The Amaiz Podcast - Darryl Bannon talks Luxury Brands

Oliver Shaw from Kalibrate talks to us about planning for the unseen. We’ve all experienced the unprecedented, but what does the remainder of 2021 and Covid-recovery hold? It’s still difficult to see what normality might look like, but Oliver singles out some key themes:

• The way people work will change, and that will knock on to many other parts of the economy.
• That money switch, particularly in retail, will be the critical focus - is your business hypothesis ready?
• The government will be looking to recoup funds, so every business needs to prepare for tax and inflation knock-ons.
• Questions remain over Brexit, which may well provide opportunities to do things differently. 
• Some things won’t return - companies that adjust quickly will have the advantage.
• The major positive is that the economy will rebound quickly, so any company in the right position could benefit from a significant growth surge.

Find out more about the Amaiz business app and its payments, bookkeeping and accounting features and how they support small business at https://amaiz.com/features/

“Early-stage investment is often the trickiest to get, but also the most precious”

Joe Inglis joins us to talk about fundraising for his new business, VetChef. A fully qualified vet, with successful businesses and media career under his belt, Joe’s new venture disrupts the market from the simple point: We can do better for our best friends than processed food. 

VetChef has sailed past its initial investment round, generating funds earmarked to ready the product for launch. Joe shares how he used the year of lockdown to create something more tangible than a businesses plan, though as he says, the proof will be in the pet food. With two decades of experience in pet food, Joe saw the future that was better for pets, owners and the environment, and secured support for his vision. Hear key tips, including:

• Gearing up for investment while keeping a lid on USPs.
• Leveraging experience to convince investors
• The growing importance of Impact investment and sustainability
• The benefit of demonstrating your product
• Staging investment to fund milestones

Find out more about the Amaiz business app and its payments, bookkeeping and accounting features and how they support small business at https://amaiz.com/features/

We catch up with Rich Irving, owner of Squeezed Media, an established video and animation company. Covid accelerated its shift towards graphics and animation after Covid halted video production in its tracks in march 2020. Animation quickly became the main part of the business and sustained Squeezed, in spite of rising competition in that area during the pandemic. 

This is a great chat with an experienced business owner and an interesting exploration of the opportunities and obstacles posed by remote working and office working. 

When the Covid crisis arrived, Squeezed was growing, centred around a central London office and studio, with 14 employees and an emphasis on company culture. The quick establishment of secure and supported remote working made ade Rich question the need for an office. But by the end of the first lockdown, the culture of the office showed its worth. As Rich says, in the creative industry, individual creativity is essential, but so is team creativity. Zoom and other communication tools facilitate work, but they can also suck that creativity away. Advice, for instance, is important: Even the most experienced personnel are constantly learning.

The flow and nature of the business have changed, and it’s still difficult to see the future for video. But animation continues to build. And while the ability to find and convert new business was affected during the lockdowns, clients loyalty kept Squeezed buoyant as they head to an optimistic future.

Find out more about the Amaiz business app and its payments, bookkeeping and accounting features and how they support small business at amaiz.com/features.

“Don’t panic, run with it.”

Verity Clarke was one of the exceptional case studies that emerged from Amaiz’s survey on the effect of lockdown on UK small businesses in 2020. Verity started her current company in 2019, and, as she says, "they say your first year of business is challenging, but come on now." Verity talks through her experience in setting up and running her business and the COVID uncertainty that has defined the past year in this pragmatic chat. She describes the “Mad Max moment” of contacting her clients, although this is a very different type of apocalypse...

Keeping the marketing alive helped the business but also added necessary sanity to the situation. Channels like Instagram have proved their worth, as has support from allied trades, but the bank and government... Not so much. As a new business, Verity’s another enterprise that fell through the gap for government support, although it took some sifting through information and misinformation to understand that.

Verity sees a lot of potential ahead and busy times. Logistics and equipment were particularly crucial in an industry heavily affected by safety rules. An industry that was slow to move to cashless payments has seen a shift, although it’s worth noting that tipping has fallen across the service industry.

Find out more about the Amaiz business app and its payments, bookkeeping and accounting features and how they support small business at amaiz.com/features.

We catch up with Carla Watkins, who we spoke to earlier in this series. Carla’s previously talked about her portfolio of small businesses and the many strings she has to her bow… But professional mermaid? That’s right. Here we talk to Carla about this one particular and unusual occupation as a professional mermaid - a wander through the realms of possibility and imagination and a great example of the essence of a successful small business coming from anywhere. A lot of this success comes from confidence, and that’s why these business stores are important to share.

Find out more about the Amaiz business app and its payments, bookkeeping and accounting features and how they support small business at https://amaiz.com/features/

“A moment in history when you can be a business owner and performer”

Nicole set up Manic Stage Productions 15 years ago and have since performed for clients of all sizes, including P&O, for the past few years. The entertainment business had grown every year until it… Was stopped in its tracks by the global pandemic. Nicole explains the grief that came with the abrupt halt and the mentality of keeping going, which defined Manic’s response. But there were dependent employees, who even if they were self-employed, meant abandonment wasn’t an option. Collaboration was and remains key. In March 2020, early on in the pandemic, Nicole used social media to show support and pass on experience. 

An insight into a performer and an entrepreneur’s mentality during lockdown, Nicole’s story supports the idea that business owners should pivot themselves, whether there’s a crisis or not.

Find out more about the Amaiz business app and its payments, bookkeeping and accounting features and how they support small business at https://amaiz.com/features/

“You have to get online, even partially and focus on the things you can control.”

Lucy Shrimpton’s experience with her newborn inspired her to start a business that provides a valuable service to other parents with recent arrivals. This fascinating chat covers how The Sleep Nanny has developed behavioural-based support to coach parents and how Lucy’s business has grown and adapted during the pandemic. Lucy started with face-to-face visits and meetings in family homes, but moving the service online has opened up the flexibility of recording and reusable content, adding value while cutting down travel time. Knowing that it was crucial to have a person at the centre of this service, Lucy explored different options to scale up and expand the knowledge and structure. The Sleep Nanny Academy that emerged hones skills, develops business knowledge and allows the successful formula to reach more families. 

The pandemic has directly affected family dynamics, and Lucy sees many positives, including the increased involvement of both parents and greater access to online support. Lucy is one of many entrepreneurs putting innovation at the front of their business. As she says, “there’s usually a way you can innovate”.


Find out more about the Amaiz business app and its payments, bookkeeping and accounting features and how they support small business at https://amaiz.com/features/

“The fantastic adventure of running a business.”

Carla Watkins is a brand and photographer specialist, who relishes the freedom of being self-employed. She’d built a quartet of businesses before the effects of the pandemic hit them all in 2020.  

Carla chatted to us about her various businesses, how she’s built them up and developed their messaging. She believes her photography business in particular will become more important as the pandemic recedes. Here’s hoping for a boom in photography soon!

Grateful for the external support her companies have been eligible for, Carla highlights the issues that have faced new and small companies through the crisis. For instance, the last year has seen online payment is becoming far more comfortable for many customers, which makes things a lot easier for small businesses.  

Cautiously optimistic about COVID-19 recovery, Carla sees a changed landscape emerging, with a continued shift towards supporting small and local businesses, while online commerce diversifies.

Darryl Bannon returns to the Amaiz Podcast to talk about starting a business in the luxury sector. Now? Yes, it’s an ideal time to get an idea off the ground, but it requires a particular mix of psychology, acumen and hard work. Luxury means high margins and high standards to match. It’s crucial to target your customer. Darryl talks to us about the practicalities of setting up a brand, including:

• How the definition and experience of luxury changes.
• Why it’s critical you think about what your brand says and how it makes your customer feel special.
• The impact of speculation and attachment.

Georgina started up her egg delivery service during the first lockdown, rapidly expanding it to bring the best of Sussex produce straight to the doors of Lewes. Soon, Georgina’s Eggspress was delivering produce ranging from South Downs honey to asparagus and cheese across East and West Sussex. Georgina’s background is in creative event production and as she says, she’d have laughed at her new enterprise in January 2020. The events industry was among the first to be affected by the growing pandemic and Georgina was quick to identify the opportunities. As she says, eggs have been proved to be a saviour mentally and financially.

Georgina’s story is a great example of pivoting talents and flourishing when entrepreneurism becomes a necessity. Hear her thoughts on government and bank support, the challenges of running a small business and her thoughts on what the events industry that will emerge from the pandemic could look like.

Find out more about the Amaiz business app and its payments, bookkeeping and accounting features and how they support small business at https://amaiz.com/features/