The Small Business Sessions

It's time for the 10th and final episode in season six of the Small Business Sessions, Enterprise Nation's podcast powered by the business.connected online training programme and our partners Vodafone Business, Builder.ai and JP Morgan. Joining freelance journalist Dan Martin is Cynthia V Davis CBE, founder of Diversifying Group. Cynthia has more than 20 years of experience in the recruitment industry having worked within and recruited for several well-known large brands. In 2015 she started her own business to help organisations become more inclusive and make recruiting decisions that better reflect our diverse society. In the episode, Cynthia and Dan discuss what diversity means, why it's important for small businesses, the power of being a B Corp and what more needs to be done to support female entrepreneurs. Big thanks to everyone who has tuned in to the sixth season of the Small Business Sessions. ----- The business.connected hub is a free online training programme of workshops, webinars and e-learning modules designed to help businesses go digital, adopt new technology, and stay safe online. To find out more, go to www.enterprisenation.com/businessconnected To listen to previous podcast episodes, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

It's time for episode nine in season six of the Small Business Sessions, Enterprise Nation's podcast powered by the business.connected online training programme and our partners Vodafone Business, Builder.ai and JP Morgan. Joining freelance journalist Dan Martin is social entrepreneur Navjot Sawhney, founder of The Washing Machine Project. Navjot is a former Dyson engineer, and he was volunteering in India when he noticed the burden placed on women by unpaid domestic work. This inspired him to design the Divya, a crank-handle manual washing machine that is off-grid, fully sustainable and saves both water and time. Through the Washing Machine Project, tens of thousands of people have been impacted worldwide, women have been empowered and hundreds of washing machines have been distributed to villages, refugee camps, schools and orphanages. ----- The business.connected hub is a free online training programme of workshops, webinars and e-learning modules designed to help businesses go digital, adopt new technology, and stay safe online. To find out more, go to www.enterprisenation.com/businessconnected To listen to previous podcast episodes, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

It's time for episode eight in season six of the Small Business Sessions, Enterprise Nation's podcast powered by the business.connected online training programme and our partners Vodafone Business, Builder.ai and JP Morgan. In this week's show, freelance journalist Dan Martin speaks to Cat Byrne, founder of Gatto Web. Cat is a Manchester-based creative designer who set up her business in 2014. She helps small companies to develop a strong brand so they stand out and attract their target customers In the episode, Cat and Dan delve into what makes a great brand, how to stay consistent with yours and top tips for great design. ----- The business.connected hub is a free online training programme of workshops, webinars and e-learning modules designed to help businesses go digital, adopt new technology, and stay safe online. To find out more, go to www.enterprisenation.com/businessconnected To listen to previous podcast episodes, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

It's time for episode seven in season six of the Small Business Sessions, Enterprise Nation's podcast powered by the business.connected online training programme and our partners Vodafone Business, Builder.ai and JP Morgan. In this week's show, freelance journalist Dan Martin speaks to a successful online influencer who uses social media to provide short and snappy advice on all things personal finance. As Cazza Time on Instagram and TikTok, Cameron has built up a following of more than half a million people who enjoy his tips on everything from tax and student loans to money saving ideas and investments. In the episode, Dan and Cameron discuss the world of online influencing, how to make great video content and the power of TikTok for small businesses. ----- The business.connected hub is a free online training programme of workshops, webinars and e-learning modules designed to help businesses go digital, adopt new technology, and stay safe online. To find out more, go to www.enterprisenation.com/businessconnected To listen to previous podcast episodes, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

It's time for episode six in season six of the Small Business Sessions, Enterprise Nation's podcast powered by the business.connected online training programme and our partners Vodafone Business, Builder.ai and JP Morgan. In this week's show, freelance journalist Dan Martin speaks to Daisy Morrs, founder of social media consultancy and digital community The Selfhood and author of Community Is Your Currency, a book which teaches business owners the steps to growing a meaningful online community. Daisy started her journey in entrepreneurship after being frustrated by the lack of down-to-earth and human advice for those trying to find their way in the world of digital marketing and social media. In the episode, we discuss the power of community and how founders can build a strong and authentic community around their business. ----- The business.connected hub is a free online training programme of workshops, webinars and e-learning modules designed to help businesses go digital, adopt new technology, and stay safe online. To find out more, go to www.enterprisenation.com/businessconnected To listen to previous podcast episodes, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

It's time for episode five in season six of the Small Business Sessions, Enterprise Nation's podcast powered by the business.connected online training programme and our partners Vodafone Business, Builder.ai and JP Morgan. In this week's show, freelance journalist Dan Martin speaks to Rachel Waring. Rachel is a wedding stylist turned creative marketing consultant. She supports independent businesses to produce creative content and show off their best work. Rachel has a particular focus on how founders can make the most of social media platform Pinterest and that's a key subject discussed in the show. Dan and Rachel also chat about how to stay creative, the secrets to successful content planning and what AI means for content creation. ---- The business.connected hub is a free online training programme of workshops, webinars and e-learning modules designed to help businesses go digital, adopt new technology, and stay safe online. To find out more, go to www.enterprisenation.com/businessconnected To listen to previous podcast episodes, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

It's time for episode four in season six of the Small Business Sessions, Enterprise Nation's podcast powered by the business.connected online training programme and our partners Vodafone Business, Builder.ai and JP Morgan. In this week's show, freelance journalist Dan Martin speaks to Kay Suppamas, founder of Leafage, the London-based company focused on nature-inspired experiences with terrarium workshops and kits. In 2016, after the sudden loss of her father, Kay realised the importance of putting your wellbeing first and how plants can support mental health. She then started a journey to creating a business that revolutionises how city dwellers, with limited access to green space, interact with nature. In the episode, we hear Kay's inspiring story and her tips for business success. ---- The business.connected hub is a free online training programme of workshops, webinars and e-learning modules designed to help businesses go digital, adopt new technology, and stay safe online. To find out more, go to www.enterprisenation.com/businessconnected To listen to previous podcast episodes, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

It's time for episode three in season six of the Small Business Sessions, Enterprise Nation's podcast powered by the business.connected online training programme and our partners Vodafone Business, Builder.ai and JP Morgan. Joining freelance journalist Dan Martin for the third episode is business and marketing strategist Alice Benham. Alice had an early start in the world of work after leaving school aged 16 to run a team of Christmas elves. When she was 17, Alice became a freelance social media manager. Alice has since gone on to launch a successful podcast, run retreats, work with hundreds of one-to-one clients and be featured in top publications like Forbes and Business Insider. In the episode, we discuss why young people should consider entrepreneurship as a career, the secrets to business growth, powering your marketing strategy and why taking uncomfortable actions is vitally important. ---- The business.connected hub is a free online training programme of workshops, webinars and e-learning modules designed to help businesses go digital, adopt new technology, and stay safe online. To find out more, go to www.enterprisenation.com/businessconnected To listen to previous podcast episodes, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

It's time for episode two in season six of the Small Business Sessions, Enterprise Nation's podcast powered by the business.connected online training programme and our partners Vodafone Business, Builder.ai and JP Morgan. Joining freelance journalist Dan Martin for the second episode is Sarah de-Vere Drummond, co-founder of Kip Hideaways, the membership website for affordable self-catering holiday rentals. Sarah previously worked in the boutique travel industry and with her co-founder Liz Simpson spotted a gap in the market for an online community that features only self-catering hideaways. Many of properties featured on the website are under the radar so they are kept exclusive by a membership service. Despite launching during the coronavirus pandemic when travel wasn't possible, the business saw a growth in memberships as people dreamt of their next holiday once restrictions were removed. ---- The business.connected hub is a free online training programme of workshops, webinars and e-learning modules designed to help businesses go digital, adopt new technology, and stay safe online. To find out more, go to www.enterprisenation.com/businessconnected To listen to previous podcast episodes, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

The Small Business Sessions, Enterprise Nation's podcast, is back! This sixth season is powered by the business.connected online training programme and our partners Vodafone Business, Builder.ai and JP Morgan. Joining freelance journalist Dan Martin for the first episode is Ailis Topley, founder of sustainable and refillable candles company Pott Candles. Ailis’ business started as a lockdown hobby in 2020, but it now has sales of over £1m, its products are stocked in Selfridges and John Lewis and Ailis was named by Forbes as one of Europe's top young entrepreneurs. Tune into the episode to hear the inspiring Pott Candles story and its founder’s tips for business success. ---- The business.connected hub is a free online training programme of workshops, webinars and e-learning modules designed to help businesses go digital, adopt new technology, and stay safe online. To find out more, go to www.enterprisenation.com/businessconnected To listen to previous episodes of the podcast, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

We've reached the end of series five of the Small Business Sessions. Joining us for the final episode is the brilliant serial entrepreneur, Simon Squibb, who has made it his mission to help 10 million people start and grow a business through The Purposeful Project. Simon's vision for supporting so many new entrepreneurs is driven by his own personal experiences. He left school at 15 and was kicked out of home by his mum but went on to start 19 companies and invest in over 60 start-ups. He also sold his branding and digital agency, Fluid, to PwC. Simon joins journalist Dan Martin to share insights from his incredible entrepreneurial adventures. For more information about Enterprise Nation and to listen to more episodes, visit www.enterprisenation.com/podcast Big thanks to all our brilliant guests and to everyone who has tuned in to this series of the podcast.

We love accountants at Enterprise Nation and this week we're joined by a great one! Joanna Drinkwater, Enterprise Nation adviser and managing director of Grant McKnight, speaks to journalist Dan Martin about an absolutely essential skill for successful entrepreneurs; understanding your finances. Tune in for must listen tips on assessing the financial health of your business, creating a cashflow forecast, identifying cashflow gaps, financial mistakes to avoid, choosing an accountant, chasing late payment and lots more! To find out more about Enterprise Nation and to listen to previous podcasts, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

Running a business that’s 100% focused on travel during a pandemic is quite the challenge. In January 2020, Anthony Collias and Jacob Webberburn-Day, co-founders of Stasher, a platform that connects travellers with places to store their bags, raised $2.5m funding and they moved into their first private office. Then March happened. In a must-listen episode, the entrepreneurs talk to Dan Martin about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, building a minimum viable product, how a cold email led to a £100,000 investment, tips for working with a co-founder, partnering with major chains and loads more! To find out more about Enterprise Nation and to listen to previous podcasts, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

This week we're looking at how digital technology can transform small businesses of all types. Whether you're selling products or services online or you're looking to reach customers from a physical store, by embracing the latest technology you can drive the sales and growth of your business. Joining journalist Dan Martin to discuss how to digitally transform your business are Sajni Shah, co-head of product at Starling Bank and John Hoyle, founder of Sook, a company providing adaptive and fully personalised retail spaces which business owners can rent by the hour. To find out more about Enterprise Nation and to listen to previous podcasts, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

Research shows that those business owners who take on advice grow their companies faster than those who don't, but with so much advice out there it can be hard to work out which advice to take on. As you'll know if you're an entrepreneur, you have a lot of plates to spin, so when should you seek advice and ask for help from others? And how do you go about picking the advisers to use? Joining journalist Dan Martin to discuss all that are two brilliant Enterprise Nation adviser members: Business ReLOVEution: A Mindset Paradigm for the Modern EntrepreneurTo find out more about Enterprise Nation and to listen to previous podcasts, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

This week we're talking business funding. In an advice-packed episode, Oliver Krishnan from Starling Bank and Ryan Hyde-Smith from Funding Options join journalist Dan Martin to demystify the world of finance and explain how to decide on the best option for your business, how to manage debt and common mistakes to avoid. Since this episode was recorded, Starling Bank has been accredited for the Recovery Loan Scheme, a government initiative set up to help small business owners deal with the coronavirus pandemic. To find out more about Enterprise Nation and to listen to previous podcasts, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

The statistics are shocking: One million birds and 100,000 marine animals a year die from plastic pollution, eight million pieces of plastic end up in the oceans every day and for every mile of UK beaches, there are 5,000 pieces of plastic. It was figures like that which drove Beth Noy to launch Plastic Freedom. What started as a £300 investment to sell some of her favourite plastic free products is now a booming online store with over 3,000 brands. She has also built an Instagram community of 200,000 followers. Beth joins journalist Dan Martin to share her hugely inspiring story of turning a side hobby into a successful full-time business that tackles one of the great problems of our age. To find out more about Enterprise Nation and to listen to previous podcasts, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

The transition period for Britain's exit from the European Union ended on 31 December 2020 so how has Brexit affected the UK's small businesses? Freelance journalist Dan Martin is joined by Mike Wilson, founder of Go Exporting, and Philip Salter, founder of The Entrepreneurs Network, to discuss it. To find out more about Enterprise Nation and to listen to previous podcasts, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

This week journalist Dan Martin is joined by Symmie Swil, head of SME Banking at Starling Bank, and David Beardmore, ecosystem development director at Open Banking Implementation Entity to discuss how small businesses can embrace modern banking services. Symmie shares the vision of Starling Bank's founder Anne Boden for launching the digital bank, her views on the future of physical bank branches and how the company is supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs. Another exciting development for small businesses is open banking, which helps you move, manage and make more of your money. David Beardmore joins the podcast to explain how open banking can benefit small businesses and how it has been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. To find out more about Enterprise Nation and to listen to previous podcasts, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

Entrepreneurs start businesses for many reasons. For Julie Deane CBE, it was to pay for her children to go to private school because her daughter was being bullied. She invested £600 to get her idea off the ground and just five years later, the Cambridge Satchel Company was valued at £40m. Julie joins journalist Dan Martin to share her super inspiring story. This one is a must listen! To find out more about Enterprise Nation and to listen to previous podcasts, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast