In this episode of Business Made Smarter, host Ed Nell is joined by Doug D'Aubrey, Founder and Managing Director of Executive Training Consultancy, to dig into one of the most challenging aspects of running a business - managing change.

Whether it is a new piece of technology, a shift in internal processes or a change that will affect customers directly, Doug breaks down why so many change initiatives fall flat and what business owners can do differently. The answer, it turns out, is less about the change itself and almost entirely about how it is communicated and who is brought along for the journey.

Key Takeaways

Most people are hardwired to resist change.

It is not stubbornness - it is survival instinct. Human beings are built to find comfort in routine and to fear the unknown. Understanding this as a business owner means you stop asking why people are resistant and start thinking about how to reduce the fear around what is coming..

Buy-in is everything.

If the people affected by a change do not want it to happen, it will not happen - no matter how much pressure is applied from the top. Getting buy-in means selling the benefits, not just the change itself. Once someone can see what is in it for them, their attitude shifts.

Always start with the outcome.

Before communicating any change internally or externally, be clear on what you are actually trying to achieve and why. Change for its own sake wastes time and money. If you cannot articulate the benefit, it is worth asking whether the change is necessary at all.

Internal and external change follow the same rules.

Whether you are managing a team through a new process or communicating a change to clients, the approach is the same - explain what is happening, why it is happening and how it will benefit the people it affects. Customers and staff deserve the same level of transparency.

If it is not working, pause and listen.

When a change is meeting resistance mid-implementation, the instinct to push harder rarely helps. Bringing people together, asking what is going wrong and genuinely listening to the answers will almost always surface the real problem - and point toward the solution.

Key Moments

"If you don't know what's coming, there's a built-in fear. It's a survival mechanism - human beings need to know what's around the corner."

"As soon as people want the benefit, they are happy to have the change."

"Communication is everything. If you don't communicate around change management, you might as well forget it."

About Business Made Smarter

Business Made Smarter is the podcast from Executive Training Consultancy, bringing no-nonsense practical advice to help businesses of all sizes grow and thrive.

Hosted by Ed Nell and featuring Doug D'Aubrey, Founder and MD of Executive Training Consultancy, each episode draws on over two decades of real-world business experience to give listeners strategies and insights they can start putting to use straight away.

How to Get in Touch

To book a free two-hour business review with one of ETC's expert consultants:

Website: www.exec-tc.com

If you found this episode useful, subscribe, share it with your network and leave a review.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode - From £47K to £2.6M: How to Scale a Creative Business the Right Way

In this episode of Business Made Smarter, host Doug D’Aubrey is joined by Scott Clarke, co-founder of Kensa Creative, to unpack the journey from a £47,000 turnover startup to a £2.6 million business over the past decade.

The conversation explores what it really takes to scale - from learning to delegate and building a management structure, to using data to drive decisions and creating a culture where people take ownership. Scott shares honest insights into the challenges of letting go, balancing creativity with commercial reality and building a team that can grow with the business.

Key Takeaways

Growth requires letting go

Scaling a business means stepping away from doing everything yourself and trusting others to take ownership of delivery and decisions.

Data removes guesswork

Tracking time, costs and performance at a detailed level allows you to understand what’s actually profitable - and where changes are needed.

Empowerment drives performance

Giving teams visibility of budgets and responsibility for outcomes creates accountability and improves results.

Clarity in your offer makes growth easier

Being clear on what you’re good at - and communicating it effectively - helps attract the right clients and simplifies sales.

Key Moments

“You physically can’t do everything yourself if you want to grow.”

“Is the client happy? If yes, it’s a win.”

“If you don’t measure it, you’re just guessing.”

“You get better results when people feel they have a stake in the business.”

About the guest

Scott Clarke is the co-founder of Kensa Creative, a full-service marketing agency specialising in design, video and development. Working with businesses of all sizes, Kensa helps clients create memorable marketing through branding, campaigns and digital experiences.

About Business Made Smarter

Business Made Smarter is a podcast focused on helping business owners improve performance, productivity and profitability through practical advice and real-world insights.

Hosted by Doug D’Aubrey of Executive Training and Consultancy, each episode explores key areas of business growth with actionable takeaways.

Take the Next Step

If you’re looking to scale your business and improve performance, you can book a FREE 2-hour Business Review with Executive Training and Consultancy.

Visit: https://exec-tc.com/ to find out more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Business Made Smarter, host Ed Nell is joined by Doug D'Aubrey, Founder and Managing Director of Executive Training Consultancy, to tackle one of the most overlooked habits in small business management - the regular meeting.

Far from the dull, overlong affairs many business owners dread, Doug explains that the right meetings, run well and held consistently, are the single most effective way to keep a business coordinated, productive and moving in the right direction. From weekly check-ins to quarterly strategy sessions, this episode covers why meetings get skipped, what happens when they do, and how to make them genuinely worth attending.

Key Takeaways

Skipping meetings is a habit that creeps up on you.

Missing one meeting rarely causes an immediate problem, which is exactly why it is so dangerous. By the time the consequences show up - friction between partners, things falling through the cracks, customer service slipping - the meetings have often been absent for months.

Meetings only work if everyone has a voice.

A meeting where the MD does all the talking is not a meeting - it is a briefing. When each person reports on their own area of responsibility, brings their own agenda items and is held to account for agreed actions, the whole team becomes more engaged and more invested in outcomes.

Structure and timing are non-negotiable.

If a meeting is scheduled for 30 minutes, it should take 30 minutes. Agendas should be circulated in advance so everyone arrives prepared. When one topic threatens to derail the agenda, it should be parked and handled separately. Meetings that consistently run over stop getting attended.

Someone has to own the meeting.

In small businesses especially, meetings disappear because nobody is formally responsible for making them happen. Assigning one person to put it in the diary, send the agenda and chase attendance makes all the difference between a meeting that happens and one that quietly gets dropped.

Mid-week check-ins keep things on track between meetings.

A quick 15-minute health check on a Wednesday or Thursday - just touching base on the key actions agreed in the previous meeting - means you arrive at the next one knowing things have actually been done, rather than discovering too late that they haven't.

Key Moments

"The meetings are the oil. They keep the cogs moving, keep everything lubricated so the business runs smoothly."

"If you stop putting oil in your engine, it'll keep running for a while - but eventually it will break down."

"We talk all the time. Yes, I know. But are you organising with each other?"

"The big takeaway is simple: just do the meeting."

About Business Made Smarter

Business Made Smarter is the podcast from Executive Training Consultancy, bringing no-nonsense practical advice to help businesses of all sizes grow and thrive.

Hosted by Ed Nell and featuring Doug D'Aubrey, Founder and MD of Executive Training Consultancy, each episode draws on over two decades of real-world business experience to give listeners strategies and insights they can start putting to use straight away.

How to Get in Touch

To book a free two-hour business review with one of ETC's expert consultants:

Website: www.exec-tc.com

If you found this episode useful, subscribe, share it with your network and leave a review.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.