Joe runs an Aquatics business. He is a serial entrepreneur with more than 20 years of experience. Joe builds businesses by developing business managers along with systems that support those managers. He’s very proud of the many young professionals he has mentored during his career. Joe’s diverse business experience from food manufacturing to rock climbing gyms, gives him a unique perspective and ability to creatively assess every opportunity. He loves the process of creating a business and turning a concept into a profitable reality.

• Joe transitioned from corporate (Kraft Foods) to entrepreneurship, starting with rock climbing gyms and now an aquarium store
• Niche retail faces challenges from inflation, supply chain issues, and changing consumer behavior
• Adapting business models (e.g. focusing on premium offerings) is key for small businesses to survive economic pressures
• Global manufacturing shifts and tariffs are impacting small businesses, requiring strategic pivots

• Worked at Kraft Foods for 13-14 years, changing roles every 18 months
• Started First Ascent rock climbing gyms while still at Kraft, keeping it secret until resignation
• Sold First Ascent 3 years ago, now owns/operates an aquarium store
• Offers business consulting through Snaggletooth Goby (named after a fish that climbs waterfalls)

• Inflation reducing consumer spending on hobby/luxury items
• 80% of aquarium products come from China, causing supply chain and pricing issues
• Real estate market slowdown impacting new home aquarium installations
• Shift from "superstore" concept with many SKUs to curated, premium offerings
• Focus on high-end systems and service to replace volume of lower-value transactions

• US unemployment low (2-3%) but other economic issues persist (e.g. medical costs, student debt)
• Debate over reshoring manufacturing vs. economic realities of global production
• Tariffs and trade tensions creating uncertainty for businesses reliant on imports
• Short-term corporate thinking vs. long-term strategic planning discussed

• Improving staff training and sales techniques
• Curating product offerings to focus on higher-margin items
• Targeting affluent customers less impacted by economic pressures
• Developing expertise to justify premium pricing and services

Graham Arrowsmith

Graham founded Finely Fettled ten years ago to help business owners and marketers market to affluent and high-net-worth customers. Graham founder of MicroYES, a Partner for MeclabsAI, which combines the world's biggest source of 10,000 marketing experiments with AI. Find Graham on LinkedIn.

Kevin Appleby

Kevin specialises in finance transformation and implementing business change. He's the COO of GrowCFO, which provides both community and CPD-accredited training designed to grow the next generation of finance leaders. You can find Kevin on

Financially Fit Entrepreneur is Phil's positioning - the substance of which is about making finances easy for people using the laws his grandma taught him about budgeting with glass jars as a teenager…

Phil started off helping young couples budget their money, get out of debt and save for big life goals. Through his Grandma’s Jars 1:1 Coaching and Workshops he has helped thousands of people achieve financial security and success. But it was during his 15 years as a stockbroker and financial adviser that Phil honed his cashflow expertise and learned how to apply it to the business world.

Over the past 20 years Phil has worked with hundreds of entrepreneurs and small business owners to help them multiply their profits and create financial certainty… not to mention achieve incredible life goals.

• Phil's "Grandma's Jars" approach uses a simple system of allocating money to different purposes, modernized for digital banking
• Proper cash flow management is critical for both personal and business finances, requiring discipline and purposeful allocation
• Entrepreneurs often struggle with financial basics; getting clarity on current position and goals is an essential first step
• Regular review and adjustment of expenses, including occasional "no-spend months", helps maintain financial health

• Phil learned budgeting from his grandmother using physical glass jars for different expenses
• Evolved system from physical jars to envelopes, paper budgets, Excel, and now online apps
• Developed own software after leaving high-paying finance career to focus on teaching financial basics

• Track 5-6 key numbers monthly: revenue, salary paid to self, expenses (cost of goods + overheads), tax set aside, profit
• Use a "cascade" system to allocate funds purposefully through business and personal accounts
• Maintain 1.5-2x monthly expenses in operating account; excess flows to reserves and other purposes
• Build 3-6 months of operating expenses as a rainy day fund before major reinvestment or expansion

• Entrepreneurs often lack clarity on basic financial position and profitability
• Tendency to increase expenses as revenue grows, reducing margins and financial stability
• Discretionary spending in business often less scrutinized than personal spending
• Lifestyle inflation can trap entrepreneurs in need for high income, limiting flexibility

• Conduct regular "no-spend months" to reset expectations and identify core vs. discretionary expenses
• Review all expenses line-by-line periodically to eliminate unnecessary costs
• Align business finances with personal life goals and vision
• Build purposeful reserves to enable creativity and reduce survival-mode thinking

• Focuses on transparency and creating a safe space for entrepreneurs to face financial realities
• Uses visual tools like the "cascade" concept to make financial management more intuitive
• Emphasizes learning from past patterns to plan for future fluctuations
• Helps clients get clarity on both current position and desired outcomes.

Graham Arrowsmith

Graham founded Finely Fettled ten years ago to help business owners and...

Ben Johnson leads Particle41, which exists to strengthen your team with flexible technology. That manifests as a team of our own that is uniquely able to exceed expectations during every step of a project. In a marketplace flooded with partners who over-promise and under-deliver, Particle41 is doing things differently.

Graham, Kevin, and Benjamin introduce themselves. Benjamin shares his background as a serial entrepreneur and founder of several tech companies, including his current venture Particle 41 which provides CTO consulting, software development, and other tech services.

Benjamin discusses how Particle 41 leverages talent globally, with teams in India, Brazil, Argentina, and the US. He emphasizes the importance of finding talented individuals and building diverse, execution-oriented teams to deliver the best service to clients.

The group discusses the critical importance of focusing on customer experience and ensuring businesses have the right processes, policies, and level of maturity in place (e.g. password management, subscription management, onboarding/offboarding procedures) to operate effectively.

The group explores the ethical implications of using AI, particularly in areas like content creation where AI can reduce authenticity. They caution against defaulting to technology just because it's available, and emphasize the need to thoughtfully consider the human element.

Graham and Kevin summarize the key takeaways from the discussion with Benjamin, highlighting his passion, purpose, and experience as a serial entrepreneur. They discuss potential opportunities to collaborate, including leveraging Benjamin's expertise in areas like RAG (Retrieval Augmented Generation) AI.

Graham Arrowsmith

Graham founded Finely Fettled ten years ago to help business owners and marketers market to affluent and high-net-worth customers. Graham founder of MicroYES, a Partner for MeclabsAI, which combines the world's biggest source of 10,000 marketing experiments with AI. Find Graham on LinkedIn.

Kevin Appleby

Kevin specialises in finance transformation and implementing business change. He's the COO of GrowCFO, which provides both community and CPD-accredited training designed to grow the next generation of finance leaders. You can find Kevin on LinkedIn and at kevinappleby.com