The Oxford Business Podcast: Recent Episodes
Oxford Business Community Network
Hosted by Ben Thompson, the Oxford Business Podcast is a monthly podcast featuring conversations with experts in a range of fields including marketing, finance and sales.
In this episode of the Oxford Business Podcast, Ben is joined by Jamie Knight, Business Development Executive at Fidelity Energy Ltd, to discuss the commercial energy sector and how business can successfully navigate it to combat rising energy prices.
Listen to the podcast to hear expert insights on this and more:
- The factors affecting energy prices
- How an energy broker can save your business money
- The future of the energy market
More about the guest:
Jamie Knight is a Business Development Executive within Fidelity Energy Ltd. Through this role he helps businesses get the best value from their energy contracts, reducing their energy consumption, minimising their carbon footprint and ensuring that their bills are right.
LinkedIn
Learn more about Fidelity Energy Ltd.
About the Oxford Business Podcast:
The Oxford Business Podcast is a podcast by OBCN, the Oxford Business Community Network, and hosted by Ben Thompson from Thompson & Terry Recruitment.
Ben Thompson: @ben-thompson
Thompson & Terry Recruitment: thompsonandterry.co.uk
The Oxford Business Community Network has been established to provide a trusted, peer-to-peer, group networking opportunity for businesses based in Oxfordshire, where 'people buy people'.
The Oxford Business Podcast is produced by Story Ninety-Four and recorded in their Podcast Studio in central Oxford.
In this episode of the Oxford Business Podcast, Ben is joined by Samantha Harman, a Style Coach and Editor-In-Chief, about the impact of clothing on personal branding and business success.
Listen to the podcast to hear expert insights on this and more:
- Unconscious bias in the workplace
- The importance of confidence
- Your wardrobe's relation to business success
More about the guest:
Samantha Harman is a Style and Confidence Coach, helping ambitious women finally quit their imposter syndrome, stop wasting money on clothes they never wear and feel good in their style and their bodies.
LinkedIn
Learn more about The Style Editor
About the Oxford Business Podcast:
The Oxford Business Podcast is a podcast by OBCN, the Oxford Business Community Network, and hosted by Ben Thompson from Thompson & Terry Recruitment.
Ben Thompson: @ben-thompson
Thompson & Terry Recruitment: thompsonandterry.co.uk
The Oxford Business Community Network has been established to provide a trusted, peer-to-peer, group networking opportunity for businesses based in Oxfordshire, where 'people buy people'.
The Oxford Business Podcast is produced by Story Ninety-Four and recorded in their Podcast Studio in central Oxford.
In this episode of the Oxford Business Podcast, Ben is joined by Mike Woodward, founder and director of Opera Anywhere to discuss the arts in Oxfordshire and the impact of COVID on the sector.
Listen to the podcast to hear expert insights on this and more:
- The importance of flexibility in business
- Collaborating with the community
- Overcoming the difficulties of running an arts business
More about the guest:
Mike Woodward initially started Opera Anywhere back in 2000. With its beginnings as a way to celebrate the new millennium, Opera Anywhere has only continued to grow since then, Opera Anywhere tours opera productions, as well as managing corporate and public entertainment events across the UK, visiting theatres, villages halls and music festivals. They also provide singing waiters and wedding singers throughout Oxfordshire and beyond.
LinkedIn
Learn more about Opera Anywhere
About the Oxford Business Podcast:
The Oxford Business Podcast is a podcast by OBCN, the Oxford Business Community Network, and hosted by Ben Thompson from Thompson & Terry Recruitment.
Ben Thompson: @ben-thompson
Thompson & Terry Recruitment: thompsonandterry.co.uk
The Oxford Business Community Network has been established to provide a trusted, peer-to-peer, group networking opportunity for businesses based in Oxfordshire, where 'people buy people'.
The Oxford Business Podcast is produced by Story Ninety-Four and recorded in their Podcast Studio in central Oxford.
This week Ben explores how successful businesses can overcome difficulties, both professional and personal to strive for success.
In this episode, Ben speaks with Mary Thomas of Concise Training and Concise Digital, Nick Mason of Wagner Mason Accountants and Howard Feather of Howard Feather Business Advisors.
- What makes a successful small business
- The digital channels that will help your business
- How to counteract issues confronted by small businesses
- When to outsource work
- The importance of a support network
Listen to the podcast to hear expert insights on those topics.
Guests:
Mary Thomas:
Through Concise Training and Concise Digital, Mary Thomas assists business with their digital and social media marketing to ensure that your digital output is beneficial for your business. By utilising her expertise in training, Mary will help you to be able to get the most out of your digital marketing, whilst also offering a variety of outsourcing options.
LinkedIn
Concise Training
Concise Digital
Nick Mason:
Nick Mason is the director of Wagner Mason Accountants, providing his clients with a high-quality and personal service. His work helps businesses make sure that they have the financial information they need to run their business on a day-to-day basis.
LinkedIn
Wagner Mason Accountants
Howard Feather:Howard Feather is a business advisor and mentor, helping you to make the tough decisions to move forward. Through Howard Feather Business Advisors, Howard helps to increase productivity, overcome barriers within the business and generate sales within the business.
LinkedIn
Howard Feather Business Advisors
About the Oxford Business Podcast:
The Oxford Business Podcast is a podcast by OBCN, the Oxford Business Community Network, and hosted by Mike Foster, the Entrepreneurs Mentor, and Ben Thompson from Thompson & Terry Recruitment.
Mike Foster: @mikefosteroxford
The Entrepreneurs Mentor: entrepreneursmentor.co.uk
Ben Thompson: @ben-thompson
Thompson & Terry Recruitment: thompsonandterry.co.uk
The Oxford Business Community Network has been established to provide a trusted, peer-to-peer, group networking opportunity for businesses based in Oxfordshire, where 'people buy people'.
The Oxford Business Podcast is produced by Story Ninety-Four and recorded in their Podcast Studio in central Oxford.
As in-person meetings have returned in this post-pandemic world, how can networking events help businesses grow their client base and how can these businesses get the most out of such events?
In this episode, Ben speaks with Matt Eastland-Jones of Story Ninety Four, Ted Yeates of Kept Assets Limited and James Constable of Get Support IT Services.
- The importance of networking
- Building trust with clients
- Utilising networking to build a brand online
- The benefits of podcasting for B2B purposes
- How networking can facilitate collaboration
Listen to the podcast to hear expert insights on those topics.
Guests:
Matt Eastland Jones:
Matt is the founder and Managing Director of Studio Ninety-Four, an Oxfordshire-based podcast and video production company. Starting as a freelance filmmaker and digital storyteller, Matt's work at Story Ninety-Four focuses on helping businesses engage new audiences, grow visibility, improve social engagement and enhance conversion rates.
LinkedIn
Story Ninety-Four
Ted Yeates:
Over the years, Ted has excelled at identifying areas of concern affecting family welfare and has worked tirelessly to develop suitable solutions. Now in his 70s, Ted is passionate about helping those who are later in life protect the assets they have accrued throughout their working lives by arranging Bloodline Planning, Will Writing and Estate Planning.
LinkedIn
Kept Assets Limited
James Constable:James is an ex-Professional footballer with more than 15 years in the game, who has recently taken up the position of Business Development Manager at Get Support IT Services. Through his work, Get Support IT is able to provide every aspect of computer hardware and software support for the UK's small and medium-sized businesses.
LinkedIn
Get Support IT Services
About the Oxford Business Podcast:
The Oxford Business Podcast is a podcast by OBCN, the Oxford Business Community Network, and hosted by Mike Foster, the Entrepreneurs Mentor, and Ben Thompson from Thompson & Terry Recruitment.
Mike Foster: @mikefosteroxford
The Entrepreneurs Mentor: entrepreneursmentor.co.uk
Ben Thompson: @ben-thompson
Thompson & Terry Recruitment: thompsonandterry.co.uk
The Oxford Business Community Network has been established to provide a trusted, peer-to-peer, group networking opportunity for businesses based in Oxfordshire, where 'people buy people'.
The Oxford Business Podcast is produced by Story Ninety-Four and recorded in their Podcast Studio in central Oxford.
First came the great resignation, and now we have quiet quitting. Why are employees becoming increasingly dissatisfied with their work, and what can employers do to retain their staff?
In this episode, Mike speaks with Paul Hayward of Blake Morgan and Jane Fryatt of Face2faceHR.
- The rise of quiet quitting
- How businesses can retain employees
- The importance of communicating with your team
- Focusing on output not input
Listen to the podcast to hear expert insights on those topics.
Guests:
Paul Hayward:
Paul is a member of the highly rated employment, pensions, benefits and immigration team at Blake Morgan LLP; working in both Oxford and Reading. He has previously acted for large multibody corporations undertaking central government contracts, public sector bodies (including NHS Trusts and Schools) and recently a number of high-profile individuals such as senior BBC executives, Premier League footballers and agents.
LinkedIn
Blake Morgan
Jane Fryatt:
Jane is an HR Consultant at face2faceHR. Her HR experience has been gained across various sectors including media and publishing, science, technology and engineering. She has first-hand experience of managing teams in both operational and office environments and can bring down-to-earth, practical HR solutions to her clients.
LinkedIn
Face2faceHR
About the Oxford Business Podcast:
The Oxford Business Podcast is a podcast by OBCN, the Oxford Business Community Network, and hosted by Mike Foster, the Entrepreneurs Mentor, and Ben Thompson from Thompson & Terry Recruitment.
Mike Foster: @mikefosteroxford
The Entrepreneurs Mentor: entrepreneursmentor.co.uk
Ben Thompson: @ben-thompson
Thompson & Terry Recruitement: thompsonandterry.co.uk
The Oxford Business Community Network has been established to provide a trusted, peer-to-peer, group networking opportunity for businesses based in Oxfordshire, where 'people buy people'.
The Oxford Business Podcast is produced by Story Ninety-Four and recorded in their Podcast Studio in central Oxford.
The pandemic brought on many changes to businesses. One of the most significant was the change from office life to working from home. With the pandemic now behind us, how has the workforce changed and adapted post-pandemic?
In this episode, Ben speaks with Katie Aldridge of The HR Dept Newbury, Darren Aston of Aston & James, and Paul Mabbutt of Jennings.
- The 2022 office
- Are businesses working from home or back in the office?
- Has the demand for offices changed?
- What can employers do to ensure staff are healthy when working from home?
Listen to the podcast to hear expert insights on those topics.
Guests:
Katie Aldridge:
The HR Dept Newbury supports small to medium sized companies with their HR, and it’s our approach that really sets us apart. Instead of telling small businesses what they can’t do, we tell them what they can do to achieve the results that they want.
LinkedIn
The HR Dept
Darren Aston:
Darren joined Aston & James in 1997 to work with his older brother Alan as his young apprentice. He learnt quickly under his guidance and gained a lot of experience working for a small family business – fast track to 2012, Darren bought the business from his brother to become the owner. During lockdown they shifted to working on Covid infection control products, PPE and assisting customers with their Workspace at home – reassessing kit and ergonomics. Aston & James now positioning themselves to best serve their customers wherever they choose to work – in The Workplace – In The Warehouse – In The home, and on the go.
LinkedIn
Aston & James
Paul Mabbutt:
Paul is an experienced Managing Director with a focus on helping to develop people and grow organisations in the Private and Voluntary Sector. Skilled in business planning, mentoring and people development, plus passionate about building ethical and people focused cultures.
LinkedIn
Jennings
About the Oxford Business Podcast:
The Oxford Business Podcast is a podcast by OBCN, the Oxford Business Community Network, and hosted by Mike Foster, the Entrepreneurs Mentor, and Ben Thompson from Thompson & Terry Recruitment.
Mike Foster: @mikefosteroxford
The Entrepreneurs Mentor: entrepreneursmentor.co.uk
Ben Thompson: @ben-thompson
Thompson & Terry Recruitement: thompsonandterry.co.uk
The Oxford Business Community Network has been established to provide a trusted, peer to peer, group networking opportunity for businesses based in Oxfordshire, where 'people buy people'.
The Oxford Business Podcast is produced by Story Ninety-Four and recorded in their Podcast Studio in central Oxford.
What are the different ways to raise finance in 2022 to fund your growing business?
In this episode, Mike speaks with Tracy Smart of The Smart Team, and Sam Jones of NGI Finance.
- Current climate with raising finance
- Different ways to raise finance
- How to prepare for financing your business
- Tips for better forecasting
Listen to the podcast to hear expert insights on those topics.
Guests:
Tracy Smart:
Finance Director and Founder of The Smart Team, Tracy is passionate about making a difference & delivering results for small and scale up businesses. The Smart Team provide outsourced finance skills to SME’s, supplying access to highly experienced finance directors and leaders.
LinkedIn
The Smart Team
Sam Jones:
Sam is the Business Development Manager at NGI Finance and helps business owners realise their dreams and save time with flexible funding options.
LinkedIn
NGI Finance
About the Oxford Business Podcast:
The Oxford Business Podcast is a podcast by OBCN, the Oxford Business Community Network, and hosted by Mike Foster, the Entrepreneurs Mentor, and Ben Thompson from Thompson & Terry Recruitment.
Mike Foster: @mikefosteroxford
The Entrepreneurs Mentor: entrepreneursmentor.co.uk
Ben Thompson: @ben-thompson
Thompson & Terry Recruitement: thompsonandterry.co.uk
The Oxford Business Community Network has been established to provide a trusted, peer to peer, group networking opportunity for businesses based in Oxfordshire, where 'people buy people'.
The Oxford Business Podcast is produced by Story Ninety-Four and recorded in their Podcast Studio in central Oxford.
In this episode, Mike speaks with Nick Hughes from Dynamic Coach Group, Jenny Gordon from Jenuine Consulting Ltd, and Ian Farrington from Prodevuk.
- When do you know you need coaching and development?
- How important is development to career progression?
- How has the pandemic altered coaching?
Listen to the podcast to hear expert answers to those questions.
Guests:
Nick Hughes:
Dynamic Coach is driven to improving your revenue streams and profit margins and as such we have developed our sales training and coaching practices with DYNAMIC outcomes in mind, whether that be with set strategies or training to develop individuals or teams.
LinkedIn
Dynamic Coach Group
Jenny Gordon:
Jenny is the founder & brilliance coach at Jenuine Consulting; a people developer who specialises in helping businesses create and sustain brilliantly effective, productive, teams. Bringing practical understanding of the issues that keep you awake at night, together with wide-ranging experience and a sustained record of success in coaching, facilitation, learning and development, quality improvement and innovation helps illuminate your business, creating clear strategies to bring out not only the unique brilliance of you but also the people you work with.
LinkedIn
Jenuine Consulting
Ian Farrington:
Ian has spent over 30 years working in the public, private and not for for profit sectors. In theory, this was about policy, strategy and delivery in a range of contexts. In reality, it was always about people and the realisation that it takes the right people, with the right support, to deliver sustainable success.
LinkedIn
Prodevuk
About the Oxford Business Podcast:
The Oxford Business Podcast is a podcast by OBCN, the Oxford Business Community Network, and hosted by Mike Foster, the Entrepreneurs Mentor, and Ben Thompson from Thompson & Terry Recruitment.
Mike Foster: @mikefosteroxford
The Entrepreneurs Mentor: entrepreneursmentor.co.uk
Ben Thompson: @ben-thompson
Thompson & Terry Recruitement: thompsonandterry.co.uk
The Oxford Business Community Network has been established to provide a trusted, peer to peer, group networking opportunity for businesses based in Oxfordshire, where 'people buy people'.
The Oxford Business Podcast is produced by Story Ninety-Four and recorded in their Podcast Studio in central Oxford.
In this episode, Ben speaks with Tim Wraith the Corporate & Community Partnerships Manager at Sobell House, Jamie Miller the CEO of Headway Oxfordshire, and Anne Cooper the Senior Fundraiser at Cecily's Fund.
- How can businesses work with charities?
- What are the benefits of volunteering with charities?
- Why do charities need to start behaving more like businesses?
Listen to the podcast to hear expert answers to those questions.
Guests:
Tim Wraith:
As the Corporate & Community Partnerships Manager at Sobell House, Tim brings immediate value by utilising his excellent communication skills to nature and maintain successful working relationships with both internal and external contacts. He thrives on dealing with challenges and has a sense of urgency and desire to make a real positive difference in people’s lives.
LinkedIn
Sobell House
Jamie Miller:
Jamie is a highly motivated, proactive and experienced charity leader and for the past 12 years has been the CEO of Headway Oxfordshire. Established in 1982, Headway Oxfordshire has over 30 years’ history of supporting those affected by acquired brain injury. As CEO, Jamie has overall responsibility for implementing the directives of the charities Board of Trustees including planning and implementing the strategic direction of the organisation, identifying funding streams, the development of services, and management of individual projects.
LinkedIn
Headway Oxfordshire
Anne Cooper:
Cecily's Fund supports orphans and vulnerable children affected by HIV/AIDS in Zambia. As the Senior Fundraiser, Anne supports Cecily's Fund's mission to enable orphans and vulnerable children to go to school, supporting children to succeed at school, preparing for life beyond school, and strengthening community support for children's education.
LinkedIn
Cecilys Fund
About the Oxford Business Podcast:
The Oxford Business Podcast is a podcast by OBCN, the Oxford Business Community Network, and hosted by Mike Foster, the Entrepreneurs Mentor, and Ben Thompson from Thompson & Terry Recruitment.
Mike Foster: @mikefosteroxford
The Entrepreneurs Mentor: entrepreneursmentor.co.uk
Ben Thompson: @ben-thompson
Thompson & Terry Recruitement: thompsonandterry.co.uk
The Oxford Business Community Network has been established to provide a trusted, peer to peer, group networking opportunity for businesses based in Oxfordshire, where 'people buy people'.
The Oxford Business Podcast is produced by Story Ninety-Four and recorded in their Podcast Studio in central Oxford.
In this episode, Mike speaks with Marc Kavanagh founder of MK Mortgages and Michael Pawley founder of Proficio Solutions.
- What are the current concerns around finance in 2022?
- How do you raise finance for your business?
- How does being self-employeed affect your ability to get a mortage?
- How far in advance do you need to prepare your finances for lending?
Listen to the podcast to hear expert answers to those questions.
Guests:
Marc Kavanagh:
Formerly a member of the Scots Guard Band, Marc founded MK Mortgages in 2014 to help buyers navigate through every stage of finding and applying for their mortgage – and ensuring they get the most suitable deal available based on their individual circumstances. MK Mortgages are able to access mortgages that you may not find when searching independently, saving you valuable time and money.
LinkedIn
MK Mortgages
Michael Pawley:
Founder of Proficio Solutions, Micheal provides outsourced Finance Director/Chief Financial Officer services to a number of entrepreneurs and ambitious businesses, partnerships and LLPs. Their approach is to ensure that directors and business owners really understand their finances using clear, relevant, analytical information and then to work with them to take informed decisions about their businesses.
LinkedIn
Proficio Solutions
About the Oxford Business Podcast:
The Oxford Business Podcast is a podcast by OBCN, the Oxford Business Community Network, and hosted by Mike Foster, the Entrepreneurs Mentor, and Ben Thompson from Thompson & Terry Recruitment.
Mike Foster: @mikefosteroxford
The Entrepreneurs Mentor: entrepreneursmentor.co.uk
Ben Thompson: @ben-thompson
Thompson & Terry Recruitement: thompsonandterry.co.uk
The Oxford Business Community Network has been established to provide a trusted, peer to peer, group networking opportunity for businesses based in Oxfordshire, where 'people buy people'.
The Oxford Business Podcast is produced by Story Ninety-Four and recorded in their Podcast Studio in central Oxford.
Scaling your business is a challenge that many business owners face. How do you transition from a sole trader to larger opperation with multiple employees and departments?
In this episode, Ben speaks with Cath Convery of Explosive Learning Solutions, Tracy Smart of The Smart Team, and Sam Jones of NGI Finance.
- What steps are needed to scale a business?
- How can borrowing support and finance your growth?
- How important is getting recuitment right first time?
- What support is out there for business owners wanting to scale?
Listen to the podcast to hear expert answers to those questions.
Guests:
Cath Convery:
Formally trained as an education technologist and teacher, much of Cath's career has been in Change Management, specifically in Learning and Development. This resulted in her founding Explosive Learning Solutions in 2005, an independent Defence and Homeland Security Learning and Development (L&D) consultancy and training provider.
LinkedIn
Explosive Learning Solutions
Tracy Smart:
Finance Director and Founder of The Smart Team, Tracy is passionate about making a difference & delivering results for small and scale up businesses. The Smart Team provide outsourced finance skills to SME’s, supplying access to highly experienced finance directors and leaders.
LinkedIn
The Smart Team
Sam Jones:
Sam is the Business Development Manager at NGI Finance and helps business owners realise their dreams and save time with flexible funding options.
LinkedIn
NGI Finance
About the Oxford Business Podcast:
The Oxford Business Podcast is a podcast by OBCN, the Oxford Business Community Network, and hosted by Mike Foster, the Entrepreneurs Mentor, and Ben Thompson from Thompson & Terry Recruitment.
Mike Foster: @mikefosteroxford
The Entrepreneurs Mentor: entrepreneursmentor.co.uk
Ben Thompson: @ben-thompson
Thompson & Terry Recruitement: thompsonandterry.co.uk
The Oxford Business Community Network has been established to provide a trusted, peer to peer, group networking opportunity for businesses based in Oxfordshire, where 'people buy people'.
The Oxford Business Podcast is produced by Story Ninety-Four and recorded in their Podcast Studio in central Oxford.
Effective marketing is key for the success of any business. But creating a successful marketing strategy is harder than it looks, and it's one area that many businesses get wrong.
In this episode, Mike speaks with Sally Green of YMS, Mike Duerden of Urban Element, and Josh Cox of Prystine Web Solutions.
- How can businesses best consider their marketing strategy?
- How do businesses decide on their marketing channels?
- How do you create trust with clients?
- How much money should businesses spend on marketing?
Listen to the podcast to hear expert answers to those questions.
Guests:
Sally Green:
Sally has been working in marketing for over 35 years. She has been an International Marketing Director for a market leading publisher and has been running her own marketing consultancy company for the past 15 years.
LinkedIn: @sallydgreen
YMS: yms.agency
Mike Duerden:
Mike is the Senior Digital Sales Executive at Urban Element and is dedicated to providing excellent customer experiences with over 10 years experience.
LinkedIn: @mikeduerden
Urban Element: urbanelement.com
John Cox:
Josh founded Prystine Web Solutions back in 2016 and is the director and web developer. Since starting the company, Josh has been working with a range of clients to offer bespoke websites as well as hosting and site maintenance.
LinkedIn: @josh-luke-frederick-cox
Prystine Web Solutions: prystine.co.uk
About the Oxford Business Podcast:
The Oxford Business Podcast is a podcast by OBCN, the Oxford Business Community Network, and hosted by Mike Foster, the Entreprneurs Mentor, and Ben Thompson from Thompson & Terry Recruitment.
Mike Foster: @mikefosteroxford
The Entrepreneurs Mentor: entrepreneursmentor.co.uk
Ben Thompson: @ben-thompson
Thompson & Terry Recruitement: thompsonandterry.co.uk
The Oxford Business Community Network has been established to provide a trusted, peer to peer, group networking opportunity for businesses based in Oxfordshire, where 'people buy people'.
The Oxford Business Podcast is produced by Story Ninety-Four and recorded in their Podcast Studio in central Oxford.