You've been running a business for a while, you've got customers...
Was that
just luck?
If it still doesn't feel like a proper business, this is for you. By the end of five weeks, you'll know what to do next.
£100 founding price
Starts Wednesday 4 November
If you're honest...
You know this feeling
You built something that works. Found customers. Kept going on the days it would've been easier to quit. But if you're honest, you're still running from task to task. You second-guess your prices. You say yes to things you should've turned down. Not always sure where to focus, and you couldn't always tell someone why it's working.
By December, you'll know where your customers come from, what to focus on this week, and what to say no to. It's all written down in your own instruction manual, built by you, and you'll keep coming back to it.
The rule we use all the way through
One in,
one out
Want to start posting on TikTok? Fine. What are you going to stop doing to make room for it?
That's the rule, and we use it all the way through the course. Add a new channel or a new task, and something else has to go. We spend as much time on what you can stop doing as on what to start, so you can say no to things without second-guessing it.
Between sessions there's one small task: filling in the next pages of your workbook. That's it. Nothing else to feel behind on.
Who this is for
Not sure if it's you? Let us explain who it's for in under a minute.
For you if
Not for you if
Plan to be there live for all five lunchtimes. Each week builds on the last.
What you leave with
The confidence to make decisions without second-guessing them, because you've written down why.
who we are
James & Garry
We've both built and run businesses of our own, with real customers and real cash flow problems. This isn't theory from two people who've only ever advised, we've made the mistakes this course exists to help you skip.
James
The creative side: branding, storytelling, making the complicated feel simple.
Garry
The numbers: cash flow, accountability, making sure plans turn into results.
Two of us, two groups of five, so you get one of us for the full five weeks. We've spent six years coaching hundreds of small business owners, and we still run our own businesses today.
What people say about sessions we run
You won't be the first to leave
knowing what to do next
This is our first cohort of the Small Business Instruction Manual. These are from workshops and talks we've run for Small Business Britain, Digital Boost, The Growth Hub and eBay.
I loved every second of it and just wanted to keep learning... 10/10 session and I can't wait for the next one.
Digital Boost
They are extremely reliable, responsive and deliver each session consistently with passion. Their knowledge of marketing is current and in depth, and they present it in a format and language that's accessible and easy to digest for our early stage businesses who don't know most of the jargon.
Manchester
I would recommend them to anyone who needed some brilliant presenters and marketing thinkers to help small businesses on their own marketing journeys!
SMB Program Lead, eBay
why we call it
An instruction manual
Tip a box of LEGO onto a desk and it's just a pile. Hundreds of pieces, no order, nowhere to start. Hand somebody with no particular skill the instructions and they can build something that looks brilliant.
Nobody hands you instructions when you start a business. You get the pile. Same pieces everyone else has, no order, and you're expected to know where to start.
By the end of this, you've written your own.
James is a certified LEGO Serious Play facilitator, so he's seen a lot of piles.
How it works
Five weekly lunchtime sessions on Zoom, 12 till 1.30pm UK time. Ten people in two small groups of five. James leads one group and Garry leads the other, and we'll match you to a group based on what you tell us when you book.
First session
Wednesday 4 November
12 till 1.30pm UK time, then every Wednesday through to 2 December.
Two of us. Ten of you.
Founding cohort price
This offer is for our founding cohort. Future cohorts will run from £200.
Five weeks in a small group, your workbook, plus a 1:1 accountability call.
Book your place
Come to session one. If it's not for you, tell us before session two and we'll refund you in full, no questions.
Book your place
Tell us a bit about your business so we can put you in the right group. Then it's straight through to payment.
Try session one first
If it's not for you, tell us before session two and we'll refund you in full, no questions.
Questions
What's the pre-work?
A short video and survey before session one, around 15 minutes. It means session one is built around your business from the start.
What are the exact dates and times?
Five sessions, every Wednesday from 4 November to 2 December, 12 till 1.30pm UK time. Once you've booked, you can download a calendar invite for all five straight away.
Who will I be working with?
One of us. There are two groups of five, James leads one and Garry leads the other, and you stay with the same person all the way through, including your 1:1 in session six.
What if I miss a session?
Each week builds on the last, so missing one matters. If something comes up, tell us as soon as you can and we'll find ten minutes to get you back up to speed before the next session.
Is there homework?
Small, and only ever filling in the next pages of your workbook.
I don't think of myself as a "business owner". Is this for me?
If you've been working for yourself for a while and you've got customers, yes.
Is this about growing fast?
No. It's about confidence in where your money and customers come from, and knowing what to do next.
Why is it only £100?
You're our founding cohort. Future cohorts will be £200. In return for the lower price, we'll ask for your honest feedback at the end, so we can make it even better for the next group.
What if it's not for me?
Come to session one. If it's not for you, tell us before session two and we'll refund you in full, no questions.
