The Enterprise Doctor Business Show

Welcome to today’s episode of The Enterprise Doctor Business Show.  My guest today is former Coronation Street star Sean Wilson, who knows all about taking a leap of faith and switching career.  He’s sharing his story of how he left acting behind and started his own cheese empire as almost 7 million people are looking to switch careers this year.  Sean, who’s now won awards for his new business, spoke his switch from soaps to cheddar and his tips for having the confidence to try something new.  Along the way he extolled the virtues of the Association of Accounting Technicians, on whom you can see info at https://www.aat.org.uk/ , while Sean’s website is at https://www.artisan-farm.co.uk/ . If you want to connect with me, to talk about the mentoring and coaching I deliver to small businesses, or if you think you'd be a good guest on the show, please do let me know. You can do that via https://www.linkedin.com/in/enterprisedoctor/ . To contribute to (or just read) conversations about this episode, please join the podcast's Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/enterprisedoctorbusinessshow/ .And my website is at https://enterprisedoctor.co.uk/. On the YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/EnterpriseDoctor you can hear clips of other episodes – please subscribe there!   And within your podcast app, remember to like this episode (if you like it!), leave us a great review, and please do subscribe there too, to ensure new episodes hit your app as soon as they're released.   These words and the content of the podcast are © Enterprise Doctor 2024.

On The Business Show on Marlow FM on 25th April 2024, my guests were business finance expert Adam Cooper and professional organiser Helena McBride, who joined me to talk about their work, and to discuss a range of business news stories.  As I was recently in Hong Kong, my first music choice had to be Siouxsie and the Banshees with “Hong Kong Garden” – go to https://youtu.be/Y-l9GQJRl9Y?si=LBhIN97nkueoh05F to hear it.Helena then spoke about her work as a professional organiser – it’s so much more than “a bit of a tidy up”!  We included an update on a range of her marketing activities, not least appearing on “The Hotel Inspector” as the expert specially selected by Alex Polizzi.Connect with Helena via https://www.linkedin.com/in/helenathespacemaker/ and her website is at https://thespacemaker.co.uk/ .Adam then spoke about his work running at team of fractional Chief Finance Officers and the advantages to businesses of 10-50 employees of using their services in this way.Connect with him at https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamfcooper/ and his website is at https://www.accfinancesolutions.com/ .His music choice was “Running up that hill” by Kate Bush, because his family (in particular his son) love the track.  You can hear it at https://youtu.be/wp43OdtAAkM?si=ktCmIYXRgoVQHN_t .  He then chose a story featured at https://bmmagazine.co.uk/in-business/smes-see-strong-start-to-2024-despite-hiring-caution-and-sustainability-concern/ - he wanted to highlight this positive news, but we did dig in to some of the negatives too.We then played Helena’s choice of music – “Locked out of heaven”, by Bruno Mars.  She chose it just because it’s such a great song!  You can hear it at https://youtu.be/e-fA-gBCkj0?si=IVuurQ30W9q8LTOL to add to the billion plus views there.She then chose for us the story at https://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/news/24267297.tried-morrisons-good-go-bag-quality/ - is this a good way to deal with the financial risk of having to dispose of unsold goods?https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-68850766 was my story for us to discuss – was this the second great business pivot by Netflix, or was it their plan from day one?The last song is for me inextricably linked with Australia, another country I recently visited.  You can hear Midnight Oil with “Beds are burning” at https://youtu.be/ejorQVy3m8E?si=8o-MQjJmzYdUbZLb.You can connect with me at https://www.linkedin.com/in/enterprisedoctor/ and join our Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/enterprisedoctorbusinessshow/.   My website is at https://enterprisedoctor.co.uk/.  Clips of all episodes are at https://www.youtube.com/user/EnterpriseDoctor/ - please subscribe there, and within your podcast app!  Copyright Marlow FM Ltd 2024. Reproduced here by kind permission of Marlow FM Ltd.

On today’s episode of The Enterprise Doctor Business Show, my guest is Liz Mayers, Co-founder and Director at EDI Accreditation,  a firm providing accreditation for organisations, large and small, committed to improving Equality, Diversity and Inclusion for their people. The business benefits achieved by having a diverse team, who are treated equally and fairly, in an environment where they can flourish as their authentic selves, are well documented. We talked about how the business came to be, and the expertise that the founders bring to the table, as well as some detail on the benefits to businesses of gaining the accreditation.You can connect with Liz via https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizmayers/ and their website is at https://ediaccreditation.com/ .If you want to connect with me, to talk about the mentoring and coaching I deliver to small businesses, or if you think you'd be a good guest on the show, please do let me know. You can do that via https://www.linkedin.com/in/enterprisedoctor/ . To contribute to (or just read) conversations about this episode, please join the podcast's Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/enterprisedoctorbusinessshow/ .And my website is at https://enterprisedoctor.co.uk/. On the YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/EnterpriseDoctor you can hear clips of other episodes – please subscribe there!   And within your podcast app, remember to like this episode (if you like it!), leave us a great review, and please do subscribe there too, to ensure new episodes hit your app as soon as they're released. These words and the content of the podcast are © Enterprise Doctor 2024.

In today’s episode of The Enterprise Doctor Business Show, my guest is Steve O’Connor, Director of the Rover & Rowing Museum in Henley-upon-Thames. I know Steve as I belong to the Henley Business Partnership and their lovely venue hosts the Partnership’s monthly networking events. We talked about the museum, what it does, and for whom.  And it’s quite a broad offering! But the meat of the conversation focussed on the flow of Steve’s journey from the world of business into the third sector and we explored how that business experience has been of value to the charity, and the differences between the two. That included the challenge of balancing loss-making projects of benefit to the wider community against those losses – how do you value an intangible? You can connect with Steve via https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-o-connor-a14b1a6/ and the museum’s website is at https://rrm.co.uk/ . If you want to connect with me, to talk about the mentoring and coaching I deliver to small businesses, or if you think you'd be a good guest on the show, please do let me know. You can do that via https://www.linkedin.com/in/enterprisedoctor/ .  To contribute to (or just read) conversations about this episode, please join the podcast's Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/enterprisedoctorbusinessshow/ .And my website is at https://enterprisedoctor.co.uk/. On the YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/EnterpriseDoctor you can hear clips of other episodes – please subscribe there!   And within your podcast app, remember to like this episode (if you like it!), leave us a great review, and please do subscribe there too, to ensure new episodes hit your app as soon as they're released.  These words and the content of the podcast are © Enterprise Doctor 2024.

In today’s episode of The Enterprise Doctor Business Show my guest is Chris Mills, Global Head of Customer Success at Slack.Towards the end of 2023 they did some research into the plans for 2024 of small businesses, and the skills required.  Changing how business conduct internal communications came out as one of the most important things to do, but how do we do that?And how will Slack change to stay at the forefront of technology? These questions and more were addressed! You can connect with Chris via https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherwmills/ and if you’re not yet a happy Slack user like me, the website is at https://slack.com/intl/en-gb/ . And if you want to come up with your own reasons for the company name, please do let me know, but keep it both clean and polite! If you want to connect with me, to talk about the mentoring and coaching I deliver to small businesses, or if you think you'd be a good guest on the show, please do let me know. You can do that via https://www.linkedin.com/in/enterprisedoctor/ . To contribute to (or just read) conversations about this episode, please join the podcast's Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/enterprisedoctorbusinessshow/ .And my website is at https://enterprisedoctor.co.uk/. On the YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/EnterpriseDoctor you can hear clips of other episodes – please subscribe there! And within your podcast app, remember to like this episode (if you like it!), leave us a great review, and please do subscribe there too, to ensure new episodes hit your app as soon as they're released. These words and the content of the podcast are © Enterprise Doctor 2024.

On today’s episode of The Enterprise Doctor Business Show my guest was Claudia Hall, Event Director of IBTM World – a global event for the events industry. IBTM World 2023 was the biggest edition yet, with over 60,000 appointments between 4,700+ high profile buyers and 2,200+ exhibitors over the three-day event. During Covid the events industry was clearly decimated, so what’s the situation now? You can connect with Claudia via https://www.linkedin.com/in/claudiaihall/ and if you’re interested in next year’s event you can find out more at https://www.ibtmworld.com/ . If you want to connect with me, to talk about the mentoring and coaching I deliver to small businesses, or if you think you'd be a good guest on the show, please do let me know. You can do that via https://www.linkedin.com/in/enterprisedoctor/ .  To contribute to (or just read) conversations about this episode, please join the podcast's Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/enterprisedoctorbusinessshow/ .  And my website is at https://enterprisedoctor.co.uk/.  On the YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/EnterpriseDoctor you can hear clips of other episodes – please subscribe there!  And within your podcast app, remember to like this episode (if you like it!), leave us a great review, and please do subscribe there too, to ensure new episodes hit your app as soon as they're released.  These words and the content of the podcast are © Enterprise Doctor 2024.

On The Business Show on Marlow FM on 29th February 2024, my guests were LinkedIn profiler Tony K Silver, and business consultant Nikki Burns, who joined me to talk about their work, and to discuss a range of business news stories.  As I was jetting off the day after the show, my first music choice had to be the Peter Paul & Mary version of “Leaving on a jet plane” – https://youtu.be/IVEATF7VNTk?si=MnOtyfHISy7FyvW4.Tony then spoke about his work in the world of LinkedIn, helping clients to maximise the benefits of having a profile, which he starts by asking why they have one at all!Connect with Tony via https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonyksilver/ .Nikki then spoke about her work as a business consultant, as well as her role as Chair of the FSB for the Thames Valley.Connect with her at https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikki-burns-a784999/.Her music choice was “All you need is love” by The Beatles, because people do business with people, and it’s all about love.  You can hear it at https://youtu.be/_paPrw0gAUo?si=dXh1_oc_6NQmADJL .She then chose a story featured at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/networking-building-relationships-yourvirtualpeople/ which tied in with the other article she found at https://speednetworking.com/the-value-of-face-to-face-meetings-why-in-person-is-better-than-online/ - how is networking coming along post Covid, and is f2f better than online?We then played Tony’s choice of music – “When I’m 64”, also by The Beatles.  He chose it because he’s nearly there!  You can hear it at https://youtu.be/HCTunqv1Xt4?si=ozO8oh5wiBVYn9GS.We talked a little about whether LinkedIn is networking, and then moved on to Tony’s story, which you’ll find at https://gijn.org/resource/tipsheet-investigating-ai-audio-deepfakes/.  Are AI generated deep fakes a threat to democracy, and to business?The last song was another for (and from) Hilary – XTC with “Making plans for Nigel” – you can hear it at https://youtu.be/n-X3Wy-svIY?si=-uPTD4FxfGnqkQ8.You can connect with me at https://www.linkedin.com/in/enterprisedoctor/ and join our Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/enterprisedoctorbusinessshow/.   My website is at https://enterprisedoctor.co.uk/.  Clips of all episodes are at https://www.youtube.com/user/EnterpriseDoctor/ - please subscribe there, and within your podcast app!  Copyright Marlow FM Ltd 2024. Reproduced here by kind permission of Marlow FM Ltd.

On today’s episode of The Enterprise Doctor Business Show (recorded a little before Christmas) my guest is mother, lifestyle advocate and “Made In Chelsea” alumni, Millie Mackintosh. The ‘viral spiral’ is becoming increasingly more prevalent with almost half of people (45%) saying they enter a vicious cycle of falling ill throughout the winter, and over a third (38%) feeling as though it takes them longer to recover from illness since the start of Covid.  The research by Sambucol shows there is also a fear factor as 3 in ten are concerned about infecting other members of their family if they get sick and 23% worry about repeatedly falling sick. We talked about the impact on working people (starting with Millie!) of being ill, the importance of preventing that from happening, and how to do so. The Sambucol website is at https://sambucol.co.uk/ . If you want to connect with me, to talk about the mentoring and coaching I deliver to small businesses, or if you think you'd be a good guest on the show, please do let me know. You can do that via https://www.linkedin.com/in/enterprisedoctor/ .  To contribute to (or just read) conversations about this episode, please join the podcast's Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/enterprisedoctorbusinessshow/ .  And my website is at https://enterprisedoctor.co.uk/.   On the YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/EnterpriseDoctor you can hear clips of other episodes – please subscribe there!   And within your podcast app, remember to like this episode (if you like it!), leave us a great review, and please do subscribe there too, to ensure new episodes hit your app as soon as they're released.  These words and the content of the podcast are © Enterprise Doctor 2024.

On The Business Show on Marlow FM on 15th February 2024, my guests were Beverley Kaye, Chief Commercial Officer of Factotum, and social media queen Deb Mason, who joined me to talk about their work, and to discuss a range of business news stories.  My first music choice from the Hilary Playlist was New Order with “Temptation” - https://youtu.be/xxDv_RTdLQo?si=rM1Q7oZV8bK1VQbG is where you can hear the full 7 minute version (which I didn’t play!).Deb then spoke about her work in the world of social media, and the questions that are very common to hear from her contacts.  And she had an interesting answer to whether what she does is a science or an art.You can connect with Deb via https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborahvmason-socialmediaconsultant/ .Beverley then spoke about Factotum, who are a multi-disciplinary outsourcing firm, and what the role of Chief Commercial Officer actually means!Their website is https://www.factotum.com/and you can connect with her at https://www.linkedin.com/in/beverley-kaye-76b20723/ .Deb’s music choice was “The Best” by Tina Turner, because the best thing to do is work with people, which is what she does.  You can hear it at https://youtu.be/GC5E8ie2pdM?si=QJK4dKwp6S-Dj5B9 .She then chose a story featured at https://www.marketingweek.com/communication-skills-marketing/ - do today’s marketing people have the right communication skills?We then played Beverley’s choice of music – “Never give up on a good thing” by George Benson.  She chose it because we need to hang on to what’s good.  You can hear it at https://youtu.be/UNU3OPbeaJw?si=h2Dtf_Yuh9N2serB.Her story for us to discuss can be found at https://www.independent.co.uk/world/avon-recruitment-russia-ukraine-b2486137.html - is this still a valid business model, and what about the reputational damage of being where they are?We finished with my story at https://news.sky.com/story/santander-goes-to-war-over-nationwide-attack-on-high-street-banks-13066717 - two competitors going head to head – is that a good thing to do? The last song was the second for (and from) Hilary – Pixies with “Monkey gone to heaven” – you can hear it at https://youtu.be/OncDlwNH9F0?si=O3rgTak68cTq6LUz.You can connect with me at https://www.linkedin.com/in/enterprisedoctor/ and join our Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/enterprisedoctorbusinessshow/.   My website is at https://enterprisedoctor.co.uk/.  Clips of all episodes are at https://www.youtube.com/user/EnterpriseDoctor/ - please subscribe there, and within your podcast app!  Copyright Marlow FM Ltd 2024. Reproduced here by kind permission of Marlow FM Ltd.

On The Business Show on Marlow FM on 1st Feb 24 my guests were Gemma Wass, Associate Director at independent financial advisors Harding Financial and counsellor Martina Swinburn, who joined me to talk about their work, and to discuss a range of business news stories.  My first music choice from the Hilary Playlist was Crowded House with “Weather With You” - hear it at https://youtu.be/ag8XcMG1EX4?si=4o3mbkg8ldTyk7w2.Gemma then spoke about Harding Financial, covering the two streams of their work – support for businesses and working with private clients.  Their website is at https://hardingfinancial.co.uk/ and you can connect with Gemma via https://www.linkedin.com/in/gemma-wass-previously-ryeland-180a3611/ .Martina then spoke about her counselling and psychotherapy business based in Henley, and how her Irish upbringing led her to be doing what she does today.Her website is https://www.martinaswinburn.co.uk/ - connect with her at https://www.linkedin.com/in/martina-swinburn-b6327119/ .Her music choice was “The Climb” by Miley Cyrus, because it’s about the help she gives people climbing from where they are to where they want to be.  You can hear it at https://youtu.be/NG2zyeVRcbs?si=p-ZJO-fGEK91NNaf.Martina chose a story featured at https://www.ivyhouse.co.uk/news-views/articles/five-wellbeing-trends-in-2024/ - where is wellbeing going in 2024, and how does that help businesses?  We then played Gemma’s choice of music – “Happy” by Pharrell Williams.  She chose it because it just makes her happy, and it makes her dance around the kitchen!  You can hear it at https://youtu.be/ZbZSe6N_BXs?si=YDK-cZYNYDWmW-6-.Her story for us to discuss can be found at https://amp.theguardian.com/society/2024/jan/22/mental-health-uk-burnt-out-nation - how should businesses support their staff?We finished with my story at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-67911127 - can pop-up shops help to regenerate our High Streets? The last song was the second for (and from) Hilary – Joy Division with “Love will tear us apart” – you can hear it at https://youtu.be/zuuObGsB0No?si=PEqpuYgXlJnOaenp.You can connect with me at https://www.linkedin.com/in/enterprisedoctor/ and join our Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/enterprisedoctorbusinessshow/.   My website is at https://enterprisedoctor.co.uk/.  Clips of all episodes are at https://www.youtube.com/user/EnterpriseDoctor/ - please subscribe there, and within your podcast app!  Copyright Marlow FM Ltd 2024. Reproduced here by kind permission of Marlow FM Ltd.

On today’s episode of The Enterprise Doctor Business Show my guest is Leah Brown of Broadstairs Consulting.   They are a crisis advisory and mediation practice, they run a local mediation centre and they have a weekly leadership podcast called “The Longest Day” – you’ll find it wherever you listen to podcasts. We had a great conversation about how to plan for a crisis, as well as how to behave when that crisis happens.  As covered off within the episode, this needs to be of interest to solopreneurs and micro businesses as well as larger businesses. You can connect with Leah via https://www.linkedin.com/in/leah-brown-frsa-b71b0844/ and their website is at https://broadstairsconsulting.com/ . If you want to connect with me, to talk about the mentoring and coaching I deliver to small businesses, or if you think you'd be a good guest on the show, please do let me know. You can do that via https://www.linkedin.com/in/enterprisedoctor/ .  To contribute to (or just read) conversations about this episode, please join the podcast's Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/enterprisedoctorbusinessshow/ .  And my website is at https://enterprisedoctor.co.uk/.   On the YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/EnterpriseDoctor you can hear clips of other episodes – please subscribe there!   And within your podcast app, remember to like this episode (if you like it!), leave us a great review, and please do subscribe there too, to ensure new episodes hit your app as soon as they're released.  These words and the content of the podcast are © Enterprise Doctor 2024.

On The Business Show on Marlow FM on 18th Jan 24, my guests were solicitor Stephanie Buckeridge of Gardner Leader and marketing expert Ali Crook of Idio Web Services, who joined me to talk about their work, and to discuss a range of business news stories.  My first music choice from the Hilary Playlist was Harry Nilsson with “Everybody’s Talking” - https://youtu.be/55xQu9eIPIA?si=u8eX_Uw-rxmmJlub to listen.Stephanie then spoke about Gardner Leader, a full service legal firm with seven offices across the South East.  One of our chats was around pre-nup agreements, be they for a marriage or a business partnership.Their website is at https://www.gardner-leader.co.uk/ and you can connect with Stephanie via https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-buckeridge-05199923/. Ali then talked about Idio Web Services, their unique pricing model, and why they’re a web services company, not a web design company.Their website is https://www.idioweb.co.uk/ and you can connect with her at https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisoncrook/. Her music choice was “Dressed for Success” by Roxette, because she loves a confident woman and it links with the next phase of her business journey!  Listen at https://youtu.be/kkxj5xVLyj0?si=RH_OuQp6oOWwyx8s.I chose a story at https://hbr.org/2024/01/how-to-intervene-when-you-witness-workplace-aggression - if you want to intervene rather than standing by, how do you best do that?We then played Stephanie’s choice of music – “Broken Strings” by James Morrison Ft. Nelly Furtado.  She chose it because it’s a great track, with great instrumentals and a great collaboration.  Listen at https://youtu.be/26PAgklYYvo?si=MFi3Bmc80Yi4HWwL.Her story can be found at https://www.thehrdirector.com/features/future-of-work/predictions-gen-z-will-need-employers-keep-board-2024/ - what do employers need to do to attract and retain Gen Z employees?That led nicely to her other story at https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/asda-walmart-four-day-week-b2478363.html - is this option more appealing to those from Gen Z?The last song was the second from Hilary – The Waterboys with “The Whole of the Moon” – listen at https://youtu.be/pu7AR0-FRro?si=vvRFM8elrZ8XN7SH .Connect with me at https://www.linkedin.com/in/enterprisedoctor/ and join https://www.facebook.com/groups/enterprisedoctorbusinessshow/.   Clips of all episodes are at https://www.youtube.com/user/EnterpriseDoctor/ - please subscribe there, and within your podcast app!  Copyright Marlow FM Ltd 2024. Reproduced here by kind permission of Marlow FM Ltd.

My guests in today’s episode are the wife and husband team of Emily and Paul Hughes.   They are two former teachers who have put their combined 30 years experience in the classroom to set up The Parent Guide to Education.  There’s an array of help for all parenting issues from conception to toddler tantrums, but until now there was nothing to help parents guide their teens through the exam years, which is where Paul & Emily come in. As well as discussing what the business does, we talk about how they transitioned from being teachers to running their own business, carefully designing and engineering a business they can build. You can connect with Emily via https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-hughes-339683165/ and Paul via  https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-hughes-8040a115/ and their website is https://www.parentguidetoeducation.com/ If you want to connect with me, to talk about the mentoring and coaching I deliver to small businesses, or if you think you'd be a good guest on the show, please do let me know. You can do that via https://www.linkedin.com/in/enterprisedoctor/ .  To contribute to (or just read) conversations about this episode, please join the podcast's Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/enterprisedoctorbusinessshow/ . And my website is at https://enterprisedoctor.co.uk/.  On the YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/EnterpriseDoctor you can hear clips of other episodes – please subscribe there!  And within your podcast app, remember to like this episode (if you like it!), leave us a great review, and please do subscribe there too, to ensure new episodes hit your app as soon as they're released.  These words and the content of the podcast are © Enterprise Doctor 2024.

On The Business Show on Marlow FM on 4th Jan 24, my guests were coach Sheila Docker of The Primal Zone and coach Amanda Bouch of Amanda Bouch Consulting, who joined me to talk about their work, and to discuss a range of business news stories.  The theme for my 2 music choices was easy to choose, but hard to say – they're from my late wife’s playlist of favourites.  First up was Ed Sheeran with “Castle On the Hill” - https://youtu.be/K0ibBPhiaG0?si=kI8NfRw7AvmEqXbX is where you can hear it.Amanda then spoke about coaching for Amanda Bouch Consulting, and her specialism in leadership coaching, whether that’s leading themselves or leading the business.Her website is at www.amandabouchconsulting.co.uk and you can connect with Amanda via www.linkedin.com/in/amandabouch or take a look at www.facebook.com/AmandaBouchConsulting.Sheila then talked about coaching for The Primal Zone.  Having solved her own health problems, she now uses her knowledge and skills to help others to do the same, looking at nutrition, mindset and movement, as a behaviour change and wellness coach.Her website is https://www.theprimalzone.com/and you can connect with her at https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheiladocker/.Her music choice was “Don’t Stop” by Fleetwood Mac, because it’s all about looking forward, not looking back.  You can hear it at https://youtu.be/QV9JJmSCiI8?si=E9qldihjKsDVxMPd .Amanda chose a story featured at https://www.managementtoday.co.uk/mt-asks-leaders-will-doing-less-year/down-to-business/article/1851960 - what will you be doing less of this year?We then played her choice of music – “King” by Years and Years.  She chose it because it was number one in the charts when she formed her limited company.  You can hear it at https://youtu.be/g_uoH6hJilc?si=xOKIKRYbDhdoIIdX.Sheila’s story for us to discuss can be found at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-67828891 - some remarkable stats, but for businesses the message is to give your customers choices.That led nicely to my story at https://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/news/23936191.every-new-business-opened-buckinghamshire-year/ - what tips do we have for people starting a new business right now?  Are they mad??The last song was the second for (and from) Hilary – The Cure with “Inbetween Days” – you can hear it at https://youtu.be/nJgRrjbRcmM?si=0uuZmO6qRL1RXSKI.You can connect with me at https://www.linkedin.com/in/enterprisedoctor/ and join our Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/enterprisedoctorbusinessshow/.   My website is at https://enterprisedoctor.co.uk/.  Clips of all episodes are at https://www.youtube.com/user/EnterpriseDoctor/ - please subscribe there, and within your podcast app!  Copyright Marlow FM Ltd 2024. Reproduced here by kind permission of Marlow FM Ltd.

On The Business Show on Marlow FM on 14th December 2023, my guests were Hilary Messer of Gardner Leader and Oli Sussat of Harding Financial, who joined me to talk about their work, and to discuss a range of business news stories.The theme for my two music choices was walking, and given I needed to be reminded of sunshine, I started with Katrina & The Waves and “Walking on Sunshine” - https://youtu.be/iPUmE-tne5U?si=uqJ3FHtQivv8tgNI is where you can hear it.Hilary then spoke about her legal work for Gardner Leader, and we talked not only about suing people (or being sued!) but how to perhaps avoid either of those things happening, with mediation being a key option.Their website is at https://www.gardner-leader.co.uk/ and you can connect with her via https://www.linkedin.com/in/hilary-messer-4393332/.Oli then talked about Harding Financial, a firm of independent financial planners, and we talked about their efforts to help people understand their financial options, as well as how they work with employers on employment benefits.Their website is https://hardingfinancial.co.uk/and you can connect with him at https://www.linkedin.com/in/osussat/.His music choice was “Especially for you” by Kylie & Jason – because he watched Neighbours twice a day and wanted to actually write a song for Jason!  You can hear it at https://youtu.be/yalM-2ih7RU?si=aM5ac_f_bzOCA0xX.Hilary chose a story featured at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-67623614 - have you made an online copy of yourself?  Is it lying to customers, or clever use of tech?We then played her choice of music – “All you need is love”, but very specifically the version from Love Actually.  She chose it because she loves that film. And we all need love right now.  You can hear it at https://youtu.be/m_2q1rclwNE?si=62gcrp5AkiN7sZWS.Oli’s story for us to discuss can be found at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-67661494 - but why is this a business story?  What can businesses do to better serve distinct premium and best value markets?The last song was the second on the theme of walking – Aerosmith and Run DMC with “Walk This Way” – you can hear it at https://youtu.be/4B_UYYPb-Gk?si=b8XIxAm1RfjX_WRh. You can connect with me at https://www.linkedin.com/in/enterprisedoctor/ and join our Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/enterprisedoctorbusinessshow/.   My website is at https://enterprisedoctor.co.uk/.  Clips of all episodes are at https://www.youtube.com/user/EnterpriseDoctor/ - please subscribe there, and within your podcast app!  Copyright Marlow FM Ltd 2023. Reproduced here by kind permission of Marlow FM Ltd.

My guest in today’s episode is Vikrant Shaurya, CEO of Authors On Mission.  They help you become a best selling author, and then help you leverage that to build your brand, attract high-value clients, secure speaking gigs, and leave a lasting legacy. Vikrant’s opening comments about how the business works generated about 37 questions in my mind!  We didn’t cover them all off but by the end of the conversation I clearly understood the benefits of working with him and his team. Have a listen, to reach the same point yourself! You can connect with Vikrant via https://www.linkedin.com/in/vikrantshaurya/ and their website is at https://authorsonmission.com/ .  You can join their community at https://www.skool.com/authorsonmission/about . If you want to connect with me, to talk about the mentoring and coaching I deliver to small businesses, or if you think you'd be a good guest on the show, please do let me know. You can do that via https://www.linkedin.com/in/enterprisedoctor/ .  To contribute to (or just read) conversations about this episode, please join the podcast's Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/enterprisedoctorbusinessshow/ .  And my website is at https://enterprisedoctor.co.uk/.   On the YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/EnterpriseDoctor you can hear clips of other episodes – please subscribe there!   And within your podcast app, remember to like this episode (if you like it!), leave us a great review, and please do subscribe there too, to ensure new episodes hit your app as soon as they're released.  These words and the content of the podcast are © Enterprise Doctor 2023.

On The Business Show on Marlow FM on 16th Nov 23, my guests were Sophie Comas of Rimu Marketing and Chris Bantock of Agency Local, who joined me to talk about their work, and to discuss a range of business news stories.The theme for my music choices was “yellow” - given that a road next to Watford FC has been renamed Yellow Brick Road, I started with Elton John’s “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” - https://youtu.be/B71PYsd8fG8?si=WNymDmXQpB68wodx is a live version filmed in Kiev.Sophie then spoke about her marketing agency, Rimu Marketing, which acts as a virtual marketing team for their clients, enabling them to explore and implement the whole range of marketing options for them.Her website is at https://www.rimumarketing.co.uk/ - connect with her at https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophiecomas/.Chris then talked about his business, Agency Local, a community for marketing and creative agencies, to support them on the commercial side of running a business.Their website is https://www.agencylocal.co.uk/ - connect with him at https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbantock/ .His music choice was “Cool for cats” by Squeeze because they’re embarking on their 50th anniversary tour and they were one of the first bands he saw live.  Hear it at https://youtu.be/uJ2cEc_TCH8?si=k1qIEacovxnMkbCo.Chris chose a story featured at https://www.agencybenchmarker.co.uk/ - click on the link there to download the report about hybrid working.  We talked about a range of options for businesses and for their people and concluded that one size does definitely not fit all.We then played Sophie’s music – “The Christmas Song” by Michael Bublé, chosen because he has a reputation for Christmas songs, so we played one.  Hear it at https://youtu.be/QJ5DOWPGxwg?si=NMP0M-N11sGuj6WG.  Sophie’s story is at https://www.marketingweek.com/coca-cola-aldi-christmas-most-effective/ - which Christmas ads are the most effective, and what does “effective” mean?Her other story is https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2023/10/30/top-5-marketing-trends-for-2024/?sh=2edb2614e437 which tied in with Chris’s other story https://www.cim.co.uk/content-hub/editorial/todays-top-five-marketing-challenges/ - what’s expected in the world of marketing in 2024?The last song was the second “yellow” one - Brian Hyland with “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini” – hear it at https://youtu.be/ICkWjdQuK7Q?si=VCk-10jQnbCr9T3g. Connect with me at https://www.linkedin.com/in/enterprisedoctor/ and join our Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/enterprisedoctorbusinessshow/.   Clips of all episodes are at https://www.youtube.com/user/EnterpriseDoctor/ - please subscribe there, and within your podcast app!  Copyright Marlow FM Ltd 2023. Reproduced here by kind permission of Marlow FM Ltd.

On The Business Show on Marlow FM on 16th November 2023 my guests were Penny Heyes, the founder of The Trust Bridge, and John Pryor, the CEO of Exalt IP, who joined me to talk about their work, and to discuss a range of business news stories.The theme for my two music choices was boys and girls and I started with Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls just want to have fun” – listen at https://youtu.be/PIb6AZdTr-A?si=rsRDVYG5kjgYnH0w.John then spoke about his intellectual property business, starting with defining what it is and talking about trade secrets, brand value, copyright, critical assets and more.His website is at https://exaltip.com/ and you can connect with him via https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-pryor-gb/ .Penny then talked about her business, which originally just helped organisations comply with GDPR, enabling businesses to be trusted by their clients (hence the company name) but now works in the broader area of cyber security.Their website is www.thetrustbridge.co.uk and you can connect with her at https://www.linkedin.com/in/pennyheyes/.Her music choice was “We are family” by Sister Sledge because it’s always played at family parties.  Hear it at https://youtu.be/uyGY2NfYpeE?si=dZDXblEIHpJOgH6o.John chose https://www.theguardian.com/money/2023/may/28/social-media-sites-wild-west-shopping-uk-bank-facebook-instagram to discuss – businesses must protect themselves against fraud, and protect their customers.We then played his choice of music – “Shape of you” by Ed Sheeran.  He chose it because Ed has spent a lot of time fighting claims that he’s stolen the intellectual property of others.  Hear it at https://youtu.be/JGwWNGJdvx8?si=lnecq9Wp_g0OvyQK.Penny’s story for us to discuss is at https://www.digit.fyi/62-of-cisos-concerned-about-personal-liability-for-attacks/ which tied in with her story at https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/sec-hits-solarwinds-and-ciso-with-9744385/ - CISO’s fear of being sued is based on fact as that second story shows. My story at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-67377140 underlined the personal financial risks involved in being careless with data – Alison Rose is £7.6m worse off than she might have been!The last song was the second on the theme of boys & girls – Thin Lizzy with “The boys are back in town” – you can hear it at https://youtu.be/5_xqb416S7o?si=1pCxlUPrxvVuuBM_.You can connect with me at https://www.linkedin.com/in/enterprisedoctor/ and join our Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/enterprisedoctorbusinessshow/.   My website is at https://enterprisedoctor.co.uk/.  Clips of all episodes are at https://www.youtube.com/user/EnterpriseDoctor/ - please subscribe there, and within your podcast app!  Copyright Marlow FM Ltd 2023. Reproduced here by kind permission of Marlow FM Ltd.

Today’s short episode is a recording of a conversation with Cherry Healey.Best known for her hugely successful BBC documentaries including “Inside the Factory”, Cherry is insightful, witty, challenging and compassionate about the subjects she covers,   This was recorded on 1st November 2023, when the Co-op was celebrating 75 years since a momentous moment in UK retailing history - the opening of the first convenience store. As well as discussing the leading role of the Co-Op in the food retail sector, we discussed where the sector might go in the future, with robot and drone deliveries just two of the possibilities, along with the importance of quality of service. You can connect with Cherry at https://www.linkedin.com/in/cherryhealey/  and follow her at https://www.facebook.com/CherryHealeyOfficial/ https://www.instagram.com/cherryhealey/?hl=en or https://twitter.com/cherryhealey?lang=en .If you want to connect with me, to talk about the mentoring and coaching I deliver to small businesses, or if you think you'd be a good guest on the show, please do let me know. You can do that via https://www.linkedin.com/in/enterprisedoctor/ .To contribute to (or just read) conversations about this episode, please join the podcast's Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/enterprisedoctorbusinessshow/ .And my website is at https://enterprisedoctor.co.uk/. On the YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/EnterpriseDoctor you can hear clips of other episodes – please subscribe there! And within your podcast app, remember to like this episode (if you like it!), leave us a great review, and please do subscribe there too, to ensure new episodes hit your app as soon as they're released. These words and the content of the podcast are © Enterprise Doctor 2023.

On The Business Show on Marlow FM on 2nd Nov 23 my guests were leadership coach Claire Powell and education marketing expert Nick Richardson of Marketing Advisers, who joined me to talk about their work, and to discuss a range of business news stories.The theme for my two music choices was peace – a little more of that around the world would be a good thing.  First was the Plastic Ono Band with “Give peace a chance” – hear it at https://youtu.be/C3_0GqPvr4U?si=hY1KTarjnFQf1jbj .Claire spoke about her leadership coaching business, which helps leaders to untangle their minds, become less stressed, and focus on their goals to get better results.Her website is at https://www.clairepowell.coach/ and you can connect with her via https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairepowell/ or email claire@clairepowell.coach .Nick then talked about his business, which is a specialist marketing & communications agency which supports schools and trusts by providing all aspects of school marketing.Their website is at https://marketingadvisers.co.uk. You can email Nick via nr@marketingadvisers.co.uk or connect at https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-p-richardson.His music choice was “Learning to fly” by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers because it’s about learning, soaring forth, flying upwards – very apt! Hear it at https://youtu.be/s5BJXwNeKsQ?si=QJE9pjePsDYdMCCR .Nick chose https://archive.ph/i3nIO – a topic on which Nick was passionate with potential wide-ranging ramifications.Claire’s story is at https://www.businessleader.co.uk/brash-business-leaders-fading-away/ - are they fading away, and is that a good thing?  And how is a certain Mr Musk doing on that front?Next was Claire’s choice of music – “Ain’t Nobody” by Rufus & Chaka Khan.  She chose it just because she loves it.  Hear it at https://youtu.be/BNirQXe8HOA?si=8WlRCZHujWjQb0sm.My story is at https://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/news/23882448.malt-brewery-overrun-orders-closure-announcement/ .  That tied in with the story at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-67229923 - another firm that got it wrong, but is starting to return.The last song was the second on the theme of peace – Elvis Costello and the Attractions with “(What’s so funny ‘bout) peace love and understanding” – you can hear it at https://youtu.be/Ssd3U_zicAI?si=yL1k_qXazwngcPUs.You can connect with me at https://www.linkedin.com/in/enterprisedoctor/ and join our Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/enterprisedoctorbusinessshow/.   My website is at https://enterprisedoctor.co.uk/.  Clips of all episodes are at https://www.youtube.com/user/EnterpriseDoctor/ - please subscribe there, and within your podcast app!  Copyright Marlow FM Ltd 2023. Reproduced here by kind permission of Marlow FM Ltd.