Connect and understand your audience and give them what they need’
‘Some people feel like sales is a swear word’
‘Sales is money in the bank’
EPISODE RESOURCES
https://www.insight2marketing.com
https://www.insight2marketing.com/products
www.instagram.com/insight2marketing
VALUABLE RESOURCES 
www.thebuyerandretailcoach.com
www.instagram.com/thebuyerandretailcoach
www.tiktok.com/@thebuyerandretailcoach
https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/newsletter-sign-up/
ABOUT THE GUEST
For the last 26 years Vee Roberts has been working with and for businesses globally to help them develop, promote and grow their brands. Vee started insight2marketing on a budget of £100, after being made redundant. She has built the business from its very roots to the company it is today, whilst also raising 4 children. 
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/
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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When was the last time you checked how your website is converting? Are you sticking your head in the ground when it comes to SEO not really sure what it's about and how you can make more sales and be seen by more customers? Then tune into today's podcast episode with Pamela Rae Welsh from Worsley creative. We talk about why SEO matters and what are the main pillars of SEO. We also cover the customer journey and depending on your product type how you can help your customer through your content and your website. Pamela goes through really helpful tips and advice on what you can do quickly, easily and for free! to make your website more visible and ultimately make more sales. With the social media space becoming more crowded and sometimes more confusing than making sure your website is optimised and really serving you and your customer is paramount. 
KEY TAKEAWAYS

• SEO is so important because when you think about the millions of active Facebook users per day and the billion people on TikTok, those numbers seem so small when you remember that there are 80,000 Google searches per second. 
• SEO is about getting your website fit and friendly to show to Google users. Google’s simple core purpose is to match the most relevant, trustworthy, and authoritative answers to a user's search terms. 
• Create a structure that takes your ideal customer on a journey. This goes from discovery, to research, purchasing, and post advocacy phases. With the cost of living crisis at the moment, all purchases will become more considered. 
• Create compelling content around the FAQs of your website so that your ideal customer can make an informed decision. A one word answer isn’t going to engage anyone. The more content you produce the more it will pay dividends. 
• Spend time thoroughly researching what your ideal customer is searching for. If you’re a fashion brand then, yes your customers are searching for ‘black dress’, but you’re never going to rank highly compared to companies with millions to spend on advertising. Get clever and be more specific to what you can offer. 
• Use Google Search Console. Google Search Console is a web service by Google which allows webmasters to check indexing status, search queries, crawling errors and optimise visibility of their websites.

BEST MOMENTS
‘Your website is your corner of the internet, it allows you to communicate your brand’ 
‘Content on your website lasts 300 times longer than on social media’
‘A backlink is another website giving a vote of confidence to your website’
‘At the heart of everything is creating great content’
‘If you can get people linking to your website it’s like a vote of confidence’ 
EPISODE RESOURCES
worsleycreative.co.uk
www.facebook.com/worsleycreative
www.pinterest.co.uk/WorsleyCreative/
www.instagram.com/worsley_creative/
Google Search Console
VALUABLE RESOURCES
www.thebuyerandretailcoach.com
www.instagram.com/thebuyerandretailcoach
www.tiktok.com/@thebuyerandretailcoach
https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/newsletter-sign-up/
ABOUT THE GUEST
In 2018 Worsley Creative Services was born as a side hustle. Pamela started the business the same day my Gran was at the end of her life and passed away.  It seemed fitting – she would always ask “are you happy dear?” and starting the business that I know would make me happy was a great tribute.
Worsley Creative started out building friends' businesses websites, helping hobbyists become established businesses with branding and digital marketing strategies and a small Facebook group helping people to understand SEO.
Fast forward 4 years and the business has evolved massively to the point where a rebrand and a relaunch felt the right thing to do to take Pamela’s entrepreneurial journey to the next level.
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/
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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How does it feel when you’re at a crossroads with your business? Do you look for investment, continue as you are, or even fold the business? That’s the topic of discussion this week on Start Scale Succeed as Nicole is joined by Nicky from Wilder Ones, who is at that crossroads with her business right now.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Wilder Ones started as a unisex childrens clothing company and then launched some women’s wear which really took off. It got to the point where children’s clothing wasn’t scaling with the rest of the businesses so now it’s now just women’s wear.
• Cash flow can kill businesses, big and small. After you've gone through your initial investment and don’t have another investor lined up, your cash becomes tied up in stock very quickly and one sale pays for the next purchases.
• Running ads can be a case of trial and error and if you don’t have the cash flow to pay for that marketing you might find growth minimal.
• To keep the product line fresh, Nicky was dropping new lines every month or so.
• If you don’t want to carry on your business, that’s fine. Your business should be for no one but yourself and if it’s not bringing you joy then why do it? Nicky ultimately decided that she’s learned so much from Wilder Ones and wanted to continue that journey.
• As Nicky didn’t have any experience in the fashion industry, she made some mistakes in the beginning. One of her mistakes was over ordering 50 pieces in each size, this led to her having to donate stock.

BEST MOMENTS

‘Organic growth is so slow so you have to advertise’

‘Pre-orders can help with cash flow’

‘You’re better off ordering less and making less profit to test the market’

‘Learn from it, now push on’

‘Take it one step at a time, slowly more has happened and I’m comfortable with the decision’

EPISODE RESOURCES

Wilder Ones

VALUABLE RESOURCES

www.thebuyerandretailcoach.com

www.instagram.com/thebuyerandretailcoach

www.tiktok.com/@thebuyerandretailcoach

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

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/

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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.