In this episode, Tom Griffiths is joined by Samuel Daughtry, founder of Buy Side Advisory, a consultancy that helps business owners grow through strategic acquisitions. Drawing on years of experience in financial services and private equity, Samuel shares a comprehensive overview of how and why business owners should consider buying other companies to expand.

The discussion begins with Samuel’s career journey, from working in post-acquisition roles in private equity to launching his own firm focused on helping entrepreneurs and business owners navigate the acquisition process. He explains that most of his clients are established business owners looking to grow faster or diversify their offerings by acquiring complementary businesses.

Throughout the conversation, Samuel explores why acquisitions can be more effective than relying solely on organic growth. He highlights the importance of buyer readiness—having the right internal structure, available cash, and management capacity—and contrasts this with what makes a business attractive to potential buyers, such as strong financial reporting, minimal owner reliance, and scalable operations.

Samuel also breaks down the acquisition process, covering everything from sourcing deals and conducting valuations to structuring offers and guiding clients through negotiations. He emphasises that deal origination is often the most time-consuming part, while valuation and deal structure require deep sector understanding and attention to detail. The episode also touches on common challenges, such as seller expectations and deferred payments, and how these can be managed with the right strategy.

Packed with practical advice and real-world insights, this episode offers a valuable guide for any business owner considering acquisition as a path to growth. Samuel’s experience and honest perspective provide a clear look at what it takes to succeed in buying businesses.

To Contact Samuel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-daughtry-477941175/

In this episode, Tom Griffiths is joined by Mark Blacklee, founder of Kuro – a performance-driven PPC agency with over 16 years of experience helping businesses grow through strategic digital marketing. Mark shares his journey from starting Kuro with a business partner in a university incubator, to scaling it into a specialized performance agency focused solely on paid media.

The conversation delves into the challenges of running and scaling an agency, including the early mistakes Mark and his team made around pricing, hiring, and cash flow management. He reflects on how common it is for agency owners to focus on revenue growth, while ignoring profitability, capacity, and the operational structure needed to sustain long-term success. From over-servicing clients to delayed invoicing and undercharging, Mark candidly discusses lessons learned the hard way.

The discussion also explores the importance of understanding your business metrics — like hourly rates, delivery capacity, and client contribution — in making informed hiring and scaling decisions. Mark emphasizes that growth doesn’t just mean more clients or revenue; it’s about building a sustainable, profitable business with the right team and systems in place.

Looking ahead, Mark introduces BC24, a new venture focused on acquiring or partnering with agency owners who are looking to exit in the next 3–5 years. His aim is to create a collaborative performance marketing group that helps agency founders solve common operational bottlenecks, improve valuation, and ultimately prepare for a successful and profitable exit.

If you’re an agency owner thinking about succession planning, or simply want to hear real insights on scaling a service-based business, this episode offers plenty of actionable takeaways.

To Contact Mark: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markblacklee/

In this episode, Tom Griffiths speaks with Lloyd Thompson, founder of VirtualDOO and a seasoned fractional COO, about how small business owners can step out of daily operations and build more scalable, sellable companies.

Lloyd shares how his team helps businesses (typically with 5–25 employees) by embedding part-time operators who bring structure, accountability, and clarity. He discusses how his approach begins with an operations assessment—reviewing a company’s vision, values, team structures, systems, and feedback loops—to identify where founders are stuck and how to replace their involvement with effective processes and people.

Real-life examples highlight Lloyd’s broad experience across e-commerce, marketing agencies, and even field-based services like rope access. He explains the common pain points: operational chaos, unclear accountabilities, and business owners who struggle to delegate—especially around decision-making, sales, and key client relationships.

A strong focus is placed on measurable improvements. Lloyd outlines how simple dashboards can track essential business metrics—starting with basics like revenue, profit, and cash—and how choosing the right KPIs avoids incentivizing the wrong behaviors.

The conversation also explores exit readiness. Lloyd emphasizes that to sell a business successfully, it must function independently of the founder. His team often supports exit-focused owners by building systems and roles that transfer operational ownership.

Finally, Lloyd breaks down his month-to-month engagement model, designed to deliver value quickly, train internal staff, or prepare the business for a full-time COO hire. It's all about enabling freedom and flexibility while ensuring sustainable growth.

To Contact Lloyd: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lloydt/

In this episode, Tom Griffiths sits down with Peter Clark, co-founder of RCK Partners, to demystify the often misunderstood world of R&D tax relief. RCK Partners is a specialist consultancy focused on helping companies access tax incentives—most notably R&D tax credits—while maintaining rigorous compliance standards.

Peter kicks off with an overview of RCK’s core services, which span R&D tax relief, capital allowances, land remediation relief, business rates, and the Patent Box regime. While R&D credits remain the primary focus, Peter explains how recent legislative changes are reshaping the landscape—particularly with the emergence of the new “MERGED” and “Enhanced R&D Intensive” schemes.

Listeners gain a clear understanding of what qualifies as R&D, how businesses can benefit, and how claim values vary depending on company size and profitability. Peter also outlines the types of companies RCK typically serves—ranging from innovative SMEs to global multinationals—and how client profiles are shifting in response to government policy.

A major highlight is RCK’s "compliance-first" philosophy. Peter details their unique framework for building robust claims, involving separate, independently incentivised compliance teams that rigorously review submissions before they go to HMRC.

He walks through their bespoke, end-to-end client framework—from initial consultations and on-site interviews to the final submission of claims—emphasising the importance of accuracy, documentation, and peace of mind.

The episode wraps up with a real-world client example, illustrating RCK’s comprehensive approach in practice. Peter reinforces why compliance is not just a requirement but a competitive advantage—providing clients with value, credibility, and, most importantly, reassurance.

To Contact Peter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-clark-65852b3b/