Get Your Shift Together: The Business Fixer Podcast

Nicola J Barnett
  • 0.0 (0)
  • MANAGEMENT
  • SERIES

Feeling overwhelmed and overworked in your own business? You're not broken—your business is. Join "business fixer" Nicola J Barnett for the straight-talking advice you need to fix it. Each week on Get Your Shift Together, we tackle the real challenges facing small business owners and entrepreneurs. Learn to: Fix profit leaks and master your cash flow.Streamline your operations and kill the chaos.Build systems that give you freedom, not steal your life. If you're a founder or service-based business owner ready for less stress and more profit, hit subscribe and start building a business that truly serves you.

  1. 1. Is Your Bookkeeping Lying to You?

    EPISODE 1

    1. Is Your Bookkeeping Lying to You?

    In this first episode of Get Your Shift Together, I’m kicking off my Business Fix Sprint by tackling the crucial first step of the Efficiency and Profit framework: Awareness and Control. I see so many business owners working twice as hard for half the money because they’re making decisions in the dark, based on financial data that’s lying to them. As I always say, you can't fix what you can't see. I provide a practical, no-nonsense checklist of five questions you must answer honestly about your books—from customer and supplier balances to bank reconciliation and mixed-up expenses. I'll show you how seemingly small bookkeeping errors can lead to overpaid taxes, damaged reputations, and sleepless nights. This episode is my call to action for you to stop guessing, face the facts, and build your business on the solid foundation of accurate numbers. Stop letting poor data break your business and start getting your shift together. Key Takeaways 1. Awareness is the First Step to Transformation. You cannot make effective business decisions about pricing, spending, or growth without first having a crystal-clear understanding of your current financial position.  "Awareness is the beginning of transformation. - Nicola J. Barnett 2. Your Financial Data Might Be Lying to You. Small inaccuracies, unreconciled accounts, or old invoices can create a false picture of profitability, costing you thousands and causing immense stress.  "It could be as basic as your data is lying to you. These lies could be costing you thousands, wrecking your sleep." - Nicola J. Barnett 3. Bookkeeping is the Backbone of Your Business. Dismissing bookkeeping as a simple admin task is a critical mistake. If your books are messy, your entire business is built on an unstable foundation. "Bookkeeping is often seen as a boring admin job... But it's the backbone of everything. Mess your books up and your entire business is unstable." - Nicola J. Barnett 4. Separate Business and Personal Finances. Blurring the lines between your personal and business accounts makes it impossible to know if your business is actually profitable or sustainable.  "When you blur the lines, there's no way to know what's working and what's not. Simple." - Nicola J. Barnett 5. Take Action on One Thing N Want to fix your business? Join The Business Fix With Nicola Here's what you'll receive when you work with Nicola J. Barnett to get your business on track. A Proven Framework: Use the Efficiency & Profit Framework to end overwhelm, get cash flowing, maximize profits, and build a business that won't break you. Clarity and Control: The first step is a "Financial Awareness Review," where Nicola will dig through 12 months of your financials to give you the truth about your business and create a 90-day roadmap. Hands-On Implementation and Transformation: In "The Business Fix" program, you'll get structured action and accountability to turn awareness into fast results. This will help you fix cash flow leaks, improve profits, and implement smooth systems. Full Support for Deep Transformation: For those needing a complete overhaul, the "Survive to Thrive" program offers hands-on support to rebuild your business from the ground up, giving you predictable cash flow and sustainable profitability. Ongoing Momentum & Accountability: With the "Strategic Advisory Partnership," you get monthly focused strategy sessions to ensure your progress sticks and your business continues to grow on solid foundations. Learn More about the Profit & Efficiency Frame work & For a deeper dive into this topic and more, visit our website: p...

    10 min
  2. 2. Why You're Working for Peanuts (And Don't Even Know It)

    EPISODE 2

    2. Why You're Working for Peanuts (And Don't Even Know It)

    In this episode of Get Your Shift Together, I'm diving deep into a topic that affects so many business owners: why you might be working for peanuts without even realizing it. We often have a "system" for pricing, but where did it come from? Dave down the pub? Or real, factual numbers? Today, I’m pulling back the curtain on your true profit margins. Grab your latest Profit & Loss report, because we’re going to uncover your gross profit margin and see if it aligns with what you think you're earning. The gap between expectation and reality is where your money is disappearing – your "profit leak." I'll share some eye-opening examples of how missed costs, client changes, and even seemingly small expenses can drastically reduce your actual take-home. It’s time to stop the guesswork and start understanding your numbers to build a truly sustainable business. Key Takeaways: 1. Many businesses operate with arbitrary pricing methods that don't reflect true profitability.   "Where did you get this system from thin air Dave, down the pub? Or maybe someone else just said they was running a similar business and that's what they done. You should have got it from real numbers." - Nicola J. Barnett 2. Understanding your gross profit margin is crucial for identifying profit leaks.  "The gross profit margin shows you how much money you earned from selling what you sell." - Nicola J. Barnett 3. Unaccounted-for costs are often the culprit behind vanishing profits.   "What has not been considered when pricing a job? Have you allocated all labour and subcontractor costs to every job that you price? Have you included packaging and postage? And what costs could have been missed?" - Nicola J. Barnett 4. The disparity between perceived and actual earnings can severely impact a business's sustainability.   "The gap between what you think you charge and what you actually make is where your money is disappearing. This is what we would call a profit leak." - Nicola J. Barnett 5. Relying on guesswork instead of facts for pricing leads to working harder for less.   "Quit making pricing decisions based on guesswork and wishful thinking. - Nicola J. Barnett Want to fix your business? Join The Business Fix With Nicola Here's what you'll receive when you work with Nicola J. Barnett to get your business on track. A Proven Framework: Use the Efficiency & Profit Framework to end overwhelm, get cash flowing, maximize profits, and build a business that won't break you. Clarity and Control: The first step is a "Financial Awareness Review," where Nicola will dig through 12 months of your financials to give you the truth about your business and create a 90-day roadmap. Hands-On Implementation and Transformation: In "The Business Fix" program, you'll get structured action and accountability to turn awareness into fast results. This will help you fix cash flow leaks, improve profits, and implement smooth systems. Full Support for Deep Transformation: For those needing a complete overhaul, the "Survive to Thrive" program offers hands-on support to rebuild your business from the ground up, giving you predictable cash flow and sustainable profitability. Ongoing Momentum & Accountability: With the "Strategic Advisory Partnership," you get monthly focused strategy sessions to ensure your progress sticks and your business continues to grow on solid foundations. Learn More about the Profit & Efficiency Frame work & For a deeper dive into this topic and more, visit our website: p...

    10 min
  3. 3. Where Does the Cash Actually Go?

    EPISODE 3

    3. Where Does the Cash Actually Go?

    I'm diving into a question that keeps far too many business owners awake at 3 AM: "Where does the cash actually go?" You're working flat out, the jobs are coming in, but you never quite feel financially secure. That constant stress about whether direct debits will clear or if that customer will finally pay as promised is exhausting. You're always hunting for the next job because you're never quite sure if your regular income actually covers your basic costs.  Today, I’m going to show you how to find out exactly what needs sorting with your cash flow so you can finally sleep better at night. You’ll gain crucial clarity on whether your business can truly sustain itself, or what exactly you need to change. Do you need more regular, predictable work, or are those one-off jobs just paying for luxuries your business doesn’t genuinely need? It's time to stop gambling and start building stability. Lets dive in! Key Takeaways: 1. Understanding your cash flow is crucial for financial peace of mind. Many business owners experience "constant stress about whether there'll be enough money next month" and are "always hunting for the next job because you're never quite sure if your regular income actually covers your basic costs." 2. A simple analysis of bank statements can reveal significant insights.  "Download 3 months of bank statements... you need to sort everything... your income... your expenses." -  Nicola J. Barnett 3. Distinguishing between regular and ad hoc income is vital for stability.  "It's important to understand whether your business can survive on predictable income alone or if you're constantly gambling on finding new work." -  Nicola J. Barnett 4. Categorizing expenses helps identify unnecessary spending.  "By splitting expenses into 'absolute must-haves,' 'nice to haves,' and 'pure luxury,' businesses can see how much is disappearing on stuff you don't actually need." -  Nicola J. Barnett 5. Relying on ad hoc work for basic overheads creates instability.   "If your ad hoc work is covering your must-haves, you're creating constant stress having to find new work all the time." -  Nicola J. Barnett 6. Converting ad hoc clients to retainers can transform business stability.   "By moving our year end clients onto m Want to fix your business? Join The Business Fix With Nicola Here's what you'll receive when you work with Nicola J. Barnett to get your business on track. A Proven Framework: Use the Efficiency & Profit Framework to end overwhelm, get cash flowing, maximize profits, and build a business that won't break you. Clarity and Control: The first step is a "Financial Awareness Review," where Nicola will dig through 12 months of your financials to give you the truth about your business and create a 90-day roadmap. Hands-On Implementation and Transformation: In "The Business Fix" program, you'll get structured action and accountability to turn awareness into fast results. This will help you fix cash flow leaks, improve profits, and implement smooth systems. Full Support for Deep Transformation: For those needing a complete overhaul, the "Survive to Thrive" program offers hands-on support to rebuild your business from the ground up, giving you predictable cash flow and sustainable profitability. Ongoing Momentum & Accountability: With the "Strategic Advisory Partnership," you get monthly focused strategy sessions to ensure your progress sticks and your business continues to grow on solid foundations. Learn More about the Profit & Efficiency Frame work & For a deeper dive into this topic and more, visit our website: p...

    9 min
  4. 5. Why Falling in Love With Your Back Office Gives You Freedom

    EPISODE 5

    5. Why Falling in Love With Your Back Office Gives You Freedom

    In this episode, I explain why the key to getting your freedom and your weekends back lies in a place most business owners ignore: the back office. I know what you’re thinking—spreadsheets, cash flow, and bookkeeping don't exactly sound exciting. It’s not why any of us started our businesses. But I want to flip that idea on its head. When you learn to love your back office, I promise it will love you back with more profit, more cash, and ultimately, more freedom. So many of us are stuck on the business treadmill, constantly fighting chaos and wondering when we'll finally feel in control. The statistics are grim—burnout is rampant, and cash flow crises close tens of thousands of businesses every year. I’ve seen this firsthand, from working with businesses on the brink of liquidation to those drowning in manual processes. In every case, the turnaround started not with more sales, but with getting the foundations right. I introduce my three-stage Efficiency and Profit Framework—Awareness, Action, and Momentum—as a clear path to get you from overwhelmed to in control. This isn't about becoming a finance wizard; it’s about understanding what your business needs to run smoothly without you. It’s about creating the confidence to take a real holiday, to stop checking your bank balance three times a day, and to finally build the life you dreamed of when you started. This is your love story with your back office, and it ends with you getting your shift together. Key Takeaways 1. Your "boring" back office is actually the source of your freedom. "It's not about falling in love with spreadsheets... It's about falling in love with what those spreadsheets or even the systems can give you. Peace of mind control, the confidence to make good decisions for your future success." - Nicola J. Barnett 2. Ignoring the foundations of your business has a real and significant cost. Ignoring poor data, cash flow, and inefficient processes isn't just stressful; it directly leads to lost revenue, burnout, and even business failure. Addressing these issues is not optional for long-term survival and success. "This isn't to scare you, it's to highlight that ignoring the back office comes at a real cost."  - Nicola J. Barnett 3. A structured approach is the key to lasting change and growth. Feeling overwhelmed can be paral Want to fix your business? Join The Business Fix With Nicola Here's what you'll receive when you work with Nicola J. Barnett to get your business on track. A Proven Framework: Use the Efficiency & Profit Framework to end overwhelm, get cash flowing, maximize profits, and build a business that won't break you. Clarity and Control: The first step is a "Financial Awareness Review," where Nicola will dig through 12 months of your financials to give you the truth about your business and create a 90-day roadmap. Hands-On Implementation and Transformation: In "The Business Fix" program, you'll get structured action and accountability to turn awareness into fast results. This will help you fix cash flow leaks, improve profits, and implement smooth systems. Full Support for Deep Transformation: For those needing a complete overhaul, the "Survive to Thrive" program offers hands-on support to rebuild your business from the ground up, giving you predictable cash flow and sustainable profitability. Ongoing Momentum & Accountability: With the "Strategic Advisory Partnership," you get monthly focused strategy sessions to ensure your progress sticks and your business continues to grow on solid foundations. Learn More about the Profit & Efficiency Frame work & For a deeper dive into this topic and more, visit our website: p...

    12 min
  5. 6. Are You Babysitting Your Business?

    EPISODE 6

    6. Are You Babysitting Your Business?

    Are you the cheap duct tape holding your business together? Stretched thin, worn out, and about to snap? I get it. I’ve been there—running a business that felt more like a babysitting service, checking emails by the pool, and wondering what the point of all the chaos was. This constant firefighting isn't leadership; it's chaos dressed up as responsibility, and it's draining your soul.  In this episode, I'm ditching the patches and showing you how to build a business that actually runs without you. We’re moving from micromanaging to leading, from reacting to architecting. I’ll give you the exact steps to create systems, delegate outcomes (not tasks!), and set boundaries that protect your time and energy. It's time to stop being the bottleneck and finally experience the freedom you started this for. Let's get your shift together. Key Takeaways 1. Micromanagement is Chaos in Disguise: Constantly checking and doing everything yourself isn't control; it’s an unsustainable cycle that keeps your business dependent on you. "All that micromanaging and double checking everything that isn't control, that's chaos dressed up as responsibility." - Nicola J. Barnett 2. Systemize to Create Consistency: If a task happens more than once, it needs a system.  "If it happens twice, it's a process. ...Systems create consistency and consistency builds confidence for you and your team." - Nicola J. Barnett 3. Delegate Outcomes, Not Tasks: Empower your team by giving them a clear goal and the freedom to achieve it, rather than a step-by-step list of instructions. "Stop delegating tasks and start delegating the outcomes... You then need to track the result, not the method. And that's leadership, not micromanagement." - Nicola J. Barnett 4. Protect Your Time to Protect Your Focus: Your ability to think, plan, and lead requires uninterrupted time. Setting boundaries isn't selfish; it’s essential for making better decisions. "You don't need to be on call 24/7 to be a great leader. In fact, the more space you give yourself, the better your decisions become." - Nicola J. Barnett 5. True Control Comes from Structure, Not Action: Shift your mindset from being the doer to being the architect. Build the right systems so you don’t have to do everything yourself. "Con Want to fix your business? Join The Business Fix With Nicola Here's what you'll receive when you work with Nicola J. Barnett to get your business on track. A Proven Framework: Use the Efficiency & Profit Framework to end overwhelm, get cash flowing, maximize profits, and build a business that won't break you. Clarity and Control: The first step is a "Financial Awareness Review," where Nicola will dig through 12 months of your financials to give you the truth about your business and create a 90-day roadmap. Hands-On Implementation and Transformation: In "The Business Fix" program, you'll get structured action and accountability to turn awareness into fast results. This will help you fix cash flow leaks, improve profits, and implement smooth systems. Full Support for Deep Transformation: For those needing a complete overhaul, the "Survive to Thrive" program offers hands-on support to rebuild your business from the ground up, giving you predictable cash flow and sustainable profitability. Ongoing Momentum & Accountability: With the "Strategic Advisory Partnership," you get monthly focused strategy sessions to ensure your progress sticks and your business continues to grow on solid foundations. Learn More about the Profit & Efficiency Frame work & For a deeper dive into this topic and more, visit our website: p...

    11 min
  6. 11. Why Business Owners Feel More Overwhelmed Than Ever — And What Needs to Change Before Burnout Wins

    EPISODE 11

    11. Why Business Owners Feel More Overwhelmed Than Ever — And What Needs to Change Before Burnout Wins

    In this episode, I’m tackling a feeling I see in almost every business owner I meet: the crushing weight of overwhelm. If you’re constantly tired, always in catch-up mode, and secretly wondering if it’s supposed to feel this hard to run your business, this episode is for you. You're not imagining it, and you're not failing. The reality is, the job of a business owner has changed dramatically. The pressures, the pace, and the compliance demands have all increased, but the support and structures haven't kept up. Many of us are trying to run a modern business with outdated methods, holding the entire operation in our heads. This episode is about relief. We'll explore why overwhelm feels so heavy right now and shift the focus from blaming yourself to fixing the systems around you. I’ll share three practical fixes you can implement this week to reduce the mental load, get control of your numbers, and build a business that supports you, not the other way around. It's time to stop running your business from your head and start running it from a place of structure, confidence, and calm. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why business owners feel more burnt out than ever, even though the number of businesses hasn't significantly changed. How the expectations of a modern business owner have quietly doubled or even tripled your workload. Fix #1: How to Reduce Your Mental Load by getting processes, pricing, and tasks out of your head and into simple, repeatable systems. Fix #2: Why Getting Control of Your Numbers is the fastest way to reduce financial uncertainty and the heavy stress that comes with it. Fix #3: How to Build Systems That Take the Weight Off You, by automating, delegating, and standardizing so you are no longer the bottleneck. The crucial difference between leading your business and simply reacting to it. The Shift Thought of the Week: Your head isn't the problem, but trying to run a whole business from it is. Mentioned in This Episode: For a deeper dive into this topic, read the full blog post on our website: profitandgrowth.co.uk/insights Want to fix your business? Join The Business Fix With Nicola Here's what you'll receive when you work with Nicola J. Barnett to get your business on track. A Proven Framework: Use the Efficiency & Profit Framework to end overwhelm, get cash flowing, maximize profits, and build a business that won't break you. Clarity and Control: The first step is a "Financial Awareness Review," where Nicola will dig through 12 months of your financials to give you the truth about your business and create a 90-day roadmap. Hands-On Implementation and Transformation: In "The Business Fix" program, you'll get structured action and accountability to turn awareness into fast results. This will help you fix cash flow leaks, improve profits, and implement smooth systems. Full Support for Deep Transformation: For those needing a complete overhaul, the "Survive to Thrive" program offers hands-on support to rebuild your business from the ground up, giving you predictable cash flow and sustainable profitability. Ongoing Momentum & Accountability: With the "Strategic Advisory Partnership," you get monthly focused strategy sessions to ensure your progress sticks and your business continues to grow on solid foundations. Learn More about the Profit & Efficiency Frame work & For a deeper dive into this topic and more, visit our website: p...

    11 min
  7. 12. Goal Setting — And Why It Will Save Your Business

    EPISODE 12

    12. Goal Setting — And Why It Will Save Your Business

    In this episode, we are tackling one of the most fundamental turning points for any business owner: setting real goals. So many brilliant entrepreneurs are working incredibly hard but find themselves stuck on a treadmill of being busy, but not actually moving forward. They are full of ideas but lack a clear direction, leaving them feeling reactive, behind, and stuck in the same place year after year. If you know you’re capable of more but "more" feels completely undefined, this episode is for you. We’re moving beyond vague wishes like “I want to grow” and into the kind of tangible, measurable goal setting that provides structure, guides decisions, and protects your time. This isn't just a planning exercise; it's a mindset shift that puts you back in the driver's seat of your business and your life. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why motivation isn't the issue for most business owners—direction is. How the lack of clear goals leads to a reactive loop of constant busyness with no real progress. Fix #1: How to Set 3 Business Goals That Actually Mean Something (one financial, one operational, and one customer-focused goal to give your business a clear direction). Fix #2: Why Every Goal Must Be Measurable (adding numbers, dates, and specific outcomes to turn a dream into an actionable plan). Fix #3: The Importance of Setting One Personal Goal that your business can be shaped around, ensuring it supports your life, not swallows it. The critical mindset shift: You don’t rise to the level of your motivation; you rise to the level of your structure. The Shift Thought of the Week: "If you’ve had the same goal for five years… it’s not a goal anymore. It’s a wish.” Mentioned in This Episode: Free Goal Setting PDF: Get the free, step-by-step guide to help you set your goals properly. Just email hello@profitandgrowth.co.uk with the word "GOALS" in the subject line or message, and we'll send it straight over. Or use this link Goal Setting PDF Want to fix your business? Join The Business Fix With Nicola Here's what you'll receive when you work with Nicola J. Barnett to get your business on track. A Proven Framework: Use the Efficiency & Profit Framework to end overwhelm, get cash flowing, maximize profits, and build a business that won't break you. Clarity and Control: The first step is a "Financial Awareness Review," where Nicola will dig through 12 months of your financials to give you the truth about your business and create a 90-day roadmap. Hands-On Implementation and Transformation: In "The Business Fix" program, you'll get structured action and accountability to turn awareness into fast results. This will help you fix cash flow leaks, improve profits, and implement smooth systems. Full Support for Deep Transformation: For those needing a complete overhaul, the "Survive to Thrive" program offers hands-on support to rebuild your business from the ground up, giving you predictable cash flow and sustainable profitability. Ongoing Momentum & Accountability: With the "Strategic Advisory Partnership," you get monthly focused strategy sessions to ensure your progress sticks and your business continues to grow on solid foundations. Learn More about the Profit & Efficiency Frame work & For a deeper dive into this topic and more, visit our website: p...

    6 min
See All Season 1 (7)

Trailer

About

Feeling overwhelmed and overworked in your own business? You're not broken—your business is. Join "business fixer" Nicola J Barnett for the straight-talking advice you need to fix it. Each week on Get Your Shift Together, we tackle the real challenges facing small business owners and entrepreneurs. Learn to: Fix profit leaks and master your cash flow.Streamline your operations and kill the chaos.Build systems that give you freedom, not steal your life. If you're a founder or service-based business owner ready for less stress and more profit, hit subscribe and start building a business that truly serves you.

Information