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The Happy Business Project, Taunton (2026)

15/05/2026

Why understanding your numbers matters (for happiness, not just profit).

One of the things that comes up again and again in my work with business owners isn’t strategy, or marketing, or even growth.
It’s money. Or more specifically, how people feel about their numbers.

I see brilliant, capable, experienced business owners who:
• Avoid looking at their accounts
• Aren’t quite sure what they can afford to pay themselves
• Feel a low-level anxiety every time a bill comes in
• Or are doing well on paper, but don’t feel it in real life

And it has a real impact on their overall happiness. Because financial uncertainty in a business doesn’t stay neatly in a spreadsheet. It follows you home. It sits in the background when you’re trying to switch off. It affects decisions, confidence, and how much you actually enjoy what you’ve built.

The shift I try to help people make is to understand what is going on and feel in control. Knowing your monthly baseline (what you need to cover costs and pay yourself), having a rough plan for how you take money out of the business, understanding where your profit is actually coming from and having someone reliable to sense-check decisions with.

When those pieces are in place, something changes quite quickly.
People make clearer decisions. They stop second-guessing themselves. They feel calmer. And they start to enjoy their business again.

Financial clarity isn’t just about being “good with money”.
It’s about creating the conditions for a business—and a life—that actually feels good to run.

If this is something you’ve been avoiding, you’re definitely not the only one. But it’s one of the most impactful shifts you can make.

Get in touch if you would like more information about 1:1 mentoring. With 28 years of real business experience I'll be able to help you run a business you're proud of.

07/05/2026

Gardening is one of my favourite hobbies. I love planning a new garden or deciding on the planting scheme for my raised beds. It completely immerses me, and there’s nothing quite like weeding to take your mind off the stresses of running a business.

We moved house three years ago and I was presented with a blank canvas: a lumpy patch of weedy grass. I don’t like lawns. There’s no real satisfaction for me in cutting grass every fortnight. I’d much rather grow flowers or vegetables. There’s something incredibly rewarding about harvesting your own produce and turning it into a healthy meal. It always tastes better somehow.

We built a shed for my husband’s hobby (more about that in another post!) and, at the same time, removed the grass. We spent a week with our young adult children digging and laying concrete for the shed foundations. It was hard work, but it gave us a huge sense of accomplishment. I loved being outdoors, physically active and working together as a team.

Of course, I tried to do too much at once and we only had a limited amount of time. So for the following two years, the garden has very much been a work in progress — which is a polite way of saying we had a lovely shed surrounded by piles of soil and plenty of weeds. Bit by bit, though, we’re taming it.

Last year we built large raised beds in the middle of the garden in the shape of flower petals, so from above it looks like a flower. We had a great harvest of rhubarb, broccoli and rocket. The carrots, however, were a disaster: too big, woody and thoroughly enjoyed by carrot fly before we got to them.

This year we completed a flower bed with a Scandinavian-inspired, minimal planting scheme: alliums, agapanthus, sea pink, hydrangeas and daisies, with a wave of tulips in spring. We’ve also planted conifers along the wall at the entrance to the house. I’m really proud of it. It looks far more elegant than I ever imagined it would.

I love the planning and the hard work of digging, weeding and planting. Although, if I’m honest, I may love the garden centre trips just as much — partly because most of them come with excellent tea rooms for lunch or tea and cake.

For me, gardening is an escape. It takes my mind off things. I get fresh air, exercise and, if all goes well, flowers and vegetables too.
But it also reminds me of an important lesson that many business founders learn the hard way: we often take on too much. We convince ourselves we can do everything alone or somehow create more hours in the day than actually exist.

Having a hobby or focus outside work matters. I notice a real difference in my energy and mindset when I’ve spent time in the garden. It gives me space to think, helps me slow down and reminds me that progress doesn’t have to happen all at once. Sometimes the best results come from small, consistent effort over time — in gardens and in business.

29/04/2026

If you’ve been thinking about mentoring but feel a bit unsure about what to expect here’s a clearer picture.

I offer 1:1 mentoring for business leaders and founders as well as a monthly small group workshop. It all starts with a free, informal chat—either in person (I’m based in Dalgety Bay, Fife) or online. No pressure, just a chance to get to know each other and see if it feels like the right fit.

Most clients choose two sessions a month which creates real momentum. Sessions are two hours long—sounds like a lot, but it goes quickly when you’re focused on the right things.

We’ll arrange each session in advance and meet somewhere that suits you—your workplace, a local café, or even out for a walk. If there’s coffee involved, we take turns. First one’s on me.

In our first session, I’ll ask about you—your background, your business, what’s going well and what’s challenging you. Then we get straight into it. I use a coaching approach which means I won’t just hand out advice—I’ll ask the right questions, challenge your thinking, and help you work through things in a way that fits you, your goals and your leadership style.

Between sessions I prepare properly (no winging it) and afterwards I’ll send you clear notes so you can keep momentum.

We always work towards something tangible—whether that’s increasing profit, improving structure, building confidence, or handling the conversations you’d rather avoid. My background is in sales and leadership, and I’ve worked across a range of sectors including manufacturing, tourism, charity, education and leisure. More importantly, I run my own business so everything we talk about is grounded in real experience.

Clients often tell me they feel more confident, clearer in their thinking and better equipped to lead and grow their business. My role is to help you get to the root of issues and find practical, workable solutions—not just talk about theory.

I keep my client list small so I’m usually fully booked but I have one space opening up in May.

If you’d like to explore working together, get in touch to arrange a free initial chat.

25/04/2026

Choosing (and re-choosing) an accountant

Over the years I’ve worked with a few different accountants across my businesses, and I’ve started to notice a bit of a pattern…

It usually begins really well.

You have a great initial conversation, they’re engaged, responsive, interested in your business. The onboarding is smooth, the price feels fair, and you think “brilliant, this is sorted.”

Then, gradually, things shift.

Emails take a bit longer to get answered. You find yourself following up. Deadlines feel closer than they should. You’re not quite sure who is responsible for what anymore. And somehow, despite being organised and sending everything on time, you’re the one getting HMRC reminders.

If you’ve experienced that, you’re not alone.

What I’ve realised (the hard way) is that choosing an accountant isn’t just about expertise or even personality. It’s about how well their systems work once you’re no longer the shiny new client.

So, if you’re ever reviewing your setup, here are a few things I’d now always look for:
• Clear response times. Not “we’re always available”, but “we reply within X hours/days”.
• Defined responsibilities. Who is actually making sure your deadlines are met?
• A structured service model. Ideally fixed monthly fees with clarity on what’s included.
• Experience with your type of business (especially if you have more than one company).
• Someone who can advise you proactively, not just react when you ask.
• And importantly… someone who can keep a meeting on track.

I enjoy a good blether as much as anyone, but not when I’m paying by the hour.

Also worth saying: the “nicest” accountant isn’t always the right one. What most business owners actually need is reliability, clarity, and a sense that someone is quietly making sure nothing falls through the cracks.

It’s one of those relationships that, when it works, you barely think about. When it doesn’t, it creates a surprising amount of background stress.

Curious—what’s been your experience? Have you found a great one, or are you still searching?

22/04/2026

A quick update for anyone considering the April mentoring workshop.

There are now only a couple of places remaining.

I keep the group intentionally small so everyone gets proper attention and time to contribute.

If you have been thinking about investing in your business this might be the right moment.

Send me a message and I will send you the details.

19/04/2026

I now have a few remaining spaces in my April group mentoring workshop.

This will be a small group of business owners working together on strategy and direction.

If you have been thinking about stepping back to properly plan your business this is a good opportunity to do it.

Small group.
Practical discussions.
Real business challenges.

Message me if you would like the details before the places are filled.

17/04/2026

Thinking of joining our small group mentoring workshop starting at the end of April?

Here is some feedback from the first group which started in January this year:

“Quality time to focus on your business with like minded people”.
“Great for getting your mind and targets right”.
“Helps validate your business and adds great energy”.
"Practical, positive and informal".
“Very detailed structure and still good for networking”.
“Errin just gets it. Her experience shines through. I really enjoyed the first workshop and cannot wait for more”.

If you want to be part of it message me now for more information.

Limited spaces left.

07/04/2026

How do you celebrate your success? When you’ve achieved the goal, finally sent off the 100th unit or managed to negotiated a brilliant deal?

As business leaders we are often critical when things don’t go well. As the buck holders we can be fairly harsh and blame ourselves. So how do we behave when things are going to plan?

I like to set myself little rewards when I’m doing difficult tasks. Write 3 more socials posts and schedule them and have a cup of decaff tea. Finish the bookkeeping for the month and have an early finish. Finally land the big sale it took four months of difficult negotiations – time for a well deserved hair cut.

It might seem simple but finding ways to reward ourselves for hard work done well is vital. Celebrating our success should be something we do instinctively. We are great at celebrating our kids wins or the achievements of our friends but don’t forget to give yourself a pat on the back too.

So what wins are you going to celebrate?
What is your perfect reward or celebration?

Let’s start a culture where we enjoy the good moments and have fun whilst being successful. It will build your confidence, release some happy endorphins and spur you on to the next big win.

Now go and celebrate your success. And maybe celebrate your self employed friends’ wins too – a like, message, phone call or little gift. It might make their day.

01/04/2026

Are you a business owner juggling daily life with the demands of running a business? Easter holidays have crept up on you and the kids need entertained but you’ve got deadlines to meet?

Self employment was never meant to feel like this was it? When you started you imagined all the time you’d have for me time and running your house as well as being a successful entrepreneur. Maybe life has reached a new stage and business needs to change to reflect that. Perhaps your business has grown so much and your processes and goals need a re-think.

A client wrote this testimonial recently:
“After returning from maternity leave, I was feeling a bit overwhelmed trying to manage my business goals and juggle family life. I got in touch with Errin to discuss how mentoring could help me and after our first session, I knew it was going to be what I needed to get everything back on track.
Errin has worked with me to create a clear strategy of how I’m going to achieve my goals by prioritising what I need to do first. I had lots of ideas but felt like none of them were ever coming to fruition. I’ve made huge changes to my business which has saved me money and that’s all down to working with Errin and taking her advice.
My confidence has grown in the few months I’ve worked with Errin and knowing I have her support, and accountability has really pushed me forward. Errin has talked me through difficult situations, encouraged me to handle issues professionally and gain the right outcome.
I’m excited to continue to have Errin as part of my team and would recommend Errin to anyone looking for a mentor to give their business a boost!”
Marianne, Entrepreneur

If you are ready for this type of support please get in touch. Message me to discover how 1:1 mentoring or small group workshops might be the answer to a more balanced and confident future.

29/03/2026

A key goal for every leader is to make the business more financially resilient. Building financial stability will reduce the risk of future stress. When I started with a new client recently they were checking their bank balance constantly, several times a day. It’s good to be on top of things but measuring the right thing at the right time will reduce your stress and help you to keep building towards financial stability.

Ask yourself:
• How much revenue does the business need each month to run comfortably?
• Do you know how many enquiries it takes to generate one job?
• Which jobs tend to make the best profit?
• If work stopped tomorrow how long could the business run before money became a problem?

Whilst setting a goal for your sales figures is important it is not the only number you should focus on.

Knowing how many enquiries you need for every sale on average is crucial. Then you can measure the metrics for your sales pipeline.

Understanding your profit margins for different products or services helps with pricing and you can aim for more of the profitable work.

Knowing your run rate (the length of time your money will last) is a real driver to fully understanding your finances.

I personally have a cashflow sheet with all of the known knowns such as monthly direct debits and salary costs and regular income such as subscriptions. Weekly I add to the list with my sales figures and add any bills on their due date. This helps me see when the business is going to run out of money. The longer my run rate is the more financially resilient my business is. This is a real help at the end of year or end of VAT quarter periods too. Too much VAT to pay this quarter then maybe pay a supplier bill early. Of course a savvy business owner will have a separate tax account earning interest where they put the tax amounts due each month ready to pay VAT, PAYE and corporation tax on time.

It also helps to have a rainy day fund. The business should aim to build a cash reserve that could cover at least three months of essential expenses like rent, wages, bills, insurance and loan repayments. This protects the business if work slows or unexpected costs arise.

A simple approach is to move a fixed percentage of monthly profit into a separate savings account.

Once you know the cost of running your business and measure the metrics of your sales pipeline and run rate you will free up time and worry less about the business finances enabling you to do what you’re best at.

For more advice on this either join the next small group workshop starting in April or get in touch to enquire about 1:1 coaching for business owners.

27/03/2026

I am currently putting together the next small group mentoring workshop starting in April.

This will be a small group of business owners who want to step back and think properly about their business.

We will look at:

Your core values
Your business direction
Your ideal client
How you use your time and energy
Decision Making
Financial Resilience
Goal Setting

These foundations make a huge difference to how a business grows.

The group will be deliberately small so everyone can contribute and get proper value from the sessions.
If you are interested in joining this group send me a message and I will send you the details.

The Happy Business Project

15/05/2026

07/05/2026

29/04/2026

25/04/2026

22/04/2026

19/04/2026

17/04/2026

07/04/2026

01/04/2026

29/03/2026

27/03/2026

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