Chris Carter, the Co-founder and Managing Director of Void Applications, is Black Country born and raised and explains why he believes the region is a great place to start a business. 

Listen as Chris shares his exciting twelve-year business journey, beginning as a gaming start-up fresh out of university, to changing the business focus to web and app development, and more recently winning the prestigious Black Country Chamber of Commerce award for ‘Excellence in Professional Services’ in November 2023.

Today Chris believes firmly in the importance of continuous learning, building knowledge, and seeking guidance from others.

Want to share your story?

Contact us at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠

Find out more on our website ⁠⁠https://blackcountry.actioncoach.co.uk⁠

Son of the founder of The Big Pet Store, Darren Burke has been part of the Black Country ‘Pet Parent’ community since 1991.

Today, in his role as Director, Darren explains how a shift in mindset and behaviour along with the introduction of business processes, helps him to make decisions based on data rather than emotion and how not panicking or reacting to short-term issues has brought stability to the team, the customers, and the business.

Listen as Darren takes us on a journey through his career from shop assistant to manager to owner.

Want to share your story?

Contact us at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠

Find out more on our website ⁠⁠https://blackcountry.actioncoach.co.uk⁠

Nicola Price, Licensed Accountant and owner of Six Wands Accountants & Book Keepers, talks about the effect of being in charge of her own destiny for the first time in her life and discusses the challenges she’s faced as her business has grown, including recruiting the right people, investing time in training them and creating a structure that works. 

Listen as Nicola talks about how her experience of being a female in the manufacturing industry during the 90s has stood her in good stead and how by making the decision to leave manufacturing and venture into a completely new industry proves that you never stop learning!

Want to share your story?

Contact us at ⁠[email protected]⁠

Find out more on our website ⁠https://blackcountry.actioncoach.co.uk

Have the best people, delivering the best projects and listen to your clients. These are the key messages from Daniel Williams, Director of Rubix MEP.

Today, Daniel talks about how a mix of skill and attitude has helped shape the culture of the business and how being solutions focused and not prescriptive has attracted new clients and accelerated growth beyond expectation. 

Listen as Daniel explains how, as a relatively new business, they were able to react, adapt and expand quickly by having a formalised business plan, vision, and processes in place. 

Want to share your story?

Contact us at ⁠[email protected]⁠

Find out more on our website ⁠https://blackcountry.actioncoach.co.uk

Lucy Cashmore, MD and owner of Daniel-Scott Recruitment Ltd. shares her experience of working in the recruitment industry, from ‘falling into it’ as a junior receptionist at the start of her career through to taking the plunge to set up her own business in 2020.

Listen as Lucy talks about how her business is bucking the trend by prioritising the importance of a work-life balance for her team, and how by following the advice of her late father to work hard, be honest and have humility, she builds strong and lasting relationships with clients.

Want to share your story?

Contact us at ⁠[email protected]⁠

Find out more on our website ⁠https://blackcountry.actioncoach.co.uk

Just think BIGGER!  Then learn to become the person to achieve those goals…

James Mattin, MD of Bond Wolfe talks about thinking bigger.  Starting with 10 year goals, he shares how he plans backwards to daily goals to ensure that he’s always on track to achieve the future plan and direct his learning towards the achievement of those goals.

Add to that more insights into building a great culture and there are learnings galore in this episode!

More than the numbers….

Whilst numbers are undoubtedly the language of business, they’re also the effect of the people in the business and their actions.

Alex Boulter, Partner at CK Chartered Accountants shares her perspectives on how business success is about more than the numbers.  Listen as Alex talks about the culture that exists in her firm, and how that culture fosters loyalty and staff retention, encourages growth and development - all of which leads to lasting and meaningful client relationships, which in turn cause her firm to continue to grow.

Self-awareness, confidence and courage – the recipe for agility, change and improvement

Adam Wootton from Impact Sales Coaching talks about how the mix of confidence, self-awareness and courage have allowed him to take focused and proactive action to drive his business forward, pivot and adapt in periods of change and remain resilient enough to keep on going.

His overriding message: “Drop your shoulder and just keep going!”

“How overcoming the employee mindset has allowed me to invest and take calculated risks to grow to 11 team members in under 3 years”

Matt Weston, MD of Vantage 365 discusses his journey from employed to the owner of a fast growth, 11 strong team business in under 3 years.

Listen as Matt shares how his thirst for learning, coupled with the ability to take calculated, objective risks due to the systems in his business has allowed him to develop the mindset to employ great team members and free up his time to work ON his business.

Surround yourself with great people and be open…to support, challenge and change...

Alison Bradley, MD of Central Business Finance shares how she and her business partners took advantage of a change in economic circumstances and Government to meet an unfulfilled need for small and medium-sized businesses in 2009.

Listen as Alison shares her journey, citing how her openness for learning, and the support and challenge she received from peers and colleagues along the way has helped her to learn, develop, adapt and build her confidence to grow an 11 strong business which can cater for all business financial requirements.