Get a FREE chapter of Retention First: https://www.bigidea.co.uk/retention-first

Download the FREE "slipping away" spreadsheet: https://www.bigidea.co.uk/slipping-away-spreadsheet

Can improving customer retention by just 5% really increase profits by up to 95%?

In this episode, I explain where the famous 5% to 95% customer retention statistic comes from, why keeping existing customers can be so much more profitable than constantly finding new ones, and what small business owners can do to improve customer retention starting today.

The research found that a 5% increase in customer retention could increase profits by somewhere between 25% and 95%, depending on the business.

Why such a huge difference?

Because you have already paid to win the customer. The advertising, acquisition and onboarding costs are largely behind you.

From that point onwards, repeat purchases and renewals can become dramatically more profitable.

I share a real example from one of my own businesses, where we actually lost money acquiring customers in year one, but made far more from them as they renewed year after year.

That is what I call retention momentum.

The longer customers stay, the more valuable they become. The more valuable they become, the more you can afford to invest in keeping them.

In this episode, I also explain how to improve customer retention by finding and plugging the biggest holes in your customer journey, including:

- Poor foundations

- Inconsistent service

- Too much friction

- Customers simply forgetting you exist

- Weak customer connection

- Failing to adapt when customer needs change

Then I share three practical customer retention mindset shifts: Put existing customers first. Win the customer, not just the sale. And remember, it is not your customer's job to remember to buy from you.

I also show you the simple "Slipping Away" system I use to spot customers who may be drifting before they disappear completely.

If you are a small business owner who wants to increase profits, improve customer loyalty, generate more repeat business and stop constantly replacing lost customers with new ones, this episode is for you.

Because sometimes the fastest way to grow your business is NOT to find more customers. It is to keep more of the ones you already have.

Watch this video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/uRQj4skw90A

Get John's Top 100 Business Books: https://bigidea.co.uk/top-100-business-books

Join the One Percent Club: https://www.bigidea.co.uk/one-percent-club

The Hedgehog Concept Explained: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEKrdrasXFY

What can small business owners learn from How to Make a Billion in 9 Steps by Sir Richard Harpin?

In this episode, I review How to Make a Billion in 9 Steps and pull out 7 small business lessons from HomeServe founder Sir Richard Harpin, whose company was eventually sold for £4.1 billion.

Now, this is not really a book written for normal small business owners.

Richard Harpin's mission is to help build more large UK companies, and some of his advice is aimed squarely at founders who want to scale aggressively. But buried inside the book are some brilliant lessons that apply just as well to a six or seven-figure business.

In this review, I cover:

- Why copying what works can be a smart business strategy

- Why boring marketing can produce extraordinary returns

- Why customer retention is where the real money is

- Why hedgehogs build more wealth than foxes

- Why selling the pain often works better than selling the dream

- Which of Harpin's 9 steps actually matter for small business owners

- Why you probably do not need to build a billion-pound business at all

There are also some wonderfully practical ideas in here, including direct mail, retention, hiring your replacement, getting a mentor or coach, building a not-to-do list, and staying ruthlessly focused on the thing your business does best.

If you are a small business owner, freelancer, coach, consultant or entrepreneur looking for practical business growth lessons, this episode will help you decide which ideas from How to Make a Billion in 9 Steps are worth stealing for your own business.

Because you may not want a billion.

But you can still learn a hell of a lot from someone who has built one.

In this episode:

0:00 From Schoolboy Salesman to Billionaire Empire

0:49 Why Copying Is Your Greatest Business Asset

2:06 The Unfashionable Secret to Massive ROI

4:38 Foxes vs Hedgehogs: The Wealth Strategy

7:45 The Nine Steps to Building a Billion

Watch this video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/uRQj4skw90A

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/h0jTgJjudQU

Join John and Jason in the One Percent Club: https://www.bigidea.co.uk/one-percent-club

Watch our interview with Gary about sacking his business partner: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teBd-z42hak

Dealing with a toxic business partner is exhausting.

Learn how to manage the situation without destroying your company.

When your co-founder constantly vetoes decisions, treats the company account as a personal piggy bank, or simply refuses to pull their weight, the situation quickly becomes unsustainable.

Many founders ignore these warning signs until it is too late, but letting partnership problems fester is a fast track to resentment and operational gridlock.

This discussion provides practical small business advice for navigating these conflicts.

We look at how to protect your assets and your sanity, ensuring that one person's poor behaviour does not lead to total business failure. You will learn how to set boundaries and manage the partnership dynamic before the damage becomes irreversible.

Subscribe for weekly business breakdowns

In this episode:

0:00 Navigating a Toxic Partnership

0:48 The Importance of Shareholder Agreements

3:09 Identifying the Root of the Problem

5:35 Knowing When to Part Ways

Watch this episode on YouTube

Are you wasting time on tasks that do not move the needle?

Learn how to apply the 80 20 principle to focus on what actually matters. Most business owners treat every daily activity as equally important, but this approach rarely leads to growth. By identifying the few inputs that generate the majority of your output, you can stop spinning your wheels and start making real progress.

This episode explains how to audit your daily workflow to ensure you are prioritising the right areas for your company. We look at why focusing on impactful tasks is the most effective way to improve your overall business results.

Whether you are a solopreneur or leading a small team, shifting your mindset away from busywork is essential for long-term small business productivity. It is not about working harder, but about ensuring your energy is spent where it counts.

Get a FREE chapter of Big Ideas... for Small Businesses

Join Ben, John and Jason in the One Percent Club: https://www.bigidea.co.uk/one-percent-club

How does a £1.2m business simply collapse?

We look at why the Hedgehog Concept is vital for avoiding failure.

During this episode of the Ambitious Lifestyle Business Podcast, we examine the reality behind building a successful company.

One of the biggest reasons for business failure is losing sight of your core purpose, which is why we break down the Hedgehog Concept.

It is a framework that forces you to align your passion, what you can be the best at, and your economic drivers.

Without this alignment, your marketing and operations departments often pull in different directions, leading to stalled growth.

If you are a founder or small business owner, this episode is for you.

We discuss the hard lessons learned from a business that grew fast but lacked a sustainable foundation, offering a clear small business strategy to help you avoid the same mistakes.

In this episode:

0:00 The Reality of Business Collapse

0:50 The Moment the Clock Ran Out

2:35 Finding Hope on the Kitchen Floor

6:26 Climbing the Mountain of Stupidity

14:02 Steadying the Ship After the Storm

17:14 Focusing on the Hedgehog Concept

You can also watch this episode on YouTube

Watch this episode on YouTube

How do you work less without your business falling apart?

In this episode of the Ambitious Lifestyle Business podcast, John Lamerton and Jason Brockman speak to Paul Miller about burnout, delegation, business boundaries, trusting your team, and how small business owners can stop being the central point of everything in their business.

Paul's wake-up call was not subtle.

After years of working 70 to 80 hours a week, carrying too much responsibility, and being the person everything revolved around, he ended up in hospital.

Twice.

The first time was meningitis.

The second time involved waking up in Charing Cross Hospital after blacking out and having a seizure following a business conference.

Paul explains how that served as a work/life balance wake up call, leading him to work fewer hours, delegate more effectively, set clearer boundaries, say no more often, outsource lower-value work and use the 80/20 principle to focus on the things that actually move the business forward.

We also talk about why so many small business owners feel trapped by their business, why letting go is so difficult, and why you need to stop doing £10 tasks if you want to spend more time on the £1,000 tasks that really matter.

If you are a small business owner, family business owner, accountant, coach, consultant, freelancer or solopreneur who wants to work fewer hours, avoid burnout, delegate properly and build a business that supports your life rather than consumes it, this episode is for you.

Because your business should fund and fuel your lifestyle.

It should not nearly kill you.

In this epsiode:

0:00 Introduction
1:11 Waking Up in Hospital
4:00 Life as a Workaholic Business Owner
7:05 The Art of Delegating and Trusting
11:06 Mastering the Four-Day Work Week
19:02 Five Rules for a Balanced Business

Join Paul (and more than 100 other ambitious, lifestyle business owners) in the One Percent Club

In this episode:

0:00 - Introduction
1:04 - Prospects Need to Hear the Same Thing Many Times Before Buying
3:18 - Energy Management is Better Than Time Management
8:42 - People Don't Care What You Do - They Just Want The Results
10:51 - YouTube is an Evergreen Asset
17:51 - The Power of Reflection
24:10 - Respect The Audience's Time (From the Very First Second)

What are the small business lessons that actually make a difference?

In this episode of the Ambitious Lifestyle Business podcast, small business owners John Lamerton and Jason Brockman share their 6 business lightbulb moments from the year so far, including practical lessons on marketing, productivity, client communication, YouTube, reflection and building a business that works better for your life.

These are NOT abstract business theories or guru-style hacks.

They are real lessons from working with small business owners inside the One Percent Club, running our own businesses, and making plenty of mistakes along the way.

In this episode, we talk about why your clients often need to hear the same message far more than once, why energy management can be more important than time management, and why selling the result matters more than selling the thing you do.

We also discuss why YouTube can be a powerful evergreen asset for small business owners, why reflection is an underrated business habit, and why respecting your audience's time might be one of the most important marketing lessons of all.

If you are a small business owner, freelancer, coach, consultant or solopreneur who wants to make better decisions, improve your marketing, get more done without burning out, and build a more ambitious lifestyle business, this episode should give you plenty to think about.

Because sometimes the biggest improvements do not come from chasing the next shiny tactic. They come from noticing the simple lessons hiding in plain sight.

Get the Late Payment Calculator: https://chargeservices.co.uk/late-payment-calculator

Find out more about the One Percent Club: https://www.bigidea.co.uk/one-percent-club

In this episode:
0.00 - Introduction
1.04 - What impact does late payment have on small business owners?
2:59 - A sale isn't a sale until the invoice is paid
6.11 - Charging interest on late payments
10.41 - Prevention is better than cure
14.26 - You're not in the wrong to ask for your money!
16:22 - Will the Small Business Protections (Late Payments) Bill actually help small businesses?
18.22 - Paying tax on "profits" you haven't actually received!
20.15 - Sacking off work for a Friday afternoon at the soft play.
23.30 - What does an ambitious lifestyle business look like for Jenni?

Late payments are horrible.

Not just because they muck up your cash flow.

But because of the "ick" attached to them.

The awkwardness of chasing.

That "am I being too pushy?" feeling.

The ridiculous situation where you've done the work, but somehow feel bad asking for YOUR MONEY.

There's often a gap between sending invoices and actually getting paid. Jenni Sampson helps reduce that gap - and reduce the "ick" too.

In this episode of the Ambitious Lifestyle Business podcast, Jason and I spoke to Jenni about how she built a simple credit control system that any small business owner can follow.

It's a clear, step-by-step process for following up, using templates, scripts and simple confidence-building prompts.

The result? Better cash flow. Less stress. No more guessing what to say.

And much less of that horrible knot-in-the-stomach feeling when an invoice goes overdue.

We also talk with Jenni about charging interest on late payments, whether the government's new "Small Business Protection Bill" will make an ounce of difference, and the importance of chasing debt promptly (and certainly before you pay VAT and Corporation Tax on it! 🤦)

We talked about the whole journey on this latest episode of the Ambitious Lifestyle Business podcast. Available everywhere you get your podcasts.