Julia Blake, Helping Businesses Grow

08/09/2026

Welcome to The Happy Business Owner - September 2026 😀 - https://mailchi.mp/blakeconsultants/the_happy_business_owner_august26-13885276

08/09/2026

Find out more about the AI Paradox in my latest blog - spoiler alert .... AI is actually making us more human 😀 🥰

Relationship-Led Business Growth Is Outperforming Everything

03/09/2026

Building human realtionships is one of the most successful things Business Owners are seeing work at the moment (see my research project: What's Really Going On), and so it's more important than ever to be making the most of your Contact Relationship Management system!

Join me a week today, on Thursday 10 September at noon, to find ways to make the most of your Capsule CRM, or find out what it can do, if you don't have a CRM, or have one that you are not happy with.

I'll be sharing hints and tips so that you can successfully do the things that fellow business owners are attributing their business successes / wins to, in this shifted market 😀

Here's the link to register: https://blakeconsultants.co.uk/CapsuleHintsAndTipsLIVE

And let me know if you'd like a copy of my research project report - it makes interesting and helpful reading 😊

01/09/2026

September!! In the blink of an eye it's a new month again!

It's good to have a fresh start though, I hope everyone had a good long weekend - part of mine was spent foraging and then making Elderberry cordial and Apple and Blackberry jelly, plus other stuff too 😊

But back to the main reason for my post 😉 .... heading into Autumn often feels exciting as a business owner, but if you feel like the ground has shifted under your business this year you're not imagining it!

This summer I spoke to 18 UK service business owners across 7 sectors and asked them what was really going on "at the coal face".

The findings were striking:

- 100% reported cautious clients and slower decisions

- 100% cited unpredictable pipelines as their biggest concern

- 100% said relationships and networking were their most reliable source of new work

But, I also found, and this is the part that genuinely moved me that:

Not one single person was giving up. Every conversation was full of resilience, plans and quiet determination!

I've turned everything I heard into a short report, it's honest, practical, and full of things that are genuinely working for people right now 😀

If September feels like a time to reset, refocus and rebuild this might be exactly what you need.

Comment below and I'll send it straight to you. 😊

20/08/2026

Welcome to The Happy Business Owner - August 2026 😀 - https://mailchi.mp/blakeconsultants/the_happy_business_owner_august26

20/08/2026

It's here!! It's done!!

Over the last few weeks I asked 18 UK service business owners five questions:

• What is going well for you in your business so far this year?
• What is not going well for you so far this year?
• What is one thing that is keeping you awake at night?
• What's the second thing?
• What does the rest of the year look like for you?

Because, honestly, things had felt different since Easter - quieter, harder. And I wanted to know if it was just me or if others were feeling it too!

Spoiler: it wasn't just me!

100% of the people I spoke to are experiencing slower decisions, cautious clients and unpredictable pipelines.

53% are navigating real cash flow pressure.

22% said this doesn't feel like a normal business cycle. It feels like a market shift.

But here's what I also found, and this is the part that genuinely made my heart sing: not one single person was giving up. Every conversation was full of resilience, creativity and quiet determination.

And the businesses that are doing the best right now are the ones investing in real relationships, showing up consistently, and getting their foundations quietly, solidly right 😊

I've turned everything I heard into a short report, honestly, without spin, and with some genuinely practical things that are making a difference for others right now.

Let me know if you'd like a copy and I'll send it over 😊

11/08/2026

Not long to go now! Exciting!

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Db3uVEdsFFb/?igsh=MTU0Nmh1OTFmNnZhbg==

10/08/2026

This is the pool we (us, my 3 grown up sons, and 2 of their girlfriends) spent the afternoon at yesterday 😀

Not abroad, just down the road from us in West Berkshire, courtesy of a new to me app (AirBnB for pools!) called Swimple!

It was so much fun, memories were made, it felt like being on holiday, and it was so easy to do.

I sometimes think that all the good ideas have been had, but it's just not true - here's the proof!

Last year we hired a speed boat, with a skipper on Click a boat, and went to the Isle of Wight, a similar idea, but for boats!

Have you seen another similar? I'd love to know and know about any other good ideas you've seen recently too 😀

08/08/2026

It's the Lion's Gate portal today!

If you like the symbolism if 8 8 8, or if you like that there's a portal today, here’s a lovely, simple 8-minute Lion’s Gate reflection.

Think of it as giving yourself eight intentional minutes to focus on what you want more of.

Settle somewhere peaceful, outside if you can, and take 8 slow breaths.

Then spend roughly a minute or two on each of these:

1. Release: What am I ready to stop carrying - a worry, habit, obligation or way of thinking that isn’t serving me?

Ĥ2. Appreciate: Think of 8 things you’re genuinely grateful for right now. They can be tiny.

3. Imagine: Picture yourself on 8 August 2027. What would make you think, “What a brilliant year that was”?

4. Choose: Pick three intentions for the year - phrase them as something you're moving towards: “I create…”, “I make space for…”, “I welcome…”

5. Act: Choose one small thing you can actually do today that moves you towards one of those intentions.

Finish with:

I make space for what matters.
I trust myself to recognise opportunities and act on them.
I welcome more joy, abundance and purpose into my life - and I share that abundance with others.

Don't make all three intentions about achieving things.

Make one about how you want to feel during the coming year. This can be surprisingly clarifying ❤️

05/08/2026

My happy face after recording my latest Capsule CRM overview video!

There have been lots of exciting new ways that this brilliant CRM helps us Business Owners, so I've recorded a new overview which gives a real insight into it and how it all hangs together 😀

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