Episode 37 · 28 Sept 2026 · 1h 2m
When to Say No to Work: Business Failure Lessons - Ep 37, David March
Show notes
In this episode
When should you turn down work your business needs? David March joins Ben Payne to share the business failure lessons he learnt from pricing under pressure, overtrading and eventually closing his own company.
David has spent nearly 40 years in live entertainment, working across manufacturers, rental businesses and his own company. He now helps owner-led businesses through Buddy March.
We talk about the business mistakes that can happen when revenue becomes the immediate priority, what happens when you move into work you don’t fully understand, and why owners need someone who can challenge their decisions.
David also shares the moment he realised he had to close the doors, how that experience affected his appetite for risk, and why helping someone means more than saying “let me know if you need anything”.
In this episode:
The pricing decisions businesses make under pressure
How to judge whether an opportunity really fits
Why owners need someone who can challenge their thinking
Overtrading and the closure of Projected Image Digital
The effect of business failure on confidence and family life
Being honest with clients and colleagues
David’s Buddy Check and Clarity Brief approach
The difference between being nice and being kind
Timestamps
00:00 The moment David knew he had to close
00:35 Introducing David March
02:09 Nearly 40 years in live entertainment
05:06 American and European business cultures
06:46 Why some businesses survive a downturn
08:16 The danger of cutting prices
11:12 Building relationships before you need them
12:25 What practical support really looks like
13:49 Networking and learning to talk to customers
16:43 Developing the next generation of talent
18:44 Choosing the right business opportunities
20:24 Saying yes to the wrong work
22:33 The pressure of being the business owner
25:51 Taking a step back: the Buddy Check
28:08 Balancing price, service and relationships
30:07 CEG sponsor message
30:53 Supporting the podcast and listener review
31:34 Having honest conversations with customers
32:47 When should you walk away from a job?
34:58 Overtrading and the business David had to close
39:06 Accepting that the business couldn’t continue
40:51 Making peace with business failure
43:53 How failure changes your appetite for risk
45:17 Helping an owner face difficult decisions
47:24 Getting everything out of your head
48:06 What not to rush into when starting a business
49:39 Is more lead generation really the answer?
52:10 Why winning business is getting harder
56:10 The difference between being nice and being kind
57:08 David’s biggest Business Takeaway
58:42 Rapid-fire questions
1:01:51 Final thoughts and where to find David
Guest links:
Listen next:
Sam Tamplin — How to Scale a Business to 100 Staff (Without Losing Control) : another live-events owner’s perspective on growth, financial discipline and difficult periods; Sam’s experience comes up in this conversation.
Dave Coull — How to Build a Strong Business Culture That Actually Works : continue the discussion about honesty, trust and what leaders’ behaviour means for their people.
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