Business by Design's Podcast

Business by Design
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  • Entrepreneurship

Your business shouldn’t grow by accident, it should grow by design. Business by Design brings together practical strategy, fresh thinking and real conversations to help business owners gain clarity, make intentional decisions and confidently create their next level. 

Episodes

  1. Oct 19

    E7 Business by Design: What Does It Really Take to Build a Great Business?

    Can your business be profitable and still not be a good business? What if you're making great money, but working 80 hours a week, constantly putting out fires and unable to take a holiday without everything falling apart? In this episode of Business by Design, Paula Burgess and Deborah Fay are joined by Peter Spender from Benchmark Business Advisory to explore what it really takes to build a successful, sustainable and valuable business. Drawing on almost 30 years of entrepreneurial experience, Peter shares the lessons he's learned from building multimillion-dollar businesses, making mistakes, losing money and helping other business owners navigate their own challenges. Together, they explore why the foundations of business — financial management, systems, processes, people and planning — matter far more than chasing the latest exciting opportunity. They also discuss: ✓ Why knowing your numbers is essential to making good business decisions ✓ The difference between owning a business and creating a business that can operate without you ✓ Why your personal goals should shape your business strategy ✓ How to identify the real causes of business problems rather than treating symptoms ✓ Why profitability doesn't necessarily mean sustainability or long-term value ✓ The importance of objectivity, self-awareness and being willing to change And Peter leaves business owners with one particularly powerful question: "Am I doing anything right now today that is holding my business back?" Because sometimes the biggest obstacle to business growth isn't the market, your competitors or your team. It's you. Ultimately, building a great business isn't simply about making more money. It's about intentionally designing a business that supports the life you actually want to live.

  2. Oct 6

    #5 - The challenges of being a small business owner

    Small business is being hit with change from every direction — rising costs, changing regulations, cash flow pressures, AI and an ever-changing business landscape. So what do you do when another challenge lands? In this episode, Paula and Deb talk about why business owners can't always control what's happening around them, but they can control how they respond. They explore the resilience and creativity of small business owners, the importance of having a clear plan when things change, and why waiting until the new year to work out what's next for your business could leave you starting 2027 already behind. They also dive into one of the most powerful elements of Business by Design — masterminding. Sometimes you don't need someone to give you the answer. You need to be in a room with other business owners who can ask a different question, offer a fresh perspective or share an experience that completely changes how you see the problem. In this episode: Why business owners need to stay solution-focusedResponding to change rather than simply reacting to itWhy now is the time to get clarity on your businessThe value of having a plan when unexpected challenges ariseHow masterminding can unlock ideas you may never see on your ownWhy different perspectives can change the direction of your businessBuilding connections with people at different stages of the business journeyWhy you shouldn't wait until next year to decide what's nextBusiness will keep changing. The question is: will you wait for change to happen to you, or intentionally design how your business responds? Because your next level won't happen by accident. It happens by design. https://resources.beyondthemaze.com.au/bbd-nov-2026-888330

  3. Oct 6

    #6 Why Wait? Don’t Make It a January Problem

    We’re into the final months of the year, so Paula and Deb have a question for you: What happened to the goals you set back in January? Did you achieve them? Start them but never quite finish? Or did business get busy and they quietly move into the “I’ll deal with that next year” pile? In this episode of Business by Design, Paula and Deb explore why waiting until January to work ON your business often means it’s February before you actually gain any momentum. They talk about the familiar cycle of setting goals, getting caught up in the day-to-day, reaching the end of the year with unfinished plans and then carrying the same problems into another year. But what if you did it differently? What if you finished the year with clarity around where your business is going, your priorities decided, your plan created and implementation already underway? Paula and Deb also share why they deliberately chose November for the Business by Design immersion, the importance of creating space away from the day-to-day, the accountability and support that will continue after the immersion, and some exciting hints about the partners and experts joining them in the room. Stop making it a January problem. There is still time to make meaningful changes now, so you can enjoy your Christmas break knowing that when you return, you’re not starting over. You’re already underway. Because your next level won’t happen by accident. It happens by design. https://resources.beyondthemaze.com.au/bbd-nov-2026-888330

  4. Sep 28

    #4 What's your next Level

    Episode 3: What's Your Next Level? When was the last time you stopped and genuinely asked yourself: what's next? In this episode of Business by Design, Paula Burgess and Deborah Fay explore what it means to find the next level in your business — and why answering that question requires time and space to step away from the day-to-day. They discuss how easy it is to move from one task, goal or idea to the next without reflecting on what you've already achieved or consciously deciding where you want to go from here. Paula and Deborah also explore why the next step isn't always the obvious one. Growth might mean adding people or increasing revenue, but it could also mean strengthening your foundations, restructuring, pivoting in response to changes such as AI, or reconsidering where you're heading altogether. They also share how the upcoming Business by Design 3-Day Business Immersion will give business owners the space, structure and support to understand where they are now, get clear on what's next and start putting those decisions into action. Because moving to your next level starts with knowing what you actually want that next level to be. https://resources.beyondthemaze.com.au/bbd-nov-2026-888330

  5. Sep 7

    #3 - Tranquil Park Highlights

    In this episode we highlight the venue, Tranquil Park resort in Maleny. Business by Design will be held at Tranquil Park and here we interview Lyle, the manager of Tranquil Park.  https://resources.beyondthemaze.com.au/bbd-nov-2026-888330

  6. Sep 2

    #2 The Importance of Planning

    Episode 2: Why Planning is Important How often do you stop and ask whether the way you're spending your time and energy in your business is actually taking you where you want to go? In this episode of *Business by Design*, Paula Burgess and Deborah Fay explore why having a plan matters — and why that plan doesn't need to be set in concrete to be valuable. They talk about the difference between building a business by design and allowing it to evolve by default, and why even business owners who started with a clear plan can find themselves moving away from it as their business grows and changes. Paula and Deborah explore the role of vision, mission and values in creating direction, the importance of regularly reviewing where you're heading, and how breaking bigger goals down into 90-day priorities and smaller actions can make them far more achievable. They also discuss the value of stepping back from your business to gain some objectivity, getting input from the right people, knowing when an opportunity supports your bigger vision — and when it might be better left in the "car park" for another day. And because businesses don't operate in a vacuum, they look at why a good plan also needs room to evolve as circumstances, technology, industries and opportunities change. They also share how these ideas will come to life during the upcoming *Business by Design 3-Day Business Immersion*, where business owners will have the opportunity to take a comprehensive look at where their business is now, identify their next priorities, create a clearer plan for where they're going and actually start doing the work while they're there. Because having a vision for your business is one thing. Creating a plan that helps you get there is another https://resources.beyondthemaze.com.au/bbd-nov-2026-888330

  7. Aug 25

    #1 What is Business by Design

    Episode 1: What is Business by Design? What happens when you step away from the day-to-day demands of your business and give yourself the space to really think about what comes next? In the very first episode of Business by Design, Paula Burgess and Deborah Fay introduce the thinking behind Business by Design and why they believe business owners need more opportunities to intentionally work on their businesses — rather than constantly being caught up working in them. Paula and Deborah share how Business by Design came to life, what they’ve learned from their own business journeys, and why clarity, intention and implementation are so important when you're ready to move to your next level. They also introduce the upcoming Business by Design 3-Day Business Immersion, where a small group of business owners will step away from the noise, take a comprehensive look at where their business is now, decide where they want it to go, and — importantly — actually start doing the work while they're there. This episode is a conversation about creating space, getting clear on what you really want, challenging the way you've been doing things and making conscious decisions about the future of your business. Because your next level shouldn't happen by accident. It should happen by design. https://resources.beyondthemaze.com.au/bbd-nov-2026-888330

    #1 What is Business by Design
  • 7 Episodes

About

Your business shouldn’t grow by accident, it should grow by design. Business by Design brings together practical strategy, fresh thinking and real conversations to help business owners gain clarity, make intentional decisions and confidently create their next level. 

Information

  • Creator
    Business by Design
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    7
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Business by Design's Podcast