What really changes after another year of running a business?

In this end-of-year reflection episode of What One Thing, Hayley Baxter and Phil Davenport look back honestly on the past year — what surprised them, what challenged them, and what genuinely shifted how they now run their businesses.

This isn’t a highlight reel or a list of wins. It’s a real conversation about growth, visibility, accountability, and the lessons that only show up when you’re deep in it.

In this episode, they talk about:

What they thought would be hard in business — and why it wasn’t

Why time, energy, and focus are still some of the hardest things to manage

The reality of team management versus expectations

How peer groups, collaboration, and asking for help changed everything

Why visibility in numbers and decisions matters more than growth alone

What they would do differently if they could start the year again

The importance of consistency — and how hard it actually is to sustain

If you’re finishing the year asking “What have I really learned?” or “Why does this still feel harder than it should?” — this episode will resonate.

What One Thing Podcast – with Phil & Hayley

Each week, business owners share the one thing that made the biggest difference in their business journey — and hosts Phil (Affirm IT Services) and Hayley (Corbar Accounting) dive into the lessons, laughs, and lightbulb moments along the way.

If you’re a UK business owner looking for real stories and practical insights on growth, leadership, IT, and finance — this is the podcast for you!

Connect with the hosts

Phil Davenport | Affirm IT Services
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-davenport-affirmit/
https://affirmit.co.uk/

Hayley Baxter | Corbar Accounting
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hayley-baxter-/
https://corbar.uk/

Follow What One Thing

Listen & watch on: https://www.pod.whatonething.uk/
Instagram: @whatonethingpod
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/what-one-thing/
YouTube: Subscribe here

#UKBusinessPodcast, #SmallBusinessGrowth, #BusinessLessons, #EastMidlandsBusiness

Chapters

• 00:00 Reflecting on the Year
• 08:36 Key Learnings and Changes
• 15:51 Reflection and Planning for the Future
• 21:29 One Word to Describe the Year
• 29:32 Pride and Achievements

Can you really scale from 4 to nearly 40 people and keep a calm, positive, nice culture?

In this episode of What One Thing, hosts Hayley Baxter (Corbarr Accounting) and Phil Davenport (Affirm IT Services) talk with former MSP owner Neil Shaw about growing an IT business fast – without losing your values or your mind.

Neil shares how he:

• Grew an MSP from 4 staff and 25 clients to nearly 40 staff and 150+ managed clients
• Used systems, processes and documentation to stop everything falling apart
• Developed leaders from within the team using management and leadership training
• Built a culture that kept staff churn incredibly low over 7 years
• Balanced being “nice” with still being clear, fair and commercially focused

If you’re an IT business owner, accountant, or run any growing SME, this episode will help you think differently about what leadership looks like – especially if you don’t fit the traditional “hard-nosed” mould.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• The first steps to systemising your business as you scale
• How to avoid departments becoming disjointed as you grow
• Why regular, focused meetings beat complicated management fads
• The power of being transparent with your team and your clients
• The one piece of advice Neil would give any business owner on a growth journey

🎧 Listen now and find your “one thing” to move your business forward.

About Neil

Been in the IT industry for 30 years. Various roles including PC builder, onsite engineer, consultant, and director, throw in a failed MBO and then having a silly idea to start an MSP - Co-founded True MSP in 2017 and exited in Jan 2025.

Neil Shaw - LinkedIn

What One Thing Podcast – with Phil & Hayley

Each week, business owners share the one thing that made the biggest difference in their business journey — and hosts Phil (Affirm IT Services) and Hayley (Corbar Accounting) dive into the lessons, laughs, and lightbulb moments along the way.

If you’re a UK business owner looking for real stories and practical insights on growth, leadership, IT, and finance — this is the podcast for you!

Connect with the hosts

Phil Davenport | Affirm IT Services
LinkedIn
https://affirmit.co.uk/

Hayley Baxter | Corbar Accounting
LinkedIn
https://corbar.uk/

Follow What One Thing

Listen & watch on: https://www.pod.whatonething.uk/
Instagram
LinkedIn
YouTube

#UKBusinessPodcast, #SmallBusinessGrowth, #BusinessLessons, #EastMidlandsBusiness

In this episode of What One Thing, Phil Davenport (Affirm IT Services) and Hayley Baxter (Corbar Accounting) sit down with entrepreneur Stuart Mason to unpack a business collapse that no one saw coming—until it was too late.

This conversation isn’t about doom and gloom. It’s about the real risks small and medium-sized businesses face, especially around discounting, cashflow, pricing pressure, and over-stretching for growth. Phil and Hayley break down the lessons through the lens of IT, Accounting and everyday business decision-making—so East Midlands business owners can take action before problems escalate.

⭐ What You’ll Learn

• Why discounting is far more dangerous than most businesses realise
• The real maths behind discounting (and how much more you must sell to break even)
• How profitable businesses still end up in cashflow trouble
• Why asset-rich companies aren’t as safe as they seem
• How Phil handles discount pressure in IT support without damaging long-term client relationships
• How Hayley coaches business owners to make financially intelligent, data-led decisions
• Why confidence in your pricing is a business superpower

💬 About Your Hosts

Phil Davenport is an IT specialist supporting East Midlands businesses with secure, reliable systems that prevent costly surprises.
Hayley Baxter is an accountant who helps business owners understand their numbers, build sustainable pricing strategies and stay cashflow-strong.

Their mission? To help business owners grow with fewer headaches—and a lot more confidence.

🎧 Perfect for:

Manufacturing and professional services businesses · SME owners with 5–50 staff · Business leaders who want to price properly, protect margins, and avoid cashflow traps.

If you’ve ever wondered whether discounting is harmless—or “just what the industry does”—this episode will change the way you think about pricing forever.

Connect with Stuart LinkedIn

Buy Stuart's book here

What One Thing Podcast – with Phil & Hayley

Each week, business owners share the one thing that made the biggest difference in their business journey — and hosts Phil (Affirm IT Services) and Hayley (Corbar Accounting) dive into the lessons, laughs, and lightbulb moments along the way.

If you’re a UK business owner looking for real stories and practical insights on growth, leadership, IT, and finance — this is the podcast for you!

Connect with the hosts

Phil Davenport | Affirm IT Services
LinkedIn
https://affirmit.co.uk/

Hayley Baxter | Corbar Accounting
LinkedIn
https://corbar.uk/

Follow What One Thing

Listen & watch on: https://www.pod.whatonething.uk/
Instagram
LinkedIn
YouTube

#UKBusinessPodcast, #SmallBusinessGrowth, #BusinessLessons, #EastMidlandsBusiness