Every Day's A Business School Day

In this episode, Nicky draws on her extensive networking experience to explore what makes you memorable in a room full of introductions. She explains why traditional, sales-heavy pitches often fall flat—and what to do instead. Focusing on clarity, authenticity, and storytelling, Nicky and James break down how to approach a 30–60 second introduction in a way that sparks curiosity and leads to more...

Getting a mortgage feels complicated (and a bit scary). Getting one as a business owner? Even more so. In this episode, James and Nicky sit down with Mortgage and Protection Advisor Vicky Probert from Honey Financial, to break down exactly how mortgages work when you’re self-employed or running a small business. From how lenders assess your income to why your accountant matters more than you think...

Most businesses attend events because they feel like they should — but very few stop to ask the most important question: What’s the point? In this episode, James and Nicky chat to Marketing and Events expert, Zoe Wadsworth from Ask Zoe, about how to approach events strategically so they actually deliver results — whether you're networking, exhibiting, or hosting your own. The conversation covers p...

AI is everywhere right now—but should you be using it in your business? In this episode, Nicky and James are joined by Diane Hall from Evolved3 CIC to take a grounded and practical look at how AI actually fits into small business life and how we can start the process of identifying ways it can facilitate competitive advantage. The episode explores how AI should support humans – not replace them –...

In this episode Nicky and James are joined by branding expert, Clare Froggatt from We Brew Your Brand, to discuss one of the most misunderstood areas of marketing: branding. They explore why branding goes far beyond logos and colours, and how it actually shapes every part of your business—from the way you communicate to the clients you attract. Clare shares practical insights on building a brand t...

Pricing is one of the biggest anxieties for business owners — but it doesn’t have to be! In this episode, Nicky and James are joined by business and leadership strategist, Heath Gunn from Move That Mountain, to delve into the psychology, strategy, and practical steps behind pricing your services with confidence. We explore why so many business owners undercharge, how pricing impacts your freedom a...

In this episode, Nicky and James talk about the process of strategizing and delivering a successful podcast. We talk about how important it is to stand out with a good quality format and to research and pilot the podcast to ensure that it is hitting the mark. We chatted about the journey we went on together to develop the strategy for this podcast. And we also spoke about how podcasting is such an...

In this episode we spoke to IT Specialist, Phil Farey, about the slight scary topic of cyber attacks. He talked us through some of the simple ways we can make ourselves less vulnerable to being targeted without it costing the earth. He also talked to us about the potential damage that being hacked can cause – not just physically but reputationally too. Phil also made the point that just because we...

** This episode was recorded in spring 2024 and therefore some of the regulations and information mentioned may have since changed ** In this episode James and Nicky chat to Accountant, Michael Harle, about navigating the tricky world of tax and keeping on top of our business finances. We covered why tax should be taken seriously, but that with the right systems it doesn’t have to be ‘taxing’ or s...

In this episode we had a chat with Mandy Allen about all things CRM – what it is, all the forms it comes in and why we need it. We discussed the basics of getting started and how it supports you in delivering the best experience you can to your greatest asset – your customers. Mandy also shared some useful tips on preparing the way for CRM implementationincluding mapping out a clear view of the cu...

In this episode James and Nicky spoke to Rachel Haith about one of the most important elements that a business owner needs – a strong belief in themselves and clarity on what they are doing and where they are going. We covered how addressing your mindset early in your business journey can make a real difference to whether you succeed, because things will get tough and it’s all about how you deal w...

In this episode we spoke to Hayden Fox, about why we’re all afraid of Sales and why we don’t like doing it. We chatted about how we can embrace a more positive attitude towards selling and how business owners have to be sales people if they want to grow. And we talked about how understanding sales better, and applying some strategy, will help us get more from selling – and might even enjoy it too!...

Summary In this episode we have a conversation with Lisa Betsworth from Slice Solutions and Kat Derbyshire from Black Kat HR about the daunting task of taking on your first employee. We talked about the importance of being clear on what hire you ‘really’ need, weighing it up against outsourcing and being sure a hire is adding value in your business. We also chatted about getting the job descriptio...

In this episode Automation Expert, Yvonne Hemmings from Solutions Shack explains to us how easy and cost effective it is to automate repetitive tasks in our businesses. In a lot of cases it’s free, there’s no code needed and we can breeze through tasks at a click of a button. Yvonne teaches us how to get started and highlights some quick wins that could save us loads of time and money. Who is Yvon...

In all the excitement of planning and launching a business it’s easy to overlook some of the simple financial decisions that go hand in hand with being a new business owner. It’s also common to think that if you aren’t currently earning very much money you don’t need a Financial Planner. But as we found out in our chat with Zoe Taylor, it’s important to have realistic plans in place for the future...

James and Nicky discuss the importance of following up after networking and how creating quality business friendships can make the whole thing more effective and enjoyable. They debate the strategy around growing connections into high quality referral partners and that finding the right networking circle can support you in business way beyond new sales leads. What we discussed That networking is a...

What the heck is a lead magnet? And do they deliver results? In this episode of Every Day’s a Business School Day, Nicky Thomas and James Marriott chat to Content Marketing Expert, Talisa Gill, about the mysterious art of lead magnets. What they are, why should we be using them and how do they add fuel to other marketing channels? Who is Talisa Gill? Talisa is the founder of 10X Marketing. Working...

If we don’t know where we are going and how to get there it’s almost impossible to succeed in our business. But how do get our goals out of our head and onto paper? In this episode of Every Day’s a Business School Day, Nicky Thomas and James Marriott chat to Business Consultant, Hayley Koseoglu, about how implementing 90 day planning can help us break down our goals into achievable plans that take...

Every Day's a Business School Day is your virtual classroom to learn about all kinds of stuff to help you drive your business forward. In this trailer, meet Nicky and James and find out more about what the show is all about.