The Business Babble

Andy Low from OKTO Group joins the lads for a real-world chat about automation that actually makes sense. No fluffy jargon, no “just add AI” nonsense. Instead, Andy breaks down how businesses can connect the dots between enquiries, quotes, job scheduling, and customer comms so nothing gets missed and nobody’s hunting through WhatsApp, email, Messenger, and spreadsheets.

They dig into the truth about “AI taking jobs”, why most systems only do 80% of what you need, and why the last 20% is where the magic happens. Plus, Andy shares how COVID pushed him from Excel-heavy data work into building tools that turn days of manual reporting into one click, and why the human touch still matters more than any software.

If you’re serious about saving time, tightening up your processes, and scaling without losing your soul, this one will give you plenty to think about and a few ideas you can put into action straight away.

In this episode of Business Babble, we’re joined by Sabine Klaus Carter, founder of Creation Editor and an award-winning videographer and photographer with over 20 years’ experience working with businesses, charities and startups across Scotland and beyond.

Sabine shares why most business videos fail, why preparation matters more than filming, and how authentic storytelling can help small businesses outperform much larger competitors. We talk about return on investment, trust-based marketing, behind-the-scenes content, podcasts, and how video continues to drive results long after it’s published.

She also shares her personal journey, from growing up in a toy factory in Germany to studying art and filmmaking in Dundee, working with clean rooms, universities, charities, startups and helping raise millions in funding through powerful video storytelling.

If you’re a business owner wondering whether photography, videography or podcasting is worth the investment, this episode will completely change how you think about marketing.

1. Why 80% of great video happens before filming starts
2. How video builds trust and long-term ROI for SMEs
3. Behind-the-scenes content vs polished website videos
4. Common mistakes businesses make on YouTube and Instagram
5. How video helps small businesses compete with national brands
6. Budget-friendly ways to use video without spreading yourself thin
7. The power of networking, follow-up and authenticity in business
8. Sabine’s journey from student filmmaker to trusted business partner

Whether you’re just starting out or scaling an established business, this conversation is packed with practical insights and inspiration.

🎧 Subscribe for more real conversations with business owners, creatives and entrepreneurs.

📩 Find Sabine at creationeditor.co.uk

In the first Business Babble episode of 2026, we’re joined by Michael Crookston from Datel Solutions, a telecommunications provider helping businesses across Scotland and the North of England modernise how they communicate.

The UK’s legacy copper phone network is being switched off on 27/01/2027, and Michael shares why this is one of the biggest telecoms changes in decades. We break down what the switch off means for business owners, how VoIP and IP telephony actually work, and why modern companies are moving beyond basic phone lines into Unified Communications (UC).

We also get into practical topics that matter in the real world, including call recording, call analytics, staff performance monitoring, CRM integration, and how to keep service quality high while scaling a growing business. Plus, we discuss AI in telecoms and customer service, including real time meeting transcription, sentiment analysis, action points, and what business owners should ask before jumping on the AI bandwagon.

If you’re a business owner thinking about phone systems, internet connectivity, business WiFi, Microsoft Teams calling, or preparing for the UK PSTN switch off, this episode is packed with insights you can use right now.

1. The UK phone line switch off and what’s changing by 27/01/2027
2. VoIP explained in plain English (voice over your internet connection)
3. Unified Communications (UC) and why businesses are adopting it
4. Call reporting, analytics and monitoring without “being devious”
5. Improving customer journey with data and consistent processes
6. Scaling a business without losing service quality
7. AI in telecoms: transcription, sentiment, next steps and automation
8. Why “people buy from people” still matters in 2026

Michael Crookston

Datel Solutions

Business line: 01383 844244

Email: [email protected]

UK PSTN switch off, copper network switch off, VoIP UK, business phone system Scotland, IP telephony, unified communications UC, Microsoft Teams calling, call analytics, call recording, CRM integration, business telecoms, business WiFi solutions, customer journey, onboarding processes, AI in business communications, sentiment analysis, Fireflies transcription

Subscribe for more episodes on business growth, real conversations, and practical strategies for entrepreneurs in Scotland and beyond.

#BusinessBabble #VoIP #Telecoms #UnifiedCommunications #UKBusiness #ScotlandBusiness #PSTNSwitchoff #MicrosoftTeams #CustomerExperience #AI

Most business owners see insurance as a grudge purchase. Something you pay for and hope you never need. But what happens when the worst actually happens?

In this episode of the Business Babble podcast, we sit down with Doug from NFU Mutual Edinburgh to unpack the reality of business insurance, risk management, and why protection is one of the most misunderstood decisions entrepreneurs make.

We talk honestly about why insurance is never about fear, why cheap cover often fails when it matters most, and how real claims change the way business owners think forever.

Doug shares his journey from university and military ambitions into running an insurance agency, starting during COVID, and building a trusted business backed by relationships, credibility, and long-term thinking.

If you are a business owner, director, self-employed professional, or planning to start a business, this episode will challenge how you think about risk, responsibility, and protecting what you have worked so hard to build.

1. Why insurance feels like a grudge purchase and why that mindset is dangerous
2. The real reason cheap insurance policies fail when you need them most
3. Business interruption myths exposed after COVID
4. Why brokers matter more than price comparison websites
5. How underwriting actually works and why honesty matters
6. Cyber insurance, professional indemnity, and modern business risks
7. Key man insurance and protecting the future of your company
8. Real-world examples of claims, floods, fires, accidents, and business failure
9. How trust, relationships, and education protect businesses long-term

This episode is essential listening for UK business owners who want peace of mind, resilience, and a smarter approach to protecting their business, their people, and their future.

🎧 Listen now and rethink how you protect what matters.

Most business owners focus on growth, sales, and scaling… but completely ignore the one thing that actually determines whether they end up financially free or financially trapped.

In this episode of Business Babble, we sit down with Will Burns from Carnethy Wealth to break down the financial basics that nobody teaches at school and most entrepreneurs leave far too late.

We talk honestly about:

1. What a financial advisor actually does and when you really need one
2. Why starting early matters more than how much you earn
3. How compound interest really works (in plain English)
4. The biggest financial mistakes business owners make
5. Pensions, ISAs, and why not using your allowances costs you thousands
6. How to extract profits from your business in a tax-efficient way
7. Why protecting your income and your business is just as important as growing it
8. The importance of planning your exit before you even think about selling
9. Why “DIY investing” often fails without the right mindset
10. How young people can build wealth even on an average wage

If you’re a business owner, entrepreneur, or someone who wants to build long-term financial security for yourself or your family, this conversation could completely change how you think about money.

This episode is not about get-rich-quick schemes or hype. It’s about mindset, planning, protection, and making your money work for you over the long term.

👇 Drop a comment below:

What’s one financial move you wish you’d made earlier?

👍 Like the video if this helped

🔔 Subscribe to Business Babble for real conversations about business, money, and mindset

It’s the Business Babble Christmas special, complete with jumpers, mugs, lights, and Johnny “Hoho”. But after the laughs, the chat turns real. 2025 felt tough for a lot of businesses, so we dig into what reflection actually means when you can’t remember last Thursday’s dinner, and why you need a simple strategy to review what really moved the needle.

We talk focus and planning for 2026, cash flow realities, recurring revenue pressure, and why most businesses stay stuck doing the same things hoping for different results. There’s a big theme of ripping off the band aid, having the uncomfortable conversations, tightening the basics customers notice, and building better information systems so you stop running purely on gut feel.

We also get into succession planning, building a business that isn’t reliant on you, debt as a tool (and banks wanting “two kidneys”), and why experiences beat stuff every time. A funny, honest, practical episode to help you shut off, reset, and go into 2026 with clearer priorities and more purpose.

In this episode of Business Babble, the lads start with the chaos of World Cup ticket pricing, resale mark-ups, and the reality of the “working fan” getting priced out… then pivot into a proper conversation about mental fitness, routines, mentorship, and why business can feel so lonely.

You’ll hear:

• The real-world value of a morning routine, from faith and quiet time to getting in early and winning the first hours of the day
• Why power naps and knowing your peak energy window can change your productivity
• The truth about mentors, advisory boards, and why you shouldn’t try to figure everything out yourself
• The big takeaway: an advisory board’s main job is risk management, and even the best boards only get it right 50% of the time
• Hard-earned lessons on resilience, perspective, and why “this too shall pass” is more than just a phrase
• A timely reminder about time, screens, and actually living in the moment

If you’re building a business, leading a team, or just trying to keep your head right through pressure, this one hits.

👍 Like, subscribe, and drop a comment: what’s one change you’re prepared to make in 2026 to improve your life and business?

This week the lads dive straight into the uncomfortable truth that most business owners avoid. If you feel constantly exhausted, stuck in the hamster wheel and wondering why the payoff never seems to match the effort, this episode hits home.

Johnny, Mike and Wicus unpack the realities behind burnout, bad clients, rising costs, government pressure and why so many owners end up trading a job for a harder job without even realising it. From difficult staff to spiralling expenses, from tax frustration to losing sight of your goals, this is an honest look at why business feels tougher than ever and what you can actually do about it.

Inside this episode

• the real difference between owning a business and owning a job

• why one toxic client or staff member drains all your energy

• how to get control of your costing, pricing and margins for 2026

• the bell curve of staff and who you should stop wasting time on

• the shareholder mentality every top performer has

• why most owners never hit their goals and how to change that

• how to build a plan you’ll actually stick to

• why culture is behaviour, not buzzwords

• the emotional toll of leadership and how to regain your fire

There’s laughter, frustration, proper rants and some very real advice on building something that works for your life instead of swallowing it whole.

If you feel like you’ve been working forever and getting nowhere, this episode will give you clarity, direction and a much needed reset before the new year.

Are you still turning up, talking too much and wondering why prospects are not buying? In this episode of Business Babble, Mike, Johnny and Wicus sit down with Edinburgh based sales trainer Brendan Walsh (Hawthorne Business Group) to break down what good selling actually looks like in 2025.

Brendan shares why old school hard sell tactics fail, why your prospects do not care about your product and only care about what you can do for them, and how to move from “show up and throw up” to authentic, needs based selling. He explains his QDQ model for sales activity (quantity, direction, quality), why results are backward looking, and why your focus should be on consistent, proactive sales activity instead.

You will learn:

• Why everyone in business is in sales, whether you like it or not
• How to run a first sales meeting where the prospect does 80% of the talking
• The QDQ framework to drive better pipeline and more consistent results
• How to handle objections without getting defensive or discounting on price
• Why “no dickheads” should be a non negotiable rule for your ideal clients
• The power of referrals, repeat business and preparation in B2B sales

If you are a business owner, salesperson or consultant who wants to close more deals without feeling pushy, this conversation is packed with practical sales tips, objection handling techniques and mindset shifts you can use straight away.

📌 Guest

Brendan Walsh, Hawthorne Business Group, Edinburgh

Sales training, sales management and coaching for SMEs and growing teams.

👍 Like, subscribe and hit the bell for more real world business, sales and mindset conversations from the Business Babble podcast.

#sales #salestips #salestraining #smallbusiness #B2Bsales #businesstips #authenticselling #BusinessBabble

In this hard-hitting episode, Johnny, Mike and Wicus dive into the looming economic downturn that everyone can feel coming. Rather than sugar-coating it, they break down exactly how business owners should prepare, from stress-testing your numbers to stripping back expenses, strengthening your people, and tightening up your sales process.

They explore practical steps to survive and thrive during a correction: building cash reserves, diversifying clients, improving customer experience, cutting non-essential costs, reviewing debt, and spotting the opportunities that appear when others panic.

The trio also dig into leadership, culture and team resilience, sharing the mindset shifts needed to steer a business through tough times. If you’re a business owner who wants to stay in control rather than get caught off guard, this episode gives you the strategic backbone you need.

This is your world. Shape it, or someone else will.