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 a daily dose of business advice

Carl Reader

Author, keynote speaker, and successful entrepreneur – Carl Reader has done it all. And he makes no bones about how he “accidentally” got started in the business of small business.

Starting as an accountant, Carl found that the technical side of the job bored him but he loved his conversations with business owners. Since then, he has been carving out his own path, looking at helping the small business owner. In his books, articles, on stage, and through broadcast media, he breaks down how business is simple, but should not be confused with being easy.

Apart from being an ad-hoc pro bono consultant for The Trussell Trust and working with JP Morgan Foundation and Buttle to help alleviate poverty, on a lighter note, he posts about his “few personal vices” that include his ridiculous collection of trainers, fragrances and other trinkets like decks of playing cards on social media.

Podcasts

The podcast we tune into for a deep dive into the UK franchising market

The disenfranchised podcast with Ed Purnell

A fairly new podcast catering to the UK franchise market, The Disenfranchised Podcast has had the who’s who of interviewees on its roster.

Ed’s podcast digs deep, with its interviewees of entrepreneurs, experts and franchised community leaders, discovering their life stories and how they managed to successfully dodge the typical nine-to-five grind.

Ed hopes the podcast reaches those that are “disenfranchised with the world of employment” and shows them that there is an alternative career path and lifestyle that will allow them to take back their power whether it is over their lives, time or bank accounts.

Must-listen episode: Scott Greenberg – The Wealthy Franchise – What it takes to be a wealthy franchisee

The podcast we tune into for business inspiration

How I built this with Guy Raz

Not a franchise podcast, but a must-listen for anyone in business or more importantly, taking the plunge into business ownership. NPR journalist Guy Raz, chats with innovators, entrepreneurs, and idealists about the stories behind the movements or mega-companies they have built. The New York Times describers Guy as “one of the most popular podcasters in history”, with his podcasts having a combined monthly audience of 19.2 million downloads. Started in 2016, it was such a success that he went on to launch the How I Built This Summit in 2018 and even released a book, How I Built This: The Unexpected Paths to Success from the World’s Most Inspiring Entrepreneurs, in 2020 which recounts key moments and stories from the podcast.

Must-listen episodes: Chipotle: Steve Ells Canva: Melanie Perkins

Books

The book we read to take the plunge into franchising

Franchise Fame by Dani Peleva

A book by someone that has had some skin in the game is always helpful. With close to 15 years of experience as both franchisor and franchisee, Dani Peleva knows what she is talking about in Franchise Fame. The book follows her trademark, five Fs of franchise marketing and takes readers on an interactive journey with supporting materials, exercises and checklists to ensure it has been assimilated, while real-life case studies give context and prove that there is a method in her madness. But the crux of the book focuses on marketing advice offered through the lens of management, rather than lead generation, franchise sales and franchisee operations.

The book we read to become successful owners of a franchise business

Franchising Exposed by Chris Gibson

Wish you had a crystal ball before you made a big career or life decision? Franchising Exposed is probably the closest you will come to knowing what’s in store if you take the plunge into business ownership. Described as the definitive guide for anyone looking to buy a franchise or develop a franchised concept, Chris covers everything from how to decide if a franchise is a good fit, sorting out the legalities, what to expect from initial franchisee training, the first six months in business and planning your exit when the time’s right to sell. And all this comes from his first-hand experience in many areas of the industry, including his own franchise consultancy and being president of FFS Brands.

The book we read to take your business to the next stage

Build Your Business In 90 Minutes A Day by Nigel Botterill and Martin Gladdish

This book is for those that have the big idea but don’t know how to make it a reality, or have the business up and running but need to move on to the next stage – growth. Nigel Botterill and Martin Gladdish make all this seem possible with the simple 90-minute-a-day concept. The book discusses the true stories of everyday entrepreneurs dedicating 90 minutes a day to build their successes. And Nigel should know, having built eight separate million-pound businesses from scratch and won a bunch of awards in the process. Keeping with the 90-minute theme, the book is designed to be read in just 90 minutes and is packed with “tools to think big, grow fast and build a successful business”.