I’m Back! And this time I am going nowhere! So sit back, strap in and get ready for your weekly dose of everything you need to know in the world of business, entrepreneurship and all things Matt Haycox!

If you have forgotten me and need a quick recap, I’m Matt Haycox - businessman, investor and mentor. Having survived bankruptcy in my early 20’s I have bounced back to become one of the most well-known names in the industry. I’ve provided over £500m of funding to UK businesses in sectors including finance, retail, leisure and property. I’ve raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for The Matt Haycox Foundation, starred on national TV, become a social media personality and used my knowledge and experience to help other businesses and entrepreneurs all over the world.

But that’s just scraping the surface…

WHY STAY TUNED?

I love consuming news but think the bias of media owners makes it hard to know what to believe and who to trust. The media I loved to read and watch I wouldn’t even waste my time opening today - lies, politics and other people’s agendas! So that’s why I’ve created my own channel where I share the latest news you NEED to know along with my secrets to success, wealth and happiness with no agenda at all! (Well that’s a slight lie and I don’t want to start us off on the wrong foot! My only agenda is to remind you about ME ME ME so that maybe one day we will do some business or have some fun together.)

I totally understand that breaking news, success secrets and wealth building tips may not be your thing, so if you want to unsubscribe, you can do so easily at the bottom of this email. But if you do stick around, here’s the sorts of things you can expect to read…

• INSIDER INSIGHTS: Stories that are shaping and inspiring the business world this week

• EXPERT TIPS: The latest business strategies, how & why they’re growing and advice from the experts

• THE BIG PICTURE: Insights drawn from the experience of industry leaders, as well as deep dive think pieces into some of the biggest trends shaping the business world and how they’ll impact you

  As well as quick-fire advice including my biggest learnings and failings of the week, a new app to discover or social media person to follow and MUCH MUCH more - new each week!

But please bear with me whilst we get in the groove….

I plan to share weekly newsletters every Friday morning, but do stay tuned over the next few weeks whilst we’re finding our feet.

Meanwhile….

…a couple of snippets to share from the business world this week!

INSIDER INSIGHTS: The Impact of AI?

AI has dominated the news, as businesses grapple with the speed and pace of new platforms, such as generative chatbot ChatGPT - the fastest growing app in history with over 100m users in the first 3 months of launch.

“Leaders will look back on 2023 as one of the most pivotal years in human history,” said Angela Ahrendts, former SVP of Apple Retail and CEO of Burberry, at the Fashion Tech Forum in New York.

“The acceleration and the pace of change and what AI will spawn isn’t dissimilar to everything that came from the iPhone,” she predicted, commenting on the AI-driven technological revolution and its transformational effect on the business landscape.

Read the full article over at Forbes

EXPERT TIPS: 5 Ways Castore Will Grow Sales To Hit $250m this year

Premium British sportswear brand Castore announced an increased revenue forecast for 2023 this week, up 30% to $250M, and a representative increase of 100% year-on-year.

Founded in Liverpool by former athletes and brothers Tom and Phil Beahon in 2015, Castore was created with a vision of becoming the number one premium sportswear brand in the world.

And despite tough trading conditions, is set to blow its forecasts out of the water with ambitious sales targets for this year.

Here’s 5 ways it plans to do this:

1. Growth in product lines – with kit deals for new teams in Europe such as Feyenoord Rotterdam FC, Athletic Club Bilbao, Football Association of Ireland, FC Twente, FC Utrecht, and more to be announced soon.

2. Expanding wholesale partnerships - securing a wider net of wholesale partners, Castore is now available in more key accounts including Fanatics, Very, Fraser Group (Sports Direct/ Flannels), JD, Harrods, John Lewis & Fenwicks.

3. Opening new physical retail stores – Castore plans to add a minimum of 3 stores across key European cities this year, including Amsterdam.

4. High profile brand collaborations – This includes the recently announced boxer Joe Joyce, Malaysian professional golfer Gavin Green and extended partnerships with three-times grand slam winner Sir Andy Murray.

5. New localised e-commerce platforms – to support international sales growth with higher sales and increased conversion rates.

THE BIG PICTURE: How To Secure New Funding

Non-full-price online fashion marketplace Secret Sales announced this week it has raised $10m in new funding as it looks to fuel ambitious international expansion plans, just two years after the company’s first round of funding in which it raised €10m, we look at 3 ways to secure funding in a tough economic market.

1. Demonstrate traction – show early signs of success, such as customer acquisition, revenue growth or successful partnerships that will make your business more attractive to investors.

2. Stay lean – in tough market conditions, investors may be more willing to invest in a business that is efficient and lean. Identify areas where you can cut costs without sacrificing quality or growth potential.

3. Communicate effectively - when pitching your business to potential investors, be clear and concise in your messaging. Be prepared to answer questions about your market, competition, financials, and growth strategy.

AND DON’T MISS: MY PODCAST - THE MATT HAYCOX SHOW!

Hear my latest business tips, investing advice and deep dive interviews with industry leaders, celebrities and some of the world’s most inspirational individuals.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE LATEST EPISODE

Something Social

When I am not running business, lending money and consulting for my customers you will find me dishing out advice, talking about my mistakes, fooling around and showing my life (and my ass!) on social media. So check me out and give me a follow! I am @thematthaycox on all platforms - Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Snap Chat.

If you wonder what I have been doing over the last couple of weeks…… well I was busy having a baby! Welcome to the gang Nele Rocki Haycox. Oh, and she has her own Instagram account already too because it is never too early to start building a brand!

Tell All Your Friends!

I always share the things I love with my friends! Every Monday my staff wake up to a barrage of emails from me, things I have enjoyed and learned from that weekend. Blog posts, Youtube videos, apps, newsletters, ramblings, thoughts and ideas. So if you have enjoyed reading this and you think you know people that will benefit from it too then please share it with your mates. I have made it super easy for you to do with the share button below. AND YOU’LL BE REWARDED FOR IT!

I said at the start of this letter that we are just finding our feet, and the full reward programme isn’t in place yet. But any referrals you do in the meantime will all count towards it when it is. And a quick spoiler alert! One of the rewards will be a long weekend in Dubai with me for the ultimate business immersion experience and dinner with some of my network on my yacht! So get referring now!!

Goodbye For Now :-(

That’s it for this week, I hope you liked it. Drop me a line to tell me what you want more of or what we could do differently. And if you want to talk to me about borrowing, investing, growing your business or anything else I am good at then get in touch!

CLICK TO GET IN TOUCH