BrumPod

In this episode we talk to Leila Smith from Promise PR and Creative, a PR agency based in Solihull.  Leila set up her agency during the pandemic! So we explore how that went, and what brought her to that point. We explore the world of PR versus marketing - how and why they're different, and how to decipher what a business might need. Lots of businesses during the pandemic and lockdown period starting cutting back spending on PR and marketing, so Leila explains why it's more important than ever to kick things up a gear to ensure businesses stay communicative and relevant.  She also tells us about her experiences with business networking, and the importance of the human connection. Plus, we also discuss the scenario of negative PR, and how to combat that effectively; with a good example that came to light on LinkedIn and Twitter in the last couple of days.  You can find Leila online at the following places: https://www.promiseprandcreative.co.uk https://twitter.com/CreativePromise https://www.linkedin.com/in/leila-smith-83a67a117/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/promise-pr-and-creative/ https://www.instagram.com/promiseprandcreative/ Brought to you by Brummies Networking, the home of free, stripped-back business networking. https://brummies-networking.co.uk Brummies Networking on Twitter: @brummiesnet BrumPod on Twitter - @brumpod Produced by Happy Content Co. https://happycontentco.com Twitter: @happycontentco Music by Birocratic - birocratic.com Twitter: @birocratic BrumPod - The UK Small Business Podcast. BrumPod is designed for small businesses, because 2/3 of the hosts are small businesses! Our goal is to bring you topics that affect you as a fellow small business owner directly; everything from website tools and technology, changes in regulations, business networking tips, business growth; plus we talk to regular guests from all walks of life, discussing their journeys in working with small businesses to make other people’s lives easier. BrumPod Hosts: Richard Heathcote (Voice Over Artist) - https://www.richardheathcote.co.uk Iwan Thomas (Business Coach) - http://www.iwanthomasassociates.co.uk Jason Jones (Self Storage) - https://www.accessstorage.com

In this episode, we speak to special guest Lisa Brown from Lisa B Interior Design, a design agency based at the Custard Factory, Birmingham. We discuss what the state of the design industry has been like during COVID, as well as hearing her backstory about how she got to where she is now.  We also pose the question, just HOW creative is the general public when it comes to starting a new project? What to do when there's no forthcoming information from a prospective client! And of course, how to handle the situation when residential clients spar between themselves with competing ideas!  Lisa also explains what the general design process is, how to go about approaching a designer, & what you need to know to get the best result; as well as detailing the differences between approaching interior design in a residential vs. commercial setting. You can find Lisa online at the following places: Website: https://lisabinteriordesign.co.uk Portfolio: https://lisabinteriordesign.com https://twitter.com/InfoLisaBDesign https://www.instagram.com/lbidesign/ Brought to you by Brummies Networking, the home of free, stripped-back business networking. https://brummies-networking.co.uk Brummies Networking on Twitter: @brummiesnet BrumPod on Twitter - @brumpod Produced by Happy Content Co. https://happycontentco.com Twitter: @happycontentco Music by Birocratic - birocratic.com Twitter: @birocratic BrumPod - The UK Small Business Podcast. BrumPod is designed for small businesses, because 2/3 of the hosts are small businesses! Our goal is to bring you topics that affect you as a fellow small business owner directly; everything from website tools and technology, changes in regulations, business networking tips, business growth; plus we talk to regular guests from all walks of life, discussing their journeys in working with small businesses to make other people’s lives easier. BrumPod Hosts: Richard Heathcote (Voice Over Artist) - https://www.richardheathcote.co.uk Iwan Thomas (Business Coach) - http://www.iwanthomasassociates.co.uk Jason Jones (Self Storage) - https://www.accessstorage.com

In this episode, we talk to Jordan Patel from Art.Quarter, which will end up being, we think, Birmingham's most adventurous multi-use site yet; currently being built, it will end up housing commercial units, office space, retail outlets and pop-up shops, food and drink outlets, technology centres, AR and VR gaming centre, amongst many other things! All in the heart of Digbeth, the home of Birmingham's creative industries. We find out how the build and overall project is going, especially with the inevitable setbacks with COVID19, who this venue is for, and how it can be utilised. Jordan also goes on to explain how the Art.Quarter project is going to be able to start supporting young & start-up businesses by offering countless routes of business support, to give the best chances possible of making it a success. It's an ambitious, gargantuan task! But as you'll hear, with Jordan's passion and determination, we wish him every success with it. We're convinced it certainly will be... So sit back, listen, and enjoy! You can find out more about Jordan and Art.Quarter online at the following links: https://www.artquarteruk.co.uk https://twitter.com/artdotquarter https://twitter.com/jordanartdot https://www.instagram.com/jordan.patel/ Brought to you by Brummies Networking, the home of free, stripped-back business networking. https://brummies-networking.co.uk Brummies Networking on Twitter: @brummiesnet BrumPod on Twitter - @brumpod Produced by Happy Content Co. https://happycontentco.com Twitter: @happycontentco Music by Birocratic - birocratic.com Twitter: @birocratic BrumPod - The UK Small Business Podcast. BrumPod is designed for small businesses, because 2/3 of the hosts are small businesses! Our goal is to bring you topics that affect you as a fellow small business owner directly; everything from website tools and technology, changes in regulations, business networking tips, business growth; plus we talk to regular guests from all walks of life, discussing their journeys in working with small businesses to make other people’s lives easier. BrumPod Hosts: Richard Heathcote(VoiceOver Artist) - https://www.richardheathcote.co.uk Iwan Thomas(BusinessCoach) - http://www.iwanthomasassociates.co.uk Jason Jones(SelfStorage) - https://www.accessstorage.com

In this episode we take a look at the issue of returning to the office after so long. How different are things going to be now? Is your workplace geared up and ready?  Is it safe? How do you feel about it all? What are the expectations, and your rights as an employee if things don't seem to be up to scratch? Has all this changed how we work forever? There's certainly been a major environmental impact given a study we touch upon, as well as people's mindsets having changed and been slightly re-evaluated.  We look at various scenarios, and offer our own thoughts on the situation. But of course, if you're needing advice as an employee or employer and need more information on your rights, please do speak to someone qualified in that field, in law/HR etc, don't take anything in this podcast as official advice! Always speak to a professional. Resources and information we discuss in this episode: https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-almost-one-in-three-workers-ready-to-keep-working-from-home-after-lockdown-12025311 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-53484767 https://www.nelsonslaw.co.uk/returning-work-coronavirus/ Brought to you by Brummies Networking, the home of free, stripped-back business networking. https://brummies-networking.co.uk Brummies Networking on Twitter: @brummiesnet BrumPod on Twitter - @brumpod Produced by Happy Content Co. https://happycontentco.com Twitter: @happycontentco Music by Birocratic - birocratic.com Twitter: @birocratic BrumPod - The UK Small Business Podcast. BrumPod is designed for small businesses, because 2/3 of the hosts are small businesses! Our goal is to bring you topics that affect you as a fellow small business owner directly; everything from website tools and technology, changes in regulations, business networking tips, business growth; plus we talk to regular guests from all walks of life, discussing their journeys in working with small businesses to make other people’s lives easier. BrumPod Hosts: Richard Heathcote(VoiceOver Artist) - https://www.richardheathcote.co.uk Iwan Thomas(BusinessCoach) - http://www.iwanthomasassociates.co.uk Jason Jones(SelfStorage) - https://www.accessstorage.com

With special guest: Anthony Tattum from Big Cat Agency. In this episode, we talk to Anthony Tattum, CEO of Birmingham based creative agency, Big Cat. We discuss how, in a post-COVID world, the hospitality industry needs a radical rethink in how they operate, to optimise earnings and efficiency, given how there will be so many restrictions for months to come. Many businesses have managed to adapt really well through lockdown, operating in a different capacity to what they're used to, by offering additional or amended services; takeaways, produce boxes, meal kits etc. Something which has been near-essential to survive. Anthony gives some brilliant advice and case studies of successful businesses' transitions, and how YOUR business can replicate some of these ideas to survive and thrive in the months and years to come. Here's where you can find Anthony: http://bigcatagency.com https://twitter.com/anthonytattum https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonytattum/ Brought to you by Brummies Networking, the home of free, stripped-back business networking. https://brummies-networking.co.uk Brummies Networking on Twitter: @brummiesnet BrumPod on Twitter - @brumpod Produced by Happy Content Co. https://happycontentco.com Twitter: @happycontentco Music by Birocratic - birocratic.com Twitter: @birocratic BrumPod - The UK Small Business Podcast. BrumPod is designed for small businesses, because 2/3 of the hosts are small businesses! Our goal is to bring you topics that affect you as a fellow small business owner directly; everything from website tools and technology, changes in regulations, business networking tips, business growth; plus we talk to regular guests from all walks of life, discussing their journeys in working with small businesses to make other people’s lives easier. BrumPod Hosts: Richard Heathcote(VoiceOver Artist) - https://www.richardheathcote.co.uk Iwan Thomas(BusinessCoach) - http://www.iwanthomasassociates.co.uk Jason Jones(SelfStorage) - https://www.accessstorage.com

In this episode, we talk to Daniel O'Brien, an insurance broker from Aston Lark. We discuss the current state of the insurance industry in the midst of the pandemic, what cover you THINK you have, what cover you NEED, and lots of top tips and advice that all business owners should be aware of to ensure you're fully covered for all eventualities once we reach that golden egg that is 'the new normal'. We cover areas such as what business owners and facilities managers need to consider when re-opening on July 4th, how the exposure to risk has changed now, how companies are adapting their business models in the wake of COVID19, and where we go from here - what are the things to look out for?  Thankfully, Dan explains all. Tune in and subscribe to ensure you receive all future episodes automatically.  You can find Dan at the following places: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-o-brien-dip-cii-a7a91358/ https://twitter.com/EmotionalRug https://www.astonlark.com Brought to you by Brummies Networking, the home of free, stripped-back business networking. https://brummies-networking.co.uk Brummies Networking on Twitter: @brummiesnet BrumPod on Twitter - @brumpod Produced by Happy Content Co. https://happycontentco.com Twitter: @happycontentco Music by Birocratic - birocratic.com Twitter: @birocratic BrumPod - The UK Small Business Podcast. BrumPod is designed for small businesses, because 2/3 of the hosts are small businesses! Our goal is to bring you topics that affect you as a fellow small business owner directly; everything from website tools and technology, changes in regulations, business networking tips, business growth; plus we talk to regular guests from all walks of life, discussing their journeys in working with small businesses to make other people’s lives easier. BrumPod Hosts: Richard Heathcote(VoiceOver Artist) - https://www.richardheathcote.co.uk Iwan Thomas(BusinessCoach) - http://www.iwanthomasassociates.co.uk Jason Jones(SelfStorage) - https://www.accessstorage.com

Today's Guest - Sarah Burns from Handled PA- https://handled-pa.com In this episode we talk to Sarah Burns from Handled PA, a virtual PA service based in Birmingham. As someone who runs an entire team completely virtually online, as well as of course their clients, she is well positioned to give some great advice as to how businesses might manage remote working and flexible working environments ongoing post-COVID19, in what has been referred to as 'the new normal'. There is talk of some businesses re-evaluating their entire structure post-pandemic, and whether they will continue with large premises with everyone working on-site. Lots of businesses are already planning for lots of employees to be able to work from home permanently, the likes of Facebook, Twitter and BT already committing to enabling massive changes in the future. Throughout this episode, Sarah will guide you through how she manages her team members, how the move to online can work best for you, with lots of tips and tricks, as well as telling us about useful online platforms that you might benefit from too in your business. Brought to you by Brummies Networking, the home of free, stripped-back business networking. https://brummies-networking.co.uk Brummies Networking on Twitter: @brummiesnet BrumPod on Twitter - @brumpod Produced by Happy Content Co. https://happycontentco.com Twitter: @happycontentco Music by Birocratic - birocratic.com Twitter: @birocratic BrumPod - The UK Small Business Podcast. BrumPod is designed for small businesses, because 2/3 of the hosts are small businesses! Our goal is to bring you topics that affect you as a fellow small business owner directly; everything from website tools and technology, changes in regulations, business networking tips, business growth; plus we talk to regular guests from all walks of life, discussing their journeys in working with small businesses to make other people’s lives easier. BrumPod Hosts: Richard Heathcote(VoiceOver Artist) - https://www.richardheathcote.co.uk Iwan Thomas(BusinessCoach) - http://www.iwanthomasassociates.co.uk Jason Jones(SelfStorage) - https://www.accessstorage.com

We're now in Week 7 of Lockdown here in the UK. We chat about how things have changed, and where things might be going once Lockdown is lifted. Will businesses still flock on their normal commute into city centres? Or will there continue to be more working from home? Big businesses to scale down their operations to maintain smaller centralised hubs? It would make sense maybe. Our main topic is about the dangers of businesses not diversifying - with Primark being the prime example in recent days, them having ceased to make any money overnight since Lockdown went into effect. From £650 million in sales per month, to £0. Why? Because they have zero e-commerce or m-commerce systems in place, they are 'bricks and mortar' only. So what would your business do if ever faced with this again? Have you come up with ways you can diversify? If you haven't, it's well worth taking a look at again. Always better to be prepared for any eventuality. We take a look at some great examples, in the form of some pizza and beer companies. What's not to like? ALSO - the Government portal for registering and for checking your eligibility for the self-employed income support is now live. We chat briefly about that, about how nice and easy it is to do. If you're self employed, please do check it out and see if you're eligible. They will then contact you in due course when it's time to make your claim. Here's where to see for yourself: https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/self-employment-support/enter-unique-taxpayer-reference Resource referred to in the episode re. Primark: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52365191?at_custom4=D2E9F15C-83BC-11EA-A11C-41974744363C&at_custom2=twitter&at_custom1=%5Bpost+type%5D&at_campaign=64&at_custom3=%40BBCNews&at_medium=custom7 Brought to you by Brummies Networking, the home of free, stripped-back business networking. https://brummies-networking.co.uk Brummies Networking on Twitter: @brummiesnet BrumPod on Twitter - @brumpod Produced by Happy Content Co. https://happycontentco.com Twitter: @happycontentco Music by Birocratic - birocratic.com Twitter: @birocratic BrumPod - The UK Small Business Podcast. BrumPod is designed for small businesses, because 2/3 of the hosts are small businesses! Our goal is to bring you topics that affect you as a fellow small business owner directly; everything from website tools and technology, changes in regulations, business networking tips, business growth; plus we talk to regular guests from all walks of life, discussing their journeys in working with small businesses to make other people’s lives easier. BrumPod Hosts: Richard Heathcote(VoiceOver Artist) - https://www.richardheathcote.co.uk Iwan Thomas(BusinessCoach) - http://www.iwanthomasassociates.co.uk Jason Jones(SelfStorage) - https://www.accessstorage.com

In this episode, our special guest is Martin 'The Warrior' Warrillow, a stroke awareness campaigner, blogger and podcaster.  Martin suffered a stroke in 2013 after dealing with a tremendous amount of job related stress. After collapsing whilst crossing a road & nearly being hit by an oncoming bus, he managed to drag himself to safety, with half his body paralysed, with only a foot between him and the passing bus.  During this period of global lockdown, stress is going to be playing an ever-increasing role in many people's lives. Hopefully this episode will help in some way, giving you the tools to try and combat it. Stress has played a significant role in Martin's life, turning it upside down. He talks about the dangers of stress, the warning signs, and how to cope with it.  This is his story. Find Martin online: https://www.askthewarrior.com https://twitter.com/warrior_martin https://www.facebook.com/groups/askthewarrior/ http://thewarriorpodcast.libsyn.com Brought to you by Brummies Networking, the home of free, stripped-back business networking. https://brummies-networking.co.uk Brummies Networking on Twitter: @brummiesnet BrumPod on Twitter - @brumpod Produced by Happy Content Co. https://happycontentco.com Twitter: @happycontentco Music by Birocratic - birocratic.com Twitter: @birocratic BrumPod - The UK Small Business Podcast. BrumPod is designed for small businesses, because 2/3 of the hosts are small businesses! Our goal is to bring you topics that affect you as a fellow small business owner directly; everything from website tools and technology, changes in regulations, business networking tips, business growth; plus we talk to regular guests from all walks of life, discussing their journeys in working with small businesses to make other people’s lives easier. BrumPod Hosts: Richard Heathcote(VoiceOver Artist) - https://www.richardheathcote.co.uk Iwan Thomas(BusinessCoach) - http://www.iwanthomasassociates.co.uk Jason Jones(SelfStorage) - https://www.accessstorage.com

This episode's guest - Greta Geoghegan from Digital Glue - https://digitalglue.agency With the continuing coronavirus/COVID-19 crisis dominating every headline and website, we try to cut through things to offer some help and support for small businesses.  In this episode, we're talking to Greta about how small businesses can utilise marketing and social media to their advantage to help get them through this period of uncertainty. What platforms might be useful for you. What tools she recommends for various tasks. And the importance of building community at this time of nationwide lockdown. How can businesses create and maintain a sense of community and togetherness when social distancing is the new normal? Plus, we look at the 'new fangled' social media platforms like TikTok - should your business be on them? Some say so. Greta explains all. Finally, we get Greta's take on marketing trends that will be likely throughout the remainder of what will be a very odd year all round. Tune in and subscribe now.... Brought to you by Brummies Networking, the home of free, stripped-back business networking. https://brummies-networking.co.uk Brummies Networking on Twitter: @brummiesnet BrumPod on Twitter - @brumpod Produced by Happy Content Co. https://happycontentco.com Twitter: @happycontentco Music by Birocratic - birocratic.com Twitter: @birocratic BrumPod - The UK Small Business Podcast. BrumPod is designed for small businesses, because 2/3 of the hosts are small businesses! Our goal is to bring you topics that affect you as a fellow small business owner directly; everything from website tools and technology, changes in regulations, business networking tips, business growth; plus we talk to regular guests from all walks of life, discussing their journeys in working with small businesses to make other people’s lives easier. BrumPod Hosts: Richard Heathcote(VoiceOver Artist) - https://www.richardheathcote.co.uk Iwan Thomas(BusinessCoach) - http://www.iwanthomasassociates.co.uk Jason Jones(SelfStorage) - https://www.accessstorage.com

In this episode we're (unsurprisingly) looking at Coronavirus (COVID-19) and how it's currently affecting small businesses. With so much fear and worry in the world right now, small businesses are having to think on their feet, adapt quickly, and do what they can to survive through this period of uncertainty. The hospitality industry is a particular worry, as the government tell the public we should be refraining from visiting bars, pubs, clubs and restaurants. So many are now turning to offer takeaways and collection/delivery services, in order to get through this period of otherwise having very few customers through their doors. We also look at the government's advice and support plans to aid businesses through this, and look at how some businesses may not be insured for this crisis - check your policies now to see if you may be affected should you need to claim for business disruption etc.  Plus we're looking at the concept of much of the UK working from home in self-isolation and for many what feels like quarantine. We mention a whole load of tools and platforms that might be of use in order to maintain business continuity and communication with your team members and customers, via methods like Zoom, UberConfererence, Slack, Skype, Microsoft Teams etc. If you're affected by COVID-19, our thoughts are with you - hope you feel better soon, and that you can get back to a normal life and business routine.  We're all in this together folks; so let's be kind and help each other. Links to items we discuss during this episode: https://www.creativebloq.com/advice/coronavirus-remote-working?utm_source=Selligent&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=15321&utm_content=170320_JM+&utm_term=698507&m_i=Imr0%2B%2BUEkj2hdPHZJiSgAytjmUyqsuZDWuXsVTfHfX9kT%2BYtxV9u_QTpXgZGaNtY4FHPjAgPsSrvHfxgwawys2TjZW%2BBnuIIIz&M_BT=244063946052 https://www.theregister.co.uk/2020/03/16/bt_broadband_network_wfh/ https://www.ft.com/content/ff00ec96-6481-11ea-b3f3-fe4680ea68b5 https://smallbusiness.co.uk/how-do-i-get-the-government-3000-coronavirus-grant-2549866/ https://www.abi.org.uk/news/news-articles/2020/03/abi-comment-on-coronavirus-and-commercial-insurance/ http://bit.ly/3dcubPc Brought to you by Brummies Networking, the home of free, stripped-back business networking. https://brummies-networking.co.uk Brummies Networking on Twitter: @brummiesnet BrumPod on Twitter - @brumpod Produced by Happy Content Co. https://happycontentco.com Twitter: @happycontentco Music by Birocratic - birocratic.com Twitter: @birocratic BrumPod - The UK Small Business Podcast. BrumPod is designed for small businesses, because 2/3 of the hosts are small businesses! Our goal is to bring you topics that affect you as a fellow small business owner directly; everything from website tools and technology, changes in regulations, business networking tips, business growth; plus we talk to regular guests from all walks of life, discussing their journeys in working with small businesses to make other people’s lives easier. BrumPod Hosts: Richard Heathcote(VoiceOver Artist) - https://www.richardheathcote.co.uk Iwan Thomas(BusinessCoach) - http://www.iwanthomasassociates.co.uk Jason Jones(SelfStorage) - https://www.accessstorage.com

We're back from hiatus! In this episode we're going a bit self-reflective, talking about how Brummies Networking has recently turned 5yrs old! But as many will know, we've been going even longer than that, just under a different guise.  We discuss how it all came about, the changes we've seen along the way, how networking attitudes have changed, how technologies have evolved for us to continue the networking far easier online, forging even closer relationships thanks to tools like LinkedIn; and how our group wouldn't be anything like it is now without our fantastic members. We even give a shoutout to some of our members personally, using them as amazing examples of brilliant & effective networking in action! We've witnessed the birth of the Birmingham Sales Squad and how they've utilised business networking to ensure that customer service is at the forefront of everything. It really is a fantastic example of how effective networking and creating a positive supportive community can really benefit everyone, especially in the service industries.  Are you mentioned? You'll have to listen to find out! We also touch on some practicalities of networking and overall health. We're not trying to ring any alarm bells, but we do give a mention of Coronavirus and general illnesses that could affect how & when people should network, and if you're feeling ill (just generally), how it's better to NOT go networking.  Brought to you by Brummies Networking, the home of free, stripped-back business networking. https://brummies-networking.co.uk Brummies Networking on Twitter: @brummiesnet BrumPod on Twitter - @brumpod Produced by Happy Content Co. https://happycontentco.com Twitter: @happycontentco Music by Birocratic - birocratic.com Twitter: @birocratic BrumPod - The UK Small Business Podcast. BrumPod is designed for small businesses, because 2/3 of the hosts are small businesses! Our goal is to bring you topics that affect you as a fellow small business owner directly; everything from website tools and technology, changes in regulations, business networking tips, business growth; plus we talk to regular guests from all walks of life, discussing their journeys in working with small businesses to make other people’s lives easier. BrumPod Hosts: Richard Heathcote(VoiceOver Artist) - https://www.richardheathcote.co.uk Iwan Thomas(BusinessCoach) - http://www.iwanthomasassociates.co.uk Jason Jones(SelfStorage) - https://www.accessstorage.com

Thanks for sticking with BrumPod - we're really sorry we haven't brought you any episodes lately - Rich moved house mid December, and has been without proper broadband ever since! (The joys of living in the countryside) However, installation of the broadband is now within DAYS so we will be bringing you regular episodes again very soon. So thanks for staying with us and being a subscriber, we look forward to bringing you lots more episodes this year, with some fantastic guests along the way! We'll be back in your favourite podcast app, VERY soon.... Brought to you by Brummies Networking, the home of free, stripped-back business networking. https://brummies-networking.co.uk Brummies Networking on Twitter: @brummiesnet BrumPod on Twitter - @brumpod Produced by Happy Content Co. https://happycontentco.com Twitter: @happycontentco Music by Birocratic - birocratic.com Twitter: @birocratic BrumPod - The UK Small Business Podcast. BrumPod is designed for small businesses, because 2/3 of the hosts are small businesses! Our goal is to bring you topics that affect you as a fellow small business owner directly; everything from website tools and technology, changes in regulations, business networking tips, business growth; plus we talk to regular guests from all walks of life, discussing their journeys in working with small businesses to make other people’s lives easier. BrumPod Hosts: Richard Heathcote(VoiceOver Artist) - https://www.richardheathcote.co.uk Iwan Thomas(BusinessCoach) - http://www.iwanthomasassociates.co.uk Jason Jones(SelfStorage) - https://www.accessstorage.com

In Episode17 we discuss an offshoot topic from Episode 16, and look at how the world's attitude has changed over the years from kids growing up and being taught the traditional 'get a degree and then get a job' mentality.  With the tools, technologies and platforms available these days, it's getting much easier for people looking to go down the self-employment and freelance route to be able to learn new skills, enhance their knowledge on different subjects to help prepare themselves for being a job creator, rather than just being someone 'with a job' in traditional employment. Should schools do more to teach the entrepreneur's way of life more since the world is changing rapidly? Is it something that is even in the remit of a school? As with the benefit of the internet and online courses and YouTubers offering tutorials on just about anything, is it simply just down to personal ingenuity and proactive mentality, in a digital version of the 'survival of the fittest'? We discuss! What are your thoughts? Leave us your comments on this episode's blog post via the website below. Brought to you by Brummies Networking, the home of free, stripped-back business networking. https://brummies-networking.co.uk Brummies Networking on Twitter: @brummiesnet BrumPod on Twitter - @brumpod Produced by Happy Content Co. https://happycontentco.com Twitter: @happycontentco Music by Birocratic - birocratic.com Twitter: @birocratic BrumPod - The UK Small Business Podcast. BrumPod is designed for small businesses, because 2/3 of the hosts are small businesses! Our goal is to bring you topics that affect you as a fellow small business owner directly; everything from website tools and technology, changes in regulations, business networking tips, business growth; plus we talk to regular guests from all walks of life, discussing their journeys in working with small businesses to make other people’s lives easier. BrumPod Hosts: Richard Heathcote(VoiceOver Artist) - https://www.richardheathcote.co.uk Iwan Thomas(BusinessCoach) - http://www.iwanthomasassociates.co.uk Jason Jones(SelfStorage) - https://www.accessstorage.com

In this episode we look at the current and future state of the modern workplace, what a 'workplace' even consists of in this technological age. So many business folk can get on perfectly well with just a laptop, a phone and a decent broadband connection.  Are traditional offices still as popular as they were with the idea of 'hotdesking' becoming more of a thing?  More and more people are working flexible hours, remotely from home or coffee shops without feeling the need to be in an actual office.  What will the future workplace be like? Will more of us work remotely and feel less need to commute? What happens to teamwork? What about when you're working on sensitive client material, what type of location would be better? We discuss one particular horror story.  If 5G and web technologies enable more of us to work flexible hours and in non-office based locations, will we miss out on the social aspect; the water cooler moments, gossip, relationship building, etc etc? Also we look at all of this and how it impacts the area of mental health, and obtaining a healthy work-life balance. We weigh up the pros and cons.  Episode resources referenced in the show: http://blog.condecosoftware.com/state-of-the-workplace-in-2018-report https://www.workfront.com/blog/state-of-work-2019 https://www.forbes.com/sites/abdullahimuhammed/2018/12/21/10-remote-work-trends-that-will-dominate-2019/#1db7fdb7c72a https://www.talentlyft.com/en/blog/article/161/7-key-workplace-trends-in-2019 Brought to you by Brummies Networking, the home of free, stripped-back business networking. https://brummies-networking.co.uk Brummies Networking on Twitter: @brummiesnet BrumPod on Twitter - @brumpod Produced by Happy Content Co. https://happycontentco.com Twitter: @happycontentco Music by Birocratic - birocratic.com Twitter: @birocratic BrumPod - The UK Small Business Podcast. BrumPod is designed for small businesses, because 2/3 of the hosts are small businesses! Our goal is to bring you topics that affect you as a fellow small business owner directly; everything from website tools and technology, changes in regulations, business networking tips, business growth; plus we talk to regular guests from all walks of life, discussing their journeys in working with small businesses to make other people’s lives easier. BrumPod Hosts: Richard Heathcote(VoiceOver Artist) - https://www.richardheathcote.co.uk Iwan Thomas(BusinessCoach) - http://www.iwanthomasassociates.co.uk Jason Jones(SelfStorage) - https://www.accessstorage.com

Episode 15 sees us talking to our special guest, Doug Ward, from B13 Technology based in Birmingham. Doug is a tech expert who deals with mobile technologies including app and software development and other web based tools.  We discuss what the differences, pros and cons are between these technologies and more importantly, HOW they can help you as a small business. Are they easy to access? Does your business need an app or is it fine to just utilise a mobile friendly website? Can they revolutionise the way you work and interact with your customers? How will 5G and mobile technologies marry up in the future, and what added functionality will they bring? Tune in to find out the answers to all these questions as Doug enlightens us on all things tech! Doug can be found at: https://www.b13technology.com https://twitter.com/b13technology Some interesting app stats that we discussed during the episode: https://buildfire.com/app-statistics/ Brought to you by Brummies Networking, the home of free, stripped-back business networking.   https://brummies-networking.co.uk Brummies Networking on Twitter: @brummiesnet BrumPod on Twitter - @brumpod Produced by Happy Content Co. https://happycontentco.com Twitter: @happycontentco Music by Birocratic - birocratic.com Twitter: @birocratic BrumPod - The UK Small Business Podcast. BrumPod is designed for small businesses, because 2/3 of the hosts are small businesses! Our goal is to bring you topics that affect you as a fellow small business owner directly; everything from website tools and technology, changes in regulations, business networking tips, business growth; plus we talk to regular guests from all walks of life, discussing their journeys in working with small businesses to make other people’s lives easier. BrumPod Hosts: Richard Heathcote (Voice Over Artist) - https://www.richardheathcote.co.uk Iwan Thomas (Business Coach) - http://www.iwanthomasassociates.co.uk Jason Jones (Self Storage) - https://www.accessstorage.com

In this episode, we look at HS2, the UK's proposed high speed rail link which aims to run along the spine of the country, connecting up all the major cities. Ideal in theory, but at what cost?  With budgets spiralling out of control, and now the government saying they are now putting it up for review to assess spends and its future viability, we discuss its merits, and its pitfalls. With estimated costs going from £33m to potentially £100m by the time it's finished, will it be worth the investment? Are other technologies more worthy of that kind of investment; the likes of electric car infrastructure for instance, making that 100% green from factory to on the road - is that potentially a better way to invest that kind of money? You'll have to decide for yourself of course, we are just here to raise the questions that need raising. Resources referred to in this episode: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Central_Main_Line https://www.nextgreencar.com/electric-cars/statistics/ https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/jaguar/107398/the-government-isnt-doing-enough-to-encourage-electric-car-sales https://www.hs2.org.uk/why/ https://www.greaterbirminghamchambers.com/latest-news/news/2019/8/22/watch-timing-of-hs2-review-is-frustrating-and-unhelpful/ https://www.greaterbirminghamchambers.com/latest-news/news/2019/8/22/more-business-reaction-to-hs2-review/ https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1168852/HS2-latest-high-speed-rail-updates-cost-government-review-boris-johnson-dominic-cummings https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-49420332 http://stophs2.org/facts Brought to you by Brummies Networking, the home of free, stripped-back business networking. https://brummies-networking.co.uk Twitter: @brummiesnet Produced by Happy Content Co. https://happycontentco.com Twitter: @happycontentco Music by Birocratic - birocratic.com Twitter: @birocratic BrumPod - The UK Small Business Podcast. BrumPod is designed for small businesses, because 2/3 of the hosts are small businesses! Our goal is to bring you topics that affect you as a fellow small business owner directly; everything from website tools and technology, changes in regulations, business networking tips, business growth; plus we talk to regular guests from all walks of life, discussing their journeys in working with small businesses to make other people’s lives easier.

In Episode 13 of BrumPod, we briefly revisit GDPR given some recent themes in the news, and people we've come into contact with who are in contravening the regulations - so we wanted to serve a reminder that everyone is liable under GDPR - it applies to all businesses, from big business all the way down to micro businesses and one man bands. Ensure you're compliant! And we're also looking at the subject of the importance of downtime in your business; getting away on holiday to be able to recharge your own personal batteries and clear the cobwebs, to ensure good mental health and optimum wellbeing. It's vitally important that we all look after our own health as well as the health of our businesses - so if you haven't managed to get away on holiday, do book some time off! Go abroad, take a 'staycation', visit the coast - whatever your chosen route, make sure you give yourself adequate time to relax, recharge, and look after your own state of mind.  Some of the articles we refer to in this episode below. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-49099364 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-45976300 https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/jul/10/gdpr-fines-ba-british-airways-marriott-data-watchdog https://threatpost.com/google-fine-privacy-gdpr/141055/ https://tide.org/blog/british-airways-google-gdpr https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/jul/09/marriott-fined-over-gdpr-breach-ico https://ico.org.uk/about-the-ico/news-and-events/news-and-blogs/2019/07/former-motor-industry-worker-ordered-to-pay-25-500-from-proceeds-of-data-theft/ https://ico.org.uk/about-the-ico/news-and-events/news-and-blogs/2019/07/estate-agency-fined-80-000-for-failing-to-keep-tenants-data-safe/ https://lifelabs.psychologies.co.uk/users/3881-maxine-harley/posts/18485-the-threat-to-mental-health-that-self-employment-brings Brought to you by Brummies Networking, the home of free, stripped-back business networking.   https://brummies-networking.co.uk Twitter: @brummiesnet Produced by Happy Content Co. https://happycontentco.com Twitter: @happycontentco Music by Birocratic - birocratic.com Twitter: @birocratic

Episode 12. Should your business be on Instagram? It's the fastest growing social network, with it boasting some impressive stats that might make you think seriously about getting your own business on there if you're not already. We explore some of the ways you can leverage the audience on Instagram to make it a great channel for promoting your business, making the most of your online marketing efforts.  We also discuss some of the ways you can reduce the extra time it may take for your business to adopt yet another social media channel, using various tools and technology to help you, speeding up the process. Resources we refer to during the episode: https://www.websitehostingrating.com/instagram-statistics/ https://later.com/blog/instagram-marketing-trends-2019/ Brought to you by Brummies Networking, the home of free, stripped-back business networking.   https://brummies-networking.co.uk Twitter: @brummiesnet Produced by Happy Content Co. https://happycontentco.com Twitter: @happycontentco Music by Birocratic - birocratic.com Twitter: @birocratic

In this episode we look at British company What3Words, who are revolutionising the way the entire globe is mapped and divided up into accurate universal addresses. With 75% of countries lacking an accurate method of addressing, some having none at all, this could make a massive difference to the world, so not only can you find businesses and people more accurately; it could save lives through accurate location pinning for humanitarian efforts, and for the emergency services. We explore all the areas this could be utilised, and think of other ways that perhaps haven't been thought of before. More info: https://brummies-networking.co.uk/what-3-words-could-save-your-life/ We also have a birthday bash for Jason at The Botanist, Temple St, Birmingham on Fri 28th June. Get your free ticket on Eventbrite now, and hopefully see you there. Book in using the following link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/brummies-birthday-bash-the-botanist-tickets-62197760175 Brought to you by Brummies Networking, the home of free, stripped-back business networking.   https://brummies-networking.co.uk Twitter: @brummiesnet Produced by Happy Content Co. https://happycontentco.com Twitter: @happycontentco Music by Birocratic - birocratic.com Twitter: @birocratic