Start Scale Succeed

This weeks episode Nicole chats about how  to build commercial ranges for your product business. 

Nicole shares some of the mistakes she made whilst working as a buyer for major high street retailers and how you can create and develop products that are the right fit for your business 

Focusing on people, the product and profit  Nicole breaks down actions to take when planning for the seasons ahead. 

The Host 

Nicole Higgins is a seasoned professional with over 18 years experience in the retail industry, having worked as a buyer  with blue-chip companies such as Primark and M&S across multi product categories from Bras to Beauty 

 Her journey in the corporate world has equipped her with a wealth of knowledge and insights that she now dedicates to empowering startups and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in their journey to growth, profit  and scalability.

Nicole specializes in guiding businesses through the intricacies of start up,  strategy, sourcing and  product development. Her keen understanding of market dynamics allows her to provide tailored solutions that drive success in today's competitive landscape.

Nicole Higgins 

The Buyer and retail coach 

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/

Sponsors 

Neon Digital Clicks 

Are you ready to scale your ecommerce store? Want to do it without having to wear yet another hat and become a digital marketing expert? This episode is brought to you by Neon Digital Clicks, THE paid-traffic partner for family and women’s e-commerce brands wanting to scale their stores from five figure to six figure months using Meta, Google and Klaviyo marketing services.  

Neon is offering listeners a FREE scaling audit worth £3000! 

So whether your sales have plateaued or you

’re looking for growth, this is a great opportunity to lift the lid on your biz and identify where the opportunities are hiding. 

Head to scaleandglow.com to discover just how much revenue you could scale your store to this year. 

https://scaleandglow.com/

https://neondigitalclicks.co.uk/

https://www.instagram.com/neondigitalclicks/

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

Using a distributor for your beauty or wellness  brand can catapult your growth. 

In ep 139 of start scale succeed host Nicole Higgins chats with Catherine Collins about the practical tips for identifying and collaborating with the right distributor. 

Catherine established a distribution agency in the middle east and now provides expert consultancy for beauty and wellness brands 

This week some of the topics covered are 

• The pivotal role of distributors in a brand's expansion and the critical factors that determine when a brand is ready to work with a distributor.
• The financial mechanics of distributor partnerships, including the ideal margin rule for pricing 
• The distinction between the roles of distributors and agents in the growth of a brand, and what brands can expect from each.
• Characteristics of founders who steer their brands towards success, such as a growth mindset, resilience, and a purpose-driven approach to their business.
• An overview of current trends shaping the beauty industry, including consumer interest in scientifically-backed products and doctor-led brands.
•  Practical tips for identifying and collaborating with the right distributor, including questions to ask and strategies to foster a lasting and beneficial relationship.

Guest 

Catherine Collins 

Catherine’s career spans across multiple markets from building an international beauty distribution business in the Middle East to advising some of the world’s most well known beauty brands on their global strategy and working closely with high growth startups and connecting them with investors.  She has a deep understanding of international markets and how to scale a brand successfully and has worked with a variety of different retailers and distributors worldwide. 

https://www.constellarconsultancy.com/

https://www.instagram.com/constellarconsultancy/

Host 

Nicole Higgins 

The Buyer and retail coach 

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/

Neon Digital Clicks 

Are you ready to scale your ecommerce store? Want to do it without having to wear yet another hat and become a digital marketing expert? This episode is brought to you by Neon Digital Clicks, THE paid-traffic partner for family and women’s e-commerce brands wanting to scale their stores from five figure to six figure months using Meta, Google and Klaviyo marketing services.  

Neon is offering listeners a FREE scaling audit worth £3000! 

So whether your sales have plateaued or you

’re looking for growth, this is a great opportunity to lift the lid on your biz and identify where the opportunities are hiding. 

Head to scaleandglow.com to discover just how much revenue you could scale your store to this year. 

https://scaleandglow.com/

https://neondigitalclicks.co.uk/

https://www.instagram.com/neondigitalclicks/

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

The retail market in the middle east is worth approx $80 billion dollars, but how do you break into that market as a brand and what do you need to consider 

In this episode of Start Scale Succeed Nicole chats with Abbie founder of base brands a brand strategy & consulting company based in Dubai about selling and launching in the Dubai market 

Some of the areas discussed are: 

• Tips and advice for breaking into the market  from customers to logistics 
• What to consider culturally and shopping habits in Dubai 
• Trends & Market changes that are emerging in the middle east 
• Red tape and legislation 
• The mistakes the small businesses make when trying to sell in Dubai 
• The different types of retailers and expected payment terms 

Guest 

https://www.basebrandsco.com/

https://www.instagram.com/base.brands/

Nicole Higgins 

The Buyer and retail coach 

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/

Neon Digital Clicks 

Are you ready to scale your ecommerce store? Want to do it without having to wear yet another hat and become a digital marketing expert? This episode is brought to you by Neon Digital Clicks, THE paid-traffic partner for family and women’s e-commerce brands wanting to scale their stores from five figure to six figure months using Meta, Google and Klaviyo marketing services.  

Neon is offering listeners a FREE scaling audit worth £3000! 

So whether your sales have plateaued or you

’re looking for growth, this is a great opportunity to lift the lid on your biz and identify where the opportunities are hiding. 

Head to scaleandglow.com to discover just how much revenue you could scale your store to this year. 

https://scaleandglow.com/

https://neondigitalclicks.co.uk/

https://www.instagram.com/neondigitalclicks/

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

Recent closures of high street chains further highlights the challenges of bricks and mortar stores, but how are the new kids on the block building their businesses and creating a community. 

This episode I chat with Cat Anderson founder of sustainable clothing store Treen a  vegan fashion retailer, offering a selection of style must-haves from a carefully selected group of brands that make a positive difference. Providing a killer wardrobe without Killing the planet. 

This episode we chat about her start up journey, what she is doing to build the business and building relationships and becoming more than a retail brand and how she gets the community and her team  involved in the brand. 

The sustainable initiatives that she has planned for the future and why they mean so much to her and the brand. 

https://www.instagram.com/shoptreen_/

https://shoptreen.com/

Nicole Higgins 

The Buyer and retail coach 

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/

Neon Digital Clicks 

Are you ready to scale your ecommerce store? Want to do it without having to wear yet another hat and become a digital marketing expert? This episode is brought to you by Neon Digital Clicks, THE paid-traffic partner for family and women’s e-commerce brands wanting to scale their stores from five figure to six figure months using Meta, Google and Klaviyo marketing services.  

Neon is offering listeners a FREE scaling audit worth £3000! 

So whether your sales have plateaued or you

’re looking for growth, this is a great opportunity to lift the lid on your biz and identify where the opportunities are hiding. 

Head to scaleandglow.com to discover just how much revenue you could scale your store to this year. 

https://scaleandglow.com/

https://neondigitalclicks.co.uk/

https://www.instagram.com/neondigitalclicks/

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

Are you using your stories to their full potential? 

Using stories to connect and sell is key to help you business grow. Ep 136 is with creative content consultant May Castillo our key focus today is How to sell in your stories. 

Some of the topics we chat about are: 

1. "Fearless Selling" - Overcome the emotional barriers to confidently sell your products or services.
2. "Sales Foundations" - Understand essential sales strategies before utilizing Instagram stories to sell.
3. "Consumer Shifts" - Adapt to changes in consumer behavior favoring stories and messaging over feeds and reels.
4. "Story Sequencing" - Craft a compelling narrative throughout the day to engage viewers and lead them to purchase.
5. "Client Transformations" - Use client stories to show the impact of your product, enhancing its value proposition.
6. "Storytelling Mastery" - Maintain a logical sequence in storytelling; start with a problem and end with a solution.
7. "Creative Sales" - Infuse creativity in sales through gamification and customer involvement for better engagement.
8. "Avoid Mistakes" - Ensure context, relevance, and storytelling flow to avoid common storytelling pitfalls.
9. "Profile Optimization" - Create a strong profile with strategic pinned posts to attract and retain followers.
10. "SMS Engagement" - Utilize SMS marketing sparingly to build personal connections and boost engagement.

Guest 

May Castillo 

https://www.instagram.com/talktomay/ 

https://www.talktomay.com/10commandmentsofigstories

Nicole Higgins 

The Buyer and retail coach 

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/

Neon Digital Clicks 

Are you ready to scale your ecommerce store? Want to do it without having to wear yet another hat and become a digital marketing expert? This episode is brought to you by Neon Digital Clicks, THE paid-traffic partner for family and women’s e-commerce brands wanting to scale their stores from five figure to six figure months using Meta, Google and Klaviyo marketing services.  

Neon is offering listeners a FREE scaling audit worth £3000! 

So whether your sales have plateaued or you

’re looking for growth, this is a great opportunity to lift the lid on your biz and identify where the opportunities are hiding. 

Head to scaleandglow.com to discover just how much revenue you could scale your store to this year. 

https://scaleandglow.com/

https://neondigitalclicks.co.uk/

https://www.instagram.com/neondigitalclicks/

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

On average 35-40% of your turnover in your product business should come from your email marketing. If you're not quite reaching that target then this episode is for you. 

This week in the start scale succeed podcast I chat with Hannah Spicer email marketing expert 

During the podcast, Hannah shares valuable insights on:

- Mistakes businesses make with their emails

- Building effective retention and win-back email flows

- Optimizing open and click-through rates

- Creating engaging and successful email campaigns

- And much more!

If you're new to email marketing or looking to enhance your current strategies, this episode is a must-listen. Gain practical advice and actionable tips straight from an industry expert.

Guest Hannah Spicer 

 https://www.instagram.com/hannahspicer_consulting/

https://www.hspicerconsulting.com/

Nicole Higgins 

The Buyer and retail coach 

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/

Neon Digital Clicks 

Are you ready to scale your ecommerce store? Want to do it without having to wear yet another hat and become a digital marketing expert? This episode is brought to you by Neon Digital Clicks, THE paid-traffic partner for family and women’s e-commerce brands wanting to scale their stores from five figure to six figure months using Meta, Google and Klaviyo marketing services.  

Neon is offering listeners a FREE scaling audit worth £3000! 

So whether your sales have plateaued or you

’re looking for growth, this is a great opportunity to lift the lid on your biz and identify where the opportunities are hiding. 

Head to scaleandglow.com to discover just how much revenue you could scale your store to this year. 

https://scaleandglow.com/

https://neondigitalclicks.co.uk/

https://www.instagram.com/neondigitalclicks/

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

In this episode of Start Scale Succeed host Nicole Higgins is joined by guest Katie Tucker, author of "Do penguins eat peaches  and founder of Product Jungle. Together, they delve into the essential topic of understanding customers and how businesses can leverage this understanding to thrive. Katie provides invaluable insights into market research, customer discovery, and the importance of aligning with customer values.

Listeners will gain practical tips for conducting effective surveys, testing product viability, and maintaining a collaborative approach with customers. Whether you're an established business or an entrepreneur just starting out, this episode offers actionable strategies to enhance your relationship with your customers and fuel business growth.

Buy Katies’ Book Do penguins eat peaches  book 

https://www.productjungle.co.uk/about

https://www.instagram.com/productjungle/

Guest Bio 

Katie Tucker is an inspirational product leader with over twelve years’ experience in leading teams and delivering stand-out digital products and services. She is also a writer, author of the Amazon bestselling book Do Penguins Eat Peaches? and a speaker.

In 2020, she set-up Product Jungle. A boutique consultancy with bite - using tools and hacks from the world of big tech to help small businesses and social enterprises embrace customer problems and build products and services that sell. 

After starting her career in the fast-paced world of commodity markets, working her way up from business reporter to managing editor and overseeing the daily product and digital delivery of ten B2B publications, she worked for a successful FTSE 100 company for over ten years, inspiring teams, setting product strategies and delivering transformational digital products with a clear focus on user needs.

In 2018, she made the bold move to quit the corporate 9-5 to travel the world for ten months with her family, a life-changing experience which led to renewed sense of purpose. Product Jungle was born out of a passion of demystifying big tech practices.   

Nicole Higgins 

The Buyer and retail coach 

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/

Neon Digital Clicks 

Are you ready to scale your ecommerce store? Want to do it without having to wear yet another hat and become a digital marketing expert? This episode is brought to you by Neon Digital Clicks, THE paid-traffic partner for family and women’s e-commerce brands wanting to scale their stores from five figure to six figure months using Meta, Google and Klaviyo marketing services.  

Neon is offering listeners a FREE scaling audit worth £3000! 

So whether your sales have plateaued or you

’re looking for growth, this is a great opportunity to lift the lid on your biz and identify where the opportunities are hiding. 

Head to scaleandglow.com to discover just how much revenue you could scale your store to this year. 

https://scaleandglow.com/

https://neondigitalclicks.co.uk/

https://www.instagram.com/neondigitalclicks/

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

The UK wedding industry is worth £14 billion and this weeks’ Guest is definitely having their slice of the pie. 

Revolutionizing the bridal industry with the “airbnb” of bridal rentals. 

I chat with co-founder Ella Gaskell about PS Bridal Rental,  a rental and resale platform. 

Celebrity Stylist Ella partnered with Zoe Jervoise Graham 

to start the business after establishing during covid that there was a definite gap in the market for the idea 

We discuss about how the idea came to life and how networking and tech accelerator programmes helped the business happen and move forward. 

The  Unique features and services that  P.S. Bridal Rental's  offerings, including at-home try-ons, reversible alterations, and the recent addition of a resale service for wedding dresses.

The Future ambitions of the business- Get an exclusive glimpse into P.S. Bridal Rental's global expansion plans and its mission to cater to diverse cultures and traditions in the wedding space.

P.S. Bridal Rental is not just a business; it's a game-changer in the wedding industry, empowering brides to embrace sustainable and affordable options without compromising on their dream attire.

https://www.instagram.com/psbridalrental

https://psbridal.co.uk/

Nicole Higgins 

The Buyer and retail coach 

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/

Neon Digital Clicks 

Are you ready to scale your ecommerce store? Want to do it without having to wear yet another hat and become a digital marketing expert? This episode is brought to you by Neon Digital Clicks, THE paid-traffic partner for family and women’s e-commerce brands wanting to scale their stores from five figure to six figure months using Meta, Google and Klaviyo marketing services.  

Neon is offering listeners a FREE scaling audit worth £3000! 

So whether your sales have plateaued or you

’re looking for growth, this is a great opportunity to lift the lid on your biz and identify where the opportunities are hiding. 

Head to scaleandglow.com to discover just how much revenue you could scale your store to this year. 

https://scaleandglow.com/

https://neondigitalclicks.co.uk/

https://www.instagram.com/neondigitalclicks/

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

Content pillars - a term we often hear talked about in relation to social media and creating content but what are they?  how many should you have? and how do you establish what they are, In this episode Nicole chats with Char Dixon ex head of marketing for Dune and New Look (to name a few ) and founder of loud mouth content. 

Chars’ aim is to reduce the overwhelm of content creation for small business owners 

The episode guides both new and existing businesses on reassessing scattered content and aligning it with both brand values and audience interests 

Char Dixon https://www.loudmouthcontent.com/

Nicole Higgins 

The Buyer and retail coach 

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/

Neon Digital Clicks 

Are you ready to scale your ecommerce store? Want to do it without having to wear yet another hat and become a digital marketing expert? This episode is brought to you by Neon Digital Clicks, THE paid-traffic partner for family and women’s e-commerce brands wanting to scale their stores from five figure to six figure months using Meta, Google and Klaviyo marketing services.  

Neon is offering listeners a FREE scaling audit worth £3000! 

So whether your sales have plateaued or you

’re looking for growth, this is a great opportunity to lift the lid on your biz and identify where the opportunities are hiding. 

Head to scaleandglow.com to discover just how much revenue you could scale your store to this year. 

https://scaleandglow.com/

https://neondigitalclicks.co.uk/

https://www.instagram.com/neondigitalclicks/

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

From running home on her lunch break  to post orders to now owning a bricks and mortar store, a thriving online business and co-founding a ladies fashion brand. 

In this weeks episode of Start scale succeed (ep 131) I chat with Sophie Cafolla founder of stock & Co a stunning children’s lifestyle brand on how the brand has evolved over the years and why bricks and mortar is key to their growth. 

Sophie shares great insight and tips that will really help and inspire you in you business and on your journey.

Listen to hear how:

Sophie Embraced Failure Using early setbacks as learning opportunities to improve business strategies and product offerings

How they rebranded so that they could strategically expand and diversify the business

How understanding the numbers and the financials were key to help navigate growth and plan feedback 

How listening to buyer feedback and acting quickly helped Sophie get stocked in their first wholesale account nationwide 

Guest links 

www.WonderCru.com 

Www.stork-co.com 

Host 

Nicole Higgins 

The Buyer and retail coach 

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/

Neon Digital Clicks 

Are you ready to scale your ecommerce store? Want to do it without having to wear yet another hat and become a digital marketing expert? This episode is brought to you by Neon Digital Clicks, THE paid-traffic partner for family and women’s e-commerce brands wanting to scale their stores from five figure to six figure months using Meta, Google and Klaviyo marketing services.  

Neon is offering listeners a FREE scaling audit worth £3000! 

So whether your sales have plateaued or you’re looking for growth, this is a great opportunity to lift the lid on your biz and identify where the opportunities are hiding. 

Head to scaleandglow.com to discover just how much revenue you could scale your store to this year. 

https://scaleandglow.com/

https://neondigitalclicks.co.uk/

https://www.instagram.com/neondigitalclicks/

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