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The Richard Smith - small business development for the real world.

The Richard Smith - small business development for the real world.

By: The Richard Smith - small business development for the real world.
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 Small business, sales, marketing, how to get stuff done. Economics Leadership Management Management & Leadership Marketing Marketing & Sales
Episodes
  • December 2025 – Podcast No 2 – Sales help for small business

    December 2025 – Podcast No 2 – Sales help for small business
    Dec 20 2025
    Welcome to the second of this months podcast. Often asked how I help my small business customers get the results they get? This podcast will help. If you want hands-on help for your small business, head to www.smallbusinessninja.co.uk. One of the questions I get asked a lot is how I actually do what I do, and how it works for my small business clients. So I want to give you a simple overview of the work I’ve done this year for one particular client. We achieved around a 20 percent increase in sales and profitability.We also freed up time for the senior team by using better systems, online tools, and a small amount of AI to remove friction and admin. These are the steps we followed. First, we carried out product rationalisation.We looked at what was selling, what was not, and whether products were priced for profit, not just for sales. A business exists to make a profit.Nothing else.So that is always the starting point. Next, we analysed the core markets.Where sales were coming from.Who the best customers were.Who the worst customers were.And how to remove the bottom feeders who take time, energy, and margin. After that, we implemented the right technology.This allowed us to track enquiries properly and build a proper e-commerce setup on the website. There had been a limited online presence before, but not a proper shop.No upsells.No cross-sells.No structure. We then reviewed social media.TikTok.Instagram.Facebook.Twitter.All the usual platforms. The business already had accounts, so this was about identifying what worked and what didn’t.We duplicated strong content across platforms and stopped wasting time on things that went nowhere. We then created dedicated content that solved real problems.We focused on what the products did for the customer. Nobody cares about your product.They care about what it does for them. After that, we focused on farming. Farming is about growing and nurturing your existing customer base.It means regular contact.Useful content.Offers.Conversations. Some people buy straight away.Some don’t.That’s fine. You don’t know when someone will buy.But you do know that staying visible massively improves the odds. Farming means you stop constantly hunting for new customers and start building value from the ones you already have. The final step was affiliate and joint-venture marketing. We partnered with like-minded businesses.Where they had a product gap, they sold our products.Where we had a gap, we promoted theirs. This gave both sides access to new audiences without buying ads. We wrote the content.They used it.They did the same for us. In biology, this is called symbiosis.Both parties benefit.It works. All of this, combined with better systems and light automation, delivered a 20 percent increase in turnover.It also freed up a lot of time.Prices were increased as well. I’ve done this with several clients this year.Every single one has seen an increase in turnover. Next year, we’ll also roll out cold outreach on behalf of clients.Calls.Emails.Targeted properly. Cold outreach isn’t great for long-term profit.Farming is better.But it is useful for finding new markets quickly. The key point is this.We do the work.There is no extra overhead for your business. That’s a simple summary of what I’ve been doing this year.This is the process we use with all our small business clients.It works.The results prove it. Need help, contact form is below. Get In Touch Name *Email *Subject *Comment or Message *EmailSend Message
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    7 mins
  • December 2025 Podcast – What A Year. Is your business stuck?

    December 2025 Podcast – What A Year. Is your business stuck?
    Dec 15 2025

    in this short podcast we talk about why your business may be start and what you can do about it, we have some options for you to focus on and of course some simple solutions.

    But that’s a problem with simple solutions isn’t it? They never are but here I am to give you some pointers.

    2025 feels different for small business owners.


    Not quieter. Louder. Noisier. Heavier.

    What I am seeing everywhere is not a money recession.
    It is a doing recession.

    Too much content. Too many platforms. Too many options.
    TikTok. LinkedIn. Facebook. News. AI tools. Advice from everywhere.
    All of it shouting. None of it helping you decide.

    So people stall.
    They overthink.
    They delay.
    They consume more content instead of fixing their own business.

    That is not because you are broken.
    It is because you have stopped trusting yourself.

    You will not solve today’s problems by scrolling harder.
    Or by chasing the next shiny idea.

    The fix is boring. And it works.

    Stop.
    Take a notebook.
    Write down what is actually not working.
    Pick two things only.
    Break them into steps.
    Work the problem, not the noise.

    If you spend time defining the real problem, the solution usually shows up.

    If this sounds uncomfortably familiar and you want hands-on help, get in touch.
    below or at smallbusinessninja.co.uk

    If you need some sales help for your business, then please get in touch. It’s costs nowt to talk.

    Get In Touch

    Name *Email *Subject *Comment or Message *EmailSend Message
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    6 mins
  • November 2025 Number 3 | Podcast – Small Business Decision Making

    November 2025 Number 3 | Podcast – Small Business Decision Making
    Nov 27 2025

    In today’s podcast, I’m talking about some important things for small business owners – in particular those of you that work in your own show (business)

    As small business owners, we often start the day fighting fires, staring at the “burning embers” of yesterday’s problems. This leads to overwhelm, analysis paralysis, and the feeling that you need 100% of the information before you can move an inch.

    In this latest update, I tackle two critical components for future-proofing your business: The Speed of Decision Making and The Leverage of AI.

    Here are the specific questions this episode answers:

    1. Why am I stuck and unable to move forward?
    You are likely treating every choice as a life-or-death situation. The episode explains why “waiting for all the information” is killing your momentum and why competitors won’t wait for you to be thorough.

    2. What is the difference between a “One-Way” and a “Two-Way” door?
    Richard breaks down this vital management theory. He explains how to distinguish between irreversible decisions (firing staff, killing a product line) and reversible ones (hiring, testing a new method). The key to growth? Make the reversible decisions immediately. Just do it.

    3. How can I safely test new ideas without risking the business?
    Treat new marketing or product launches as a “side hustle within your business.” If the door swings both ways, the cost of waiting is usually higher than the cost of fixing a mistake later.

    4. How can AI act as a “Highly Qualified Helper” for my team?
    Beyond just writing emails, how to create custom AI tools that do a “deep dive” into your specific company policies and expectations, guiding staff and solving client issues exactly how you would.

    5. Can I build a “Virtual Board of Directors”?
    Yes. The episode answers how you can use AI models to build a portfolio of knowledge uploading the works of figures like Lincoln, Edison, or Darwin to act as a virtual peer group when you need advice on a difficult problem. You can choose who you want – even me. But then again I do swear a lot.

    Listen to the full episode to learn how to stop overthinking and start automating.

    Ready to get a “shimmy on” with your business growth?
    If you are a small business owner looking for hands-on help to implement these decision frameworks and AI tools, get in touch using the form below.

    Get In Touch

    Name *Email *Subject *Comment or Message *WebsiteSend Message

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    5 mins
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