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.

You might be really skillful, knowledgeable and experienced when it comes to your trade or profession. Maybe you’re a brilliant salesperson. However, if you’re new to running your own business, you might not know much about how to manage your finances as a start-up. Unless you come from a financial background – why would you? But if your new business is to survive and grow, you should know a few basics about managing your finances as a start up. It could make a big difference. It could even prevent you from making simple mistakes that cause you big problems. In this episode, we speak to chartered accountant Kate Gloudemans, experienced financial director and founder of accountancy firm Sprout. She offers essential tips on how to manage your finances as a start-up.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.

There are many things you need to do to succeed in business, but one of the most important is to stand out. It’s essential if you operate in a crowded, competitive market, as most businesses do. If your business fails to stand out, because your brand, products and services haven’t been differentiated, you’ll just blend into the background and fewer people will know you exist, let alone buy from you. Instead, they’ll buy from one of your competitors, because they believe there’s a very good reason for doing so. So, how exactly do you make your business stand out in a competitive market? In this episode, on hand to answer this vital question is Dr Chris Endersby, co-founder of London-based brand agency Firestarter. He shares his considerable insight and tips on how to set yourself apart when you operate in a crowded market.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.

What if your business is earning a cash surplus every month? What would you do? Many small-business owners don’t do anything. They leave it in their current account to earn little or no interest. Some do nothing because they’re kept very busy with many other things. Others don’t do anything because they don’t realise they have other options. As a small-business owner, you can invest cash and potentially receive far higher returns, which can make you and your business wealthier. UK CEO of low-fee investing platform Lightyear, Wander Rutgers, explains how you might be able to get far better returns by investing cash generated by your small business.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.

Globally, LinkedIn has a staggering 900 million-plus users. You might well be one of them. In the UK, LinkedIn is estimated to have more than 35 million users, a mix of individuals, organisations and businesses of all sizes. They use the site to raise their profile, network and find new customers. So, how do you connect to the right people on LinkedIn to raise your profile, attract new contacts and customers and – crucially – make more sales and grow your business? What are the pros and cons of using LinkedIn when compared to other options? And what are the classic mistakes you need to avoid when using LinkedIn to try to grow your business? Answering these and other key questions is Gus Bhandal, founder of LinkedIn-first digital and social media marketing agency, The M Guru. Gus shares his insight and tips on how to use LinkedIn to grow your small business.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.

Staying on top of your cash flow is essential. Running out of cash can be fatal. This simple cash flow forecast will help you keep on top of your finances.Download this free cash flow forecast template and watch the intro video featuring Darren Fell of Crunch Accounting and Fiona Prior, host of the Start Your Own Business podcast, for tips and advice on how to make the most of this cash flow forecast template.When a business fails it’s normally because it has run out of cash and can’t pay its bills on demand. This can happen to successful businesses, with attractive products and services, healthy sales and profit margins. Ensuring that your cash flow remains healthy needs to be a key priority for your business. That means not only not spending more than you can afford, but also, if you allow your customers a certain amount of time to pay, ensuring that they pay you on time. Cash flow forecasts can enable your business to avoid cash flow problems, but how do you create them and how do you set budgets that help you to manage your costs in the first place? In this episode, we speak to serial entrepreneur Darren Fell, founder and CEO of Crunch Accounting. Darren offers practical tips on how to create cash flow forecasts and set budgets.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.

In an age where many businesses use digital marketing techniques, others use old-school tactics such as cold-calling. Cold calling is telemarketing, a direct marketing method involving phoning potential customers they’ve never met or spoken to previously. Cold-calling isn’t for the thin-skinned, because even if your opening gambit is polite, friendly, professional and concise, you can soon be met with a firm “not interested, thanks”, before the phone gets put down. And cold-calling often requires having to charm your way through a 'gate-keeper' before you get put through to the person you actually need to speak to. But the fact remains: cold-calling can be an extremely effective way of generating new leads and sales. So, what’s the key to success when you’re cold-calling? How do you make a good first impression and buy yourself a few more valuable seconds? What should you say and how should you say it? Realistically, what should your aims be when you’re cold-calling? Here to answer these and other key questions is small-business marketing specialist, Tracy Heatley. Based on many years of practical experience, Tracy shares her insight on how to achieve better results when cold-calling potential new customers.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.

It’s often said that a business’s most valuable asset is its people – and that includes you. Your team’s talent, knowledge, hard work and commitment will be what enables your business to succeed. But to make the most of your team, getting the necessary training is essential. And that’s an ongoing challenge, of course. New talent must also be brought onboard, too, and trained to the necessary standard. Natalie Cahill, CEO of work-based training provider, Fareport, explains how to use funded training and upskilling to ensure the success of your business now and into the future.This episode is brought to you thanks to the support of Fareport Training. Fareport is a trusted provider of apprenticeships, skills bootcamps and higher technical qualifications in areas like leadership and management, human resources, digital marketing, data analysis and project management. They make learning flexible, practical, and tailored to real-world needs. Find out how Fareport can help you unlock new opportunities and future proof your business.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’ve shopped at John Lewis, Selfridges, Oliver Bonas or a large number of smaller independent retailers in the UK, you may well have seen The Bottled Baking Co products. They’re available in a wide range of mouth watering flavours and varieties. The company sells ready-measured baking mixes that contain all of the dry ingredients you need to bake delicious cookies, cakes, brownies, tray bakes and more, all conveniently within a lovely glass bottle. The Bottled Baking Co has even collaborated with M&S to create bottles containing Percy Pig and Colin the Caterpillar sweets as part of their brownie ingredients. In this new Start-Up Story, Leeds-based The Bottled Baking Co founder Greg Fraser looks back to the key challenges he overcame before launching his business in 2016, while explaining where his fantastic business idea came from and how he turned it into a successful business. So, what are the key ingredients when you want to start and run a successful and innovative food business?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.

When you start your own business, you must minimise your start-up costs, because then your business starts to make a profit much sooner. If you have to shell out for stock, it increases your start-up costs considerably. And you tie up money you could have used to run your business, while there’s also a risk that you’ll be left with stock you can’t shift. For many small businesses, print on demand provides the perfect solution. If you sell printed items such as greetings cards, wall art/posters, T-shirts, mugs, water bottles or a wide range of other items, print on demand enables you to get the exact amount of products you need after you’ve made a sale, which is far better for your cash flow. And you can trial new products without having to shell out big sums of money. In this new Start-up Story, Ruth Sparkes of poster/wall art brand Nordhuset explains how she started her own business and she shares her key start-up tips. She also explains what role the global pandemic played in her Nordhuset start-up story and how your business can get the very best out of print on demand.This episode is brought to you thanks to the support of Gelato who enable you to create and sell high-quality, custom products and merchandise for your ecommerce business with their print-on-demand services. Sign up to Gelato for free today and get 50% off your first order (within 48 hours of signing up).Show notes 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.

Confidence is said to be everything. That’s not strictly true, because other things in life and business are also important. But, confidence can help you to overcome challenges, build relationships, take risks, deal with setbacks but ultimately achieve great things. You need to have confidence in yourself and your business. So, why might that not be the case? What impact can a lack of confidence have on you and your bottom line? Crucially, what can you do to build up your confidence in yourself and your business and what’s the best way to communicate that confidence to your customers? In this fascinating episode, which contains lots of practical advice, these and other key questions are answered by Debbie Green, founder of award-winning Wishfish Coaching & Development and co-host of the Secrets From a Coach podcast.This episode is brought to you thanks to the support of PPL PRS. TheMusicLicence from PPL PRS provides a streamlined music licensing service, with a single point of contact, to make it easier to legally play and perform music in public. Visit themusiclicence.co.uk to find out more. Show notes 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.

Building a website and driving traffic to it is all well and good but if your site visitors don't go on to make a purchase, an enquiry or subscribe it will be of little benefit to your business. In part two of this special two-part mini series, Craig Murphy, founder of Birmingham-based Alt Agency, shares top tips and advice on how you can improve your website's conversion rate. With practical tips on issues such as page loading speed and calls to action, you will walk away with actionable insights that can boost conversions and turn your web visitors into subscribers, paying customers or advocates for your business. Craig is an expert in web design, development and maintenance and he has helped many businesses to optimise their website conversion rates.This episode is brought to you thanks to the support of ALT Agency. 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.

Even if you don’t sell online, having a great website is a must. Before many customers will buy from you, they’ll want to find out more about what you sell and how much you charge. Many will also want to know more about your story, who you are, your values as a business and what makes you special. If you want as many visitors as possible to your website, you need to optimise it so that it ranks high up in search engines such as Google. But what does that involve, where do small businesses go wrong when it comes to “SEO” (search engine optimisation) and as a small-business owner can you do it yourself? In the first of a two-part special on small business websites, answering these key questions and others is Craig Murphy, founder of Birmingham-based ALT Agency. Craig is an expert in website design, development, SEO and website maintenance. He’s helped many businesses to optimise their websites for search engines, which has enabled them to attract more visitors and make more sales.This episode is brought to you thanks to the support of ALT Agency. 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.

Success, and indeed survival in business, relies upon making enough sales. If you don’t, you’ll soon run out of cash and that’s likely to spell the end for your business. If you are to make enough sales, you must generate sufficient sales leads, which is a never-ending challenge, because all businesses lose customers over time. So, how does your business generate leads and how many leads is enough? Not all will convert to actual sales, of course. What’s the difference between 'qualified' and 'unqualified' sales leads? What are your options if you want to generate sales leads online and how about offline? Answering these and other key questions is sales expert Charlie Day, founder of her own sales consultancy, Charlie Day Sales, author of the book Sales Is Easy If You Know How and creator of the Facebook group of the same name, which has more than 10,000 members. Charlie is on a mission to “help small business owners to sell with ease and confidence”.This episode is brought to you thanks to the support of AI-powered quiz platform Interact. Activate ideal customers with quizzes and convert them from passive viewers into engaged buyers. From lead generation to audience segmentation, the Interact tools are designed to help small businesses achieve their goals and grow their business. Try Interact's AI tool for free now.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.

Who among us doesn’t enjoy a toastie or Mexican-style wrap? Both can be a delicious snack or meal. CRIMPiT is a successful new British business. Its clever, innovative products offer a quick, easy and mess-free way to create delicious toasties using your kitchen toaster or burritos, calzones, enchiladas, kebabs and pasties that can be heated in your air fryer, oven or pan. CRIMPiT co-founders, Mike Harper and Ian Critchlow were inspired to create CRIMPit by the need to create a speedy, high-protein, low-carb snack for Ian's elite swimmer son. In this new Start-Up Story, Mike explains what challenges he and Ian had to overcome to start their business, win more than half a million customers and get their products onto the shelves of high-street stockists in the UK. CRIMPiT is about to launch in the US, so what has been the recipe for its success?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.

There are more than 310,000 retail businesses in the UK, which is 5.7% of all businesses, with SMEs accounting for more than 99% of them. Many UK retail businesses, especially those in the high street, have had a very tough time in recent years, having battled Covid and a record inflation-fuelled cost-of-living crisis that’s left consumers much more careful when it comes to spending their cash. So, is it still worth starting a small retail business and if so where do the best opportunities lie? Should you take on premises or stay strictly online? How do you set yourself apart and create a winning brand? Answering these and many other key questions is Catherine Erdly, a small-business independent retail expert with more than 21 years’ experience, 17 of them spent working for high street names. She now works exclusively with start-ups, independent brands and retailers, helping them to grow their profits.This episode is brought to you thanks to the support of Square. Whether you're a small business or a multi-location retailer, Square's retail POS system includes all the tools your retail business needs including payments, inventory management and ecommerce. Find out more about Square's retail POS systems at square.com.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 a great customer experience is crucial, especially for new and established businesses operating in retail and hospitality. If you don’t create a great experience, many customers will avoid your business or head for the exit not long after entering your premises. There are many ways to encourage a great customer experience, but the potential for using music to create the right mood cannot be overstated. Music really can boost your profitability, as expert Liam Wood of the New World Trading Company explains.This episode is brought to you thanks to the support of PPL PRS. TheMusicLicence from PPL PRS provides a streamlined music licensing service, with a single point of contact, to make it easier to legally play and perform music in public. Visit themusiclicence.co.uk to find out more.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.

How and why would a small business attempt to take on the multinational petrochemical companies? Can a small business even compete in a market dominated by a handful of big players? In short, yes! Dawn White of Ecoegg did just that.Dawn White battled eczema while growing up. Her struggles with sensitive skin inspired her to create a detergent that was kinder to her skin and contained no nasty chemicals. Dawn tells us how she invented her own pioneering, eco-friendly detergent pellets and innovative laundry container that allowed the pellets to be placed directly into washing machine drums. Packed with lessons on how to develop new products, how to set your business apart from established rivals and how to get your products stocked by major retailers, this episode is a must-listen for anyone starting a small business or launching a new product or service.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 don’t have a well researched business plan, you may still be able to start and grow a successful business – but it may never achieve its full potential. To do that, you need goals and a successful strategy that enables you to achieve them. Essentially, that’s what a sound business plan offers you. So, what are the key components of a successful business plan, how do you use it to grow your business and what are the classic business plan mistakes you need to avoid? Nicola McKenzie, co-founder of AI-enabled business plan platform Venture Planner, provides the answers to these and other key business plan questions.Show notes for the episode can be found on the Start Your Own Business podcast website. Find more help and advice on starting a business at Start Up Donut.This episode is brought to you thanks to the support of Venture Planner. Designed to assist start-ups and small businesses, Venture Planner utilises the power of AI-driven technology for tasks such as market research, financial projections, and document generation, aiming to streamline the business planning process. Get a free trial and 10% off when you sign up with code DONUT.

What does the future hold for small businesses in the UK in the next five to ten years? Which businesses are most likely to survive and succeed? How will customer wants and needs change and how might small businesses market their products and services to them? Will online sales continue to grow and is that likely to bring about the demise of the high street? What about managing, and, could AI actually be a good thing for small-business owners? Applied futurist, speaker, writer and consultant Tom Cheesewright, explains how the small-business world is likely to change in the next five to ten years. Show notes for the episode can be found on the Start Your Own Business podcast website. Find more help and advice on starting a business at Start Up Donut.This episode is brought to you thanks to the support of Mediahawk. Mediahawk is a leading call-tracking and marketing analytics solution. Their software helps businesses big and small to quickly and easily pinpoint their most profitable marketing activities, cut wasted spend and drive more leads and sales. Founded in 2002, Mediahawk pioneered call-tracking technology, and have remained at the forefront of the industry ever since.

Many new small independent retailers buy their stock wholesale, often from small suppliers, makers and craft businesses. It can really set you apart by providing you with high quality, exclusive stock that’s superior to the mass-produced options sold by others. But where do you find such suppliers and how do you negotiate good deals? Consultant and wholesale and retail expert Therese Oertenblad answers these key questions, while also providing tips for micro makers that want to sell their wares to small retail businesses.    Show notes for the episode can be found on the Start Your Own Business podcast website. Find more help and advice on starting a business at Start Up Donut.This episode is brought to you thanks to the support of Faire. Faire is a global marketplace for local retailers to discover the best emerging and established brands to stock their stores risk-free. Faire enables independent retailers to grow their business with the advantages of big players and empowers makers to seamlessly build and run their wholesale business. Faire was founded in 2017 and is powered by the idea that the future is local.

Starting your own business is challenging. If you haven’t done it before, you’ll inevitably lack know-how, while there are common pitfalls to avoid. So, what key tasks do you need to complete when setting up your own business, if you’re to get off to the best possible start? Start-up and small-business content expert, journalist Mark Williams, answers this and other key questions. 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.

While some businesses grow steadily over many years, others achieve significant growth in a far shorter time and are started with that key aim. This episode looks at what types of start-ups are most scalable and in which sectors they’re usually to be found. The guest expert is Guy Rigby – AKA The Entrepreneurs’ Adviser – SME mentor and author. He explains how to start a scale-up and how to overcome key scale-up challenges.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.This series is brought to you thanks to the support of Dell Technologies. Our partnership with Dell means you get top products at special prices and a personalised consultation from a dedicated tech adviser who will get to know the goals of your business. Find out more by emailing the Dell for Startup UK representative at [email protected]

Email marketing can be a highly cost-effective way to attract and retain customers, but your email marketing strategy and content have to be right if you are to get the open rates and click-throughs that lead to sales. Email marketing expert Laura Hanlon of Birmingham-based agency Pink Leopard reveals the secrets of building good email marketing lists, sending marketing emails in the right volume at the right time, getting your content and subject lines spot-on and the all-important business of measuring your success so you can improve your results.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.This series is brought to you thanks to the support of Dell Technologies. Our partnership with Dell means you get top products at special prices and a personalised consultation from a dedicated tech adviser who will get to know the goals of your business. Find out more by emailing the Dell for Startup UK representative at [email protected]

In 2019, tired of their daily commutes and living for weekends, Charlie Low, then head of analytics for an adventure travel company, and design consultancy engineer Dale Comely decided to leave the nine-to-five behind by converting an old DHL delivery van into an off-grid mobile home, so they could live a simpler life and travel around Europe. They wrote a best-selling guide to converting vans into campervans, and launched their award-winning business, Nohma (at the time of recording called Climbingvan), which helps others with their campervan builds and provides an off-grid electrical system design service. So, what key start-up lessons did they learn and how do they run a business from their van while traveling around Europe?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.This series is brought to you thanks to the support of Dell Technologies. Our partnership with Dell means you get top products at special prices and a personalised consultation from a dedicated tech adviser who will get to know the goals of your business. Find out more by emailing the Dell for Startup UK representative at [email protected]

Running a small business can leave you feeling isolated and lonely at times. Often you have no one to share your thoughts and feelings with. That’s when reaching out to other small-business owners can really help. Great value can be gained from seeking their independent opinions (and giving them yours). Many formal peer networking options are available, but even just occasionally meeting up for a coffee or something stronger with other business owners can be mutually beneficial. In this episode, award-winning business coach, mentor, adviser and peer board facilitator Jonathan O’Shea explains the business and personal benefits of seeking peer group support.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.This series is brought to you thanks to the support of Dell Technologies. Our partnership with Dell means you get top products at special prices and a personalised consultation from a dedicated tech adviser who will get to know the goals of your business. Find out more by emailing the Dell for Startup UK representative at [email protected]

There are more than 5m family businesses in the UK. They employ 14.2m people and generate a quarter of UK GDP. Many people who start a business do so with a family member, whether their spouse, partner, sibling, son or daughter or other relation. And although there can be many pros to going into business with family – there can be cons. So, what’s the key to getting it right so that the business is successful and family relationships are safeguarded? We ask Fiona Graham of the Institute of Family Business, who provides tips that could also help you if you’re thinking of going into business with a colleague or friend.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.This series is brought to you thanks to the support of Dell Technologies. Our partnership with Dell means you get top products at special prices and a personalised consultation from a dedicated tech adviser who will get to know the goals of your business. Find out more by emailing the Dell for Startup UK representative at [email protected]

Matt Mahatme and Jordan Palmer were bartenders who spotted a gap in the market for mixers that combined big flavours with less sugar, fewer calories and nothing artificial. “We wanted to create a brand with a bit of an edge, with a contemporary feel, that looked as good as it tasted,” recalls Matt. Since launch in 2018, helped by a successful crowdfunding campaign, Lixir Drinks has grown into an award-winning mixer brand that’s proved highly popular in the UK and internationally. So, what key start-up lessons did they learn and what’s the recipe for their success?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.This series is brought to you thanks to the support of Dell Technologies. Our partnership with Dell means you get top products at special prices and a personalised consultation from a dedicated tech adviser who will get to know the goals of your business. Find out more by emailing the Dell for Startup UK representative at [email protected]

Some people ooze self-confidence. And while others aren’t very self-confident, most are probably somewhere in between. Often things happen to us in life and business that damages our self-confidence. Why do some people lack self-confidence while others are supremely confident? How can you boost your self-confidence? Self-confidence and human behaviour expert Jo Emerson answers these and other key questions.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.This series is brought to you thanks to the support of Dell Technologies. Our partnership with Dell means you get top products at special prices and a personalised consultation from a dedicated tech adviser who will get to know the goals of your business. Find out more by emailing the Dell for Startup UK representative at [email protected]

Following a year of eye-watering inflation in 2022, especially energy prices, economic forecasts for the UK for 2023 make for pretty sobering reading. According to the Bank of England, the UK is facing its longest recession since records began, while the UK Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) expects the UK economy to shrink by 1.4% in 2023, leading to the biggest drop in living standards on record, with consumer spending set to plummet. So, with really challenging times ahead for many UK businesses, what can owners do to mitigate risk and make their business as recession proof as possible? Find out from Rory MccGwire, founder and chief executive of Atom Content Marketing, publisher of the Donut websites – and battle-scarred veteran of previous recessions.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.This series is brought to you thanks to the support of Dell Technologies. Our partnership with Dell means you get top products at special prices and a personalised consultation from a dedicated tech adviser who will get to know the goals of your business. Find out more by emailing the Dell for Startup UK representative at [email protected]

Time is the one thing that small-business owners don’t have enough of, with many having to work long hours. Those starting a new business often must work even longer hours to get their business off the ground and into profit. So, what’s the key to making best use of every minute of every day? What role can technology play? Where can time be lost? How can people work less and get more done? How can listeners stay better organised and productive each day? These are some of the key questions covered in the penultimate episode of our third series. Sharing her insight is guest Clare Evans, leading time management expert and productivity coach. She is also the author of the bestseller, Time Management For Dummies.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. This series is brought to you thanks to the support of Dell Technologies. Our partnership with Dell means you get top products at special prices and a personalised consultation from a dedicated tech adviser who will get to know the goals of your business. Find out more by emailing the Dell for Startup UK representative at [email protected]