Out of office

Need some advice, motivation or feel stuck in your career? Consider this your monthly pick-me-up dose of business inspiration

The influencer we follow for daily business motivation

Steve Bartlett

Having wowed audiences as one of the investors on BBC’s Dragons’ Den, Steve is a familiar face in the business world. After becoming a millionaire in his early 20s, Steve is someone who can offer inspiration, motivation and practical tips for success. The famous entrepreneur is the founder and former CEO of The Social Chain, a social media marketing agency, which he started from his bedroom in Manchester at the tender age of 21. Steve is also the host of The Diary of a CEO podcast, which features some of the world’s most influential people, experts and thinkers and often tops the UK charts. After leaving Social Chain in 2020, Bartlett became the youngest dragon on Dragons’ Den. He also has more than two million followers on Instagram.

Podcasts

The podcast we tune into for all things franchise

Franchise Empires

If you feel like you want to break free from the usual nine-to-five and enjoy a better work-life balance, then franchising could be what you need and Franchise Empires could help you get it. Hosted by The Wolf, every episode will give you the chance to step into the shoes of successful guests and see how they built their own franchise empire. You can also hear from passionate franchisees who started with only one unit but are determined to expand their network to hundreds and thousands more sites. The weekly episodes will navigate you through opening your first franchise or your second location, all while avoiding pitfalls. You can tune into Franchise Empires every Tuesday on Spotify and Apple.

Must-listen episode: Why you don’t have to give up your day job to run a franchise

The podcast we tune into to do business like a pro

TED Business

Who doesn’t need a little pep talk from time to time? Whether you need to land a new promotion or learn “how to tame your wondering mind”, each Ted episode has the pick-me-up dose you need to get you going. And what better host than someone like Modupe Akinola? An experienced educator and business professional, Modupe has spent her career advising global organisations on leadership effectiveness. She is also an expert on workforce diversity and how stress influences employee success. From three steps to getting what you want in a negotiation to how to shrink the wealth gap, this podcast has something for everyone. At the end of each TED Business talk, listeners get a minilesson from Modupe on how to apply the ideas in their own life.

Must-listen episode: Why great leaders take humor seriously

Books

The book we read to find, buy and run the right franchise

Franchise Management For Dummies by Michael H. Seid and Joyce Mazero

Hailed as a hands-on manual to franchising, this book provides clear and concise information about finding and ultimately growing your franchise business. It’s the ultimate guide to a franchisor’s mandatory legal obligations to prospective franchisees, the franchise disclosure document (FDD), and working with franchise professionals. Listed throughout Franchise Management For Dummies, you can find a glossary of common franchise-related terms, 10 keys to franchisee success, and the questions to ask before becoming a franchisor. Not only that, but you will also learn how to develop strategic advertising and marketing plans. And most importantly – how to find, hire, and train talented employees who will help make your franchise thrive.

The book we read to become a top 20 performing franchisee

Secrets of Franchise Success: The Formula for Becoming and Staying a Top Producing Franchisee by Marc Camras and Melissa Hart Woods

Have you ever wondered what’s it like to be one of the best in business? As franchise experts and business coaches, Marc Camras and Melissa Woods have plenty of expert advice to share on that. Their book is a must-have for franchisors too – identifying great candidates and understanding how to help underperforming franchisees are just some of the key takeaways. The book conveys the idea that anyone can become a top 20 per cent franchisee if they take the time to learn how others have done it and then apply that knowledge. The Secrets of Franchise Success is also described as a useful tool for franchisees who have not achieved the success they wanted in the first place. Sounds like the guide you need?

The book we read to run a business with a better work-life balance

Big Ideas… For Small Businesses: Simple, Practical Tools and Tactics to Help Your Small Business Grow by John Lamerton

John Lamerton is a former “hustler” who now calls himself a self-styled “lazy entrepreneur” and investor. Striving to become the next Alan Sugar or Richard Branson, John used to work for more than 100 hours a week, but his plans changed when he had kids. His book is a collection of lessons and failures he now uses to coach hundreds of small business owners while teaching them to think bigger and work less. One of the big ideas you will discover in his book is why the Dragons hate lifestyle businesses, but why you should love them. John also spills the tea on how almost anyone could become a millionaire in their lifetime, given just £200 a month.