UK Black Business Show

🚀 How Networking Changed My Business When I first joined BNI, I thought it was just about turning up and handing out business cards. I was wrong. The real power came from referrals. People started recommending me, and every introduction carried trust that no cold call ever could. By showing up every week, giving referrals first, and making it easy for others to pass my name on, my income grew faster than I expected. One good connection really can open ten more doors — I’ve lived it. 🔑 My Simple Rules for Networking 1️⃣ Show up – Consistency built my reputation. 2️⃣ Give first – Passing referrals made others want to help me back. 3️⃣ Be clear – I learned to ask for specific introductions. 4️⃣ Tell stories – Sharing wins made me easy to recommend. 5️⃣ Follow up fast – I treated every referral like gold and always said thank you. 💡 Takeaway: Networking isn’t just meetings. For me, it’s been a real income booster and one of the smartest moves I’ve made in business.

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While everyone’s busy jumping on the Coldplay CEO trend with zero original thought... Posting things that have nothing to do with their business... This is your chance to cut through the noise and stand out from the sheep. Let’s call it what it is. Most people on here are chasing views with clickbait takes that don’t move the needle in their business. Their content is loud. But their bank accounts are quiet. Because attention without intention is just noise. If you’re tired of playing that game and want to build something that actually converts, focus on the real work: 1. Who are you? 2. What are your superpowers? 3. What does your business solve LinkedIn isn’t about how many people see your content. It’s about who sees it. Here’s a crash course in doing it right: 1. Optimise your profile and treat it like a landing page 2. Understand the pain, frustration, and aspiration of your ideal client 3. Create content that speaks directly to them 4. Share personal stories to stay relatable and real 5. Build target lists in Sales Navigator and connect intentionally 6. Start honest, human conversations in the DMs Do this consistently for 3 months, and you won’t need to piggyback off someone else’s scandal to get noticed. You’ll be building a brand that attracts clients, not just clicks.

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People love to call it luck. But luck alone doesn’t build a £4.1bn business. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve been told I was “in the right place at the right time.” There’s a sliver of truth in that. But it’s just that, a sliver. The real story involved:  ✅ 40+ years of showing up. ✅ Thousands of tough calls. ✅ And a relentless focus on building something that lasts. Luck might open a door. But it’s your habits, your mindset, and your execution that get you through it. Here’s how you create your own luck in business: 1️⃣ Start fast, test early. ↳ Don’t wait for perfect. Launch, learn, and move. 2️⃣ Surround yourself with mentors. ↳ Coachment, a mix of coaching and mentoring, helped me avoid costly mistakes. 3️⃣ Obsess over your customer. ↳ HomeServe won because we made it easy for people to get the emergency home assistance they needed. 4️⃣ Stay in the game. ↳ Most “overnight successes” are 10–15 years in the making. Keep going. 5️⃣ Build a great team and treat them like owners. ↳ Shared success creates momentum you can’t fake. In the end, people only see the tip of the iceberg. They don’t see the decisions, the resilience,  And the long hours it took to reach that level of success. Even if they call it luck once you get to the top,   You'll know what it really took to get there. Do any of these points resonate with you?  I'm keen to hear how you're creating your own luck in business. ♻️ Repost if you believe luck favours those who stick with it. And for more on building and scaling billion-pound businesses,  Follow me Richard Harpin.

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If you want to waste your time on LinkedIn, skip this post. PART 3 You’re not specific. ❌ Talking about “mindset” with no link to what you do ❌ Sharing tips anyone could post ❌ Writing for peers, not potential clients ❌ Sounding motivational but selling nothing You're talking about high level concepts. People don't resonate with concepts. They resonate with the issues they see and feel. Do this instead: ✅ Pick one specific problem your audience has ✅ Share scenarios they instantly recognise ✅ Solve it or ease the pain a little ✅ Tie it back to your offer Generalised = irrelevant Specific = remembered Specific + offer = leads If your post could come from anyone and apply to anyone, it won’t land. Watch out for PART 4 tomorrow.

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When was the last time you sense-checked your content? How long have you been posting the same sort of content to no avail? Here are a series of things you should always be thinking about when it comes to your marketing content, particularly if the leads aren't coming in 👀 ⬇️ Which question do you need to ask yourself most right now? 💭 Happy Friday folks 👊🏼

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I spoke with 49 different business owners in the last month I realised something. Most people are stuck when it comes to growth due to their own limitations. It's mostly what they believe and can't think differently. I have been lucky enough to break through each stagnant phase of my business to grow year on year and do $100M in revenue. I sat down and put together 5 things you MUST AVOID if you want to scale past $1M+ a year with your business. Watch it here: https://lnkd.in/d-RbCUKC

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This business didn’t need more sales It needed a better strategy I recently worked with a marketing agency doing £1.5m in revenue They came to me thinking they had a sales problem But after digging into the numbers It was clear the real problem was profit They were working hard Revenue looked healthy But they were barely breaking even And cash was tight So instead of chasing more sales We focused on fixing the foundations - Tightened up pricing - Improved client retention - Reduced a few small inefficiencies - Protected the quality of delivery The result: £250k annual profit Without needing to find any new clients Here’s the thing most business owners miss P&Ls and balance sheets won’t show you the levers that actually drive profit and cash flow You need a scoreboard that tracks things like: - What % of clients you retain - How often they buy - Average transaction value - Payroll and marketing as % of revenue When you track the right things: You make better decisions You move faster You build a healthier business That’s what we do with our clients every month We don’t drown them in reports We give them clarity Follow Tom Griffiths for more posts like this.

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This is going to trigger some people. But if I had only ₹10,000 to spend on marketing this month as a business, here’s exactly what I’d do: 1️⃣ Content First - I’d put at least ₹3,000 into creating 3 sharp, problem-solving posts (video + carousel). Organic reach > random ads. 2️⃣ Distribution, not just creation - ₹2,000 on boosting ONE of those posts to my exact target audience. Not to "everyone with a pulse," but specific decision makers. 3️⃣ Relationship Marketing - ₹0 spent, but daily DMs & comments to add value where my clients hang out. Conversations convert faster than ads. 4️⃣ Cheap but effective tools - ₹2,000 for design/copy tools (Canva Pro, Grammarly, or even AI support). Crisp > clutter. 5️⃣ Events/Webinars - The last ₹3,000? Hosting a mini 30-min expert session on a hot topic. Nothing sells like authority. That’s not "spray & pray marketing." That’s laser-focused, compounding marketing. Most businesses don’t have a money problem. They have a priorities problem. So, If you had only ₹10K to spend this month… where would you spend it?

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✨ 21 Industries I’ve Worked With as an SMM (Without Ever Having a Niche) When people say you must niche down to start getting clients or growing your business — I get it. But here’s what they don’t talk about enough👇🏽 You can get experience before choosing a niche. You can still be good at your work while figuring things out or having different standards for choosing your clients instead of a niche I’ve worked with all of these industries and more — either through content creation, strategy, consultation or complete social media management: • Chemical product distributor • Business networking & conferences • Hydroponic food • Pens • Room fresheners • Tech – video content security • Travel & tourism • Lingerie • Diamond jewellery • Computer hardware & software • Plotted land projects • Mental health wellbeing app • Herbal hair masks • Interior designers • Education consultancy • Courier services • Female accessories • Law firms • Transport & shipping • Coaches • Therapists Did I have a niche? No. Did I have experience? Yes. And that experience changed everything for me. Working across so many industries didn’t just make me “versatile.” It taught me how to think like a strategist — not just a content creator. → I learned to ask better questions, not assume answers based on trends. → I learned how goals shift based on audience, price point, and sales cycles — and how content needs to shift with it. → I saw firsthand how “viral” content means nothing without strategy. → I understood the inner workings of client businesses and how to plug content directly into what they were trying to build. → And most importantly, I learned how to build repeatable systems that actually work — whether you’re a coach, a law firm, or a wellness brand. I didn’t just “manage social media.” I helped founders and small businesses get clarity, refine offers, build visibility, and turn their scattered online presence into something strategic. That’s why what I teach today isn’t theory or copy-paste advice. It’s the result of real work, with real businesses, in real-time. → Every piece of advice I share has been tested. → Every framework I teach is rooted in doing. → Every insight I offer comes from solving real client problems — not guessing what might work. This is the foundation I built my own business on. This is the perspective I bring into my LinkedIn services and 1:1 coaching for SMMs. Because when you’ve actually done the work — you don’t just create better content. You create better businesses. _______ 🔍 PS: The LinkedIn & Instagram Business Audit is live. For coaches, small businesses & service providers who want clarity, visibility & better clients. > 60–90 min strategy call > Custom PDF action plan (delivered in 5 days) > 7-day chat support Limited-time launch price for the first 3–5 people. Valid till 31st August 2025 or until spots are filled. Comment AUDIT and let’s chat.

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