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!