UK Business IQ

Fixing Retail Operations and Stock Control with Jim LenaghanJim Lenaghan would rather tell you his software is the wrong fit than sell you something that lets your business down. Visiting him at RMS in Selkirk, I met someone whose belief in honest advice comes from years of helping customers, taking difficult decisions and building a business he can stand behind.Jim is Managing Director of RMS, but his route into retail technology wasn't straightforward. After studying information technology, he worked in the poll tax rebate section at Borders Regional Council in the late eighties...

Marketing for Introverts with Helen HardingHelen Harding knew how to market other people, but putting herself in the spotlight was a very different experience. We’ve known each other for 20 years, and what I appreciate about Helen is her practical, grounded approach to something that can feel deeply uncomfortable. If you care about helping people but struggle with being visible, her experience will feel reassuringly familiar.Helen started in marketing services several decades ago, working in graphic design, studio management and print buying before moving into brand management. She then retrained in he...

Why Your Business Insurance Is Probably Wrong: Sarah Travers on What Brokers Actually DoNobody likes insurance. It's a grudge purchase; it happens once a year, and most business owners renew without really looking at it. In this episode, Sarah Travers, Client Director at Greenwood Moreland Insurance Consultants, brings thirty-four years of commercial insurance broking experience to explain why that's exactly the problem, and what a broker actually does that going direct or renewing on autopilot doesn't.Why this conversation mattersEvery business owner in this audience holds some form of insurance, but...

From NHS Radiologist to Rewilding Humans: Dr Jenny Connor on Nutrition, Burnout and Leadership PerformanceFor forty years, Dr Jenny Connor worked as an NHS radiologist. Today she runs a wild food forest and education centre in County Durham, and coaches business owners and senior leaders through burnout using nutrition, not willpower. In this episode she explains why so many high performing leaders are running on empty, and how food might be the fastest route back to energy, clarity and calm.Why this conversation mattersBurnout is often treated as a mindset problem...

Kalpa Tan on AI Adoption, Why Most Businesses Get It Wrong and What SMEs Really Need to KnowKalpa Tan did not come to AI through a business strategy or a tech interest. She came to it because she needed it. After a spinal injury in 2020 that left her spending five months in a Glasgow spinal unit during COVID lockdown with no visitors, she returned home to a house full of admin she had no capacity to face. Getting dressed took 20 minutes. A shower took 45. When ChatGPT arrived it did not transform her career. It helped her...

Linda Barclay: 33 Years of Keeping People Safe at Work with Evolve TrainingIn this episode of UK Business IQ, Geoff Nicholson speaks with Linda Barclay, Managing Director of Evolve Training in Aberdeen, about the business of workplace safety, the value of practical training, and how a family-founded company has grown by helping people come home from work safely.Founded in 1993 by Linda’s parents, Evolve Training began by helping businesses understand risk assessments, COSHH and health and safety requirements. Over the years it has developed into a respected training business delivering forklift, confined space, first ai...

In this episode of UK Business IQ, Geoff Nicholson speaks with Laura Armstrong, founder of Armstrong Talent Partners, a specialist IT recruitment company based in Glasgow. With around 16 years of experience in tech recruitment, Laura brings a practical and grounded view of what businesses are getting right and wrong when it comes to hiring.The conversation explores the realities of the Scottish tech market, where strong candidates remain in demand and businesses often face real challenges around speed, flexibility, salary expectations and process. Laura shares why she decided to launch her own company, what drives her work...

Simon Raybould on Better Presentations, Audience Psychology and Why Structure Matters MostIn this episode of UK Business IQ, Geoff Nicholson speaks with Simon Raybould, presentation trainer, researcher and author, about why so many presentations fail and what actually makes them work.Simon explains that it is not delivery that makes or breaks a presentation. It is structure. Drawing on research into audience learning, retention and communication, he shares a practical and often surprising perspective on what presenters get wrong and how to fix it.The conversation explores presentation nerves, rehearsal...

Nevil Tynemouth on Sales Confidence, Follow-Up and Turning Relationships into OpportunitiesIn this archive episode of UK Business IQ, Geoff Nicholson revisits a conversation with Nevil Tynemouth, sales expert, speaker and author of Sales Success on LinkedIn, about why so many business owners still feel uncomfortable with sales and what effective selling actually looks like.Nevil brings a practical and human approach to sales, focusing not on scripts or pressure tactics, but on trust, behaviour, confidence and meaningful customer conversations. The episode explores professional follow-up, resilience, cashflow, visibility and why the people already in your...

In this episode of UK Business IQ, Geoff Nicholson speaks with David Algeo, a speaker, trainer and coach who helps people and organisations better understand stress and develop healthier ways to cope with it.Drawing on his background in policing and his now well-known cabbages-and-sprouts metaphor, David shares a practical, memorable and very human approach to stress, wellbeing and performance. The conversation explores coping strategies, leadership, workplace pressure, the hidden strain on HR teams and why success should be built with wellbeing, not at the expense of it.This episode explores David Algeo’s perspective on...

In this episode of UK Business IQ, Geoff Nicholson speaks with Steven J Innes, host, MC, connector and business community builder, about the power of real conversations, authentic networking and why visibility still matters in business.Recorded live on location in Belfast straight after a business show at the Clayton Hotel, this conversation explores Steven’s journey into hosting and MCing, his work in networking and smart groups, the value of consistency and why showing up as yourself is still one of the most effective ways to grow.This episode explores Steven J Innes’s pers...

In this episode of UK Business IQ, Geoff Nicholson speaks with Gavin Belton-Rose about why sales and marketing should never operate apart, and why businesses often struggle when those two parts of the business are not aligned properly.With around 25 years of experience across hospitality, estate agency, sales and marketing, Gavin shares practical insight on commercial growth, leadership, visibility, networking and why authenticity still matters in an increasingly AI-driven business world. The conversation also explores what many business owners misunderstand about lead generation, growth strategy and follow-up.This episode explores Gavin Belton-Rose’s pe...

Archive episode: This conversation was originally recorded on the Success IQ Podcast and has been specially re-edited for UK Business IQ. I wanted to bring it to this audience because the lessons and insight are still highly relevant today.In this archive episode of UK Business IQ, Geoff Nicholson revisits a conversation originally recorded for the Success IQ Podcast with business coach, speaker and author Robin Waite.Robin shares his journey from running a successful creative agency into business coaching, and explains how burnout, self-development and a changing market led him to rethink how service-based...

In this archive episode of UK Business IQ, Geoff Nicholson revisits a conversation originally recorded for the Success IQ Podcast with digital marketing expert, trainer and video producer Pascal Fintoni.Pascal shares his journey into business, the personal experiences that shaped his passion for storytelling, and why video can be such a powerful tool for building trust, credibility and visibility. He also explains why many business owners overcomplicate content creation, and why a more practical starting point is often to begin with video curation before moving into video creation. Pascal also reflects on business focus, the risks...

In this episode of UK Business IQ, Geoff Nicholson speaks with Simon Washbrook, founder and Managing Director of Popcorn CRM, about why so many small businesses struggle with lead management, fragmented systems and software that is more complicated than it needs to be.Simon shares his journey from fashion and marketing into software, and explains how working with small businesses led him to build a simpler CRM designed around the real needs of growing companies. The conversation explores why spreadsheets eventually break down, why many businesses buy for future problems rather than current ones, and how the...

The UK economy isn't built by giant corporations; it’s built by the founders, disruptors, and grafters who are actually doing the work. But too many exceptional businesses are the 'best-kept secret' in their industry.In this manifesto episode, host Geoff Nicholson lays out the vision for UK Business IQ—the new broadcast network for British business owners.What to expect:The Mission: Why we are building a platform to amplify the backbone of the UK economy.The Format: Real strategy, no fluff. We deconstruct the journeys of successful founders to find out exactly why...