In this episode, we bring you an update as to what’s been happening since our last episode at the end of last year. We’ve seen massive changes in social media since the ‘insurrection riot’ at the US Capitol buildings a few days ago. Twitter and many other social media platforms have now banned Donald Trump for his involvement in allegedly stoking the violence. Since then, tens of thousands of other accounts related to QAnon have also been deleted, and we assume, banned. This sparks one of the bi...
Jan 13, 2021•25 min•Ep. 37
As our final episode of 2020, we thought we’d issue an extra little episode before Christmas as a brief roundup of this year, but more looking ahead with positivity and optimism to 2021. We also make a few predictions about what the world of work, online tools and social media may be like in 2021 and ongoing, hopefully making it more beneficial and positive for all. Will there be more fact checking on Twitter and Facebook, with them deleting more of the disinformation out there? Will more and mo...
Dec 22, 2020•33 min•Ep. 36
[Apologies for the crackly audio in the early part of the episode - was due to broadband connection interference with our guest. This improves greatly just before 11mins in.] In this episode, we talk to Councillor Waseem Zaffar from the ‘Brum Breathes’ department at Birmingham City Council who are launching the Clean Air Zone in the city. Waseem explains what exactly a Clean Air Zone is, who will be affected, who will be charged, and who will be exempt from the charges. Will everyone have to pay...
Dec 17, 2020•39 min•Ep. 35
In this episode, we take a deep dive into the world of electric cars and where they’re going, with motoring journalist Richard Aucock from MotoringResearch.com. We take a look at how far electric cars have come on, technology wise, in just a few short years - and what the future of driving electric will be in the NEXT few years; both in terms of the car tech itself, and the infrastructure needed to support it. From the inception of the 1st Nissan Leaf with its very limited range, we now have ele...
Dec 04, 2020•51 min•Ep. 34
In this special edition episode, we wanted to turn the podcast over to you! So we've invited a handful of folks we know well to submit their own audio promo pitches, as a way of introducing them to you, the wider world. Since England is in Lockdown 2, we feel it's more important than ever to keep up your marketing and networking, to ensure you've got a good pipeline of work coming in during these uncertain times. And one way to do that is giving folks the opportunity to introduce themselves to a...
Nov 18, 2020•26 min•Ep. 33
In this episode, we’re launching a new initiative, the ‘Brummies Jobs Exchange’ - our way of helping to link up people who are either seeking new employment if they’ve say been made redundant due to COVID19 etc - or indeed if you are a company who have roles available looking to be filled, we want to try and help you fill them. This isn’t a commercial venture, and we’re not acting as recruiters - we are simply helping provide a platform and an audience via our Brummies Networking LinkedIn Group,...
Nov 04, 2020•24 min•Ep. 32
In this episode, we're offering up more of a slightly shorter and snappier 'updates episode', just to give you the heads up about the latest news re. COVID19 in the Midlands, and what West Midlands Mayor's latest announcement is. We also talk about the impact the local lockdowns and new Tier system is having on the region as a whole - with hospitality being hit quite hard yet again. Apple have also recently announced the new iPhone 12 series of phones, with launch happening Friday 23rd October. ...
Oct 22, 2020•27 min•Ep. 31
In this episode, we’re talking to Alistair Hayward-Wright, from Hayward-Wright Accountancy Group, who helps us to decode and decipher Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s Winter Economy Plan, the scheme that will replace the furlough and SEISS grant payments ongoing. It’s been an incredibly tough time throughout COVID-19 for all businesses, both the self-employed and those who are salaried. With numerous inevitable redundancies being mentioned on LinkedIn and beyond, now is the time to really focus on futur...
Oct 02, 2020•29 min•Ep. 30
In this episode we talk to Leila Smith from Promise PR and Creative, a PR agency based in Solihull. Leila set up her agency during the pandemic! So we explore how that went, and what brought her to that point. We explore the world of PR versus marketing - how and why they're different, and how to decipher what a business might need. Lots of businesses during the pandemic and lockdown period starting cutting back spending on PR and marketing, so Leila explains why it's more important than ever to...
Sep 16, 2020•34 min•Ep. 29
In this episode, we speak to special guest Lisa Brown from Lisa B Interior Design, a design agency based at the Custard Factory, Birmingham. We discuss what the state of the design industry has been like during COVID, as well as hearing her backstory about how she got to where she is now. We also pose the question, just HOW creative is the general public when it comes to starting a new project? What to do when there's no forthcoming information from a prospective client! And of course, how to ha...
Sep 02, 2020•33 min•Ep. 28
In this episode, we talk to Jordan Patel from Art.Quarter, which will end up being, we think, Birmingham's most adventurous multi-use site yet; currently being built, it will end up housing commercial units, office space, retail outlets and pop-up shops, food and drink outlets, technology centres, AR and VR gaming centre, amongst many other things! All in the heart of Digbeth, the home of Birmingham's creative industries. We find out how the build and overall project is going, especially with th...
Aug 05, 2020•40 min•Ep. 27
In this episode we take a look at the issue of returning to the office after so long. How different are things going to be now? Is your workplace geared up and ready? Is it safe? How do you feel about it all? What are the expectations, and your rights as an employee if things don't seem to be up to scratch? Has all this changed how we work forever? There's certainly been a major environmental impact given a study we touch upon, as well as people's mindsets having changed and been slightly re-eva...
Jul 23, 2020•33 min•Ep. 26
With special guest: Anthony Tattum from Big Cat Agency. In this episode, we talk to Anthony Tattum, CEO of Birmingham based creative agency, Big Cat. We discuss how, in a post-COVID world, the hospitality industry needs a radical rethink in how they operate, to optimise earnings and efficiency, given how there will be so many restrictions for months to come. Many businesses have managed to adapt really well through lockdown, operating in a different capacity to what they're used to, by offering ...
Jul 07, 2020•39 min•Ep. 25
In this episode, we talk to Daniel O'Brien, an insurance broker from Aston Lark. We discuss the current state of the insurance industry in the midst of the pandemic, what cover you THINK you have, what cover you NEED, and lots of top tips and advice that all business owners should be aware of to ensure you're fully covered for all eventualities once we reach that golden egg that is 'the new normal'. We cover areas such as what business owners and facilities managers need to consider when re-open...
Jun 24, 2020•42 min•Ep. 24
Today's Guest - Sarah Burns from Handled PA - https://handled-pa.com In this episode we talk to Sarah Burns from Handled PA, a virtual PA service based in Birmingham. As someone who runs an entire team completely virtually online, as well as of course their clients, she is well positioned to give some great advice as to how businesses might manage remote working and flexible working environments ongoing post-COVID19, in what has been referred to as 'the new normal'. There is talk of some busines...
Jun 03, 2020•29 min•Ep. 23
We're now in Week 7 of Lockdown here in the UK. We chat about how things have changed, and where things might be going once Lockdown is lifted. Will businesses still flock on their normal commute into city centres? Or will there continue to be more working from home? Big businesses to scale down their operations to maintain smaller centralised hubs? It would make sense maybe. Our main topic is about the dangers of businesses not diversifying - with Primark being the prime example in recent days,...
May 06, 2020•36 min•Ep. 22
In this episode, our special guest is Martin 'The Warrior' Warrillow, a stroke awareness campaigner, blogger and podcaster. Martin suffered a stroke in 2013 after dealing with a tremendous amount of job related stress. After collapsing whilst crossing a road & nearly being hit by an oncoming bus, he managed to drag himself to safety, with half his body paralysed, with only a foot between him and the passing bus. During this period of global lockdown, stress is going to be playing an ever-inc...
Apr 17, 2020•36 min•Ep. 21
This episode's guest - Greta Geoghegan from Digital Glue - https://digitalglue.agency With the continuing coronavirus/COVID-19 crisis dominating every headline and website, we try to cut through things to offer some help and support for small businesses. In this episode, we're talking to Greta about how small businesses can utilise marketing and social media to their advantage to help get them through this period of uncertainty. What platforms might be useful for you. What tools she recommends f...
Mar 31, 2020•33 min•Ep. 20
In this episode we're (unsurprisingly) looking at Coronavirus (COVID-19) and how it's currently affecting small businesses. With so much fear and worry in the world right now, small businesses are having to think on their feet, adapt quickly, and do what they can to survive through this period of uncertainty. The hospitality industry is a particular worry, as the government tell the public we should be refraining from visiting bars, pubs, clubs and restaurants. So many are now turning to offer t...
Mar 19, 2020•31 min•Ep. 19
We're back from hiatus! In this episode we're going a bit self-reflective, talking about how Brummies Networking has recently turned 5yrs old! But as many will know, we've been going even longer than that, just under a different guise. We discuss how it all came about, the changes we've seen along the way, how networking attitudes have changed, how technologies have evolved for us to continue the networking far easier online, forging even closer relationships thanks to tools like LinkedIn; and h...
Feb 26, 2020•31 min•Ep. 18
Thanks for sticking with BrumPod - we're really sorry we haven't brought you any episodes lately - Rich moved house mid December, and has been without proper broadband ever since! (The joys of living in the countryside) However, installation of the broadband is now within DAYS so we will be bringing you regular episodes again very soon. So thanks for staying with us and being a subscriber, we look forward to bringing you lots more episodes this year, with some fantastic guests along the way! We'...
Jan 22, 2020•1 min
In Episode17 we discuss an offshoot topic from Episode 16, and look at how the world's attitude has changed over the years from kids growing up and being taught the traditional 'get a degree and then get a job' mentality. With the tools, technologies and platforms available these days, it's getting much easier for people looking to go down the self-employment and freelance route to be able to learn new skills, enhance their knowledge on different subjects to help prepare themselves for being a j...
Nov 05, 2019•22 min•Ep. 17
In this episode we look at the current and future state of the modern workplace, what a 'workplace' even consists of in this technological age. So many business folk can get on perfectly well with just a laptop, a phone and a decent broadband connection. Are traditional offices still as popular as they were with the idea of 'hotdesking' becoming more of a thing? More and more people are working flexible hours, remotely from home or coffee shops without feeling the need to be in an actual office....
Oct 18, 2019•25 min•Ep. 16
Episode 15 sees us talking to our special guest, Doug Ward, from B13 Technology based in Birmingham. Doug is a tech expert who deals with mobile technologies including app and software development and other web based tools. We discuss what the differences, pros and cons are between these technologies and more importantly, HOW they can help you as a small business. Are they easy to access? Does your business need an app or is it fine to just utilise a mobile friendly website? Can they revolutioni...
Sep 27, 2019•30 min•Ep. 15
In this episode, we look at HS2, the UK's proposed high speed rail link which aims to run along the spine of the country, connecting up all the major cities. Ideal in theory, but at what cost? With budgets spiralling out of control, and now the government saying they are now putting it up for review to assess spends and its future viability, we discuss its merits, and its pitfalls. With estimated costs going from £33m to potentially £100m by the time it's finished, will it be worth the investmen...
Aug 28, 2019•22 min•Ep. 14
In Episode 13 of BrumPod, we briefly revisit GDPR given some recent themes in the news, and people we've come into contact with who are in contravening the regulations - so we wanted to serve a reminder that everyone is liable under GDPR - it applies to all businesses, from big business all the way down to micro businesses and one man bands. Ensure you're compliant! And we're also looking at the subject of the importance of downtime in your business; getting away on holiday to be able to recharg...
Jul 25, 2019•25 min•Ep. 13
Episode 12. Should your business be on Instagram? It's the fastest growing social network, with it boasting some impressive stats that might make you think seriously about getting your own business on there if you're not already. We explore some of the ways you can leverage the audience on Instagram to make it a great channel for promoting your business, making the most of your online marketing efforts. We also discuss some of the ways you can reduce the extra time it may take for your business ...
Jun 14, 2019•27 min•Season 1Ep. 12
In this episode we look at British company What3Words, who are revolutionising the way the entire globe is mapped and divided up into accurate universal addresses. With 75% of countries lacking an accurate method of addressing, some having none at all, this could make a massive difference to the world, so not only can you find businesses and people more accurately; it could save lives through accurate location pinning for humanitarian efforts, and for the emergency services. We explore all the a...
May 22, 2019•31 min•Season 1Ep. 11
In this episode we look at the changing face of the British high st - are bricks and mortar buildings still important to us? How are we using them? How are the high streets evolving with user demand? Big businesses are closing stores, big chain and high end restaurants are closing, but some are thriving. Plus Primark has opened the world's biggest store right here in Birmingham. We look at the ways the high street can remain relevant to modern society. The new Clean Air Zone is being introduced ...
Apr 26, 2019•30 min•Season 1Ep. 10
In today's episode we look at the equation of Cost vs. Time vs. Value, seeing what is best for you and your wallet. This all came about after replacing a car headlamp bulb last week. I promise you it's more informative & entertaining that it sounds! We look at skillsets; knowing when is the right time to pay someone to do various things for you. Do you have the time, skills or patience to learn to do something? Or does it work out most cost effective to let someone else do it? We even look a...
Apr 02, 2019•27 min•Ep. 9
