The Ultimate FD Podcast

Magic Moments Ep 27 is here ✨

In this week's episode I'm joined by my guest Steven Day, who's an absolute wizard when it comes to building virtual teams. If you're looking to scale your business while keeping costs down, this episode is packed with gold!

Steven walked me through how he's helped businesses save a ton of money by hiring talented people from around the world. The numbers are pretty eye-opening - you can hire someone with serious management skills in the Philippines for way less than what you'd pay in the UK, without sacrificing quality.

He shared this brilliant concept of being "unavailably available" - which basically means not being on call 24/7 so your team learns to solve problems themselves. This has been a game-changer for me personally! 🙏🏻

We also got into some practical stuff like setting up regular stand-up meetings and regular value-focused sessions to keep everyone aligned, even when they're spread across different time zones.

If you're feeling stuck because hiring locally is eating up all your profits, this episode shows you exactly how to build a killer virtual team that can transform your business. Steven's strategies for managing across cultures and time zones are practical and proven 🚀

Let me know what you think after listening! Did any particular strategies stand out to you?

Did you enjoy this Magic Moment? Click here to listen to the full episode.

I recently turned 35 and so in this special birthday episode of the UFD podcast, I am reflecting on my 35 years and sharing the most valuable entrepreneurial lessons I've learned throughout my journey! 🙌🏻

I open up about building my seven-figure property portfolio over the past decade and the key principles that have guided my success.

I dive into essential entrepreneurial mantras like "trust the process," "sell packages, not products," and "a deal is a deal" - explaining how these philosophies have shaped my business decisions.

Bringing you professional insights with personal stories that illustrate how embracing failure, finding your niche, and surrounding yourself with the right team have contributed to my growth 🚀

From building a business ecosystem to smart property investments, I cover the journey of an entrepreneur at various stages, going over the importance of proper goal-setting and consistent execution.

Whether you're just starting out or looking to scale your existing ventures, this episode offers you practical wisdom drawn from real-world experience!

Join me for this candid look at entrepreneurship through the lens of 35 years of life lessons 🎂

PART 2 coming next week! I hope you enjoy 🥳

Welcome to Episode 26 of Magic Moments! ✨

In this week's Magic Moment we're diving deep into financial resilience, the mental side of money and how it affects everything else in your life and business.

Joined by my guest Akash Desai, we talk about why you need actual plans, not just hopes, for your money, and the importance of balancing working IN your business versus ON your financial future 💸

We discuss how your personal money goals should connect with your business ones for true financial well-being. And help you learn about establishing clear financial objectives and backup plans that minimise stress and support sustained business growth.

The bottom line from this episode is clear: get your money sorted BEFORE it becomes a problem! And make sure your business goals actually connect to what you want in your personal life.

Tune in, listen and learn! 🎧

Did you enjoy this Magic Moment? Click here to listen to the full episode.

I am super excited to share this latest episode with you all where I got to chat with the amazing Glenn Poulos - a true sales guru with over 40 years of experience! 🚀

Glenn's journey is pretty incredible. He started as a government worker back in '82, then made the leap into sales where he absolutely crushed it.

He eventually built and sold multiple successful sales companies (the latest one to private equity in 2022!) and now he's venturing into the power utility space.

During our conversation, Glenn dropped some serious knowledge bombs:

💣 You don't need fancy degrees to make bank in sales - Glenn mentioned you could potentially make $400K in your first or second year if you're good!

💣 Always identify your customers BEFORE developing your product. Glenn's advice is to find 10 potential customers who say they'll buy your idea before you invest too much time in it

💣 Sales and marketing should be separate functions in your business - don't waste your top salespeople's time on activities that could be delegated

💣 Use every sales interaction - win or lose - as a learning opportunity, and always keep the momentum going

I really loved Glenn's practical approach. He's not about fancy theories - he's about what actually works in the trenches 🙌🏻

Let me know what you thought of this episode! I found Glenn's insights super valuable and I'm sure you will too. Tune in now! 🎧

If you want to connect with Glenn, you can find him on LinkedIn and across other social platforms. He also has a book available on Amazon and offers a free presentation template called "Punch, Perfect Pitch, and Close" on his website. All links are below!

Glenn's Website

Glenn's social links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/glennpoulos/ https://twitter.com/GlennPoulos https://www.instagram.com/glenn.poulos/ https://www.facebook.com/glenn.poulos/

Magic Moment 25 has landed! ✨

In this week's episode of Magic Moments, along with my guest Mo, we dive into the nuanced strategies of maximising your business margins through efficient supply chain management.

We highlight the clever use of vertical and horizontal margins in boosting your business profitability - this is particularly useful for letting agents and other service-oriented businesses.

We discuss the hidden potential in aligning business operations for maximum gains - giving you actionable insights and compelling real-world examples 💪🏻

Mo shares his practical success in letting agency operations, detailing how small changes in internal processes have resulted in impressive gains, changing the outlook on service delivery and client satisfaction 🚀

We also chat about using strategic partnerships to enhance business value without the complexity of bringing out new services or products!

Tune in for more insights into innovative business practices and profit maximisation strategies 📈

Did you enjoy this Magic Moment? Click here to listen to the full episode.

In this week's episode of the UFD podcast, we're sharing the second half of our most recent webinar - Make 2025 your most LUCRATIVE year yet 🚀

We're diving into something I'm super passionate about - how to actually make your business profitable instead of just chasing sales.

Most entrepreneurs are obsessed with pulling one lever in their business: sales growth. Meanwhile, there are all these other dials and switches that could DRAMATICALLY improve your bottom line!

Most entrepreneurs (myself included, back in the day) make the mistake of thinking "more sales = more profit" when that's often not true. Sometimes you're just growing yourself into bigger problems.

This is why it's so important to find your business "sweet spot" - this is where you've got the perfect balance of:

✅ Healthy profit margins ✅ Excellent customer service ✅ Good lifestyle for you as the owner

If you take nothing else from this episode, remember this: establish clear rules for your business and stick to them!

These rules should cover: ➡️ Minimum acceptable margins ➡️ Maximum overhead percentages ➡️ Pricing strategies that protect profitability ➡️ When to say no to growth opportunities that look good but aren't

I know this isn't as sexy as tripling your sales, but trust me - mastering the profit levers in your business will create sustainability that aggressive growth alone never will.

So tune in to this week's episode to learn how you can grow your bottom line, not by adding more, but by optimising what you already have! 🤯🤩

Magic Moments Ep 24 is here! ✨

In this week's episode of Magic Moments, we've got a snippet from my conversation with award winning insolvency expert, Mr Mike Chamberlain.

Together we delve into the crucial topic of managing business structures and effectively handling financial downturns 🙌🏻

He discusses strategies to protect your assets in business operations and prevent financial ruin, and how you can reflect on your current business frameworks.

We cover strategic financial planning, shedding light on the nuances of business structures like holding companies, property companies, and operating companies.

And we discuss the importance of separating financial liabilities and assets - and getting those preventative measures in place to protect your wealth and to structure your business for both growth and protection in more unfavourable times!

With insights on handling operational challenges and potential business failures, tune in to be equipped with practical knowledge to strengthen your businesses against financial crises 💰💪🏻

Did you enjoy this Magic Moment? Click here to listen to the full episode.

Today we're diving into something really important that I've noticed during my recent calls with 6 and 7 figure entrepreneurs.

And that is: even the most successful entrepreneurs running 7-figure businesses are making mistakes that could be costing them serious money - we're talking six figures in lost profits 🤯

When I speak with these entrepreneurs, the same issues keep popping up, even with really successful business owners. So I thought, why not break this down and help you avoid these expensive pitfalls?

WHAT WE COVER IN TODAY'S EPISODE:

➡️ Director's loan accounts. This is a big one. I can't tell you how many times I've seen entrepreneurs not keeping track of these properly

➡️ Business owners doing their own bookkeeping. I get it - you want to keep your finger on the pulse. But trust me, this is not the best use of your time. Get a proper bookkeeper in there!

➡️ Confusion between performance profit and taxable profit. These are not the same thing! Understanding the difference is crucial for making smart business decisions

➡️ Balance sheets - your balance sheet needs to match your accounting system. I've seen so many cases where this isn't happening, and it's causing all sorts of problems with financial reporting

➡️ Having a proper finance manager overseeing your bookkeeping. They can turn all that raw data into information you can actually use to grow your business

So those are the main things I'm seeing out there. I know this might sound like a lot, but these are all fixable issues. The key is knowing they exist and taking action to address them 💪🏻

If you're running a successful business but feeling like you might be leaving money on the table, then you need to listen to this episode!

Tune in, listen and learn - and then implement! 🙌🏻

Welcome back to another episode of Magic Moments from the UFD Podcast.

Today I want to dive into something I'm super passionate about - how to actually build wealth through your business in a smart way.

I've been in the trenches with this stuff and I want to share what I've learned about pulling value from your business while keeping it healthy and tax-efficient. Whether you're just starting out or you're already crushing it, I think you'll get a ton of value from this episode.

I'm going deep into the nitty-gritty of financial planning that actually works. The real stuff - like how to pay yourself properly through a mix of salary, dividends, and director's loans. I've learned some hard lessons about this over the years and I want to help you avoid those mistakes.

The big things I cover in this episode:

🔥 How to structure your income between salary, dividends, and loans (trust me, this stuff matters!)

🔥 Why you need to plan your finances early in the year (I learned this one the hard way)

🔥 Smart ways to use company perks like the company car and WFH allowances

🔥 How to plan for personal stuff like holidays without messing up your business finances

🔥 Some clever insurance strategies that can save you money through your business

I get fired up talking about this because I see so many business owners leaving money on the table or making things harder than they need to be. I break it all down in a way that actually makes sense.

So grab a coffee, maybe take some notes, and let's dive into making your business work harder for you. And if you're getting value from this, don't forget to share with other business owners who might need this info.

Let's get into it!

Did you enjoy this Magic Moment? Click here to listen to the full episode.

In this week's episode, we dive into something crucial - portfolio reviews and making your investments work harder for you 💪🏻

I've been in property investment for years, running Ultimate FD and building my own portfolio. Today I'm sharing my approach to maximising returns through strategic portfolio management.

Here's what I cover in this episode:

➡️ I break down how to properly assess your investment properties using Return on Equity (ROE). This is absolutely key - I've seen too many investors skip this step and miss out on optimisation opportunities.

➡️ I get real about the challenges we're all facing - rising maintenance costs and interest rate changes hitting our bottom lines. And let's talk about something we don't discuss enough - getting emotionally attached to properties that aren't performing. Been there, done that, learned the hard way.

➡️ I walk you through my process for either repurposing underperforming properties or knowing when it's time to sell and reinvest elsewhere. This annual review process has been game-changing for my portfolio.

This episode is packed with actionable steps to improve your property investment game in the coming year. Trust me, these strategies work - I use them myself and now I'm sharing them with you.

Remember: emotions and investing don't mix well. Let the numbers guide your decisions, and don't be afraid to make changes when the data shows you should.

I hope you enjoy!

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This is why we created the Tax Talks Series: From Start to Sell. This is a must-listen for any entrepreneur to understand all the challenges they will face from a tax perspective as they go on their entrepreneurial journey. Click here to go to the Tax Talks Series to gain access to the four-part series FREE OF CHARGE: https://www.ultimatefd.co.uk/tax-talks

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