Start Your Own Business

Lifelong friends, graphic designer Gary Cadogan and agency creative leader Stuart Davis started their London-based sustainable children's footwear brand Dubs in August 2022, after the pandemic had forced the UK into lockdown.At the time, Stuart was struck by just how fast his young daughter’s feet were growing, and frustrated that the new shoes he bought didn’t last more than a few months. Worse still, most of them didn’t fit properly to begin with.Two million pairs of children’s shoes end up in landfill every week in the UK. This figure alarmed Gary and Stuart. So, they set out to design and launch a range of children’s shoes that were stylish, comfortable and immortal.In this fascinating episode, Stuart retraces his start-up journey with Gary, remembering the highs and lows, as well as the key lessons they have learned.Thanks to Sage for sponsoring this episode. Sage is currently offering listeners 90% off Sage Accounting for six months. Visit this link to claim your offer.Show notes for the episode can be found on the Start Your Own Business podcast website. Visit Start Up Donut and sign up to the Donut newsletter for more free start-up news, advice and special offers to help you save time and money.

What with rising costs, slimmer margins, increased employers’ NICs, the ever present blight caused by late payment and sluggish economic growth, as well as difficulty accessing finance, funding and skills, things continue to be tough for small businesses in the UK.Many owners need all the help they can get – so how does Sir Keir Starmer’s government plan to make life easier for small businesses in the UK in 2026 and the rest of this parliament?In this very special episode, we’re joined by Blair McDougall MP, who became the Minister for Small Business in September 2025. He only entered parliament in July 2024, after being elected MP for East Renfrewshire, but before that he had worked as a special government adviser to the Labour governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.The minister tells us about a new £10bn landmark lending package for SMEs that want to invest to expand their overseas sales, as well as detailing what other plans the government has to support small businesses in the UK.Thanks to Sage for sponsoring this episode. Sage is currently offering listeners 90% off Sage Accounting for six months. Visit this link to claim your offer.Show notes for the episode can be found on the Start Your Own Business podcast website. Visit Start Up Donut and sign up to the Donut newsletter for more free start-up news, advice and special offers to help you save time and money.

A large number of UK businesses, many of them small, sell to customers in other countries and although it can generate a fantastic revenue stream that can fuel significant growth, it does bring specific challenges.One of the key challenges for UK-based businesses is accepting payments in other currencies, which provides many pitfalls, especially if you lack experience and knowledge. Small businesses can end up paying high bank account fees and charges, while not gaining much interest from their deposits.To provide small UK businesses with a better option, iFAST Global Bank offers a multi-currency business account. So, what is it, how does it work and how does it benefit small UK businesses that accept payments from overseas?In this episode we speak to Steve Chu, Head of Commercial Banking at iFAST Global Bank. He explains what a multi-currency business account is and when your business would need one.Thanks to iFAST Global Bank for sponsoring this episode.Show notes for the episode can be found on the Start Your Own Business podcast website. Visit Start Up Donut and sign up to the Donut newsletter for more free start-up news, advice and special offers to help you save time and money.

Research suggests that 80% of businesses with employees that use digital tools use accounting software. But that figure falls to about 50% for those with fewer than 20 employees, while among the solo self-employed, just 33% use accounting software.Non-users miss out massively on numerous business benefits. Accounting software saves time and money through automations and reducing manual data entry, while improving accuracy and reducing bookkeeping errors. It enables better cash flow management, cost control and decision-making thanks to the real-time financial insight it provides. It also simplifies tax and compliance, while making your business more professional and your financial data more secure.Many more sole traders and landlords are going to have to start using accounting software after Making Tax Digital for Income Tax is phased in from April 2026. Whether you’re a new user or you’ve been using accounting software for years, you’ll want to get the very best value from your accounting software.In this episode we speak Jonathan Dowden, Product Marketing Director, Small Business, at Sage, the Newcastle upon Tyne-headquartered global accounting and business software company. Jonathan provides tips on how to make the most of your accounting software.Thanks to Sage for sponsoring this episode. Sage is currently offering listeners 90% off Sage Accounting for six months. Visit this link to claim your offer.Show notes for the episode can be found on the Start Your Own Business podcast website. Visit Start Up Donut and sign up to the Donut newsletter for more free start-up news, advice and special offers to help you save time and money.

More than 320,000 businesses are started each year in the UK, but only 40% of them survive five years. Whether linked to funding, finance, pricing, invoicing, marketing, premises, suppliers or a long list of other things, many people make classic mistakes when starting their own business.Some mistakes are relatively small and easily corrected. Even if they’re bigger and more damaging, it may be possible to take remedial action and get a new business back into a better position. However, in some cases, new businesses never really get off the ground and fail in their first year because of a classic start-up mistake.In this episode we speak to business adviser, coach, and mentor, Jenny Bracelin, who herself has started five businesses. She talks about six classic start-up mistakes and explains how you can avoid them.Thanks to Sage for sponsoring this episode. Sage is currently offering listeners 90% off Sage Accounting for six months. Visit this link to claim your offer.Show notes for the episode can be found on the Start Your Own Business podcast website. Visit Start Up Donut and sign up to the Donut newsletter for more free start-up news, advice and special offers to help you save time and money.

Globally, TikTok has more than 1.5bn active monthly users, making it the world’s fifth most popular social media platform. Reportedly, users spend more than an hour and a half per day on TikTok.This hasn’t escaped the attention of marketeers, of course. Worldwide, an estimated 28% of marketers use TikTok, while more than 1.5 million UK SMEs also use TikTok for marketing. You may be one of them.If you're not getting the returns on investment you'd hoped for, or you want to start using TikTok for business but urgently need a few good tips to help you get started, this is the episode for you.We speak to Penelope Walker, marketing consultant, content creator, business growth coach and TikTok whizz. She provides tips on how to TikTok can help your business achieve greater success.Thanks to Sage for sponsoring this episode. Sage is currently offering listeners 90% off Sage Accounting for six months. Visit this link to claim your offer.Show notes for the episode can be found on the Start Your Own Business podcast website. Visit Start Up Donut and sign up to the Donut newsletter for more free start-up news, advice and special offers to help you save time and money.

Although they’re often unfounded, many of us have fears in different areas of our life, including our professional and business lives.It’s completely natural to have fears in business, because starting and running a business involves uncertainty, big challenges, risk and having to make important decisions that have consequences. People running their own business often experience feelings of doubt, anxiety and fear, whether of making bad decisions, losing money, not being up to the challenge or ultimately not being able to run a successful business.But you cannot allow anxiety to hold you back and there are many ways to overcome your fears. In this episode we speak to applied behavioural neuroscientist and leadership psychologist, Dr Lynda Shaw, who specialises in this area.Thanks to Sage for sponsoring this episode. Sage is currently offering listeners 90% off Sage Accounting for six months. Visit this link to claim your offer.Show notes for the episode can be found on the Start Your Own Business podcast website. Visit Start Up Donut and sign up to the Donut newsletter for more free start-up news, advice and special offers to help you save time and money.

Having worked for more than a decade in communications and marketing, in 2014 Steph Douglas started her business, Don’t Buy Her Flowers. She was inspired by receiving eight beautiful bouquets after having her first baby, which were sent with the best of intentions, but made her realise that flowers were not the best gift to receive when what you actually need is TLC and reassurance.Having grown significantly, Gloucestershire-based Don’t Buy Her Flowers still creates thoughtful gift boxes for any occasion, from “new mums and birthdays to get well and bereavement”. Customers can choose their own bespoke gifts, selecting products they know the recipient will love, which are then gift wrapped and sent with their message handwritten.In this fascinating episode, Steph looks back to the challenges she overcame when launching her business, while providing her top start-up tips who want to follow in her footsteps.Thanks to Sage for sponsoring this episode. Sage is currently offering listeners 90% off Sage Accounting for six months. Visit this link to claim your offer.Show notes for the episode can be found on the Start Your Own Business podcast website. Visit Start Up Donut and sign up to the Donut newsletter for more free start-up news, advice and special offers to help you save time and money.

Setting up and running a business with a partner is common. It could be a friend, a colleague, your spouse, partner, sibling, parent or other family member.Going into business with a partner can offer many advantages. Partners can have complementary skills and experience, they can share managerial responsibilities and financial risks, as well as the workload and the headaches that often come with running a business. Two or more heads can be better than one when it comes to making decisions and life can seem less lonely when you have a business partner.But success in business partnerships requires effort. And there are risks, too, because business partnerships can go very wrong. In this episode we gain insight from serial entrepreneur Peter Harrington, who started his business simulation software company SimVenture with his brother, Paul.Thanks to Sage for sponsoring this episode. Sage is currently offering listeners 90% off Sage Accounting for six months. Visit this link to claim your offer.Show notes for the episode can be found on the Start Your Own Business podcast website. Visit Start Up Donut and sign up to the Donut newsletter for more free start-up news, advice and special offers to help you save time and money.

The UK's freelance population stands at slightly more than 2m, according to self-employed membership association IPSE. That’s a slight increase, “indicating a period of relative stability following more significant decreases to the overall [freelance] population in previous years,” according to IPSE.Freelancers make up almost half (49%) of the UK’s entire solo self-employed population (4.12m) and they make an important contribution to the UK economy. Many people operate lucrative freelance “side-hustles” (ie part-time businesses that generate income that supplements their full-time earnings), while others ditch their jobs altogether and go all-in on a new life as a freelancer.As with everything, there are pros, cons and unique challenges to overcome, with people going freelance for a variety of reasons. In this episode we speak to Sophie Cross, self-employed founder of Freelancer Magazine. For more than a decade, Sophie was a freelance content creator and marketeer. In this episode, she provides tips on how to start and run a successful freelance business.Thanks to Sage for sponsoring this episode. Sage is currently offering listeners 90% off Sage Accounting for six months. Visit this link to claim your offer.Show notes for the episode can be found on the Start Your Own Business podcast website. Visit Start Up Donut and sign up to the Donut newsletter for more free start-up news, advice and special offers to help you save time and money.

James Eder co-founded Student Beans with his brother Mike in Birmingham in 2005. It started as a digital student loyalty platform offering exclusive discounts and has since grown into a global network generating revenue of £30m. Almost 20 years later James and Mike started Pion, which now has 250 employees and operates in more than 100 countries. Pion is a leader in youth marketing insights, “supporting marketers with full funnel youth marketing campaigns”.Like many successful entrepreneurs before him, James has experienced failure, too. A tech business that he launched in 2016 didn’t survive, but the experience taught him a lot of valuable lessons. More seriously, James was later diagnosed with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, where part of the heart becomes abnormally thickened and stiff, which creates serious health issues. It’s fair to say that James has had his shares of ups and downs.James has just launched his new book – The Collision Code — which explores how human connection can drive life-changing opportunities in an increasingly digital world. In this fascinating episode, he talks about his successes and failures in business, as well as the serious health challenges he has faced. Thanks to Sage for sponsoring this episode. Sage is currently offering listeners 90% off Sage Accounting for six months. Visit this link to claim your offer.Show notes for the episode can be found on the Start Your Own Business podcast website. Visit Start Up Donut and sign up to the Donut newsletter for more free start-up news, advice and special offers to help you save time and money.

Creating and maintaining strong supplier relationships is the lifeblood of a successful business. But whereas once it would have been difficult, time-consuming and expensive to find and build a strong relationship with suppliers – especially those in other countries – B2B e-marketplaces are making it much simpler, quicker and cost effective to build a truly global network of suppliers. You can also potentially source a greater range of products far more efficiently and perhaps make a far better margin on your sales.In this special episode, Michelle Lau of Alibaba.com, the global business-to-business e-marketplace, explains how Alibaba.com is enabling small businesses to source new and trending products at greater margins more efficiently, while building trust with new suppliers.Show notes for the episode can be found on the Start Your Own Business podcast website. Visit Start Up Donut and sign up to the Donut newsletter for more free start-up news, advice and special offers to help you save time and money.

Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax is one of the biggest changes to the UK tax system in recent years – and it’s coming soon. Wondering how this impacts your normal self-assessment obligations? In this final episode of a four-part mini-series on MTD for Income Tax, Helen Wood from TaxAssist Accountants dispels some of the common misconceptions surrounding the MTD requirements for those sole traders and landlords who are impacted.Helen will clarify that quarterly updates aren’t four mini-tax returns, payments still land on 31st January, and private landlords are included. You’ll need compatible software (HMRC won’t provide a free option), but spreadsheets plus bridging software can still work. Helen also shares practical prep steps – get set up early, lean on training and use webinars. Finally, discover how TaxAssist can smooth your transition with tiered support and recommended software like Xero, QuickBooks, Dext and Hammock.Thanks to TaxAssist Accountants for sponsoring this mini-series on Making Tax Digital for Income Tax. TaxAssist is currently offering listeners the opportunity to register for their free webinar for further advice on Making Tax Digital for Income Tax. You’ll get expert guidance on how to digitise your records and meet your obligations, as well as the opportunity to ask any burning questions. Click here to register.Show notes for the episode can be found on the Start Your Own Business podcast website. Visit Start Up Donut and sign up to the Donut newsletter for more free start-up news, advice and special offers to help you save time and money.

Getting your self-assessment right is about staying on top of the basics – and for many sole traders and landlords, Making Tax Digital for Income Tax is now the big one to understand. Instead of a single annual rush, Making Tax Digital means keeping digital records, using compliant software and sending simple quarterly summaries – so you’ve got a clearer picture of tax due as you go.In this third episode in a special four-part mini-series on Making Tax Digital for Income Tax, Andy Gibbs from TaxAssist Accountants explains who’s in scope, how “qualifying income” is worked out, what quarterly updates include and the end-of-year steps you’ll still need to complete. He also discusses exemptions for digital exclusion, how agents can help, common myths (no, it’s not a full return every three months), and what the new points-based penalties mean if you miss deadlines.Thanks to TaxAssist Accountants for sponsoring this mini-series on Making Tax Digital for Income Tax. TaxAssist is currently offering listeners the opportunity to register for their free webinar for further advice on Making Tax Digital for Income Tax. You’ll get expert guidance on how to digitise your records and meet your obligations, as well as the opportunity to ask any burning questions. Click here to register.Show notes for the episode can be found on the Start Your Own Business podcast website. Visit Start Up Donut and sign up to the Donut newsletter for more free start-up news, advice and special offers to help you save time and money.

From April 2026, any sole traders or landlords earning a combined income of over £50,000 will need to comply with Making Tax Digital, with phased deadlines for lower income thresholds following in 2027 and 2028. In this second episode in a special four-part mini-series on Making Tax Digital for Income Tax, Samantha Skyring from TaxAssist Accountants breaks down how to prepare for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax. She explains what the new system means for sole traders and landlords and why moving away from paper records sooner rather than later, will save stress.Samantha highlights how the right HMRC-approved software can make quarterly updates a simple, automated process, while accountants can provide valuable support for those less digitally confident. She also shares how TaxAssist is helping clients transition through training, webinars and flexible service packages. With early preparation, Making Tax Digital doesn’t have to be daunting – it can even make record-keeping easier and more efficient.Thanks to TaxAssist Accountants for sponsoring this mini-series on MTD for Income Tax. TaxAssist is currently offering listeners the opportunity to register for their free webinar for further advice on Making Tax Digital for Income Tax. You’ll get expert guidance on how to digitise your records and meet your obligations, as well as the opportunity to ask any burning questions. Click here to register.Show notes for the episode can be found on the Start Your Own Business podcast website. Visit Start Up Donut and sign up to the Donut newsletter for more free start-up news, advice and special offers to help you save time and money.

From April 2026, if you are a sole trader or landlord and earn over £50,000 from self-employment or property, you’ll need to keep digital records and send quarterly updates to HMRC, with the entry point dropping to £30,000 in 2027 and £20,000 in 2028. So, how will things change once Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax has been introduced? How will sole traders and landlords be required to keep financial records, and – crucially – report information so that HMRC can work out how much tax is owed? Will they still need to file self assessment tax returns? In this first episode in a four-part mini-series on MTD for Income Tax, we speak to chartered certified accountant Jo Nockels FCCA, FMAAT of TaxAssist Accountants, a network of accountants across the UK that delivers accounting and tax services to small-business owners. Here Jo explains how sole traders and landlords will be affected by MTD for income tax changes.Thanks to TaxAssist Accountants for sponsoring this mini-series on MTD for Income Tax. TaxAssist is currently offering listeners the opportunity to register for their free webinar for further advice on Making Tax Digital for Income Tax. You’ll get expert guidance on how to digitise your records and meet your obligations, as well as the opportunity to ask any burning questions. Click here to register.Show notes for the episode can be found on the Start Your Own Business podcast website. Visit Start Up Donut and sign up to the Donut newsletter for more free start-up news, advice and special offers to help you save time and money.

Higher living costs, record price increases across the board and wages that haven’t kept pace has led many millions of people in the UK to have their own “side-hustle” in recent years, as a way to supplement their main income.Side-hustles have become hugely popular. Research carried out by leading accounting software provider Sage in 2024 found that almost half (47%) of UK adults had a side-hustle and among the under-34s, 90% planned to turn their side-hustle into a full-time business. More than two-thirds of 16-34 years olds were running multiple side-hustles, earning an extra £546 per month on average.Coping with the demands of a full-time (or even part-time job) and family commitments can be challenging enough, without running a side-hustle, when there can be many additional tasks to take care of. So, how is it done? In this episode, we speak to Sam Feller of Popcorn Shed, a highly successful popcorn brand he founded with his cousin Laura Jackson in 2015. For 18 months, while developing their brand and business idea, Sam and Laura held down demanding full-time jobs in London, running Popcorn Shed as a home-based side-hustle. So, what was their recipe for success? Thanks to Sage for sponsoring this episode. Sage is currently offering listeners 90% off Sage Accounting for six months. Visit this link to claim your offer.Show notes for the episode can be found on the Start Your Own Business podcast website. Visit Start Up Donut and sign up to the Donut newsletter for more free start-up news, advice and special offers to help you save time and money.

AI – artificial intelligence – is increasingly becoming part of everyday life. Its rise to prominence has become much more rapid in recent years, with resistance to its progress seemingly futile. Although some concerns have been raised over the implications of AI, it’s already being used widely, providing significant benefits to users, many small-business owners among them. Potentially, AI can provide significant effort, time and cost savings to new and established small businesses, enabling you to be more efficient, successful and profitable.In this episode, we speak to AI expert Phil Hobden of Sage. Phil shares his considerable insight into the fascinating world of AI and offers tips on how AI can be used to save effort, time and money when you’re starting or running your own small business.Thanks to Sage for sponsoring this episode. Sage is currently offering listeners 90% off Sage Accounting for six months. Visit this link to claim your offer.In a hurry? Here's some highlights:02:13 Understanding artificial intelligence (AI)03:37 AI vs automation11:13 The importance of quality data when using AI13:14 Practical benefits of AI for small businesses31:45 How to use AI to start your business51:11 Top tips for using AI in your businessShow notes for the episode can be found on the Start Your Own Business podcast website. Visit Start Up Donut and sign up to the Donut newsletter for more free start-up news, advice and special offers to help you save time and money.

It’s the stuff of entrepreneurial dreams. To come up with a pioneering product idea, develop a prototype, create a hugely appealing brand and start a highly successful business that you grow and sell for a huge amount of money. That’s exactly what Rob Law MBE did. Coming from a product design background, he founded Trunki in 2006. Trunki is the much-loved ride-on suitcase for children, which come in various designs. Rob built up his Bristol-based business over 17 years, selling millions of Trunki suitcases, exporting to more than 100 countries, while providing jobs for 80 people. Rob exited Trunki in 2023, selling the business for a reported £12m. In this fascinating episode, Rob talks about how he started, scaled and sold his phenomenally successful business, proving the Dragons very wrong in the process.This episode is brought to you thanks to the support of investment platform, Lightyear.Show notes for the episode can be found on the Start Your Own Business podcast website. Visit Start Up Donut and sign up to the Donut newsletter for more free start-up news, advice and special offers to help you save time and money.

If you really want to grow your business at a faster pace or achieve significant growth, more than likely, unless you’re rich or your business is super profitable, you’ll need to attract external funding or finance. There are many options, but one of the most common is attracting investment from a wealthy investor or group of them. Find the right investor, and not only do you gain from their wealth by getting the funding you need, but you may also be able to benefit from their experience, knowledge and contacts. But, how do you and your business get ready for investment, where do you find suitable investors, what would attract them to your business and how can you ensure that the relationship works well? In this episode, Martin Sokk, CEO and founder of low-fee investing app Lightyear, offers tips on how to attract and work with suitable investors. He also provides tips on how you can avoid common mistakes when it comes to attracting an investor.This episode is brought to you thanks to the support of investment platform, Lightyear.Show notes for the episode can be found on the Start Your Own Business podcast website. Visit Start Up Donut and sign up to the Donut newsletter for more free start-up news, advice and special offers to help you save time and money.