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The Small Business Sessions

The Small Business Sessions, by Enterprise Nation and sponsored by Starling Bank, is a weekly podcast that shares tips and stories from some of Britain's best entrepreneurs and business experts. Enterprise Nation helps people turn their good ideas into great businesses through inspirational events, a supportive community, expert content and a campaigning voice.  Find out more at www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

Huge thanks to audio and podcast production service, Podraffi, for recording and editing these podcasts.

Enterprise Nation

Niamh Barker started luxury cashmere brand The Travelwrap Company in her spare room. The proudly Scottish brand is now exporting to 22 countries.

Host Dan Martin spoke to Barker about:

- Building up an online presence
- Solving the problem of copycats
- The importance of targeting the right market

Small Business Sessions is powered by Xero and we’ve got an exclusive offer of 50% off the cloud accounting software for 12 months! Find out more at the below link.

https://www.enterprisenation.com/xero-beautiful-accounting-software/

S4 EP12: Building a luxury brand from a spare room

This week’s Small Business Sessions podcast welcomes Henry Deakin, who’s taken the helm of seventh generation family business Deakin & Francis. 

Gemologist and designer Deakin discusses his gamble to open a flagship store in Piccadilly Arcade, influencer marketing and what it’s like to join the family firm with host Dan Martin.

Small Business Sessions is powered by Xero and we’ve got an exclusive offer of 50% off the cloud accounting software for 12 months! Find out more at the below link.

https://www.enterprisenation.com/xero-beautiful-accounting-software/

S4 E11: Marketing a 233-year-old family business

The Small Business Sessions, Enterprise Nation's podcast powered by Xero, is back for another episode. Series four, hosted by Enterprise Nation head of content Dan Martin, features a brilliant line-up of entrepreneurs and experts sharing insights and inspiration on how to start and grow a brilliant business.

Late payment is a massive issue for small businesses. Recent research showed UK SME late payment debt has risen to £23.4bn, up £10.4bn on the £13bn owed in 2018. It is estimated that the average business is owed £23,360 in late payments and there are an estimated 50,000 insolvencies as a result of the problem every year.

In this podcast, we're joined by former Small Business Commissioner Paul Uppal (he left the role after we recorded the podcast) and Rob Drake, co-founder of Brave Spark. They discuss issues including how to chase payments, how the Small Business Commissioner's office can help, examples of large businesses that aren't paying on time, whether big businesses should be fined for not paying late and the impact of late payment on business owners' mental health

To find out more, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

S4 E10: How to deal with late payment

The Small Business Sessions, Enterprise Nation's podcast powered by Xero, is back for another episode. Series four, hosted by Enterprise Nation head of content Dan Martin, features a brilliant line-up of entrepreneurs and experts sharing insights and inspiration on how to start and grow a brilliant business.

This week we're joined by Ry Morgan, co-founder of Unmind, a B2B workplace wellness platform that decreases stress, enhances sleep, and improves the business performance of employees. 

Ry started the business for very personal reasons having suffered clinical depression himself and having to see a crisis team every day for two weeks because he was deemed at high risk of suicide. He had various therapy sessions and was put on medication all whilst building and exiting his first business.  

In a hugely insightful podcast, the serial entrepreneur explains how he has built the platform, getting businesses on board, why bosses need to support their employees' health and wellbeing, raising millions in funding from investors who care about the issue and his tips for how entrepreneurs can manage their own mental health.

To find out more, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

S4 E9: Mental health for entrepreneurs

The Small Business Sessions, Enterprise Nation's podcast powered by Xero, is back for another episode. Series four, hosted by Enterprise Nation head of content Dan Martin, features a brilliant line-up of entrepreneurs and experts sharing insights and inspiration on how to start and grow a brilliant business.

This week we welcome an entrepreneur whose business journey we've followed from the start. Krisi Smith is the co-founder of Bird & Blend Tea Co. which she set up with her partner Mike in a back bedroom. 

Five years on the business operates seven retail stores across the UK selling its loose leaf tea and other products. 

Along the way Krisi and Mike have achieved many successes including crowdfunding over £364,000 in 24 hours. 

In an insights packed podcast, Krisi discusses growing from a bedroom start-up, the reasons behind the business' crowdfunding success, why she turned down the big four supermarkets, building a strong community around her brand, why she had to change her business' name, how to make the most of Christmas for your business and lots more!

To find out more, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

S4 E8: The tea mixologist brewing up success

The Small Business Sessions, Enterprise Nation's podcast powered by Xero, is back for another episode. Series four, hosted by Enterprise Nation head of content Dan Martin, features a brilliant line-up of entrepreneurs and experts sharing insights and inspiration on how to start and grow a brilliant business.

Gone are the days when businesses only had one or two options for funding; there are now lots of choices. One of them is Iwoca, which provides business loans of £1,000 - £200,000 without long waits and endless paperwork. In this week's podcast, Colin Goldstein, Iwoca's commercial growth director, joins Edwards Berks, at Xero, to discuss: finance options open to small businesses, how to manage cashflow, the role of accountants, dealing with late payment and the government's alternative finance referral scheme.

To find out more, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

S4 E7: All you need to know about alternative finance

The Small Business Sessions, Enterprise Nation's podcast powered by Xero, is back for another episode.  Series four, hosted by Enterprise Nation head of content Dan Martin, features a brilliant line-up of entrepreneurs and experts sharing insights and inspiration on how to start and grow a brilliant business. You might recognise this week's guests from TV. ​In 2017 Ed Hollands won £30,000 investment on Dragons' Den from entrepreneur Jenny Campbell. Ed's business is DrivenMedia which allows brands to advertise on the back of trucks. Before the Den, Jenny Campbell spent 32 years in banking after joining Natwest aged 16. She went on to buy YourCash, an independent cash machine provider, from RBS which she ran for 10 years before selling it in 2016. It's rare to hear an investor and their investee together so this is a fascinating chat. Tune in for to hear issues covered including what it's really like to pitch on Dragons' Den, how Jenny Campbell decides to invest in a business, how to value your business, the state of entrepreneurship in the UK and Jenny's thoughts on why young people should get a job before starting a business.

S4 E6: Behind the scenes at Dragons' Den

The Small Business Sessions, Enterprise Nation's podcast powered by Xero, is back for another episode.  Series four, hosted by Enterprise Nation head of content Dan Martin, features a brilliant line-up of entrepreneurs and experts sharing insights and inspiration on how to start and grow a brilliant business. This week we're all about business growth with two entrepreneurs telling us how they've scaled their companies and what you can learn. Gary Turner is the co-founder and UK managing director of Xero. He grew the accounting software firm from a three person start-up with £50,000 revenue to a £40m+ business and hundreds of staff. Joining him is Sidonie Warren, the co-founder of independent stationery retail chain Papersmiths. What started as a studio space in Bristol became a small shop with a budget of £500 and a lot of elbow grease. That business now has five stores in Brighton, Bristol and London. While Papersmiths and Xero are very different businesses, Gary and Sidonie have similar experiences and views on business growth. In an insights-packed episode, listen out for tips and advice on finding great talent from the start, growing and maintaining a strong company culture, the importance of social media, creating an effective brand identity and why consumers want an experience as well as great products. To find out more, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

S4 E5: A tale of two businesses

The Small Business Sessions, Enterprise Nation's podcast powered by Xero, is back for another episode.  Series four, hosted by Enterprise Nation head of content Dan Martin, features a brilliant line-up of entrepreneurs and experts sharing insights and inspiration on how to start and grow a brilliant business. This week we're joined by podcaster and influencer, Sarah Akwisombe. Sarah started her interior design blog on the side while working at a tech start-up. The blog grew and she decided to take it full time. She has since become an influencer in the interior design world and worked with major brands including Dulux. Sarah now also runs No Bull Business School which delivers "straight-up courses to help women build a kick-ass business and brand" and the No Bull Business Women podcast. In a podcast packed full of insights, the entrepreneur discusses how to grow a readership for your blog, the importance of video, podcasting and Instagram, why women in business face different challenges to men, female entrepreneurs' confidence and appetite for risk and running a business with your partner. To find out more, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

S4 E4: The no bull business blogger

The Small Business Sessions, Enterprise Nation's podcast powered by Xero, is back for another episode.  Series four, hosted by Enterprise Nation head of content Dan Martin, features a brilliant line-up of entrepreneurs and experts sharing insights and inspiration on how to start and grow a brilliant business.

Only two years after launching her healthy healthy bakery company Fit Bakes, Enterprise Nation member Ellen Rauen-Prestes has managed to get her cakes stocked in major retailers including Sainsbury's and Selfridges. 

The Brazilian-born entrepreneur came up with her business idea when she noticed that Brits have an awkward relationship with cakes. Although we have entire supermarket aisles dedicated to the sweet treat, it was hard to find low sugar, low calorie or high protein varieties.  

It was a culture shock to Ella as back in Brazil, healthy substitutes are the norm. For example, you'll find stevia in the sugar pot or have a glass of coconut water instead of squash. With that realisation, Fit Bakes was born.  

In a podcast packed full of insights, the entrepreneur discusses how she has used social media influencers to grow sales, the importance of Facebook advertising and retargeting, how to get retail buyers on side, why email marketing is still vital to business growth and how to use awards to grow trust around your brand.

To find out more, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

S4 E3: The entrepreneur baking up guilt free cakes

The Small Business Sessions, Enterprise Nation's podcast powered by Xero, is back for another episode.  Series four, hosted by Enterprise Nation head of content Dan Martin, features a brilliant line-up of entrepreneurs and experts sharing insights and inspiration on how to start and grow a brilliant business. 

In episode two, Sylwia Kotarba from Accounts and Legal discusses Making Tax Digital (MTD), the government initiative which aims to see the end of the tax return and transform the tax system. Since April, businesses with turnover above the £85,000 VAT threshold have been required to submit tax information digitally in an effort to make systems and businesses more efficient and deal with the £9.4bn tax revenues lost each year due to errors.

In the podcast, Kotarba explains what MTD is, what you need to do to comply and what happens if you don't. She also provides great advice on how to select the perfect accountant for your business. 

To find out more, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

Useful resources relevant to this podcast:

Making Tax Digital government advice: https://buff.ly/2p98ACX
Enterprise Nation Making Tax Digital hub: https://buff.ly/2oi6ZKu

S4 E2: Making Tax Digital and choosing the perfect accountant

The Small Business Sessions, Enterprise Nation's podcast powered by Xero, is back!  For series four, a brilliant line-up of entrepreneurs and experts share insights and inspiration on how to start and grow a brilliant business. Hosted by Enterprise Nation head of content Dan Martin, we'll be covering issues including business growth, retail, late payment, mental health and alternative finance over 12 episodes. 

For episode one, we're joined by Emma Jones, who launched Enterprise Nation after starting and selling a business from home after just 15 months and Anne Timpany, who built a one man band domestic plumbing business into a multi-million pound building services group. As an introduction to the subjects covered in the series, Emma and Anne discuss having a growth mindset, chasing late payments, female entrepreneurs' attitude to risk and small business owners' mental health and wellbeing. 

To find out more, go to https://www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

S4 E1: A mindset for growth from day one

The Small Business Sessions podcast from Enterprise Nation and powered by Xero is back for another inspiring episode. Every week Enterprise Nation founder Emma Jones speaks to entrepreneurs and experts about starting and growing a successful business. In the last episode of the current series of the Small Business Sessions podcast with Xero we meet Jas Bagnieowski, co-founder of mattress company Eve. Eve is a company which saw massive growth very quickly. In its first year, the business sold 11,000 mattresses and made a turnover of £3.5m. It also raised £57m, much of which came from the company going public in 2017. But the losses were high too and in July 2018, Bagnieowski quit following a profit warning after a 61% sales growth, short of the 100% growth expected. We recorded this podcast before the entrepreneur stepped down but have chosen to still release it to give insights into the early growth of the business. To find out more about the Small Business Sessions, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

This podcast was recorded and edited by audio and podcast production service, Podraffi.

S3 E12: The entrepreneur who raised £57m to help people have a good kip

The Small Business Sessions podcast from Enterprise Nation and powered by Xero is back for another inspiring episode. Every week Enterprise Nation founder Emma Jones speaks to entrepreneurs and experts about starting and growing a successful business. This week, Damon Anderson from Xero and Jonathan Bareham from accountancy firm Raedan discuss the government initiative which aims to see the end of the tax return and transform the tax system by 2020. Businesses, starting with those above the VAT Threshold, are required to submit tax information digitally in an effort to make systems and businesses more efficient and deal with the £9.4bn tax revenues lost each year due to errors. An estimated 1.2m small businesses will be impacted by the initial rollout of Making Tax Digital changes next April. Around 500,000 of them are currently using spreadsheets, paper or nothing to manage their tax! If you're one of them or even if you're not tune in and start planning early! To find out more about the Small Business Sessions, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

This podcast was recorded and edited by audio and podcast production service, Podraffi.

S3 E11: The tax revolution you need to know about

The Small Business Sessions podcast from Enterprise Nation and powered by Xero is back for another inspiring episode. Every week Enterprise Nation founder Emma Jones speaks to entrepreneurs and experts about starting and growing a successful business. This week, Xero co-founder Gary Turner discusses the company's groundbreaking new Small Business Insights service which highlights from a sample of 300,000 small businesses issues such as cashflow, late payment and exports. In a fascinating conversation, he discusses issues including the average late payment period suffered by small businesses and how FTSE 350 companies are the worst offenders. The entrepreneur also explains how this valuable and groundbreaking data is being presented to government to better inform ministers on exactly how the UK's smallest businesses are operating. To find out more about the Small Business Sessions, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

This podcast was recorded and edited by audio and podcast production service, Podraffi.

S3 E10: The state of Britain's small business economy in real time

The Small Business Sessions podcast from Enterprise Nation and powered by Xero is back for another inspiring episode. Every week Enterprise Nation founder Emma Jones speaks to entrepreneurs and experts about starting and growing a successful business. This week we meet Lacey Hunter Felton and Nico Bonfiglioli, co-founders of The Hunter Collective, a unique co-working salon studio and event space in London for freelance beauty and fashion experts. We're also joined by Helen Prowse from Square, the company set up by Twitter founder Jack Dorsey that takes the drama out of taking payments.  Together with Emma Jones they discuss taking payments, making sales and how technology can help you do it. Lacey and Nico also discuss the impact of massive increases in business rates and the benefits of two founders with different skills and personalities. To find out more about the Small Business Sessions, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

This podcast was recorded and edited by audio and podcast production service, Podraffi.

S3 E9: Making sales, battling business rates and why two founders are better than one

The Small Business Sessions podcast from Enterprise Nation and powered by Xero is back for another inspiring episode. Every week Enterprise Nation founder Emma Jones speaks to entrepreneurs and experts about starting and growing a successful business. This week we look at the massive issue for small businesses of late payment. We're joined by Paul Uppal, the small business commissioner appointed by the government to help small businesses deal with tardy payers. To find out more about the Small Business Sessions, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

This podcast was recorded and edited by audio and podcast production service, Podraffi.

S3 E8: The man helping your business get paid on time

The Small Business Sessions podcast from Enterprise Nation and powered by Xero is back for another inspiring episode. Every week Enterprise Nation founder Emma Jones speaks to entrepreneurs and experts about starting and growing a successful business. It was hard to avoid the term 'GDPR' earlier this year. New European regulations governing the way businesses manage data were headline news and we all got very used to those 'please stay on our mailing list' emails! Four months on, we catch up with Enterprise Nation members Alice Stephenson from Stephenson Law and Gerrard Fisher from Astrid Data Protection for tips on what happens now that GDPR is with us.

To find out more about the Small Business Sessions, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

This podcast was recorded and edited by audio and podcast production service, Podraffi.

S3 E7: Data do's and don'ts: GDPR is here so what happens now?

The Small Business Sessions podcast from Enterprise Nation and powered by Xero is back for another inspiring episode. Every week Enterprise Nation founder Emma Jones speaks to entrepreneurs and experts about starting and growing a successful business. This week we look at artificial intelligence. Everyone is talking about AI but what is it, why do you need to know about it and how can it help your small business? Gary Turner, Xero co-founder and UK chief executive, answers those questions and argues why despite concerns over the rise of AI, automation can sit alongside humanisation. To find out more about the Small Business Sessions, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

This podcast was recorded and edited by audio and podcast production service, Podraffi.

S3 E6: Can artificial intelligence really transform your small business?

The Small Business Sessions from Enterprise Nation is back and powered by Xero. Every week Enterprise Nation founder Emma Jones speaks to entrepreneurs and experts about starting and growing a successful business. Charlie Green and Olly Olsen worked for serviced office properties but recognised that the industry needed a modern shake-up. That change is now The Office Group, which has over 15,000 members working across 33 buildings, 31 of which are in London, with six more due to open next year. In this podcast, Charlie and Olly discuss how community has always been at the heart of the business, their tips for running a business with a friend and why they decided to sell the company for £500m. To find out more about the Small Business Sessions, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

This podcast was recorded and edited by audio and podcast production service, Podraffi.

S3 E5: Building a £500m workplace giant

The Small Business Sessions from Enterprise Nation is back and powered by Xero. Every week Enterprise Nation founder Emma Jones speaks to entrepreneurs and experts about starting and growing a successful business. In this episode, Paul Grey, co-founder of A2X, joins us from New Zealand to share very useful insights from his decade of experience doing it himself and helping thousands of other business owners sell products to customers around the world through online marketplaces like Amazon and eBay. To find out more about the Small Business Sessions, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

This podcast was recorded and edited by audio and podcast production service, Podraffi.

S3 E4: How to take your business global with online marketplaces

The Small Business Sessions from Enterprise Nation is back and powered by Xero. Every week Enterprise Nation founder Emma Jones speaks to entrepreneurs and experts about starting and growing a successful business. In this episode, Hannah Dawson, founder of forecasting and reporting platform Futrli, discusses how having a strong understanding of your numbers gives business owners confidence in where they’ve been, how they are operating today and where they're going. She also discusses how has grown her own business, her plans for going global and where she turns for support.  To find out more about the Small Business Sessions, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

This podcast was recorded and edited by audio and podcast production service, Podraffi.

S3 E3: Forecasting your future and growing a business that lasts

The Small Business Sessions from Enterprise Nation is back and powered by Xero. Every week Enterprise Nation founder Emma Jones speaks to entrepreneurs and experts about starting and growing a successful business.  Next up is Ben Coomber, a man who used to be obese and suffered with IBS, ADHD, Eczema and Asthma. He went on to lose five stone of fat and put on three stone of muscle and created Ben Coomber Radio, which is now the UK’s number one rated health and fitness podcast. He has also worked with major UK companies like Twinning’s Tea, O2 and Sky TV, is a keynote speaker on fitness issues and has coached thousands of people via his Fat Loss for Life programme. To find out more about the Small Business Sessions, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

This podcast was recorded and edited by audio and podcast production service, Podraffi.

S3 E2: Building the UK's number one health and fitness podcast

The Small Business Sessions from Enterprise Nation and powered by Xero is back for series three! Each week Enterprise Nation founder Emma Jones MBE speaks to entrepreneurs and experts about starting and growing a successful business. To kick off, we have a revealing interview with social entrepreneur Sam Conniff Allende who discusses his entrepreneurial journey from a business during the nightclub boom at the start of the millennium, suffering death threats and massive debt to growing a digital agency with a conscience and writing his book, Be More Pirate, which reveals how the radical strategies of pirates provide solutions for making your mark on the 21st century. To find out more, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

This podcast was recorded and edited by audio and podcast production service, Podraffi.

S3 E1: Why entrepreneurs should be more pirate

The Small Business Sessions from Enterprise Nation is back and powered by Xero. Every week Enterprise Nation founder Emma Jones speaks to entrepreneurs and experts about starting and growing a successful business. Next up, Giles Williams, co-founder of Urban Massage,  discusses the inspirational story of his on-demand massage booking platform. To find out more, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

Huge thanks to audio and podcast production service, Podraffi, for recording and editing this podcast.

Series two, episode 12: 'The pizza tracker for massage therapists'

The Small Business Sessions from Enterprise Nation is back and powered by Xero. Every week Enterprise Nation founder Emma Jones speaks to entrepreneurs and experts about starting and growing a successful business. Next up, Jenny Tooth, CEO of the UK Business Angels Association, the trade body for angel and early stage investing, discusses the ins and outs of finding and working with an angel investor based on over 20 years' experience of facilitating access to investment for SMEs. To find out more, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

Huge thanks to audio and podcast production service, Podraffi, for recording and editing this podcast.

Series two, episode 11: Show me the money! How to get an investor

The Small Business Sessions from Enterprise Nation is back and powered by Xero. Every week Enterprise Nation founder Emma Jones speaks to entrepreneurs and experts about starting and growing a successful business. Next up, Adam Thompson, commercial director at plant-based organic food and drink brand Rebel Kitchen, discusses running a for profit brand with strong sustainable values. He also talks about supplying products to major retailers including Waitrose and Sainsbury's and advertising the brand on the London Underground. To find out more, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

Huge thanks to audio and podcast production service, Podraffi, for recording and editing this podcast.

Series two, episode 10: Rebel with a cause

The Small Business Sessions from Enterprise Nation is back and powered by Xero. Every week Enterprise Nation founder Emma Jones speaks to entrepreneurs and experts about starting and growing a successful business. Next up, James Gold tells the inspiring story of fashion accessory brand Skinnydip London. He discusses its growth from an idea to selling through ASOS, Urban Outfitters, Selfridges and Top Shop and more plus his very ambitious plans to expand across the world.  To find out more, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

Huge thanks to audio and podcast production service, Podraffi, for recording and editing this podcast.

Series two, episode nine: 'We want to build the biggest brand in the world'

The Small Business Sessions from Enterprise Nation is back and powered by Xero. Every week Enterprise Nation founder Emma Jones speaks to entrepreneurs and experts about starting and growing a successful business. Next up, Enterprise Nation member Jamie Hewitt from Rocketship WP shares tips for getting your website high up the search engine rankings. To find out more, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

Huge thanks to audio and podcast production service, Podraffi, for recording and editing this podcast.

Series two, episode eight: Steal the show with SEO

The Small Business Sessions from Enterprise Nation is back and powered by Xero. Every week Enterprise Nation founder Emma Jones speaks to entrepreneurs and experts about starting and growing a successful business. Next up, Anil Stocker, co-founder of MarketInvoice, discusses alternative finance and growing his own business from three co-founders in 2011 to a team of over 100. To find out more, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

Huge thanks to audio and podcast production service, Podraffi, for recording and editing this podcast.

Series two, episode seven: How to access alternative finance

The Small Business Sessions from Enterprise Nation is back and powered by Xero. Every week Enterprise Nation founder Emma Jones speaks to entrepreneurs and experts about starting and growing a successful business. Next up, Ed Sanford from accountancy firm Chaddesley Sanford discusses accounting best practices for small businesses. To find out more, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

Huge thanks to audio and podcast production service, Podraffi, for recording and editing this podcast.

Series two, episode six: Getting small businesses financially fit

The Small Business Sessions from Enterprise Nation is back and powered by Xero. Every week Enterprise Nation founder Emma Jones speaks to entrepreneurs and experts about starting and growing a successful business. Next up, Peter Czapp, co-founder of The Wow Company, discusses data, measuring performance and the characteristics of great businesses. To find out more, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

Huge thanks to audio and podcast production service, Podraffi, for recording and editing this podcast.

Series two, episode five: What makes great businesses great

The Small Business Sessions from Enterprise Nation is back and powered by Xero. Every week Enterprise Nation founder Emma Jones speaks to entrepreneurs and experts about starting and growing a successful business. Next up, Jacqui Ma, Enterprise Nation member and founder of Goodordering, discusses building a global start-up. To find out more, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

Huge thanks to audio and podcast production service, Podraffi, for recording and editing this podcast.

Series two, episode four: How a Hackney brand took on the world and is winning

The Small Business Sessions from Enterprise Nation is back and powered by Xero. Every week Enterprise Nation founder Emma Jones speaks to entrepreneurs and experts about starting and growing a successful business. Next up, Gary Turner, UK managing director at Xero, discusses how to build a world class workforce for your business. To find out more, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

Huge thanks to audio and podcast production service, Podraffi, for recording and editing this podcast.

Series two, episode three: Building a world class team

The Small Business Sessions from Enterprise Nation is back and powered by Xero. Every week Enterprise Nation founder Emma Jones speaks to entrepreneurs and experts about starting and growing a successful business. Next up, Simon Coley, co-founder of Karma Cola, discusses his Fairtrade drinks brand which gives part of the proceeds to organic cane sugar and real cola nut farmers in Sierra Leone. He also discusses how he got stocked in major retailers and restaurants. To find out more, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

Huge thanks to audio and podcast production service, Podraffi, for recording and editing this podcast.

Series two, episode two: Changing lives & getting stocked by big businesses

The Small Business Sessions from Enterprise Nation is back and powered by Xero.  Every week Enterprise Nation founder Emma Jones speaks to entrepreneurs and experts about various stages of starting a growing a successful business. To kick us off, Oliver Bridge, founder of men's shaving supplies and toiletries business Cornerstone and his mentor and growth adviser, Richard Fifield, discuss how surrounding your business with support gives it the best chance to thrive.  To find out more, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

Huge thanks to audio and podcast production service, Podraffi, for recording and editing this podcast.

Series two, episode one: How to work with a mentor

The 35th session is with Enterprise Nation member Ceri Jones. A natural chef wasn't much of a thing five years ago when Ceri left her job in the music industry and went off to San Fransisco to train as one. How things change! With the recent launch of the Natural Kitchen Adventures app which is based around seasonal recipes, plus cooking for clients on yoga retreats and teaching classes of her own, Ceri, a trained chef who cooks with seasonal whole foods that are organic and local whenever possible, certainly has her work cut out!

Ceri from Natural Kitchen Adventures

The 34th session is with Enterprise Nation member Rachel Maclean. As the co-founder of a HR platform aimed at small businesses, Enterprise Nation member Rachel Maclean's Session should be helpful as well as inspiring! Rachel quit her full time job in HR after 20 years to set up Air because she saw a real gap in the market. The Enterprise Nation member runs her business predominantly out of Birmingham but makes the most of the benefits of remote working with her employees spread all over the globe including five employees based in Russia. The next team meeting is happening in Prague which definitely sounds like an added benefit!

Rachel from Air

The 33rd session is with Enterprise Nation member Sophie Bush. Is the New year inspiring a bit of a sort out at home? Well perhaps the first of our 2017 Small Business Sessions might get your idea cogs whirring! Sophie is the founder of My Warehouse Home. After moving in to a new warehouse flat herself, she left her job at Conde Nast to set up her own magazine aimed at people living in or interested in high end warehouse conversions or industrial buildings. The publication is now read in 60 different countries worldwide and Sophie has also developed an e-shop and is looking forward to her first coffee table book which is due to be published this spring. Sophie's global ambitions led her to join our trade mission to Amsterdam last year.

Sophie from My Warehouse Home

The 32nd session is with Enterprise Nation member and founder of  Tuckshop Flowers Carole Patilla. Carole chatted to us on a break between dashing from one Christmas wreath making workshop to another which makes a very fitting festive finalee to our 2016 podcasts. After being asked to organise the flowers for her brother in law's funeral and at a point of feeling dissatisfied with her 20 year teaching career, Carole decided it was time to make a living out of doing something that she really loved. Tuckshop Flowers now provides arrangements for weddings, funerals and events, all sourced from Carole's suburban garden, allotment and the brilliant Flowers from the Farm network, which aims to increase the proportion of flowers bought in the UK that are also grown here from the current 10%.

Carole from Tuckshop Flowers

The 31st session is with Enterprise Nation member and Worktaster founder Sally Tomlinson. Lying exhausted after tackling the New York marathon isn't the obvious time to come up with a business idea, but that's what happened to Sally Tomlinson.  Sally is one of the brains behind Worktaster, a platform for young people aged 14 to 19 to find the work experience they need to get started on their career journey.  It helps schools to monitor what they're up to and report their findings to Ofsted at the same time as giving businesses a hassle free way of engaging their local community.

Sally from Worktaster

The 30th episode is with TROVE co-founder and Enterprise Nation member Ada Okpe. TROVE is a company that sources local items such as luxury toiletries, guidebooks and fresh coffee to be left for guests by Airbnb hosts.  With his co-founder Tom, he was inspired to start the business after travelling in the US staying in Airbnb properties and a luxury hotel in Las Vegas. Noticing that the hotel has plenty of in room treats that the Airbnb rooms didn't, the entrepreneurs had their lightbulb moment and TROVE was born.

Ada from Trove

The 29th session is with Enterprise Nation member and Memrica founder Mary Matthews. Mary is inspirational founder of Memrica, an app that is truly life changing. The service creates what the entrepreneur describes as a 'back up memory' and helps people who are anxious about forgetting people and places which impacts on their social confidence and, for many, leads to depression. Mary's story is a very personal one having been encouraged to start the business after her sister died of motor neurone disease and remembering her quickly became vitally important. This session is an absolute must-listen.

Mary from Memrica

The 28th episode is with Enterprise Nation member and co-founder of Bluebird Tea Co. Krisi Smith. With her partner Mike, tea mixologist and Enterprise Nation member Krisi founded Bluebird Tea Co. The couple are on a mission to do what other people do with cocktails but using tea blends instead. Big and unusual flavours are their thing with combos like rhubarb and custard, cherry bakewell and mulled cider alongside more familiar blends such as Earl Grey and English breakfast. Adamant that it would be a retail business above everything else, the entrepreneurs turned down offers from supermarkets including Waitrose and Tesco and now have three of their own stores in Brighton, Bristol and Tunbridge Wells, a successful e-commerce platform, a team of 30 people and have recently taken on their second warehouse. That all seems a very long way from the oh-so-familiar spare bedroom operation that kicked it all off.

Krisi from Bluebird Tea Co.

The 27th episode is with Enterprise Nation member and founder of Henpicked, Deborah Garlick. A very special session this week as it was recorded live on stage at Enterprise Nation's Festival of Female Entrepreneurs last month. After spotting a gap in the market for a website catering for woman over 40, Deborah Garlick co-founded Henpicked with some friends to cater for the things that they wanted to see talked about online. With no formal editorial team involved, the sites features stories written by real woman about happiness, health and wealth.

Deborah from Henpicked

The 26th episode is with Enterprise Nation member and Piccolo founder Cat Gazzoli. With culinary legend Prue Leith as a mentor and an investor plus a child nutritionist and a creative with a branding background with brands like Itsu as co-founders, Cat Gazzoli has already got a pretty good cheerleading squad for her organic baby food brand Piccolo. The entrepreneur is passionate about ethical sourcing from small independent family farms and gives 10% of profits to the National Childbirth Trust from her products which are already stocked in Waitrose and Asda just six months after launching. We recorded this session at the Festival of Female Entrepreneurs in Bristol on 21 October before Cat took to the stage to pitch for the title of Female Start-up of the Year.

Cat from Piccolo

The 25th episode is with Enterprise Nation member and This Mum Runs founder Mel Bound. As an exhausted Mum, Mel Bound was desperate to regain a bit of time to herself and put a post on a Facebook group one evening to see if anyone else fancied joining her for a jog in the park after she'd put the kids to bed. 75 women showed up from just that one post and now her community This Mum Runs boasts over 4,000 members. This Mum Runs focuses on creating a space where time strapped mums can regain a bit of headspace by doing exercise together without feeling intimidated or under pressure to loose weight or get fit. Her success was rewarded on 21 October when she was crowned Female Start-up of the Year at our Festival of Female Entrepreneurs on 21 October. We recorded a podcast with Mel before she took to the stage to pitch. This Small Business Session oozes with Mel's infectious enthusiasm about what she's getting up to and why she's doing it. Inspiring and then some.

Mel from This Mum Runs

The 24th session is with Enterprise Nation member and Etieno founder Precious Jason. Diagnosed in 2012 with leukemia. Precious struggled to find natural products that were safe and nourishing enough to the mend the damage that was done to her skin after treatment.  That gave her the idea for Etieno, a range of skincare products that make life easier for cancer patients. Setting up a business whilst undergoing cancer treatment unsurprisingly has brought challenges but it has also provided Precious with a great testing ground, canvassing feedback from everyone that crosses her path including medical consultants and those next to her in the waiting room. This is the lady who a year ago came as an audience member to Enterprise Nation's Beauty Exchange with her early stage product, to this year's event where she joined us on stage with a stack of awards under her belt. It's stories like that as well as Precious' own personal journey that make the Small Business Sessions what they are.

Precious from Etieno Skincare

The 23rd session is with Simon Lyons, Enterprise Nation member and founder of product design studio Version 22. In this session Simon offers up some great advice about the struggles that so many start-ups face over cashflow and knowing what to prioritise when. Both of his products have been launched through crowdfunding and it was his first campaign that got him chatting to our founder Emma Jones on Twitter. That chat led to him featuring on a panel at one of our events and a piece in the Economist. Since then he has visited 10 Downing with us and secured a piece in The Sunday Times after our Meet the Journalist events in Nottingham. If we ever need a testimonial, we know who to call!

Simon from Version 22

The 22nd session is with Enterprise Nation member and StatueFindr founder Grace Everett. Author Grace Everett had an idea for a book about London's great statues that morphed in to an idea for an app. She has now launched StatueFindr which provides a new way to explore the diverse range of sculptures in the city of Westminster. Spot a statue, check the app and you'll get information about the statue and the artist who created it.  Listen to this session for a great discussion on setting goals and Grace's brilliant answer to our regular question asking what superpower entrepreneurs would like to have.

Grace from StatueFindr

The 21st session is with Robert Edmonds, Enterprise Nation member and founder of NRG Digital. Robert is a three times BAFTA nominated director, producer and editor and spent 17 years in the TV industry working on some of Britain's most popular primetime shows including Grand Designs and Crimewatch.  Rob has now moved into the commercial sector and founded NRG Digital, which creates content driven video and events for some of the biggest brands in the world. Tune into this week's session for discussion around the importance of building trust, dealing with the loneliness of going it alone and what makes great content.

Robert from NRG Digital

The 20th session is with Enterprise Nation member and founder of David Harris Magic, David Harris. With a father who performed magic to entertain him for hours on end, it's perhaps not surprising that David Harris ended up being a magician for a living. Swapping a career in security services to getting paid to have fun and entertain people has required years of practice and a commitment to spending at least two hours a day on his craft. The one trick he hasn't quite mastered though is how to explain to people that doing magic really is what he actually does as a job!

David from David Harris Magic

The 19th session is with Enteprise Nation Member and Annellino founder Gabriella Turner. Gabriella discovered an Aladdin's Cave when visiting her grandmother in Italy who wanted to buy her a graduation present. She fell in love the 150-year-old workshop operated by a third generation goldsmith which inspired her to set up fine jewellery brand, Annellino. Gabriella's 18 carat gold products are now made in the workshop using a technique followed by Renaissance sculptors. Listen to this session for an inspiring discussion about supporting artisan producers, the importance of outsourcing to experts and how to stay motivated when working on your own. 

Gabriella from Annellino

The 18th session is with Enterprise Nation member and Ibraheem Toy Store founder Nazia Nasreen. Standing terrified in front of journalists doesn't sound like the perfect night out, but the brains behind the UK's first online Islamic toy store summoned the courage and it paid off! That pitch at Enterprise Nation's Meet the Journalists even in Birmingham led to her being featured in the Economist and local publication, Business Quarter Magazine. Nazia then attended one of our digital bootcamps and met a brand strategist and a packaging expert, both of whom she's now working with. If you ever needed a session that encourages you with real life examples of just how many opportunities are out there when you step out of your comfort zone, this is it!

Nazia from Ibraheem Toy House

The 17th session is with Enterprise Nation member and The Perfume Garden founder Marina Barcenilla. Marina distinctly remembers sniffing just about everything that passed her by so it's no surprise that she ended up as a perfumer! She founded The Perfume Garden five years ago, which focuses on creating luxurious fragrances inspired by nature for a whole range of different products from perfumes to skin care to candles and home fragrances. Self taught and a big experimenter, The Perfume Garden has really blossomed in the last year with a recent run of awards but Marina is the first to admit that it has taken time and a lot of patience to get to this stage which is probably very reassuring for a lot of us to hear!

Marina from The Perfume Garden

The 16th session is with Enterprise Nation member and Neo-Slip founder Neomi Bennett. Neomi left school without any qualifications but once she'd had her family, decided to study nursing as a mature student. It was a study project that led to her launching her own product, Neo-Slip, which now counts the NHS as one of its clients.  Neo-Slip is a little bag that goes over a patient's foot to help combat the difficulties with putting on anti-embolism stockings. With 25,000 people in the UK dying each year of deep vein thrombosis after they've had an operation, most of which could have been avoided, the product is much needed. Neomi's intention was never to start her own business though so this session is a great example of how entrepreneurial ideas can come right out of nowhere.

Neomi from Neo-Slip

The 15th session is with Enterprise Nation members and Deakin & Francis directors, Henry and James Deakin. Most children are used to playgrounds growing up, but not Henry and James. Their fun was centred around learning how to melt and bend metal in the Birmingham jewellery factory that was founded by their family 230 years ago. As the current owners of Deakin & Francis, England's oldest family jewellers, the brothers keep the heritage of a company founded in 1786 whilst simultaneously allowing it to evolve and grow to a business that's now retailing all over the world with a flagship London store in the pipeline. This session is a fascinating insight in to the behind-the-scenes-workings of a family run business and the importance of absorbing the knowledge of those who have gone before you. 

Henry and James from Deakin & Francis

The 14th session is with Enterprise Nation Classic member and Teahuggers founder Esther Thompson. Four bouts of tonsillitis, 10 years mulling over the idea, and a little nudge from Enterprise Nation's StartUp Saturday one day business class gave coffee addict Esther the confidence to launch healthy tea brand, Teahuggers. She is a big advocate of the power of passion for what you're doing as well as the importance of surrounding yourself with the right people.  Now with a range of 10 different teas to her name and stockists including Selfridges and Jamie Oliver, it seems that's rather a winning formula!

Esther from Teahuggers

The 13th session is with Enterprise Nation Classic member and Doopoll co-founder Steve Dimmick. Cardiff-based Doopoll is an online service that helps employees, students, friends, and club members make more honest decisions together. Head to an anonymous page and give your opinion on something with a swipe or a click. No words to type, super fast and completely un-influenced. Be warned, in this session Steve does get emotional! A real example of how much passion and emotional investment is often tied up in entrepreneurial adventures.

Steve from Doopoll

The 12th session is with Enterprise Nation member and founder of Good Deed Dating, Hannah Whitehead. Hannah came up with the idea for the company, which co-ordinates volunteering opportunities for single people, after spotting a lack of young, single professionals helping out charities. After a year putting the building blocks in place, she gave in her notice to start running Good Deed Dating full time. This session is a great example of what can be created from the power of pulling in a few favours and what can be achieved by surrounding yourself with the right people.

Hannah from Good Deed Dating

The 11th session is with Enterprise Nation member Rob Hallmark, founder of Gruhme. It was definitely not the usual career progression for Rob who went from being a corporate lawyer on the hunt for a value-for-money but high quality male grooming brand, to being so frustrated he couldn't find one that he set one up himself! In his session Birmingham-based Rob is super honest about how tough it can be to start a brand but he's equally as honest about the immense satisfaction there is around eventually being approached about it once you've managed to build one. A firm believer in taking thing step by step and focusing on making a product that you would actually want to buy rather than being too distracted by what the big guys are up to, this member is a mighty fine example of entrepreneurship.

Rob from Gruhme

The 10th session is with Enterprise Nation member Genevieve Sweeney. She founded her UK manufactured premium knitwear brand when her passion found a new mission. A life long knitter, she started restoring old machinery and was introduced to a network of amazing knitters who were forced out of the industry after factories closed. The young entrepreneur now works with family run mills to create her contemporary designs and is breathing new life in to a traditional practice. This session is an inspiring example of the power and strength of what can be created when people who are really passionate about what they do, work together. 

Genevieve from Genevieve Sweeney

The ninth session is with Enterprise Nation member and T-Sticks founder Ricky Kothari. He is on a mission to transform the way we brew a cup of tea, putting an end to scooping out soggy teabags with your fingers once and for all! After being challenged by none other than prime minister David Cameron to develop his business, Ricky quit his management consultant day job to focus on T-Sticks full time. This session has some great, first hand advice around the importance of understanding the customers that you're selling to, how to create an experience round your brand and getting to trips with your USP.

Ricky from T-Sticks

The eighth session is with Jordan Daykin from GripIt Fixings. Aged just 21, he is already running a £10m business and was the youngest entrepreneur to receive investment on BBC TV's Dragons' Den. His podcast is a must listen!

Jordan from GripIt Fixings

The seventh session is with Elizabeth Malone-Johnstone, founder of Digitise This. Elizabeth is a lady who's always on the hunt for new experiences and challenges and in this session she recommends running your own business as a way to satisfy that. Listen for tips on building on community around you when going it alone and the importance of continual learning.

Elizabeth from Digitise This

The sixth session is with Theo Wasserberg, Enterprise Nation member and founder of female fashion brand Tahouts. He was inspired by a picture of his sister wearing some cool trousers on the steps of a temple. It looked like a ready made brand to him; he just had to start making them! Theo was straight in at the deep end setting up Tahouts as it launched just as he was finishing off his business degree. Obviously handy timing in a lot of ways, but it did mean that he had a bit of a crash course in doing everything all at once which can only be a great thing when it comes to featuring on the Small Business Sessions!

Theo from Tahouts

The fifth session is with Jonathan Pollinger, Enterprise Nation Adviser member and founder of Intranet Future. Whilst for some of us the changes in the digital world seem to happen faster than lightening, Jonathan thrives on that and loves being up to date with latest social media developments. Listen for some super helpful practical tips on benefiting from the power of social and how to better manage your time.

Jonathan from Intranet Future

The fourth session is with Mark Bailey, founder of MB Languages. The company, which provides specialised language training, wasn't what Mark originally set out to do. With an economics degree and a background in finance, his decision to go travelling found him teaching English by accident and that's where it all began! This session has some great advice about how useful your old contacts can be even when you find yourself wanting to do something a little bit different.

Mark from MB Languages

The third session is with Annabel Anderson, founder of Tuck n' Snug. She was at her wits end with two young children who slept terribly. Doesn't sound much fun does it?! It was exactly that though that led her to develop her children's bed linen which prevents little girls and boys from knocking their duvet and pillow onto the floor, waking up cold and crying out for their parents.

Annabel from Tuck n' Snug

The second session is with Aimee Teesdale, founder of ACT Coaching. Specialising in one-on-one and group sessions on emotional intelligence, Aimee is on a mission to educate small business owners as to why it is so important for their success and leadership. As well as her tips on that the entrepreneur also explains how she's managed the rollercoaster ride comes with an entrepreneurial adventure. 

Aimee from ACT Coaching

The first session is with The Podcast Host founder Colin Gray.  Colin was an early adopter of the podcast medium, back when it was clunky and took up a lot of storage space.  Today his whole business is built around offering advice to businesses seeking to build a sleek audio content marketing strategy to push their business into the stratosphere.