The Balanced Business Podcast
The Balanced Business Podcast is your go-to audio guide for building a business that works for you.
Hosted by Nicola Hageman, founder of The Numbers Quarter, this show helps service-based business owners find clarity, confidence, and calm in the world of finance, planning, and business growth.
Whether you’re navigating your responsibilities as a limited company director or looking to create a more profitable, purpose-driven business, each series is packed with practical advice, jargon-free insights, and empowering strategies.
👉 Series 1: The Director’s Handbook
Learn the essentials of running a limited company, from what it really means to be a director, to paying yourself properly, understanding VAT, and avoiding financial pitfalls.
👉 Series 2: Profit Boost
Discover the Purposeful Profits Framework and how to align your business with your personal goals, improve cashflow, and finally take control of your future.
If you've ever thought, “I’m working loads but not seeing the money,” or “I just want to understand what I should be doing,” this podcast is for you.
No fluff. No fear. Just clear, balanced business advice from someone who gets it.
The Balanced Business Podcast
Welcome episode
In this short welcome episode, I introduce The Balanced Business Podcast and share what you can expect from the series — whether you’re new here or already a few episodes in.
We start with a 12-part series called The Director’s Handbook, designed especially for owner-managed businesses running (or thinking about running) a Limited company in the UK. It covers everything from getting set up and staying compliant to paying yourself properly, managing taxes, understanding your accounts, and knowing when to get support — all in a clear, jargon-free way.
After that, we move into Purposeful Profits — a second series focused on making sure your business is delivering what you actually want from it: more money, more time, and less stress. We’ll explore profit margins, pricing, cash flow, and how to align your finances with your personal goals.
Whether you’re just starting out or running an established business, this podcast is here to help you build something that’s profitable, sustainable, and satisfying — without the overwhelm.
Resources & Links:
I’ve written a book that expands on the topics in this podcast and comes with a companion guide. Learn more at www.thenumbersquarter.co.uk/book.
About the Podcast:
The Balanced Business – The Director’s Handbook is a 12‑part podcast series hosted by Bedford‑based Chartered Accountant Nicola Hageman. Designed for UK small business owners and company directors, the podcast explains how to run a Limited company with more clarity, confidence, and control. Each episode covers a practical topic – from choosing your business structure and staying compliant with HMRC to budgeting, VAT, systems, and delegating. The series is based on Nicola’s book and companion guide, available at www.thenumbersquarter.co.uk/book.
About Nicola and The Numbers Quarter:
Nicola Hageman is the founder of The Numbers Quarter, a friendly and approachable accountancy practice based in Bedford. She specialises in helping owner‑managed businesses grow their profits, plan for the future, and reduce stress. Nicola is known for her plain‑speaking advice and passion for aligning personal and business goals.
Connect with Nicola:
- Instagram – www.instagram.com/nicola_hageman
- LinkedIn – www.linkedin.com/in/nicolahageman
- Website – www.thenumbersquarter.co.uk
Hi, and welcome to the Balanced Business Podcast. I'm Nicola Hageman from the Numbers Quarter, and whether you've just found this podcast or you are already a few episodes in, I just wanted to take a couple of minutes to let you know what this podcast is all about and how it can help you. So first up, we've got a 12 part series called The Director's Handbook. Now this is designed especially for owner managed businesses who are running or thinking of running a limited company in the uk. It covers the essentials, but in a really clear, friendly, and practical way. No jargon, no overwhelm, just the things that you need to know to stay compliant, make good decisions, and feel more in control. We talk about setting your company up in the right way, what it really means to be a director. Paying yourself properly, managing tax and expenses, understanding your accounts, planning ahead, and knowing when to stop doing it all yourself. If you are running a limited company and you want to feel more in control with the financial side, then this is for you. And then what's coming next? Once we've wrapped up the director's handbook, we are gonna be moving into a new series, all about profit, because once your business is running well behind the scenes, the next step is making sure it's actually delivering for you more money, more time, and less stress. The new series is called Purposeful Profits, and we are gonna be talking about things like how to price your services and what your profit margins really mean. We are gonna be looking at ways to improve your cash flow, how to make your business more efficient, and how to align your finances with your personal goals because, let's be honest, it's all connected. The goal is to help you build a business that works for you, not the other way round. It's still the same friendly and practical style, but with a bit more focus on growth, clarity, and long-term success. So whether you're just starting out or you've been running your business for years, the Balanced Business Podcast is here to help you build something that's not just profitable, but sustainable and satisfying too. Thanks for listening, and I hope you enjoy the episodes.