Start Scale Succeed

In this episode of Start Scale Succeed, Nicole is joined by Claire Winter, a trainer, coach and host of the Cracking Content podcast.  Claire helps coaches, creatives, and product-based businesses to amplify their message through storytelling, content and PR, so they can make a bigger impact.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Stories are twenty-two times more memorable than facts. And sixty-two percent of conversations involve stories. It’s the way we communicate as people so you should use it in your content.
• The best storytellers use the structure of Joseph Campbell’s ‘Hero’s Journey’.
• Storytelling engages your audience. It takes them on a journey, it evokes memories and feelings. Bring your audience along with you rather than just telling them facts.
• Claire believes that audio is the best medium to get your story across to an audience. They’re already engaged with you and have brought you into their lives. Don’t be afraid to recycle content from podcasting for example and use it in other forms of media.

BEST MOMENTS

‘What is your USP? What differentiates you? That’s your story’

‘Start with why. Why do you do what you do’

ABOUT THE GUEST

Claire Winter is a trainer, coach and host of the Cracking Content podcast. She is passionate about helping coaches and creative entrepreneurs to amplify their expertise through storytelling, content and PR so that they can get more sales and make a bigger impact. Claire uses a blended coaching and mentoring approach to ignite her client's creativity so they can share their authentic voice and story.  She is a trained NCTJ journalist and started her career at ITN in radio and television. She also runs a Facebook community called Cracking Content where she shares writing, content and PR TIPs

VALUABLE RESOURCES

https://www.thefemaleceo.com/blog?tag=claire+winter

https://clairewinter.info/freebies/30-content-ideas-in-30-minutes/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/crackingcontent/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ClaireWinterUK/

Twitter: @clairewinteruk

Insta: @clairewinteruk

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-winter-writer/
Clubhouse: @clairewinteruk
Website: www.clairewinter.info

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)

CONTACT METHOD

Website http://www.thebuyerandretailcoach.com

IG https://www.instagram.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.

In this episode of Start Scale Succeed, Nicole is joined by Laura Nolan Horgan founder of interiors and lifestyle business LNH Edit. Hear all about how Laura went from having life changing surgery to putting herself and her family first, all while setting up her own business.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Nicole thought she had hit a wall when the tabletop design scene blew up just as she was getting into it. She had her fabrics and designs all ready but felt that she had missed the boat. It was only when she posted about it on Instagram and showed what her designs would have been that people got in touch telling her to keep going and that they loved her products.
• Nicole found working within a larger company didn’t give her the access to information she wanted. She wanted to be sitting in on the board meetings and hearing everything about how the business was doing.
• Getting to know your suppliers over Zoom isn’t idea. When things were easier to do in person you could build and develop those important relationships in person. Talking online it always seems to be focused on business, which while being practical, isn’t the best way to get to know each other which is so important.

BEST MOMENTS

‘Instagram was kind of like my therapy’

‘I wanted to do it using as many sustainable and ethical products as possible’

‘Once Covid is done I’ll be first in line at every trade show’

VALUABLE RESOURCES

www.lnhedit.com

www.instagram.com/lauranolanhorgan

www.instagram.com/lnh_edit

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)

CONTACT METHOD

Website http://www.thebuyerandretailcoach.com

IG https://www.instagram.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.

In this episode of Start Scale Succeed, Nicole is joined by Jason Nelson, digital retail expert and holistic e-commerce consultant. This is a must listen for anyone with an online retail store. Find out how to grow your online sales, optimise SEO, and create a better customer experience on your website.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Only ten percent of small businesses succeed within their first year.
• Make sure you choose the right platform. Squarespace or Wordpress are great but require fine tuning and every time you grow, you’ll have to spend time configuring your website to adapt to your needs. Don’t spend too much time working on your website. Jason recommends Shopify because for e-commerce, it does 98% of what you need out of the box.
• Your website should be easy to navigate. Your most popular products should be in the navigation bar. Remove the home button, the customer will click the logo to go to the home page and it just takes up space.
• Optimise image sizes for your website. Shopify will tell you how to do this.
• Make sure your shopping options are only one click away. The more clicking around someone has to do the easier it is to lose the sale.
• The best performing websites are black text on a white background. Different colours make it harder for the readers eye to digest the words on the page.
• Create a waiting list for sold out products. Have an automated e-mail when the item is back in stock to make customers feel like they are getting a premium service from you. You will get a higher conversion in terms of sales.
• Don’t bother with advertising online until you have optimised your e-mail marketing. Your existing customers are more likely to come back and cheaper to advertise to.
• Your e-mail marketing should be generating roughly 30% of your sales. If this isn’t the case then you aren’t marketing yourself to your mailing list well enough.

BEST MOMENTS

‘Getting caught up with the speed of your website is a tunnel I wouldn’t go down’

‘It’s seven times more expensive to sell to a new customer than it is to sell to an existing one’

‘If there’s a big brand who already do what you do, then you can target their audience through Facebook advertising’

VALUABLE RESOURCES

www.jasonnelsondigital.com

Jason's Instagram

www.klaviyo.com

www.shopify.com

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)

CONTACT METHOD

Website http://www.thebuyerandretailcoach.com

IG https://www.instagram.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.

In the episode this week, Nicole is joined by Laura Briggs founder of petite clothing wear brand The shortlist. This is a recording of an Instagram live where Laura talked about leaving her recruitment business and starting a new British made clothing brand. Find out about UK manufacture, the high of going viral early on and lows having to change designers half way through the collection.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Laura’s advice for anyone thinking about starting their own business is to decide where you want to get to, decide how you’re going to get there, and tackle each thing one by one. By breaking it down into smaller tasks it makes them more manageable and not overwhelming.
• Your brand is created from your vision. Laura tells us how she changed designer mid-way through the process because the designs were just too far from what she envisaged. It can be helpful to get a second opinion from someone you trust to gain an outside perspective on these potential issues. Remember, what is your brand and what does it stand for.
• Happiness in what you do is so important. Laura left her last role because of this and in setting up her own brand has set herself some descriptive goals for how she’ll be feeling by the end of each period. They are busy, established, and excited. When starting out you won’t hit all your financial goals straight away, so having goals like this can boost your confidence.

BEST MOMENTS

‘Often when you’re at your lowest point, that’s when you know you’re about to turn a corner’

‘Keeping things in small runs is a great way to avoid waste and be more sustainable especially when starting out’

‘You don’t want to run away with the excitement of things. I want to do everything in a really smart way’

VALUABLE RESOURCES

www.shoptheshortlist.co.uk

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)

CONTACT METHOD

Website http://www.thebuyerandretailcoach.com

IG https://www.instagram.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.

In this episode, Nicole is in discussion with Lucy Werner, PR and branding expert. Get business advice for pre-launch PR, how to promote when you’ve just started out, and effective post launch campaigns. If you’re asking “how do I get my product mentioned in the media” then this is the podcast for you. Also hear about what goes on at Lucy’s company, The Wern and her new book ‘Brand Yourself’, due out on the 7th of September.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Plan your pre-launch marketing strategy. Get your press release and images ready before you even need them, and make sure to have your professional press shots embedded so the reader can instantly see your hero product.
• So many people spend time prioritising social media and neglect having a good newsletter which can often drive more interest and sales. Ensure the people you’re directing to your website through both mediums have a professional landing page to arrive at. You need to wow at the first opportunity.
• Pre-launch on social media using clever ideas that aren’t just showing the product. We’ve seen fun and inventive posts in the past where the audience has been taken on a behind-the-scenes journey of how and why your product was made.
• Think about what your reactions are. What might go wrong? Delays? Copycats? Bad customer feedback? Have a template already built for these things and future forecast any potential problems.
• Use media to your advantage by joining the Lightbulb Facebook group (linked below). In the group you will see requests from journalists looking for experts to talk on a specific subject. See if you can link your product into one of these interviews that might be tangentially related. Be clear of what is being asked of you and if you can fit into that. Put yourself in the journalist’s shoes. They’re giving you the platform so care enough to give their audience something they want.
• When creating a media list, do your research into who the journalist is and what angle you should use to approach the publication. Make it personal to the audience you're pitching to. Generic proposals can easily be overlooked so instead of writing your company name and product in the subject line, why not entice the reader into clicking on the email with a catchy, well thought out line.

BEST MOMENTS

‘Think about Beyonce taking eight months to rehearse for Coachella. You’re not taking too long, social media makes it look like things happen overnight’

‘Look at the media spaces your audiences are already in’

‘Attachments aren’t friends. They aren’t always opened. Embed your image into the email’

‘How much time should I spend on PR? Well, how much time have you got!’

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Pre-order 'Brand Yourself'

Buy 'Hype Yourself'

TheWern.com

Follow Hype Yourself on Instagram

Follow Lucy on Instagram

Lightbulb Facebook group

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)

CONTACT METHOD

Website http://www.thebuyerandretailcoach.com

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

LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/nicolehigginsuk

Email [email protected]

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

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

In this episode, Nicole is in discussion with Pamela Laird, Beauty Entrepreneur and Previous UK Apprentice candidate. Pamela Tells us about how she went from working in a salon as a teenager to creating her own beauty brand Moxi Loves. Learn about why her bestselling product had to be discontinued and how Pamela ended up in Lord Sugar’s boardroom. She talks about Her vision for waterless beauty and what personal & professional success look like to her.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Launching a bespoke product requires a large order from manufacturers as opposed to the small numbers you can get for simply altering an existing one.
• You need to be resilient in the face of lack of progress trying to get your products into store. Patience and persistence will pay off. The people you’re pitching to are usually as busy as you are and have a lot to get through.
• Be front and centre for your brand. It’s all well and good having distributors but you need to maintain a relationship with the buyer. You're the best person to passionately push your product.
• Having investment is important in building a talented team with the right skills to allow your business to scale.

BEST MOMENTS

‘I wish I had known that the buyer relationship was such an important thing’

‘Working in a team with really good people is so inspiring and there is so much value in that’

‘My advice for people thinking about starting a business is you have to just start’

‘You’ll never work as hard as you will for your own business’

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Moxi Loves on Instagram

Pamela Laird on Instagram

moxiloves.com

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)

CONTACT METHOD

Website http://www.thebuyerandretailcoach.com

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

LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/nicolehigginsuk

Email [email protected]

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

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

In the summer, thoughts often turn to holidays and warm evenings, but could now be the perfect time to consider your Christmas strategy?

In this episode, Nicole talks about why you should be thinking about your Christmas goals, and how best to prepare yourself, and your product business so as to make the most of the busiest shopping period of the year...

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• On average, sales from December tend to make up around 30% of most business's revenue - more if you sell seasonal items.
• Think about last year's best-selling items and consider whether or not they're still relevant? Could they be updated for this year? Most importantly, if you plan to stock them again, have you bought enough?
• If you have a bricks and mortar store, have you thought about the layout of your shopping space? Remember that impulse areas work best around the till areas.
• Consider hiring. VA or assistant to help you in the run up to the Christmas period, They can take the pressure off you and double your working potential in this most busy of periods!

BEST MOMENTS

'This might be the last thing you want to think about when it's 27 degrees outside!'

'Have a look at what price points worked best for you'

'Double-check all your lead times with your suppliers!'

'This can really help you focus and prioritise your time in the business'

VALUABLE RESOURCES

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

PR Dispatch - www.prdispatch.com

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) 

CONTACT METHOD

Website http://www.thebuyerandretailcoach.com

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

LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/nicolehigginsuk

Email [email protected]

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

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

In this episode, Nicole is in discussion with Lucy Haslam, founder of children’s-wear retailer, Acorn and Pip, who are celebrating five years in business.

Lucy discusses the ways in which she took her business from a market stall in Manchester while working as a teacher, to going full-time with the business and taking operations online in 2020. Lucy also talks about the way her brand has evolved, along with practical advice on the steps she has taken to create the brand that Acorn and Pip is today.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Making the leap between employment and following our business dream, is all about making sure our plans are well made, that our future is in sight, and that the systems and processes are in place.
• Situations aren’t always perfect, but we can mitigate and overcome challenge by planning.
• Identify your unique selling point. The brands that lodge in people’s minds are the ones who know how they stand alone.
• Look at your sales funnel and examine the ways in which your customers arrive, and what shape their journey takes as they pass through your sales process.

BEST MOMENTS

‘I planned out the dream. I knew what I wanted Acorn and Pip to become’

‘My head and my heart were saying “you’ve got to do this”’

‘There are communities out there, where you can learn from each other’

‘You don’t have to be better than your competitors. You have to be different’

VALUABLE RESOURCES

www.acornandpip.com

www.acornandpiploves.com

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) 

CONTACT METHOD

Website http://www.thebuyerandretailcoach.com

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

LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/nicolehigginsuk

Email [email protected]

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

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

In this episode, Nicole offers some of the most valuable insights she’s gained from her own journey in business, as well as from those in the top tier of the business world. It’s a practical, insightful guide through some of the finest business wisdom out there, including what to do when you hit a slow period, the importance of preparation, and why you should take action as soon as possible!

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Always do your research! Making sure you’re prepared from the outset can save you time and money, as well as maximise your profits.
• You can’t get anywhere in business unless you take action. Stop waiting and procrastinating and take action today.
• During slow periods of business, it’s always worth taking another look at your purpose, revisiting your vision, and engaging with your community in creative ways
• Never dwell on errors. We all make mistakes. View them as lesson, pick yourself up, and get moving. Keep that momentum high.

BEST MOMENTS 

‘Don’t forget its always easier to reduce something than it is to increase after you’ve launched’

‘Don’t wait for perfection. It will nearly never happen’

‘Understand your own strengths and where you need support then ask for that support when you need it!’

‘At some point you will make a mistake. Learn from it and move on’

VALUABLE RESOURCES

If you're interested in the email list resource mentioned in this episode, send a message to Nicole at nicole@thebuyerandretailcoach

www.klaviyo.com

www.typeform.com

www.smartsurvey.co.uk

www.edited.com

www.globaldata.com

www.wgsn.com

www.statista.com

[email protected]

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) 

CONTACT METHOD

Website http://www.thebuyerandretailcoach.com

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

LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/nicolehigginsuk

Email [email protected]

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

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

In this episode, Nicole talks to Moira Fuller, founder of Craftiosity, a specialist in helping people to establish and grow their subscription box business, and the author of ‘The £100k Subscription Box Masterclass’.

Moira talks about how she grew her business from the kitchen table to a six-figure concern, why you should always follow your instincts when it comes to business, and the secrets behind how to build a successful subscription model for your business.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Sometimes it takes trial and error to find our place in the business world. Never assume that you can’t make a change for the better, no matter where you are.
• When you’re a part of a small business, implementing automation, systems and processes can help you to accelerate growth and establish patterns for the future
• Subscriptions appeal to people as specially curated collections of products are desirable. They have to involve products that people buy regularly, and which have that wow factor.
• By focussing on subscription models, we are selling direct-to-customer, instead of going through a middle-man. This affects profit margins considerably, and also allows you to develop a personal, intimate rapport with the people you supply.

BEST MOMENTS 

‘I enjoy the creativity of creating something’

‘There was a very strong gnawing inside, that this was the right thing to do’

‘You have to work out if it makes sense for your customer’

‘It’s about creating little moments for people’

VALUABLE RESOURCES

www.moirafuller.co.uk

www.instagram.com/subscription_box_academy

https://www.moirafuller.co.uk/8-elements-to-100k-subscription-box-masterclass-join

www.craftiosity.co.uk

www.instagram.com/craftiosity

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) 

CONTACT METHOD

Website http://www.thebuyerandretailcoach.com

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

LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/nicolehigginsuk

Email [email protected]

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

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