Finding your North Star

Peter Quintana from hgkc talks to brothers Andy and Tim Fussell about their farming heritage, their pioneering move into producing cold-pressed, virgin rape seed oil and earning a place for it alongside olive oil in the culinary world, how buying steel is like buying a coffee, and why there is only one ‘l’ in fussels fine foods. The way that they have developed the fussels brand, to the point that is has become associated with rape seed oil, is an excellent example of the power that brand can have for your business.

Peter Quintana from hgkc talks to Carol Massay, Head of Construction at the Access Group, about her career in construction stretching over 30 years, the challenges she has faced in becoming recognised for what she knows, and her drive to promote equality, diversity and inclusion in a sector that has traditionally been dominated by white males.

Kim Jones from hgkc in conversation with Paul Netto, hgkc Associate, Accountant, Business Advisor and owner of Equifino. Paul has a long track record helping independent business owners achieve their goals, and in this podcast shares his strategic and practical advice to help independent business owners realise better exits from their businesses by starting early, focusing on their goals and getting a good understanding of value and the range of options to achieve a good deal.

Kim Jones of hgkc in conversation with Sam Talby of undebt, a turnaround specialist, qualified mediator and insolvency practitioner, Sam shares his practical and thoughtful advice to help directors and owners get the best possible outcome when they hit their lowest point. We delve into the essential tests of viability, why transparency matters and options open to businesses facing failure. His compassionate approach is refreshing and reassuring when dealing with the most difficult of times.

The dynamic team heading up ZiaBia embraced digital disruption in their corporate events company with the same creativity and “can do" approach that has fuelled their business since starting out in 2012. They have re-imagined events for clients and introduced new clients to the world of hybrid and virtual formats. Creating events that have an impact and their client’s love, from a mind-reading magician, escape rooms and cocktail making to whole company corporate conferences, events and charity fundraisers. A pacy conversation filled with hints, tips and insights about events and running a successful business.

In our series of interviews with business leaders about the strategies they have used to pivoted their companies, Kim Jones speaks to Andrew Bennion, Managing Director of Advanced Insulation Systems. Andrew leads a highly innovative, award-winning global engineering company with a collaborative and engaged workforce at its core. Advanced Insulation Systems tackles some of the most challenging problems in the oil and gas industries providing solutions for insulation and passive fire...

Peter Marchbank MD of Rotary Precision Instruments was interviewed by Kim Jones from hgkc as he reflects on his four-year journey at RPI UK, bringing a specialist engineering company with a long history of innovation in rotary measurement into its next generation – of products and people. He generously shares his lessons learned along the way and some of his blueprint for success. His enthusiasm and lifelong passion for engineering shines through this interview as does his desire to inspire and invest in the next generation of engineers and innovators.

Helen Moloney from All Things Web and Rich Kersey from ker-Z creative talk to Peter Quintana from hgkc about the five pillars of a good brand - Customer, Consistency, Creativity, Connection and Competition - and how the work they do with their clients in these areas leads to the Holy Grail of brand advocacy.

Many thanks to Andrea Sexton of AdmirePR for hosting this interview with Kim Jones of hgkc about planning and resilience on times of uncertainty, and for agreeing that we can share it as part of Finding your North Star, season 4 conversations. Kim talks about how important it is to care - not just about your people, but also about yourself.

James Short of hgkc speaks to Mark Watts, owner and founder of Yumo Finance, about the importance of understanding the financial flows through a business, and of planning in advance even in times of uncertainty. As an independent broker with a background in banking, Mark offers invaluable advice for how business owners can improve their cash flows and shorten their working capital cycles without resorting to borrowing, but also makes the case for borrowing at a time when loans are such a cheap form of money.

Kim Jones from hgkc speaks to Helen Isherwood is the Innovation Director at Adey, Queen’s Award-winning company recognised for their pioneering work in maintaining and protecting central heating systems in the UK and around the world. Helen leads an ambitious team focused on product development and commercialisation of new products and services. It’s an exciting time at Adey’s and Helen shares their secrets of success and how they are re-framing their innovation for a more disrupted future; from the customer-centric orientation of the business working with engineers and consumers to the collaborative and engaged mindset of the people at Adey. It’s a case study on the benefits of putting innovation at the heart of your culture.

Courage to lead with compassion and conviction - Mark Colbourne talks to James Short of hgkc about his journey of personal challenge and courage from the world of elite sport into business life. His enthusiasm and drive are infectious as he shares his insights on building confidence, mindset, and wellbeing from his earliest days through to his world record breaking achievements at the 2012 Paralympics and his international speaking career. To find out more about Mark’s story, www.markcolbourne.com or follow him on Twitter MarkColbourne.

In this, the first in our new Conversations podcast series, Sarah Owen, founder of DISCsimple, talks to James Short of hgkc about how he brings his experience of leadership and planning from the military and also from his own business that he set up and ran profitably throughout the last financial crisis in 2008. This advice is individually tailored to help hgkc clients battling with the current crisis and who are now facing a second national lockdown in England.

As we move into the second phase of national lockdown in England, Sarah Owen of DISCsimple is in Conversation with Peter Quintana of hgkc about the impact significant disruptive change can have on the social, financial and emotional capital reserves of a business, and the urgent need for leaders to embrace planning as part of the solution.

Continuing our series of Short Conversations, Sarah Owen of DISCsimple speaks to Kim Jones of hgkc and the most important cultural and people characteristics clients must have as we move into the second national lockdown in England, and how crucial it is that leaders keep thinking about the long term for their people.

Kim Jones shares insights into the research that she's been doing into how business owners are approaching the need to innovate in a world that's changed not only by technology, but also by these extraordinary circumstances of social and commercial upheaval. Reframing is about having a plan for a disruptive future at the same time as delivering in a disruptive today. Kim’s insights include how business leaders and their workforce are getting more comfortable with making decisions to flex, becoming more human centric - putting people first – and then deploying technology at speed to innovate at scale. In doing so, they are developing workplaces and market offerings that really resonate with workers and consumers.

We are living in complex times. People are becoming comfortable with digital communication and collaboration platforms; remote working and reduced social interaction are becoming the norm. In this webinar, hosted by Weston Chamber of Commerce, Peter Quintana and James Short of hgkc talk about the challenges of planning in uncertain times, why we believe it is critical that you do plan, and offering you some tips on how to do it.

Experiencing more than a 90% drop in turnover overnight would be daunting for any business owner. Graham Preston of SFL Group talks candidly about their experience as an events production company facing exactly this situation, and how they have not only survived, but found new ways to do business with their clients. Viewing risk as an opportunity instead of a threat doesn’t mean being reckless, but moving forward carefully to ensure survival into the future. This interview was recorded at an hgkc round table on Business Risk, and was not conducted live for this podcast. Visit our events page for details of future round tables and other events that we run.

Chris founded financial planning company Ovation Finance in 2000, selling a majority to an Employee Ownership Trust in March 2018. For entrepreneurs like Chris, employee ownership is a new and innovative way of preserving their achievements. Done the right way, it will release fair value, preserve legacy and pass on control to employees without them having to raise finance. Chris talks candidly about his experience and gives some great insights into how you could prepare your company for an exit to an EOT. Find our more at https://theeternalbusiness.com/ or contact hgkc to talk about your options.

As a founding Director of a digital creative agency Gavin Jones shares his insights from the early days of a graduate start-up to a fully-fledged firm. Elixel has a highly collaborative way of working. Through design-led thinking, they create powerful digital experiences in websites and apps for their clients. Our conversation is a people-centred approach, exploring creative thinking, collaboration, problem- solving, trust, decision-making and that digital is not always the answer. Gavin and the team have grown a strong network of partners and a skilled local talent pool in Plymouth has enabled a thriving ecosystem to develop around them. Sharing the challenges of selling a digital product. Follow the story https://www.elixel.co.uk/