Episode Transcript
Speaker 1 00:00:02 Welcome to our Christmas special of the let's get down to business podcast. I'm your host today? Charlotte Newman. And today we are joined by Francis the firm podcast, guests past and present our clients and other like minded business owners to talk about lessons and takeaways from 2021. And our goals for 2022. Now it's that time of year that we all start to reflect on the lessons we've learned and celebrate our successes. And then we look forward at the goals we want to achieve in the following year. So I dunno about you, but I love to have a little nose and hear other people's year in reviews to really just get me thinking about what I have achieved in the year, how far I have come, what I have learned and what I'm grateful for. And then to look what I want to take with me into the new year. So I ask them all what they learned in 2021 and to kick things off. I start with my own lessons.
Speaker 1 00:00:54 Hello, I am Charlotte Newman, and I am your very own host of our podcast. Let's get down to business and I wanted to share with you today, what the main lesson was that I've learned this year. And that was that change can be scary, but it doesn't need to be this year. I actually also reread who moved my cheese by Dr. Spencer Johnson. And if you've ever read a book more than once, I think you do take a different view from it. Each time you read the book, but this time I, I took from it that he questions, what would you do if you were not afraid? And I think this is what we need to challenge in the face of change. You know, how can we adapt? Why are we scared of something which could actually take us into a better place or a better position? And what if there is something amazing? The other side of our fear? And if we knew this, would we be fearful? So change doesn't have to be scary. It doesn't have to be a negative experience, but actually learning to adapt better to change and be ready for it is it is what gives us a bit of an edge. Really?
Speaker 2 00:01:56 Hi, I'm Martin Kingman, CEO of professional legal collections, debt, recovery, insolvency expert, delighted to be invited onto the, a 4g Christmas podcast and wishing all the listeners, a happy Christmas and a peaceful and prosperous 2022. The lesson that I've learned in 2021 is around delegation of responsibilities within the business. You cannot do everything on your own, and it is much easier when you have staff around to delegate. So the whole focus of the business should be for you to grow your business to a sufficient size where you can surround yourself with fellow experts who could help you take a share off a loan. My advice to you always look at ways of scaling your business as well as systemization to actually maximize your return and make most use of your time.
Speaker 3 00:02:43 Hello, my name is Luke Walden. I work at Moneycorp as a senior corporate partnerships manager, like many people. I'm sure. Um, this has been an important year for reflection, uh, certainly for me, uh, and what I really want our work life balance. It's embracing the flexibility to continue to strive, to assist my clients whilst also having the ability to enjoy more quality time. My family has been a revelation to me, um, from a business perspective this year has again further strengthened my commitment to work closely with my strategic partners, uh, in making sure I provide the best service I possibly can for their clients, which trade internationally. Um, as we all know, the pandemic has been tough for many businesses from all matters of angles. Um, so anything I can do to assist is both a pleasure and is my core driver.
Speaker 4 00:03:36 The main lesson that I've learnt in the last year is that systems are absolutely brilliant when they work properly and when they're used to their full extent. So because I've always been a one man banned as it were, a lot of my information has been kept in my head or in my own diary. But what we found is that we are using lots of different software systems and, um, they've been really, really powerful. Um, I think in getting the company organized and helping us to move forward in a bigger way and expand the business.
Speaker 5 00:04:08 I'm Pamela ley from GLI digital media. My business is digital marketing, but I specialize in SEO my lesson from the last year, I guess it ties in with 2020 as well, because we all thought we'd be out of this by now. And my main lesson is really to expect the unexpected, which was a massive thing for me because I pretty much like to be in control. And there was nothing like a pandemic between my business and my personal life to make you realize you really don't have a lot of control over anything. Um, in the big scheme of things.
Speaker 6 00:04:45 Hi, my name's David breaker, I'm the owner and founder of break food, life coaching and wellness wide. So what's my main lesson I've learned this year. Well, I would say actually my main lesson really is that we don't put our own wellness and wellbeing versed. Um, as you know, as a, a life health and weight loss coach, I know what's good for me, but sometimes I like everyone. I struggle to implement it because I'm human. Like everyone is we, yes, we've got bills to pay. We get stuck into that rat race and I'm, and I'm not immune to that, but definitely I've recognized that all of this running around in the long run, the focus has to be your health every time
Speaker 7 00:05:34 I'm ER, principal advisor and client manager here at a four G biggest lesson I've learned this year is that I solely can't do everything myself and that delegating tasks to others still means I have responsibility for those tasks as delegating. Isn't the same as application in the past. I've either not entrusted other staff members with those tasks and felt that I must be the one to complete them or at the first query I've got from my colleagues on the delegate tasks, I would try to take back of the tasks. Now I've learned that if I delegate the right things in the right way to the right people at the right time, then I can free myself up to walk around the office and help other staff members with their queries this way. They get the shared experience of learning new tasks and working outside their comfort zones.
Speaker 8 00:06:23 Hi, my name is James Dan and my business is called in Anthem and I deliver personal development, coaching programs and music based personal development products that are designed to help people live the life. They really want by enhancing their mindsets to allow people to have successful lives, successful businesses. The main things that I've learned from this year's one is the importance of mindsets. See, I know that this year has been challenging in some ways, for me, my mindset has taken a, a knock at certain times. And when my mindset has been low, when it has been affected, it has affected the various areas of my life. It's affected my health. It's affected my relationships, it's affected my business.
Speaker 1 00:07:11 So what I've learned through 2021 is that your health is really, really important. And also that life is so short. So just don't sweat the little things. There's no point
Speaker 9 00:07:25 I'm Michelle Dowsett and I'm a virtual assistant. My business is called discovery PA solutions. So thinking over the lessons learned for this year, to be honest, I've, uh, I've struggled to think of just one, uh, so many, uh, from knowing that as a, a business owner, I've got a lot of support out there, and there's a lot of support for business owners, even though sometimes you can feel like you're on your own. Uh, I have definitely found this year that the relationships that I'd built before and during the pandemic have continued to be so valuable in supporting me both personally and professionally, and, and also importantly, uh, a big lesson has been really spending some time thinking about what matters to me, uh, uh, whether that's, uh, physical health, mental health success in my business, financial growth, whatever that might be. Uh, it's so important to spend some time thinking about what you want to do and what you want to get out of, uh, how you are running your business. And, and I've been able to use that to support my clients.
Speaker 10 00:08:36 My name's Kenny stable. Canilio a commercial insurance broker dealing with all aspects of business insurances, regardless of the size of the business. I'm a client director, and I make sure that businesses are protected properly. The main lesson that I've learned this year is that insurance and transacting insurance is still very much a face to face business. People do business with people. And the only way that you can generally build up a rapport, get an understanding and get to know somebody is by having a face to face meeting. I think through COVID that has stopped. People were very reluctant to have conversations, even over the telephone. Um, zoom calls were okay to a certain extent, but until you're physically sitting in front of a person, you really don't get to gel the way that you would do, um, as you would do face to face.
Speaker 11 00:09:37 I think the key thing that I have, um, discovered is that maintaining the consistency of the relationships that I'd built up over the previous five or six years with both my clients and my suppliers, um, that is the thing that we'll see many businesses through the type of adversity that we've suffered over the last, uh, two years. So keep in contact and whether that's a phone call, a quick email, getting together over zoom, just to talk through how things are going for and what their key problems are, whether there's been anything that I can sort of offer them in terms of advice.
Speaker 12 00:10:15 Hi, my name is tufa Ahan Gary and I'm the managing director of insight center funding. Uh, and this is a company that provides business consultancy and help with fi finance for businesses, any size, um, right. What is the main lesson I've learned this year or in the last year? Um, well, it's been a challenging year, um, both, um, with family and with work as it, I'm sure it has been for everyone else too. Um, I, my normal routine has been turned upside down and the way I've been able to work has changed completely. Um, but one thing I noticed, um, is that the basic rules regarding running a business and keeping its sustainable has not, and does not change no matter what the situation is. And this rule is that, um, you have to be flexible and adapt fast to any change in climate economic situation. And you've gotta be courageous and step out of your comfort zone sometimes and do what you can, um, to fit in and adapt to this change.
Speaker 13 00:11:32 My name is Ryan and I'm a director at CPRO financial consultancy. We offer financial consultancy services to a variety of small, to medium size businesses, whether they are looking for a bit of extra support or don't currently have the expertise within their business, which is required. I set up my business over the last year. So as you can imagine, there's been a lot of lessons to learn in a short period of time. I can easily say I've learned more in the last year compared to the last five years, whether that is how to set up a business structure, dealing with things such as marketing and sales, which is something that I've never had to get involved with before. But I would, I would say my biggest lesson has been the power of networking. I've been part of a group since the day I started my business and the support and advice that I've had has been invaluable to me personally, to my business and to my clients.
Speaker 14 00:12:24 My name's Malcolm Palmer, I'm the managing partner at a 4g main lesson I've learned this year. Okay. So that's a good one. Um, quick plug for my book. First, some of you may know that, um, I've written a book during 2021, which is called accidental millionaires. Subtitle is the secret mindset that successful business owners share with sporting legends. So quite a bit of work's gone into putting that book together. And one of the points that I talk about is the moment when it clicks that moment, when somebody takes themselves seriously and starts to act in a way in their career, that is gonna make them successful. In the long term, I had a conversation with, uh, somebody a couple of months ago who, um, successful guy sort of late thirties, early forties, um, was just saying that he was worried about the younger generation that are coming through now that he didn't see that they had the drive that he had when he was at that age.
Speaker 14 00:13:36 And I did think about that for a bit, but I think that that younger generation has got exactly the same level of drive as his generation and my generation and the generation that came before their circumstances may be different. Um, they may spend more time on social media than we do, and their interest will be different. And I think perhaps as you get a little bit older, you don't actually see that those differences with the younger generations are just masking the ambition that lies underneath, because somewhere along the line, even the teenager who is struggling with a whole load of problems and has lost their way and seemingly is drifting off CareerWise can have a moment of absolute clarity when they actually realize that they are capable of achieving success, been success. And when it clicks, when that moment happens, whether they are still at school or at university or in their first job, or have even just drifted into some kind of, self-employment running a small little business of their own, but still not taking it seriously when that moment that it clicks happens, that is the kickoff point for all the success that follows.
Speaker 15 00:15:05 Hi there. My name's Sebastian Kuson. I manag the account management team fluidly. One of my biggest learnings over the last 12 months is really how important it's to be agile. Um, it's been really impressive to see the amount of UK businesses that have switched their focus and been able to kind of change and adapt their business based on changes. I think last year, it was certainly to see people pivot away from their traditional direction. And then this year it's been to see people pivot back into the direction that they're initially started in. I think it's really, really great to see some of the innovative ideas that people have come up with. Um, and also how we've pivoted as a business as well, going for a business that traditionally would see a lot of people face to face to then being in times where actually a lot of stuff's unknown. So planning face to face meetings was pretty hard. And a lot of time you had to find innovative ways to engage, um, partners outside of, uh, actually being face to face with them.
Speaker 16 00:15:57 Hello, my name is Caroline and I'm one of the partners here at a 4g this last year has been an incredibly challenging time for us. All the key message that I kept coming across amongst my clients is the importance of resilience. I've watched. Some of my clients go through very difficult situations for many different reasons, and I've not failed to be impressed by the immense levels of resilience that have been displayed in the face of very challenging circumstances, as I'm sure, you know, resilience is all about learning how to go through difficult times and come out the other side. It's not about bouncing back and reshaping into your old self, after a crisis. It's about learning the key lessons from that crisis and continuing to move forward.
Speaker 17 00:16:34 Hello, I'm Amanda Stone and the referral marketing manager here at a four G. And the main lesson that I've learned over the past two years is that life is definitely for living always look forward and deal with whatever comes your way. One step at a time without ever overthinking things. I also had a saying, which I even changed my LinkedIn status to say the lady that is missing her lunch meetings and is stuck on zoom. As I really missed the face to face interaction with people. However, we made the most out of zoom and we managed to host many informative webinars and we received amazing feedback and it seemed we helped numerous amounts of businesses survive and thrive.
Speaker 18 00:17:18 The main lesson I have learned from 2021 is the power of productivity. 2020 brought around a lot of changes for the accounting industry, especially with the number of new releases from Hm RRC surrounding the ongoing pandemic Often meant we are on the back foot with our planning and in turn had to make very quick decisions for our clients.
Speaker 18 00:17:41 The switch to being proactive in 2021 has meant that we're now actually on the front foot. It means we can be ahead of any disasters that might come up, but it also gives our clients more options. The decision making and tax planning. I've also made the decision to start getting up earlier in the mornings with a new family. It has meant the morning routine has become a lot more complicated and a lot messier getting up. And half an hour earlier has allowed me to have time to organize and plan my time, whether it be day, week, or month. And it means I'm starting the day on the right foot, giving me more time to be proactive, both with my family and my clients in work.
Speaker 19 00:18:22 The thing that I've learned the most from 2021 is actually relearning something. When I was a at university, I had lecturer who used to say the only stupid question is the question that you don't ask, which I've tended to paraphrase to be the only stupid question is the question you don't ask, or the question you've asked 20 times before. Um, but I've always been good at telling staff and clients about that and using that as a basis in which I can then help people. But what I'd stopped doing was remembering that actually that was advice I'd been given to start with. And, um, in 2020, it was very much a year of crisis of just dealing with things that came up and, um, you just had to get on and do it. But, but this year there's been more time to reflect. And, um, throughout most of this year, I've actually had a business coach, which has been really helpful and has, has made me readdress this to remember, and actually talking things through challenging your assumptions and habits, um, can be so powerful to actually make a difference.
Speaker 19 00:19:31 Um, one of the things you always hear, um, which really rings true is if you, um, want to achieve something different, but keep doing everything the same, then that's madness or that's paraphrasing. But to that effect. And I think that's the biggest thing I've taken away from this year is it's been a year in which I have approached things differently. And I've had that opportunity to talk things through and be challenged, which I love being challenged. I actually thrive on it as I'm a Glu for punishment, but, um, I, I think it's created a real change in how I approach things. And that's something that I will then, uh, hopefully build on in 2022.
Speaker 1 00:20:08 It's really great to hear all the lessons learned over 2021. And hopefully it's helped you to reflect on your own year. We also ask those same people, what their goals are for 2022. And I kick it off again with my own. My main goal for 2022 is to continue to learn. And with one of those continued learnings being to be okay with change. So I usually like to aim for one business or self development book a month on a topic I want to know more about or an area I feel I could improve upon. So that sounds like a lot. So I like to just read at least 10 pages a day. Um, and that's more of a doable goal for me. So, um, another more personal goal for me is to spend more time outside or in nature as I just feel that I think better. And I work better when I've had some fresh air every
Speaker 2 00:20:54 Day. My main business goal for 2022 is to carry on systemizing the business and around myself with further experts within the team who can further service our clients and their needs to a great extent that we are doing at the moment and to look to expand into other new areas where we can provide added value to our clients.
Speaker 3 00:21:15 For me, I'm just always wanting to improve. Um, so I think the key for all improvement, uh, is to make sure you address failings as much as successes. So with that in mind, um, I wanna make sure I have a clear strategy in place for 2022, um, to make sure I can best serve my, my partnerships, uh, and of course my clients to best serve their, their foreign exchange needs. And I think if I can do that whilst making sure I continue to enjoy my family life at the same time, uh, then that will hopefully lead to a successful 20, 22.
Speaker 4 00:21:54 I've got lots of personal goals as we all have lose weight, eat better, get fitter. Um, but my goal for the business is to expand the business. Um, maybe move into offices in 2022 so that we've got room and can actually drive to work. We are hot desk in, uh, a new venue just at the top of blue bell hill, and we're gonna be doing that as of January. So that's gonna be a big change for us. And we've also looked at re uh, looking at the networks that we use to be able to refer to and within and, and get referrals from. So lots of changes coming up in 2022, as well as expand the social media gym and grow the social media gym to help startups and to help businesses that earth employed someone to do their social media for them.
Speaker 5 00:22:41 Um, my goals for 2022, so all going well, I hope to travel more, to get, to see my family more and business wise to, to go to the next step in the next level that has kind of been put on pause over the last year. So I do big goals and big possibilities for 2022, and I hope you all do too.
Speaker 6 00:23:02 So what's my main goal for 2022 lots of things like everyone, um, can easily get distracted even as a coach. I know this, but I would say my main goal for 2022 is I want to get designed a sort of program, an online, um, course content for people to access, to get nutritional information and advice and guidance around adopting a healthier lifestyle.
Speaker 7 00:23:30 My main goal for 2022 is to look at what other tasks I'm still holding onto and find a way of how I can delegate those tasks responsibly to my team, to free myself up further so that I can concentrate on grow my principal advisor, client base, and work towards becoming partner at
Speaker 8 00:23:49 A 4g. So going forward into 20 22, 1 of the main things whilst working on my mindset and focusing on the numbers is I'm accompanying, expanding, uh, my coaching provision. So I'm helping. So entrepreneurs, uh, have more business success through working on their mindset as, as well as other business aspects. And I involve music quite cleverly within that as well.
Speaker 1 00:24:15 My goals for 2022 are to be the best version of me as a wife, mother, grandmother, and a business owner.
Speaker 9 00:24:26 So goals for 2022, for me personally, I'm going to use the Christmas period for a reset, uh, mentally and physically, and then 2022, uh, for discovery, PA solutions is all about expanding my associate team, uh, and really taking on more clients, uh, in more industries and really offering business owners some relief from the admin stress that they are suffering so that hopefully they can invest that time and that energy back into their own, uh, mental wellbeing.
Speaker 10 00:25:06 The main goal for 2022 for me is a to grow the business, continue to give advice to businesses on, on all aspects of insurance, because more and more people are becoming less transactional and they actually want to understand what it is with their insurance products that makes them insured. The thing that COVID highlighted was that a lot of businesses thought that they would be covered for lot of income whereby they weren't fully understanding, or it wasn't fully explained to them what it was that the benefits of the cover would be,
Speaker 11 00:25:49 Uh, in terms of what my main goal for 2022. Um, I feel that I would like to reestablish and start to work with at least half a dozen, maybe six of the SES that are in, within my client portfolio to help them rebuild and resuscitate their business and get their business growth, uh, really pushing through, through, um, the sustainable and consistent productivity improvement initiatives.
Speaker 12 00:26:16 Main goal for 2022 for me, is to continue to keep an eye on the market and be flexible at any time to change. According to requirements of my clients, um, do more networking now that we can. And the main thing which I also advise my clients is to keep positive and keep moving forward, no matter what, until,
Speaker 17 00:26:42 You know, eventually things will work theirselves
Speaker 13 00:26:44 Out. My goals for 2022 are to continue to grow my client base. Ideally, I'd like to double this, my plan will to set up my own website, increase my usage on social media platform, such as LinkedIn and Facebook, and continue to grow my network of consultants and associated companies with this increase will come the challenge of additional resource and how I will meet this demand, which is something I will give a lot of thought to over the coming months
Speaker 14 00:27:15 Plans for 2022, we've already mentioned about the book. So my biggest player for 2022 is all associated with the publishing of that book, which is gonna be coming out towards the end of January. But other than that, my number one priority business wise is to work on some of the systems for the management of certain areas of ag that are still my responsibility. There are a number of things that people require me to do because I'm the only one that's got that knowledge. And I just need to build that knowledge into the processes so that other people can take those responsibilities off me, and I can play a bit more golf.
Speaker 17 00:28:02 And my main goal for 2022 is to definitely start arranging more lunch meetings and seeing people face to face and to build up and to work really closely with my professional contacts. So we can help each other's clients in a productive way. And of course, always enjoy life and living.
Speaker 16 00:28:21 We're looking to the future and the next 12 months ahead, the key thing that I'd like to build on is my levels of resilience. And I'm planning on doing this by committing to reading more business books. Um, we're currently setting up a book club, um, in your office. So very much looking forward to doing that. And I want to be building on my good habits, which help build productivity and productivity. And I want to keep practicing a positive attitude. I think a positive attitude is key to almost everything that we do. And it's hard when things are challenging with businesses, but having a positive attitude can really help, um, on a more personal level. I'm very, very much looking forward to the possibility of getting on a plane, to travel abroad for some holiday, as it feels very, very overdue for a song.
Speaker 15 00:29:08 My main goal for 2022 really is actually to take a lot of the lessons that we've learned over the last 12 or eight, 18 months, and really kind of carry them forwards. I think one of the big one for me, and, um, big kind of a goal for 2022 really is just gonna be to spend more time with family and friends. Um, you forget how nice it's to see people after not seeing them for such a long time. An example of that would be that I actually, um, had a, uh, niece, my sister had a baby, uh, a few months ago and wasn't able to go across and, and actually see them, um, for a couple of months. So it's great to actually be able to catch up with family and friends and, and kind of get into the swing and seeing people again,
Speaker 1 00:29:47 Thank you to all of the business owners and internal staff at a 4g for reflecting with us in this episode, if you'd like to connect with them, all their contact details will be in our description box below. We'll take a little break from the podcast over Christmas and new year. And when we'll be back with a bang on the 4th of February with our growth series. So if your goal is to grow in 2022, make sure you are subscribed to be notified when we, we release the first episode. In the meantime, if you haven't listened to our other series, we have the startup series, which will provide you with everything you need to start up a new business the right way. And we also have the 12 vital ingredients for, for business success series, which ensures you have all of the building blocks in place to run and grow a successful business. You can also head over to our social media at a 4g chartered accountants where providing a lot more guidance on this area and many others. Alternatively, check out our website, www dot a 4g Hant LLP dot code UK, which is full of free tools, guidance, and plenty of food for thought to help support you with finding your successful business. I've been your host Charlotte, and this is let's get down to business.
