The Amaiz Podcast

Amaiz talsk to Troy Norcross of SER Team

The initials of SER Team stand for strategy, execution, and results. Troy set up the consultancy to empower efficiency and decision making in business. As he tells us, engagement is essential - and that extends from celebrating success to managing failure. Troy gives a fascinating insight into business strategy from a global, but utterly relatable perspective. If you’re starting or growing a new business, don’t miss this chat on the challenges of dynamics and scaling as well as:

• Mergers and combining company cultures.
• The ultimate importance of trust.
• Why companies are never digitally mature.
• How the best technology is invisible

As Troy explains, tools are irrelevant, but success is more dependent on learning from the way problems are solved. As for the future, Troy sees opportunities from the world emerging from the pandemic, particularly for companies that seize the critical shift from globalisation to hyper-localisation 

We had a great chat with Rod Beer, MD of the UK Business Angels Association - the not-for-profit trade association that supports the early-stage investment community. It’s a fascinating and informative discussion that’s indispensable for any business thinking about investment this year. 

• What’s the difference between angel investors and venture capitalists? 
• Should businesses that are seeking investment factor in their exit strategy from the start? How has the pandemic affected the investment community?
• How should companies approach angel investors
• What’s more important: people, product, or the idea?

Rod answers these questions and more.  Stepping into Dragon’s Den doesn’t have to be scary, especially if you’ve caught this Amaiz podcast.

Lianne set up LMO Development in April 2020. A challenging time to start a business, but the last year has also highlighted the online potential for talent and learning consultancies. LMO helps organisations of all sizes develop their people. At any other time this would have been part of face-to-face meetings, but COVID meant an immediate pivot in delivery, after quick consultations with her initial clients. Hear why Lianne is optimistic about the future of online learning, systems that balances live interaction with a schedule that suits every employee. No matter how courses change and adapt in the future, online learning is worth the investment.

Find out more about the Amaiz business app and its payments, bookkeeping and accounting features and how they support small business at amaiz.com/features.

Kate Young founded the Safeguarding Association to support professionals in their jobs, creating a space for collaboration that encourages better working in safeguarding. Four years in, Kate talk about business banking as a business owner. Like many owners with a growing business, she faced the challenge of multiple payments into a high street account, Switching to an online account has allowed her to pull everything together and keep track of her income and expenditure without the hassle. In a roller-coaster year, the Association has found it in a good position with respect to support, after setting up an external office at the end of 2019. But Kate’s is a good example of where not all COVID relief is a good fit for smaller companies. The main challenge remains the crucial work supporting vulnerable people around the country. 

Find out more about the Amaiz business app and its payments, bookkeeping and accounting features and how they support small business at https://amaiz.com/features/

A highly experienced recruitment professional, Angelique wanted to make a difference and put the ‘human’ into human resources. New Beginnings Consultation helps candidates appreciate their value, and that’s more important than ever. 2020 brought a rapid shift to home working and Angelique expects changes to working environments and structure to last, and naturally, that means a change to HR. Angelique talks to the Amaiz podcast about the future and her advice is to “throw away the recruitment book”, whether you're in the office or at home. Find out why... 

You can also find out more about the Amaiz business app and its payments, bookkeeping and accounting features and how they support small business at https://amaiz.com/features/

“We are all getting online - it’s a phenomenal opportunity for business owners”

In this podcast, we’re joined by Judy van Niekerk, A serial business-owner across many sectors.  Judy’s made sure she’s at the cutting-edge of technology all the way through and her two current businesses -  working with entrepreneurs and retail traders on a global level - were fortunate to be online when 2020’s disruption hit. But she still needed to adapt and pivot them to respond to the pandemic. 

Covid has changed many things, including business language and the way companies have to respond to real fears and changed mindsets. But in this great chat, Judy talks about the potential for this to change the paradigm, for people to reevaluate their lives, and change the work they work. As she says, the recurrent lockdowns provide an opportunity to build deeper relationships with clients, to expand areas of business and to review business processes. 

While tech is vital to her businesses, Judy explains that banking has remained quite manual. Could it be time to see how automation can help? 

Find out more about the Amaiz business app and its payments, bookkeeping and accounting features and how they support small business at https://amaiz.com/features/

From media production to online production.,, 

Another chat to a business under lockdown. This podcast, we talk to James Garrett, whose video production company grew from moonlighting at university.

Videography and media companies have faced massive disruption during the pandemic. James adapted his company by following the flow to online. While HNE aways ad digital retail for videos, the lockdown accelerated company plans. By expanding training courses and moving physical courses to a digital platform, they pivoted to entirely online production, utilizing tools more commonly used for gaming a year before. Radically altering a business is one thing, but James has seen this as an opportunity to take stock. And interestingly, a chance for him to step outside, take a look at the business objectively and take a step towards what he’s enjoyed more.

Find out more about the Amaiz business app and its payments, bookkeeping and accounting features and how they support small business at https://amaiz.com/features/

2021, what do you have in store?

The Amaiz Podcast talks to experts from across the business spectrum. We've gathered together some of their thoughts, predictions and expectations for 2021.
After an extraordinary year, with question marks hanging over the pandemic and Brexit, what trends will define the year ahead? From office space to sustainability, hyper-localisation to shifts in investment, we get the insight from the experts, including:

Sally Graham of Fern Equity, Troy Norcross of SRT Team, Tom Hall of DeskLodge, Yanitsa Vladimirova of NACUE, John Attridge of BBX, Mike Berners-Lee of Small World Consulting, Zoltan Vass of London Tech Advocates and Oliver Shaw of ‎Kalibrate.

Find out more about the Amaiz business app and its payments, bookkeeping and accounting features and how they support small business at https://amaiz.com/features/

John Attridge of BBX joins us for this fascinating chat about procurement and supply chain. John's vast experience includes setting up BBX. So far, the network that helps companies trade their excess capacity has reached 32 countries and nearly half a million businesses. In this fascinating conversation, he shares his views on the challenges facing effective procurement and supply chains - delegation and proposition. He also shares his unmissable, no-nonsense tips for businesses that want to maximise their procurement process. A key takeaway is doing your research - and there's no better start than this podcast!


Find out more about Amaiz business and the app that provide account, bookkeeping and accounting features to support business at https://amaiz.com/features/

"Welcome to your remote meeting zone."

Innovation is a widely used term, but its meaning is even broader than most people think. Remote-working expert Zoltan Vass joins us to discuss the essential benefits innovation bring to business. He explains how remote working will play a large part in the next industrial revolution, something that has only been accelerated by the past year's events. Zoltan expects that acceleration to continue. But innovation only reaches its potential if a business provides the optimum safe environment, and that means a collaborative culture. Find out why innovation is even more important to your business than you think and even when it... Isn't innovation?

Find out more about Amaiz Business and the app that provides an account, bookkeeping and accounting features to support business at https://amaiz.com/features/