The HoLT’s Survival Guide For Small Businesses
The HoLT’s Survival Guide For Small Businesses

The HoLT’s Survival Guide For Small Businesses

Lea🌈 Turner

Overview
Episodes

Details

Not everyone starts a business to become the next Steven Bartlett or Gary Vee. Millions of us start our businesses to escape the 9-5 ties to the office, toxic bosses, threat of redundancy, and chasing pay rises. We want freedom, control of our own time, and to be able to choose who we work with, where we work from, and how much we work. But what’s it really like to start and run a small business? Lea Turner, Founder of The HoLT business community, digs deep with real small business owners from a variety of sectors, into why they chose to start their business, the surprises, challenges, and tough lessons they’ve learned along the way, without the glossy social media filter, to give real insight into the journeys they’ve been on to create a business and a life on their terms.

Recent Episodes

Self-Belief is Your Business Superpower with Jesminara Rahman
NOV 12, 2024
Self-Belief is Your Business Superpower with Jesminara Rahman
You will not know everything when you start your business. Accounting, marketing, offer structures, pricing…… the list goes on But that should never stop you. The belief you have in yourself, your skills, your experience is what you need to get started. That is exactly what my wonderful guest in this episode, Jesminara Rahman, had when she took the leap. Transitioning from a secure job at HMRC she jumped ship to join the side of small businesses, fighting in their corner in tax disputes with HMRC. Jesminara shares the essential skills she needed to develop fast at the start of her journey that created business growth. She gives incredible insights into how she built a flexible team empowered by choice, something so many businesses could learn from. Jesminara is forging the way for balance in business, listen up to find out how you can too.   “I knew because of my expertise that I could do it”– Jesmin   You’ll hear about:   00:00 - Flexible Work Culture and Employee Empowerment 01:12 - Jesmin's Journey to Starting a Small Business 03:11 - Overcoming Fear: The Leap into Entrepreneurship 05:53 - The Emotional Toll of Tax Investigations 10:00 - Balancing Family and Business Responsibilities 12:52 - Building Resilience Through Adversity 15:47 - Essential Skills for Business Growth 20:00 - The Importance of a Good Accountant 24:04 – Jesmin’s advice for Small Business Owners 28:12 - Creating a Supportive Work Environment 31:54 - Navigating the Challenges of Business Ownership 36:05 - The Power of Collaboration Over Competition   Connect with Jesmin:   LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesminararahman-taxinvestigationexpert/?originalSubdomain=uk   Connect with me:   The HoLT - https://www.the-holt.com/ My website - https://leaturner.co.uk/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lea-turner/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/leadoeslinkedin/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/LeaDoesLinkedIn/   Join The Holt waiting list - https://www.the-holt.com/waitlist   My resources:   Check out my course Making LinkedIn Simple - https://leaturner.co.uk/pages/making-linkedin-simple-2023   Take my LinkedIn profile quiz - https://leadoeslinkedin.scoreapp.com/   This podcast is sponsored bySafe Space From The Workplace. You can check out their podcast here - https://shorturl.at/IASSn   
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44 MIN
Risking it all: Burnout to Mindfulness with Steve Ware
NOV 5, 2024
Risking it all: Burnout to Mindfulness with Steve Ware
Are you a risk taker? There is no greater risk than to go out on your own to start a business, but the rewards are huge. And when you find that passion nothing will stop you. For my guest in this episode, Steve Ware, risk taking was never easy. Coming from a risk averse family his mindset was one of corporate safety. Then a long career at IBM was ended by burnout and the Covid pandemic. Discovering the power of mindfulness ignited something in Steve. He transformed himself by regaining control over his mental health, which led to training others in the practice with rave reviews. It wasn’t until he risked everything by investing all his earnings back into his business that things really took off.   Get ready to find out the impact mindfulness can have on your life, and the challenges and rewards of transitioning into entrepreneurship.   “It feels like I'm swimming with the tide now”– Steve   You’ll hear about:   00:00 – Steve on finding his passion 00:35 - An introduction to Steve Ware 03:29 - Steve's experience with burnout 07:09 - Going from burnout to mindfulness 11:26 - The benefits of a quiet mind 13:06 - Steve's path to training mindfulness 18:08 - Is Steve more of a risk taker now? 23:54 - The turning point in Steve's business 28:04 - How Steve's life has changed working for himself 32:02 - Keeping the passion and business growing 37:43 - The importance of word-of-mouth referrals   Connect with Steve:   LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-ware-mindfulness/ Website - https://www.stevewaremindfulness.com/   Connect with me:   The HoLT - https://www.the-holt.com/ My website - https://leaturner.co.uk/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lea-turner/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/leadoeslinkedin/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/LeaDoesLinkedIn/   Join The Holt waiting list - https://www.the-holt.com/waitlist   My resources:   Check out my course Making LinkedIn Simple - https://leaturner.co.uk/pages/making-linkedin-simple-2023   Take my LinkedIn profile quiz - https://leadoeslinkedin.scoreapp.com/   This podcast is sponsored bySafe Space From The Workplace. You can check out their podcast here - https://shorturl.at/IASSn 
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42 MIN
Your Business Will Fail Without a Pipeline with Mia Denos
OCT 29, 2024
Your Business Will Fail Without a Pipeline with Mia Denos
20% of businesses fail in their first year! How do you avoid being one of them? On this episode I am joined by the most zen business owner I know, Mia Denos. With 20 years’ experience running her own businesses there is no-one better to advise small business owners on what it takes to succeed. Put simply having a pipeline of work will save a business. You need to know where the money is coming from months in advance to avoid disappointment. Mia also emphasises the importance of having a financial reserve and understanding the difference between working in a business and running a business. Your skills alone are not enough to make a business thrive.   Get ready to get business zen with Mia!   “If you’re not worried about how to pay your rent or feed yourself, you’ll be able to think more rationally”– Mia   You’ll hear about:   00:00 – Always have a pipeline of work 01:01 - An introduction to Mia Denos 03:12 - Things small businesses should be doing 05:31 - The importance of a pipeline of work 07:57 - Mia's advice to ensure a pipeline of customers 13:28 - How many customers should you have? 17:58 - How to nurture client relationships 22:08 - How to get amazing testimonials 27:56 - Why is Mia so Zen with her business? 30:52 - Has not having employees been less stressful? 35:48 - The expectations of success on social media 37:12 - Advice to those about to go all in on their side hustle   Connect with Mia:   LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/miadenos/ Lucror Financial Services - https://www.linkedin.com/company/lucror-financial-services/   Connect with me:   The HoLT - https://www.the-holt.com/ My website - https://leaturner.co.uk/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lea-turner/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/leadoeslinkedin/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/LeaDoesLinkedIn/   Join The Holt waiting list - https://www.the-holt.com/waitlist   My resources:   Check out my course Making LinkedIn Simple - https://leaturner.co.uk/pages/making-linkedin-simple-2023   Take my LinkedIn profile quiz - https://leadoeslinkedin.scoreapp.com/   This podcast is sponsored bySafe Space From The Workplace. You can check out their podcast here - https://shorturl.at/IASSn 
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45 MIN
Business Life the Brutal Truth with Eddie Whittingham
OCT 21, 2024
Business Life the Brutal Truth with Eddie Whittingham
It’s time for a reality check. Running a business is not like the social media highlight reels people would have you believe. Spending your days dipping in your ice bath, a session with your personal trainer and therapist before you sit down to make 10K in 10 minutes. Rubbish. I am joined by Eddie Whittingham, someone who has done it all. From police officer to starting a business in cyber security, which he sold for multiple-millions, and now running a lifestyle business as a co-working space owner. Eddie tells it like it is, no holds barred. He talks about the sacrifices to his mental health he had to make to get to where he is now.  As well as the need for curiosity and continuous learning for anyone to be a successful entrepreneur. He calls out the sham business coaches infesting our social feeds and the fact that luck also plays a role in anyone’s success. Want to know what building a business is really like? Listen to Eddie.   “Building a business requires sacrifice.”– Eddie   You’ll hear about:   00:00 - Building a business requires sacrifice 00:39 - Eddie's eclectic work background 02:28 - Choosing a modern lifestyle business 04:59 - The loneliness of running a business 06:38 - The truth about growing a startup 11:13 - Would I do things differently? 14:46 - Common mistakes in the first years of business 18:59 - Go for the big goal first 25:34 - The thrill is in the learning 28:27 - Having knowledge before outsourcing 31:43 - Advice on mentors or coaches 35:40 - Being saved by strong contracts 38:05 - Finding the right business coach 39:58 - Eddie's advice to small business owners   Connect with Eddie:   LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/eddiewhittingham/ GoFounder - https://gofounder.com/ The Ministry of Work - https://ministryofwork.co.uk/     Connect with me:   The HoLT - https://www.the-holt.com/ My website - https://leaturner.co.uk/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lea-turner/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/leadoeslinkedin/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/LeaDoesLinkedIn/   Join The Holt waiting list - https://www.the-holt.com/waitlist   My resources:   Check out my course Making LinkedIn Simple - https://leaturner.co.uk/pages/making-linkedin-simple-2023   Take my LinkedIn profile quiz - https://leadoeslinkedin.scoreapp.com/   This podcast is sponsored bySafe Space From The Workplace. You can check out their podcast here - https://shorturl.at/IASSn 
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46 MIN
Do Work That Makes You Feel Alive with Katie Flamman
OCT 14, 2024
Do Work That Makes You Feel Alive with Katie Flamman
Does your work make you feel alive or are you deep in the doldrums?   Nothing can beat the feeling of doing something that energises you, that you know is exactly what you are meant to be doing. And you know what? Your age when you make the change means absolutely nothing. In this episode I am joined by the fabulous Katie Flamman, who decided to end a successful career in the news to take on her next big challenge in life, becoming a full-time mum. 10 years later she was ready to find out what would be next for her work life. She found a love and talent for voice acting. Now a multi-award winning, expert in her field she is here to share her story. The challenges she faced balancing motherhood with her career aspirations. As well as the resourcefulness required to start her voiceover business. There is so much to learn here from Katie about what your business has the potential to become from humble beginnings.   “It was the most alive and energised I think I'd ever felt.”– Katie   You’ll hear about:   00:00 – Going to L.A. for an award vs the PTA bonfire 00:52 - What led Katie to where she is now? 03:30 - How Katie got into voiceover work 05:27 - Choosing motherhood over careers 09:23 - Finding something just for herself 13:40 - Katie's self-doubt in business at 40 17:32 - The more resourceful you are the better 26:02 - How has success impacted Katie's life? 32:11 - The joy of finding the passion in what you do   Connect with Katie:   LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-flamman/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/katieflamman/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8AO9P-FVaJcqsNn01xzKdw Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/katieflammanvoiceover/ X - https://twitter.com/KatieFlamman   See Katie’s work on Vimeo - https://vimeo.com/katieflamman   Katie’s website - https://katieflamman.co.uk/   Listen to Katie’s podcast Storytelling for Business - https://katieflamman.co.uk/the-storytelling-for-business-podcast/   Connect with me:   The HoLT - https://www.the-holt.com/ My website - https://leaturner.co.uk/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lea-turner/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/leadoeslinkedin/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/LeaDoesLinkedIn/   Join The Holt waiting list - https://www.the-holt.com/waitlist   My resources:   Check out my course Making LinkedIn Simple - https://leaturner.co.uk/pages/making-linkedin-simple-2023   Take my LinkedIn profile quiz - https://leadoeslinkedin.scoreapp.com/   This podcast is sponsored bySafe Space From The Workplace. You can check out their podcast here - https://shorturl.at/IASSn 
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41 MIN