Leeds Business Podcast

Amanda Cook launched her business after a failed MBO followed by a discussion over a pint of Guinness.Listen how she tells us about the importance of networking in the building of her business, how much support there is out there for businesses and and why cash is king.We also discuss Leeds United and aliens…. Although not in the same sentence!If you're looking for a business and entrepreneurship podcast that will inspire, motivate and educate you, through the personal business journeys and entrepreneurial lessons learnt of Leeds business owners then this is the podcast for you.INTRODUCING AMANDA COOKAmanda Cook has worked in commercial interior design and fitout for over 20 years. In 2019, she launched DesignTonic Ltd with Joe Darcy. They create amazing commercial spaces to work, rest and play in. From advice and inspiration through to full design, fit and furnish, their bespoke services give you exactly what you need to fit your timescale and budget.DesignTonic Team’s expert knowledge, precise attention to detail and friendly approach have already seen them complete fantastic projects for clients like Leeds United, Yorkshire County Cricket, Caddick, Vastint and Relentless. The business has now expanding adding their DT sports and DT projects brands. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS[00:00:00] Introduction to Design Tonic[00:05:00] Creating a Business Plan and the first clients[00:11:00] Navigating COVID-19 challenges[00:14:00] The current state of the hospitality market[00:17:00] Expanding into sports and concert venues[00:23:00] Overcoming business challenges[00:26:00] How to build brand recognition[00:26:00] Supporting Smart Works4 KEY TAKEAWAYS & BUSINESS LEARNINGSIf you’ve got a business idea talk to as many people as you can. They’ll be willing to help.In the bars and restaurants, they now HAVE TO nail their service offerDo a good job. Do what you say you’ll do, and be nice to people.Don’t leave it as a customer-supplier relationship; you become partners3 MOMENTS TO LOOK OUT FOR“We went to every single event we were invited to”“Covid was a perfect time for bars and restaurants to do a refit”“It’s all through connections. Asking the right people”VALUABLE RESOURCES FOR YOUWebsite: www.leedsbusinesspodcast.com LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/leeds-business-podcast/Work with Phil - www.philfraser.co.uk Website: https://designtonic.co.uk/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/atkinsonamanda/ www.linkedin.com/designtonic-ltdShout out: https://www.littlebaoboy.com/DON'T FORGET THE LEEDS BUSINESS PODCAST ‘FAIR DEAL’My half of the agreement; Every week I bring you inspiring Leeds Business people FOR FREE.Your half of the deal - Share this episode with just ONE person who you think will get value from itYOU MAY ALSO LIKETracey Fletcher, Smart Works (as mentioned) https://leedsbusinesspodcast.com/podcast/tracy-fletcher-smartworks/ LUFC podcast The Square Ball https://leedsbusinesspodcast.com/podcast/the-square-ball/Yana Smaglo – Dragons...

Today’s guest runs a 1000 staff, 45 location, £300m turnover business. AND he’s a 6th generation family owner.Hear the fascinating story of Howarths Timber, the successes and failures of the business, how you manage such a huge entity and the family-owned aspects that power it. There's also learnings from the failures the company have experienced too.From sawing down trees to AI, this episode is one worth listening to….If you're looking for a business and entrepreneurship podcast that will inspire, motivate and educate you, through the personal business journeys and entrepreneurial lessons learnt of Leeds business owners then this is the podcast for you.INTRODUCING NICK HOWARTHNick Howarth joined the company in 1979 after completing a Management degree at Manchester University. He and his brother became joint chair in 1988 after their father died.The Howarth Timber Group is a 185-year-old Leeds based 7th generation family business with a turnover of £300 million, employs over 1,000 colleagues and is listed within the Sunday Times Best Places to Work Award. Howarth Timber Group import timber, value add process it and distribute it along with related building materials nationwide, operating from 45 locations.EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS[00:00:00] The history of Howarths Timber[00:07:30] Working in the family business[00:10:00] The development of Howarths into new markets[00:14:00] What is ‘value-add’? And helping the competitors…[00:17:00] The challenges to managing a huge operation[00:20:00] Adapting to market change and the businesses core values[00:30:00] The use of AI and technology in the business[00:35:00] The need for family emotional engagement in a family business[00:43:00] The failures and the lessons learnt3 KEY TAKEAWAYS &amp; BUSINESS LEARNINGSEmploy good people and let them understand what they need to do in terms of outputs and performanceLearn to swim in choppy seas when the market goes into a downturnMissed market opportunities (things you didn’t do) are also business failures3 MOMENTS TO LOOK OUT FOR“My dad would go into the forests, mark up trees and chop them down”“We’ve had a number of people with us over 50 years”“85% of our profits are invested back into the business”VALUABLE RESOURCES FOR YOUWebsite: www.leedsbusinesspodcast.com&nbsp;LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/leeds-business-podcast/Work with Phil - www.philfraser.co.uk&nbsp;Website:&nbsp;https://howarth-group.co.uk/ Shout out:&nbsp;https://familybusinessuk.org/DON'T FORGET THE LEEDS BUSINESS PODCAST ‘FAIR DEAL’My half of the agreement; Every week I bring you inspiring Leeds Business people FOR FREE.Your half of the deal - Share this episode with just ONE person who you think will get value from itYOU MAY ALSO LIKE OTHER FAMILY BUSINESS EPISODESJames Kempley - Troy Foods - https://leedsbusinesspodcast.com/podcast/troy-foods/Jamie Bentley, Stephenson Personal Care - <a href="https://leedsbusinesspodcast.com/podcast/jamie-bentley/" rel="noopener...

Today’s episode with Tracy Fletcher covers her time in banking and recruitment, with some great advice for YOU when YOU recruit staff, and then we discuss Smart Works Leeds where she is The Chair.Listen not only to what Smart Works Leeds does but, more importantly, how you can support and get involved with this much-needed and highly effective charity.If you're looking for a business and entrepreneurship podcast that will inspire, motivate and educate you, through the personal business journeys and entrepreneurial lessons learnt of Leeds business owners then this is the podcast for you.INTRODUCING TRACY FLETCHERTracy enjoyed a 20-year career in Financial Services, working in senior leadership roles, before launching her own banking recruitment business in 2008. Throughout her Career Tracy has been a huge advocate for women, being both an active signatory of the HM Treasury Women in Finance Charter and mentoring a number of new business owners and finance professionals. She joined Smart Works initially in 2019 as a volunteer coach, and was appointed Chair in 2023, Following the sale of her recruitment business last year she is working on a number of consultancy assignments, giving herself some much-needed work life balance.EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS[00:00:00] Starting in banking and the skills learnt[00:04:00] Leaving banking and setting up a recruitment business[00:19:00] Getting the best out of your recruitment consultant[00:23:00] Splitting from a business partner[00:27:00] AI in recruitment[00:30:00] Exiting the business[00:33:00] What is Smart Works and what does it offer?[00:36:00] How Tracy got involved with Smart Works[00:38:00] The benefits of Smart Works[00:44:00] How you can help Smart Works[00:56:00] How to chair an all-female board3 KEY TAKEAWAYS &amp; BUSINESS LEARNINGS• Your team are people. They are not strategic pawns in your chess game• Being in business with somebody is like a marriage• In (any) meeting make sure all voices, especially female ones, are heard4 MOMENTS TO LOOK OUT FOR“I have a heightened moral compass. And a very strong sense of justice”“I needed to spread my wings and listen to my heart”“Being a banker is marginally more respectable than being a recruiter”“Of 1000 women who came into Smart Works, 630 got a job with a month”VALUABLE RESOURCES FOR YOUWebsite: www.leedsbusinesspodcast.com LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/leeds-business-podcast/Work with Phil - www.philfraser.co.uk Website: https://leeds.smartworks.org.uk/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyfletchercampbellfletcher/https://www.linkedin.com/company/smart-works-leeds/Shout outs:Jo Smedley - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-smedley-371a2335/ Charlotte Hopkinson - https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlotte-hopkinson-0ba0515/ Amy

How many times have you thought, ‘wouldn’t it be cool to run a bar’. Today we talk to someone who’s done exactly that…. And owned a brewery too. As you might expect it’s not as easy as you might think….He also drops a few truth bombs like ‘As a start up business owner you do roles that you a) haven’t been trained for, b) don’t like and c) aren’t very good at.' Hear also the great free item that will boost your customer satisfaction levels every time.If you're looking for a business and entrepreneurship podcast that will inspire, motivate and educate you, through the personal business journeys and entrepreneurial lessons learnt of Leeds business owners then this is the podcast for you.INTRODUCING JOHN GYNGELLAs the co-founder of North Bar, John has played a pivotal role in defining the craft beer landscape in the United Kingdom.Starting with North Bar in Leeds in 1997 - the UK’s original craft beer bar to becoming the driving force in the craft beer revolution after co-founding North Brewing Co.The brewery was born in 2015 and fast became a major player in the craft beer scene, winning numerous awards for its beers, team, design and marketing. Following the headwinds of Covid, the brewery was passed on to another local brewery in a pre-pack administration process.John is now building out the North Bar group from its current eight sites.EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS[00:01:00] From Town &amp; Country to opening the first North Bar[00:07:00] The hard graft of the early days[00:11:00] Expanding the business and the ‘hard parts’[00:16:00] The North Brewing story[00:26:00] The effects of Covid on the bars and the brewery[00:36:00] How to build a hospitality brand[00:41:00] The North Bar pub crawl as a promotion?3 KEY TAKEAWAYS &amp; BUSINESS LEARNINGS• Youth helps – because you are so clueless, nothing is a problem• As a start-up business owner you do roles that you a) haven’t been trained for, b) don’t like and c) aren’t very good at• Go the extra step – it really does make a difference to how your customers feel4 MOMENTS TO LOOK OUT FOR“When we talk about KPIs and appraisals and such, it’s real turn off for me”“The stats say that the huge majority of businesses fail”“Everything we did during that process we did what we thought was right at the time”“Being nice is free”VALUABLE RESOURCES FOR YOUWebsite: www.leedsbusinesspodcast.com LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/leeds-business-podcast/Work with Phil - www.philfraser.co.uk Website: https://northbar.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-gyngell-3b565b144/ Shout out: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jane-slimming-698a4a3/ Buy the book - Unreasonable Hospitality.DON'T FORGET THE LEEDS BUSINESS PODCAST ‘FAIR DEAL’My half of the agreement; Every week I bring you inspiring Leeds Business people FOR FREE.Your half of the deal - Share this episode with just ONE...

From nightclubs to huge corporate events and how a 1970s ice-cream van led to the launch of a premium ice cream brand. Meet today’s guest, Dirk Mischendahl, MD of Northern Bloc. As well as the devastation that Covid caused on the business, there’s also loads more fascinating tales, and learnings.If you're looking for a business and entrepreneurship podcast that will inspire, motivate and educate you, through the personal business journeys and entrepreneurial lessons learnt of Leeds business owners then this is the podcast for you.INTRODUCING DIRK MISCHENDAHLDirk Mischendahl sold his Leeds events and communications agency, Logistik in 2014.He then started Northern Bloc Ice Cream; a disruptor brand which is now sold nationally and internationally, pioneering the vegan ice cream market a product which is now universally seen as the benchmark of what great ice cream looks like. With his wife, Pippa Hale, Dirk established the Northern Art Prize in 2006 to promote artistic talent within Yorkshire and taking this further in 2013 they both established The Tetley Art Gallery and is currently involved in Left Bank, a creative community based venue among various other roles. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS[00:00:00] From University to business owner[00:07:00] Lessons learnt from the first business[00:13:00] The decision to exit and the start of Northern Bloc[00:22:00] From a Lifestyle brand to taking on Ben &amp; Jerrys[00:25:30] Moving from retail to B2B via wholesale[00:30:30] External investment, Covid and a change in ownership[00:40:00] How to fail quickly3 KEY TAKEAWAYS &amp; BUSINESS LEARNINGS• Your team can make a thousand mistakes a day, as long as it’s not the same one• Be careful who your shareholders are • The one thing that you can’t recreate is time. Don’t waste it on failing businesses3 MOMENTS TO LOOK OUT FOR“I bought a little 1971 ice cream van from a lady in Keighley called Sunshine Scoops”“Give us a flavour as to the size of the business”“Chocolate has gone up from £3.60 a kilo to £9.16 a kilo”VALUABLE RESOURCES FOR YOUWebsite: www.leedsbusinesspodcast.com LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/leeds-business-podcast/Work with Phil - www.philfraser.co.uk Website: https://www.northern-bloc.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dirkmischendahl/ Shout out: https://www.jim-fox.com/ DON'T FORGET THE LEEDS BUSINESS PODCAST ‘FAIR DEAL’My half of the agreement; Every week I bring you inspiring Leeds Business people FOR FREE.Your half of the deal - Share this episode with just ONE person who you think will get value from itYOU MAY ALSO LIKEhttps://leedsbusinesspodcast.com/podcast/entrepreneur-within/ (as mentioned)https://leedsbusinesspodcast.com/podcast/business-problems-solved/<a href="https://leedsbusinesspodcast.com/podcast/phil-fraser/" rel="noopener...

Matt Cheshire, CEO of the Needs Group offers a VIP concierge service to the rich and famous. Matt has over 25 years of experience providing quality services to a variety of clients. Matt tells us how he got into this fascinating niche sector, how he deals with people who never get told no, the ups and downs caused by Covid and the importance of pampered pooches to the business.If you're looking for a business and entrepreneurship podcast that will inspire, motivate and educate you, through the personal business journeys and entrepreneurial lessons learnt of Leeds business owners then this is the podcast for you.INTRODUCING MATT CHESHIREMatt has worked in the entertainment and private aviation industry for the past 26 years in a variety of roles, with most of it spent working for some of the world’s biggest Music, Sports and TV personalities providing them with VIP concierge services that are now mirrored in Artist Needs.The company has expanded into four different facets that form The Needs Group; specialists in artist services, private aviation, event furniture hire and VIP concierge services.EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS[00:00:00] Introducing the Needs Group[00:06:30] From Sound Engineer to side hustle to Business Owner[00:14:00] How the aviation division began and then furniture[00:18:00] Growing a business by organic growth alone[00:24:00] The (very interesting) impact of Covid[00:31:00] the importance of third party suppliers[00:37:00] How to manage expectations[00:40:00] The power in being personable[00:40:00] Fuck ups, weird requests and a regret3 KEY TAKEAWAYS &amp; BUSINESS LEARNINGS• You have to be constantly thinking and evolving• We are only as good as our last job• Be honest with clients to ensure that expectations are properly managed4 MOMENTS TO LOOK OUT FOR“We’ve now got seven Premier League clubs we do all the player movement for”“Our long term gain has been phenomenal because we have built phenomenal amounts of trust”“There’s a huge element of luck, a huge element of trust and a huge element of loyalty”“The music side dried up, and the aviation side went bonkers”VALUABLE RESOURCES FOR YOUWebsite: www.leedsbusinesspodcast.com LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/leeds-business-podcast/Work with Phil - www.philfraser.co.uk Website: http://www.theneedsgroup.com/ LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/mattcheshire DON'T FORGET THE LEEDS BUSINESS PODCAST ‘FAIR DEAL’My half of the agreement; Every week I bring you inspiring Leeds Business people FOR FREE.Your half of the deal - Share this episode with just ONE person who you think will get value from itYOU MAY ALSO LIKEhttps://leedsbusinesspodcast.com/podcast/the-square-ball/https://leedsbusinesspodcast.com/podcast/yana-smaglo/ https://leedsbusinesspodcast.com/podcast/phil-fraser/ ABOUT YOUR HOSTPhil Fraser went from an accidental kitchen table start up, with no investment, all the way to multi-million pound sale to a PLC 18 years later. He’s travelled the full SME business journey of launch, growth, scale and exit.As...

Mark Roberts is an entrepreneur, investor, innovation coach and now a published author. Listen as Mark explains the unique trigger that made him quit corporate life to launch his start up, how appearing on This Morning created huge problems for his business and a secret fact you never knew about Pringles. There’s also a brilliant ‘How to’ if you're looking to scale your start up.INTRODUCING MARK ROBERTSMark co-founded Beer Hawk in 2012, which he scaled from two mates in a shed, to a team of over 170 beery enthusiasts on a mission to inspire customers to find their next favourite beer.He’s won numerous business awards including Great British Entrepreneur of the Year, and Business Person of the Year at the SME National Business Awards.As well as being the author of The Entrepreneur Within, he’s also Chair of the Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Partnership, Trustee and Chair of the Finance &amp; Resources Committee for Red Kite Learning Trust, Operational Partner for Praetura Ventures VC, Non-Executive Director of Ocula Technologies AI and an active angel investor.EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS[00:01:00] Mark’s early career[00:04:00] The trigger to launch the business and the first few years[00:14:00] Angel investment and the growth of the business[00:20:00] The missteps and mistakes[00:23:00] The unexpected exit[00:32:00] Becoming an intrapreneur, Covid and the LEP[00:40:00] the book ‘The Entrepreneur within’ and the F.O.R.G.E methodology3 KEY TAKEAWAYS &amp; BUSINESS LEARNINGSDo not underestimate the power of naivety and optimismWatch out for the Innovation paradoxThe more original the idea the easier it its to cut through3 MOMENTS TO LOOK OUT FOR“We had a list of thousands of friends and family…. And very few bought from us”“Would you consider stepping out and becoming an intrapreneur?”“It was one of the most well-funded start-ups you could get”VALUABLE RESOURCES FOR YOUWebsite: www.leedsbusinesspodcast.com&nbsp;LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/leeds-business-podcast/Work with Phil - www.philfraser.co.uk&nbsp;Website: https://markroberts.co/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markdroberts/Shout out: https://www.leedsangels.co.ukBuy the book - The Entrepreneur WithinDON'T FORGET THE LEEDS BUSINESS PODCAST ‘FAIR DEAL’My half of the agreement; Every week I bring you inspiring Leeds Business people FOR FREE.Your half of the deal - Share this episode with just ONE person who you think will get value from itYOU MAY ALSO LIKEhttps://leedsbusinesspodcast.com/podcast/tsb-the-square-ball/https://leedsbusinesspodcast.com/podcast/mark-costello/ - also beer related !<a...

Do you have one of these common Business Problems? And looking for a solution?Welcome to the latest bonus episode of the Leeds Business Podcast, featuring our most recent Business Surgery problems.If you're a Business Owner, have a listen; you've probably experienced at least one, or more, of these problems..... and now you have a potential solution.This month’s round up features the following business problems;"I'm struggling with giving feedback to my team. Any suggestions?" - Mike Bates, Former Counter-Terrorism Officer"I'm think of starting a podcast. What do I need to consider?" Dan &amp; Michael, The Square Ball"We're coming up to annual appraisal time. Any advice?" Anna Sutton, Data Refinery"I need to up my business sales. How do I even start putting a marketing plan together?" Dan Murray, Leeds-ListYou can hear each of the full episodes of the above guests at;https://leedsbusinesspodcast.com/episode/leeds-listhttps://leedsbusinesspodcast.com/episode/anna-suttonhttps://leedsbusinesspodcast.com/episode/mike-bateshttps://leedsbusinesspodcast.com/episode/the-square-ballPREVIOUS BUSINESS SURGERY COMPILATIONSBusiness Surgery Compilation No 1 - https://leedsbusinesspodcast.com/podcast/business-problems-solved/Business Surgery Compilation No 2 - https://leedsbusinesspodcast.com/episode/4-business-problems-solvedVALUABLE RESOURCES FOR YOUWebsite: www.leedsbusinesspodcast.com LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/leeds-business-podcast/Work with Phil - www.philfraser.co.uk ABOUT YOUR HOSTPhil Fraser went from an accidental kitchen table start up, with no investment, all the way to multi-million pound sale to a PLC 18 years later. He’s travelled the full SME business journey of launch, growth, scale and exit.As well as hosting the Leeds Business Podcast, Phil now works with ambitious SME-owners as a Business Sounding Board (think somewhere between Business Coach and Business Mentor). In simple terms, he’s ‘a pair of ears and an extra pair eyes’ for SME Owners helping them to be better at what they do. Phil’s mantra is It doesn’t need to be ‘lonely at the top’. He helps Business Owners to be better business owners, by helping with their clarity and focus.As a Business Sounding Board, he gives SME Owners the time &amp; space to regularly discuss their challenges and opportunities, with no sense of judgement or bias, and in complete confidence. This allows them to explore their options in full, culminating with a list of issues to address/clarify, a clear target in mind, a roadmap to success, and a renewed enthusiasm and confidence for the challenges ahead.Want to work with Phil to help you? See <a href="https://www.philfraser.co.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer"...