Winning At Business with Ash Taylor

Increasing the prices within your business is essential over time as your business grows. Not only are they a reflection of the quality of your services and your business, but necessary for the survival of them and our livelihoods. However, there are many things to consider when going about this that make the process difficult.

Ensuring that the prices are still reasonable and a fair reflection of your work, retaining a good percentage of your client base afterwards, and dealing with both the guilt and the imposter syndrome that can sometimes follow is off-putting for many.

This question is one that Ash gets a lot when talking to clients, so here's his advice to you when implementing price increases.

Ash was asked a question the other day...

"How do I get more stuff done?"

Trying to maximise productivity and get the right tasks done to ensure your business is growing is easier said than done. However, there are things you can do to make this a lot more simple, so here's what Ash had to say.

Ash was asked a question the other day...

"How much should I spend on marketing?"

Marketing is one of the most powerful tools a business owner has, and making sure you use it to its full potential is essential for a successful business. But trying to calculate how much you should spend on your marketing platforms isn't straightforward, so here's what Ash had to say.

Ash was asked a question the other day...

"How do I deal with overwhelm?"

Overwhelm is something that every business owner will experience within their career, but it isn't easy to manage, so here's what Ash had to say if you don't know where to start.

Ash was asked a question the other day, and it's one he gets regularly...

"Why do some people find success easier than others?"

Success is a word that all business owners are familiar with, but trying to understand what success means to you, and how to measure it isn't easy, so here's what he had to say.

In this week's episode...

❓Why do people struggle to ask for help? What are the repercussions of this?

❓What does it mean to be vulnerable in the How does it impact a business owner?

❓How can putting plans in place make life easier for you and the people involved in your business?

With Ash's surgery nearing, he and Shirley discuss what he's doing to ensure his business is in safe hands during recovery and the idea of asking for help.

In this week's episode...

❓Why are first impressions so important? What can you do to make a good first impression?

❓How do appearances influence first impressions?

❓When is it appropriate to wear a suit as opposed to smart-casual clothing? What does it mean when networking?

❓Why is authenticity so important? How can this influence first impressions and the relationships that stem from them?

As networking begins to move back to in-person events, Ash and Shirley look at all things first impressions and appearances! They explore the importance of dressing accordingly to the situation you're in, how first impressions influence people's opinions of you, and how being authentic is crucial when building new relationships.

So let us know- what do you do to make a 'good' first impression, either professionally or personally? What do you wear to networking events- do you stay authentic? We'd love to hear from you!

Coming up this week...

❓What are the pros and cons of using automation to help in your business?

❓Why is it important for customers to talk to REAL people as opposed to automated response services? What are the benefits?

❓Is there a 'right' way to deal with complaints? What can you do to ensure your customer feels acknowledged?

In this episode, Ash and Shirley reflect on a recent experience Ash had with poor customer service and the effects that relying on automation has on both the customer and the business. They look at how they'd work through a complaint, whether there's a 'right' way to go about it, when to shift from automated services to real people, and much more!

So let us know- how would you go about dealing with a complaint? Would you use an automated service, or rely on your team to work through the issue? We'd love to hear from you!

It's the first episode of 2023, and this week...

❓Why is setting goals important? How can you make sure you're setting the right ones?

❓Can a goal be too big? How do you manage yourself to ensure you see them through?

❓What is external and internal reward? Which is better, and how does this influence your motivation?

❓Why is creating habits so important? What can this do for us in the long run?

In this episode, Ash and Shirley look at setting goals and, as we embark on a new year,  what we can do to ensure we stick with it and see them through. They explore how things such as motivation, habit and reward make us more determined to reach our goals, and how it betters us as business owners.

In this week's episode, Ash is preparing for major heart surgery, and as a business owner and entrepreneur, wants to ensure that his business can run efficiently in his absence.

Along with Shirley, Ash reflects on what he's learnt from the experience and explores some of the things he has implemented into the business, as well as some of the scenarios he has planned for during his recovery, so that The Business Clubhouse can still offer a service to its clients service even though he isn't there.

The pair explore the idea of resilience, and how planning for several outcomes- as opposed to just one- can help with making sure that your business is secure throughout your absence.

So let us know- is there something you've implemented in your business that means it can run when you're not there? Drop it in the comments, we'd love to hear from you!

❓What is momentum, and what triggers it within the world of business?

❓Does momentum happen to us, or do we control it?

❓How does your perspective on big events change your momentum? What impact does this have on your business?

In this week’s episode, Ash and Shirley look at momentum, what it means and how understanding the ins and outs of it can lead to better growth in your business.

❓Why is multitasking more ineffective than other methods of working?

❓What is self-interrupting and how can it affects the rate at which you get things done?

❓Did you know that you lose 20% of your efficiency when you add a task on to the things you're doing? 

❓Do you let others dictate your day, or do you ensure that you're working towards one specific goal?

In this episode, Ash and Shirley talk all things productivity, including how multitasking isn't all it's cracked up to be, and how having a vision for your business is the key for business growth.

How often do you call previous customers? How can this affect your sales?

How easy do you make it to keep customers coming back for more?

What are the benefits of retaining customers as opposed to gaining new ones?

After Ash had a  simple and though-provoking conversation with Audi, he and Shirley look at how keeping in contact with previous customers can help you retain customers and increase the number of high values sales in your business, particularly in service-based businesses.

❓Why is it important to implement coaching into your business? What impact might this have on the way your business operates?

❓How can your team's ability to problem solve enable you to take a step back from the business?

❓What can you do to ensure that your business runs without you there?

In this episode, Ash and Shirley take a look at their backgrounds in sports and how the techniques used could be implemented into your business to better your team's ability to work without you present.

What are the benefits of having a multi-disciplinary team? How can having this wide berth of opinions create better ideas?

Why do innovative companies encourage failure? Is there a plan in place to support the consequences? What are the benefits?

Why should business owners be willing to take risks? Does it come part-in-parcel with the job?

After attending a conference focusing on innovation and technology, Shirley noticed the same five commonalities occurring during presentations, and in this episode, both her and Ash explore each idea and how they can impact small businesses for the better.

❓Businesses have to make decisions constantly, but how does the process differ between small businesses and the big conglomerates?

❓What makes a good or bad decision? Is there a way to distinguish between the two?

❓Why shouldn’t you spend large amounts of time making decisions in your business? Is there a process you could implement to speed up the process?

❓How can a fear of making the wrong decisions affect your business’ growth?

In this week’s episode, Ash and Shirley discuss how getting to the point when decision-making speeds up processes within the business and can implement growth much faster, and how a fear of making the wrong decisions leads to a paralysis of making such choices. So let us know, have you ever made a decision that turned out to be the wrong? How did you rectify it?

❓How can you tweak your business or products to appeal more to customers both new and old?

❓Why is branding and marketing so important? How does this affect a customer's perception of your business?

❓Why is it crucial to talk to, and listen to, your customers? How can this affect your business' performance?

In this week's episode, Ash and Shirley talk about all things perception, and how understanding what your customers want (even the things they aren't aware they want) can better your business' performance! So let us know- how do you market your business? Do you take into account customer perception when building your business' presence online?

❓Some people link success to how many hours they work, but why isn't this the case?

❓How can focusing on the 'little things' cause you to lose sight of what's important?

❓How does overwhelm and working weekends lead to burnout? What are the impacts of this?

❓How can time off be an asset to your business? How do you start seeing it as such?

In this episode, Ash and Shirley look at planning time off from your business, and the impact that taking breaks has on business success! 

Have you ever felt guilty from taking a break from your business? 

How do you make sure you're taking the time off you really need? 

Let us know- we'd love to hear from you!

❓Why do some of us have a tendency to turn down opportunities whilst others always take the leap? How does this impact the growth of our businesses?

❓Do you prefer to see where the opportunity takes you, regardless of the risks, or are you more risk averse?

❓What is a soft landing, and how does it act as a security blanket when taking risks in the business?

❓How can you plan for the risks you're taking? Can you manage them entirely, or mitigate the situation?

In this episode, Ash and Shirley look at taking risks, and how planning for them can ensure your business is 'safe' when taking opportunities made available to you. Do you like to stick to what you know, or are you more of a maverick? What's the biggest risk you've made in your business? Let us know- we'd love to hear from you!

❓Why do we feel the need to apologise for the cost of our products or services?

❓How can your perception of expense affect your pricing? Will someone be willing to buy something you'd consider to be too expensive?

❓Why shouldn't you set your prices based on how you value your product? How can this affect your sales?

❓How is it possible to increase your prices, lose customers, and still gain a profit?

In this episode, Ash and Shirley look at how valuing yourself influences a customer's perception on the quality of your business. The explore the way someone's perception of wealth changes, and how there will always be people willing to pay more than you may think. So let us know- is there anything you deem too expensive to spend money on? We'd love to hear from you!

In this week's episode...

❓How much does your environment dictate your performance? Is it better to remove yourself from this space when planning?

❓How can planning help you become more productive and 'take action' more efficiently?

❓Why is it important to identify what processes and environments work for you, and what are the benefits?

In this episode, Ash and Shirley look at how the environment you work in impacts your productivity, especially when planning. They discuss how removing yourself from your business to take the time to plan could be extremely beneficial and increase work productivity through becoming more self-aware and putting in measures to makes sure to overcome your weaknesses and increase your success.

In this week's episode...

❓How can you take responsibility for mistakes and the actions that follow them? What is the impact of this?

❓What is a 'negative thought loop'? How are they created and how can you prevent them?
❓Why is it better to look at the positives as opposed to the negatives when a mistake has been made? Is it possible to erase the memory of the failure?

Making mistakes is part of being human- we've heard it many times before, but we continue to berate ourselves as a results of these failures. 

In this episode, Ash and Shirley discuss how making mistakes is inevitable when owning your own business, and how solely focusing on the positives can benefit you and your business.

This week, I was chatting to a client when the topic of time management came up, and it reminded me of a podcast episode I recorded a while back with Marcel Petitpas, the CEO of Parakeeto.

In the early days of a new business, we often underestimate how much time it'll take to complete different tasks, where we find ourselves having to compensate by working late nights or weekends. In turn, this often disrupts a healthy work-life balance, which makes it harder to manage not only our time, but also our business.

So how do we prevent this and ensure that we're managing our time effectively?

Well in this episode, Marcel and I explore the idea of 'scoping' and how it can improve our ability to time manage and help restore a secure balance between our business and personal lives.

In this week's episode...

❓How can you help your business stand on its own two feet? What are the benefits of taking a step back?

❓Are you taking your responsibility seriously when helping your business become independent? What does this mean for both you and the business?

❓What does it mean if you 'helicopter parent' your business? What are the impacts of treating your business in this way?

This episode discusses the idea of letting go- taking a step back to let your business grow and make it's own mistakes. Ash and Shirley introduce the idea of your business being like your baby, comparing the various stages of development in both children and a new business.

We'd love to hear from you, so let us know- is there a time that you had to 'let go' of your business a little, and how did you go about it?

In this week's episode...

❓What does it mean to manage people? How do we do this to create a healthy working environment?

❓What are 'check-ins' and how can they benefit both employer and employee? How do they affect yearly appraisals, and is this for the better?

❓How do you create an appraisal-like environment or situation when you work by yourself? Should this be external from your business?

As the academic year comes to a close, Ash compares the nature of exam results day to that of an appraisal, looking at how a lack of warning affects one's outlook on failure and work life itself. 

Is there something you do to manage yourself or your team to make sure that the working environment is a strong and healthy one? Let us know in the comments- we'd love to hear from you!

Whilst recovering from her recent hip surgery, Shirley has found herself comparing her rehabilitation to running a business, as both need clear goals and consistency. So in this week's episode of the Winning At Business Podcast we're chatting about...

❓ What are the benefits to having clear goals? How do they influence the actions taken within our business?

❓What is the principle of consistency? Why do we feel uncomfortable when we don't fulfil a habit?

❓Why are we always looking for quick results? Why doesn't this work and what are the effects?

To be a success, we have to do a lot of tasks repetitively, building habits doing the things that no-one sees. So let us know in the comments- is there a habit that you have within your business or personal life that you believe helps you achieve your goals, whether they're long-term or daily?

In this week's episode...

❓How can you make it harder for possible clients or customers to say 'no'? How will this affect the number of closing sales you're receiving?

❓Are there things you could be doing to keep people 'in the loop' with your business?

❓Is sending customers multiple emails within a small time frame annoying, or a way of increasing sales?

This episode talks all things closing sales, and how you can increase the number that your business is receiving! Are there any methods or techniques that you use to help keep sales high? Let us know- we'd love to hear from you!

In this week's episode...

❓How far would you go to avoid rejection? What impact does this have on the growth of your business?

❓Do you tend to take rejection personally, or see it as a learning opportunity? What can you do to start thinking of rejection as an opportunity to grow?

❓How do you deal with rejection? Is there a 'right' way to deal with it, or does it depend on the person?

Ash is on his own this week talking all things rejection and how he views rejection within his business. Have you ever experienced rejection within your business- if so, how did you deal with this? Let us know- we'd love to hear from you!

In this week's episode...

❓How do you start treating our business like you would a client's? What are the benefits of this?

❓Why don't we implement the skills we utilise with our clients in our own businesses? How can we ensure that we're applying them?

❓How can cyclical, forgetful behaviour impact your business? Can creating habits within your work prevent this?

This episode focuses on implementing our skillset into our own businesses, rather than reserving it for our clients and looking at how this can be beneficial.

So let us know- is there a skill that you possess that you don't implement into your business enough? We'd love to hear from you!

In this week's episode...

❓What does success mean to you? 

❓Do you find yourself comparing your success to others, or do you stick to what you believe in?

❓Does money equal success or is it valued in other ways?

❓How has the pressure to be the 'best' changed our perception of success?

In this episode, Ash and Shirley explore what success means to them and their businesses, and how it has changed for them over time. So what does success actually mean to you? Let us know- we'd love to hear from you!

In this week's episode...

❓If the steps to having a successful business are obvious, why don't people follow them?

❓Are you making the most of the opportunities in front of you, or do you stick to what you know? Do you venture outside of your comfort zone enough?
❓How can you hold yourself accountable for the actions you take in your business? How will these lead to success?

❓What does success mean to you? Do you compare your business to others too much?

So what are you doing to strive for success? Let us know- we'd love to hear from you!

In this week's episode...

❓Is it easier to retain existing customers, or find new ones?

❓How can you make customers feel like they matter during their time with your business? Do we focus on this enough?

❓Is there something to be learnt from big companies and their customer service teams? Are they a good example, or something smaller businesses should stay away from?

❓How can you make it easy for your customers to continue doing business with you, rather than looking elsewhere?

This episode covers everything customer service, and how you can better this to ensure customer/client retention.

Have you had a bad experience with customer service? What key learning points did you take from the experience? Let us know, we'd love to hear from you!

In this week's episode...

❓What is friction? How does this affect your business?

❓What are you doing to make your customer's journey with you as simple as possible? Are you doing enough?

❓How can you fix any bumps that you may have within your business?

❓Is it easier to retain existing customers or find new ones? How do you achieve a good balance between the two?

This episode will help open your eyes to what friction is within your business, and the many ways that you can reduce it to increase your sales. 

In this week's episode, we're taking the time to explore mental health in the workplace for Mental Health Awareness Week.  I'm joined by Matt Butler from Plan A Health Consulting Ltd. who provide Mental Health Services for businesses.

This episode was recorded during Mental Health Awareness Week last week and aims to help business owners, managers or employees become more aware about mental health in the workplace, and provide some solutions that may help to achieve this.

❓What are the signs of burnout within a workplace? How can we prevent this, and are we doing enough?

❓What can business owners do to improve the mental health of their employees? Are there solutions to create a better working environment?

❓What are the effects of mental health on your business? Is this something you've considered enough?

❓How do you create an environment that's psychologically safe for everyone in the workplace? What does it mean to have a space that's 'psychologically safe?

In this week's episode...

❓We all ask questions, but are you asking the right ones? How do you know when you're asking them?

❓Do you have a tendency to focus on the questions that will solve an immediate problem, or do you look at the bigger picture?

❓Are you creating a secure environment to ask these questions in?

❓At what point do we lose the ability and desire to ask questions?

This episode will open your eyes to the ways that asking the right questions can be beneficial for both you and your business.

So what questions are you asking right now? Let us know- we'd love to hear from you!

In this week's episode...

❓How can you make life easier for your customers?

❓How can thinking from the perspective of a customer or new employee help meet your sales targets?

❓Do you often take shortcuts in your business that may make business with customers harder? How often to you look at your business from an outsider point of view? Should this be something you're doing more often?

❓How can feedback be beneficial to your business? Are you one to take it personally, or do you use it to better your business for your customers?

This episode will open your eyes to the possible points of failure that could be reducing your sales and how you could correct them. 

Have you ever found yourself taking shortcuts or making mistakes in your business? How did you address them? Drop your experience below- we'd love to hear from you!

In this week's episode ...

Ash gets mugged!

❓How do you know if you're a natural sales person?

❓Did you start your business to 'run a business' or to 'do the thing' that you're good at and then find out that you needed to learn all these business owner skills afterwards?

❓How can you get comfortable with selling?

❓What Shirley does to take the pressure of selling off herself

❓One 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 lesson you can learn from dating to apply in your sales pitches

So let us know ... do you enjoy or hate selling?  Do you have any tips for our listeners of how you've made sales fun and effective?  We'd love to hear from you!

In this week's episode we started off talking about pricing but it quickly led to a conversation about true priorities and where work fits into our lives ....

❓ How regularly do you review your pricing?  Is it annually like most people?  Should it be more regularly?

❓ How many times do you need to hear a message before it hits home and you take action?

❓ Are you being honest with yourself in terms of what your true priorities are?

❓ How do you define success?

❓What choices do you make - consciously or unconsciously - and are they aligned to your true priorities are?

This is an episode that should provoke some deep thinking and soul searching. We'd love to hear what your true top 3 priorities are and how they link to your definition of success - comment below.

In this week's episode we're talking about managing staff and business direction....

❓ How do you tell staff that they're not performing to the level you expect?

❓ Is having friends work for you ever a good idea?

❓ What happens when your vision and aspirations as a business owner mature at a different rate or in a different direction to that of your staff?

❓ Who's responsibility is it to communicate about work?

🤔 Why Hannah and Shirley staged an intervention with Ash 

❓Does home working make it harder for staff to engage in what's going on in your business?

Let us know if you've ever had to let a member of staff go - what prompted it and how did you go about it?  We'd love to hear from you!

In this week's episode we're talking about goal setting and vision in your business

> Where do you start if you've never set formal goals before?

> What's the difference between vision and goals?

> Different types of goals and how they impact your business in different ways?

> How what you stand for personally shapes your business vision and goals

> What do you daydream about and why it's so important

> What are anti-goals and why they can be just as important as goals

> Where do you do your best thinking?

> What if?

In this week's episode we're talking about authenticity in your business

> How incongruence between how you present yourself on your website and in person can affect your sales

> How difficult it is to be vulnerable and true to your own authentic self

> Why making mistakes can make you more approachable and relatable to your clients

> Who are you anyway?

> Why we're all intrinsically biased and make snap judgments about others in 300ms (or less!)

We're back from a hiatus and with it, we're bringing you a brand new format.  In this series, we'll be focusing on what's involved in playing the game of business effectively and most importantly, how to win. Each episode will be a conversation with me alongside my co-host and producer, Shirley Herron, an experienced business owner and coach herself. 

In this week's episode:

> Ash almost sells his wife Kay for some camels!
> Why creating a tribe from your customer base is so important
> How 5 star service trumps 5 star products every time
> How everyone can make more sales with one simple step
> Why you should make the most of every economic opportunity

A year ago today, my first book, "Hitting the Wall", made it to number 1 in two Amazon bestseller categories. 

I took some time earlier this week to chat over what it was like to write and launch the book with Shirley. It was quite interesting to reflect on the last year and lessons that I've learnt from writing the book in the first place, including why it took me 7 years to get it written, why having a team was crucial to the books success and what I think my next TWO book topics will be.

This is a short but fun episode - enjoy!

In this week's episode we get to know entrepreneur Chris Dadd, and find out how he has aligned the vision and values of his businesses with his passion for supporting a variety of charities.  

Chris' fascinating insight into how to get the best from your customers whilst improving your own profitability is not to be missed!

Welcome to another episode of the Hitting The Wall podcast!

In this episode, we hear Ash talk to Sachin Pabari, CEO of Olivia.

Are you aware of how much distraction affects your productivity level?

Do you understand the importance of being in the 'flow', and how this benefits your business?

Do you struggle to remain resilient, even why crossing huge hurdles in your business?

Then this episode is perfect for you, helping you to reach maximum productivity within your work. 

In this episode of the Hitting The Wall podcast, Ash talks to Terry. B. McDougall, Founder of Terry B. McDougall Coaching.

Are the rules of work static, or is it okay to break them?

Do you struggle to see the importance of understanding a colleague or client's motivation and perspective, and how this can benefit work flow?

Do you find yourself listening to other people's advice, and possibly losing motivation as a result?

Well this episode clearly breaks each one of these questions down, helping you to see that only you can define your success. 

Welcome (or welcome back) to the Hitting The Wall podcast!

In this episode, Ash talks to Gemma Edwards, Co-Founder of So Contented.

Do you understand the importance of scaling, and why it should be done sooner rather than later?

Do you acknowledge that having a set process within your business is crucial for stability and work flow?

Do you have the awareness to help clients set up and grow their businesses in a way that would make life easier for the both of you?

This episode dives deeper into each of these topics, and much more, demonstrating that sometimes, it's best to go with your gut and take a leap of faith. 

Welcome back to the Hitting The Wall podcast!

In this episode, Ash talks to Eddie Ray, founder of Progressive Sports.

Do you understand the importance of having a growth mindset and how it can change your business for the better?

Do you have clear goals to focus on within your business?

Do you struggle to acknowledge that employing and surrounding yourself with the right people is crucial?

This episode breaks all of this down, demonstrating that like truly does call to like and that striving to grow and move forward is fundamental for success.

Welcome back to the Hitting The Wall podcast!

In this week's episode, Ash talks to Marcel Petitpas, CEO of Parakeeto, about everything time management and scoping within your business.

Do you tend to underestimate the time it takes to complete an action?
Do you understand the importance in scoping and the effect it could have on your business?

Do you acknowledge that managing your time and managing your business is absolutely fundamental?

This episode discusses all of this, demonstrating that managing your time better may lead to a higher profitability. 

Welcome back to another episode of the Hitting The Wall podcast!

In this week's episode, I talk all things leadership with Angel Ribo, CEO of Confidant and the connector of the unconnected.

• Do you understand the importance of showing your employees who they need to become?
• Do you acknowledge that taking the leap and investing in your team can be incredibly worthwhile?
• Do you understand the importance of becoming the best you can and how that can affect your business?

This episode covers all of this and more, demonstrating that at the core of great businesses are strong leaderships.