Business Live: for curious entrepreneurs and social entrepreneurs
207 episodes - English - Latest episode: 2 months ago -Leaders of impact-creating businesses and social enterprises share their practical tips and stories. Be inspired, intrigued and amazed, get advice to help your values-driven business thrive and benefit from candid conversations about how other leaders overcame challenges and built their businesses and social enterprises. New episode every Friday here and on Sheffield Live FM radio.
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Episodes
How to be an HR hero, create social value and LOVE your volunteers with Diane Offers, YWCA Yorkshire
February 16, 2024 10:00 - 27 minutes - 18.8 MBYWCA Yorkshire supports over 250 young women, children and families to build better futures. They may be homeless, escaping abuse, or in financial or other difficulties. It runs programmes to assist them in living happy, fulfilled and independent lives. A charity, it has operated locally since the 1940s. This Valentine's Day it launched a campaign to "spread the love and word" about volunteering. So I invited Diane Offers, YWCA's HR Manager, on air.. She covers: YWCA Yorkshire's range of a...
Nurturing community assets into sustainable and impactful enterprises with Helen Allen, Community Catalysts and Harry Clarkson, Speakup
January 12, 2024 00:00 - 57 minutes - 39.8 MBWelcome to episode 393 of Business Live, for purpose-driven entrepreneurs and social entrepreneurs. When Rotherham wanted to transform its adult social care offer for people with learning disabilities and autistic people and offer personalised services that people wanted, local social and micro-enterprises proved crucial. Helen Allen and Harry Clarkson tell me how. Community Catalysts (www.communitycatalysts.co.uk) is a thriving community interest company, running since 2010 and operating a...
Profitable, Productive and Pioneering: why Social Enterprise is 'Mission Critical' with Dean Hochlaf PLUS lots of new funding
December 11, 2023 12:00 - 25 minutes - 17.9 MBSocial enterprises ploughed over a billion pounds into their social and environmental objectives last year. They make a vital contribution to the UK's economy, society and natural environment, as Dean Hochlaf describes today. An estimated 131,000 social enterprises in the UK collectively turn over £78 billion, representing over 3% of GDP. Many operate in the most deprived areas of the UK. They employ around 2.3 million people and made £1.2 billion in profit in the last financial year, rei...
Open Access Factory is Makers' Paradise: Arnaud Nichols and Al Parra, BLOQS
December 01, 2023 11:00 - 47 minutes - 32.8 MBWhen I heard about the UK's first open-access factory, offering "pay-as-you go accessibility" so entrepreneurs and makers can access state-of-the-art light industrial equipment I was intrigued. Originally established in 2012, its co-founders call it the "missing link for solopreneurs and SMEs seeking to bridge the gap between start-up and producing at scale." And when I learned it was a social enterprise, with sustainability "designed in" – well, we had to get its co-founders in for a rad...
How to power-up your video content with Joe Palmer – plus new funding for businesses, social enterprises and universities and a new LGBTQIA+ networking event
November 17, 2023 08:00 - 19 minutes - 13.2 MBMany businesses make the same basic mistake when they want to make video content, says today's guest Joseph Palmer of Open House Pictures. His simple tip will help anyone wanting to use films to communicate, whether you want to work with a professional filmmaker, a local freelancer or even try to shoot them yourself. It's been a few years since Joe was last on the programme and Open House has achieved significant growth since then, creating jobs and taking on multiple creative and commerci...
How to get a job in the games industry with Eva Kioseoglou and Ruth Dickens
August 10, 2023 23:00 - 24 minutes - 17 MB"I ended up being offered a permanent role as a junior programmer which is a dream come true – and I worked on an awesome game which is actually my favourite of all the current projects at Sumo." Many people would love to work in the games industry but don't know where to start. Today's guests Eva Kioseoglou and Ruth Dickens have both secured full-time roles as junior programmers, having graduated from a games industry apprenticeship programme on which previous game programming experience i...
Leadership and culture lessons from status-quo smashing CEO Naomi Hulston
July 07, 2023 15:00 - 26 minutes - 18.5 MBNaomi Hulston has experienced "pretty much every role" in her 21 years working for Catch22. The social business has been around for 200 years. It delivers more than 120 public services that meet local needs and support individuals within our communities. "We consider ourselves a business with the heart of a charity and a business' mindset." Those services include justice, education services, support for vulnerable children and families and many more. Naomi started her career at Catch22 as ...
A criminal career with Rebecca Collins and Adrian Hobart, Hobeck Books
June 23, 2023 07:00 - 46 minutes - 31.7 MBToday's guests have bumped off nearly 300 people through their business. But they're not career criminals. Adrian Hobart and Rebecca Collins run Hobeck Books, a leading family-run independent publisher of award-winning crime, thriller, mystery and suspense books. What better business to get on air in National Crime Reading Month? Rebecca and Adrian launched Hobeck Books in the middle of the pandemic. Rebecca brought expertise from over two decades working in the publishing industry, with ...
Overcoming barriers is social enterprise's business: Rachel Law, PossAbilities CIC
June 17, 2023 14:00 - 27 minutes - 19.2 MBPossAbilities CIC provides services for people with learning disabilities, people with dementia and young people leaving care. Formed in 2014, PossAbilities has increased staff from 220 to more than 600, had eight consecutive years of growth and surplus, and grown its capital and reserves from zero to £6 million. It was formerly the Adult Social Care Provider within Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council (MBC) and was one of the first 100 social enterprises to be formed by ‘spinning-out’ se...
How fair finance boosts businesses, supercharges social enterprises and helps households with Eleanor Russell
May 20, 2023 10:00 - 41 minutes - 28.7 MBDo we want to live in places full of thriving businesses and social enterprises, and where people don't get trapped by exploitative lenders and loan sharks? Sounds good to me. Eleanor Russell is policy and programmes lead at Responsible Finance, which represents the UK's social purpose lenders (community development finance institutions, CDFIs). Their work has been covered extensively by media including the Guardian, Financial Times, BBC, Mail Online and elsewhere. I work with Responsible...
Understanding money and building better financial habits with Claer Barrett
March 31, 2023 02:00 - 49 minutes - 34.3 MBFor a long time Claer Barrett vowed never to write a book about money. Now the award-winning financial journalist and broadcaster, who frequently answers the public's money questions on ITV's Lorraine, LBC radio and the Financial Times' Money Clinic podcast, has published 'What They Don't Teach You about Money.' It's a brilliant read – like having a chat with a friendly expert who wants to help you avoid pitfalls without confusing or judging you; Claer is honest about her own financial mist...
Slashing greenhouse gas emissions and reducing carbon intensity with Alpkit CEO David Hanney
March 24, 2023 11:00 - 30 minutes - 21.1 MBWe can do it if we really want to: Alpkit is a business success story which has doubled employee numbers since last appearing on this programme while dramatically reducing its absolute emissions and carbon intensity. "It's really positive and something ALL businesses can do, from small to big" says CEO David Hanney. The measures it is taking, Hanney adds, align with Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recommendations and processes which would enable the global economy to achieve the...
From PhD to CEO with Dr Kirsty Smitten, MetalloBio, addressing one of the biggest threats to global health
March 10, 2023 14:00 - 26 minutes - 18.5 MBDr Kirsty Smitten has gone from PhD Student to founder and CEO of MetalloBio Ltd: "I was writing my thesis while forming a company." Her firm is developing new compounds to address antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and is a spin-out from the University of Sheffield, incorporated in 2021. Already the cause of 1.2 million fatalities every year, antimicrobial resistant infections are predicted to cause 10 million by 2050, more than cancer. In the first week of a PhD in Chemistry and Microbiolog...
Jumpers for goalposts, social enterprise success and disability sport with Louis Speight, Omnis Circumvado CIC
February 17, 2023 10:00 - 51 minutes - 35.3 MBIt's three years since Louis Speight, a former men’s European record holder, was last on the programme. His social enterprise Omnis Circumvado CIC is a specialist sports coaching company which works with children, young people and adults who have complex needs. "We are games-based" says Louis, and "our approach is to make sure everybody is having fun and they engage." Omnis runs inclusive activities in SEN (Special Educational Needs) schools and with people in day centres. How did this soc...
Super Sheffield Independent and Social Enterprise Gift Guide PLUS New Funding
December 02, 2022 08:00 - 20 minutes - 14.4 MBIn today's show: cost of living support and new funding opportunities for businesses and social enterprises. And it's the 'season of goodwill' – can't we have goodwill all year round? – but a time when many love to give presents. It's a horrifyingly difficult and challenging time for many. But it's also a crucial time for small businesses and social enterprises. If you are on the hunt for presents, I've rounded up a few ideas, many from businesses previously featured on this show. I wanted...
A hotbed for tech startups: boosting investment, talent and ecosystem with Darren Balcombe, Team SY
November 25, 2022 08:00 - 23 minutes - 16.1 MBCan you feel it? Can you hear it? Yes, it's the blistering, crackling heat from the South Yorkshire Tech 100 – the "hottest" startups and scaleups in the region, published today in a new ecosystem report. It lists the most successful tech companies born since the start of 2000 with headquarters in South Yorkshire and emerging startups with tremendous growth potential. Between them they employ 4,000 people. And it shows tech startup equity funding into South Yorkshire’s early-stage tech com...
How to reduce e-waste, address digital divides, be a better boss and adapt to new technology with Helen Milner and Stefan Stern
November 11, 2022 01:00 - 50 minutes - 34.4 MBToday's guests won't just make you make you think, I hope they'll help you to act since both offer practical and immediate action points to build a better world and better businesses. The UK generates some of the highest amounts of e-waste (electrical waste including headphones, remotes, computer equipment and devices) in the world. Why do we hoard such devices and how can we put them to better use? And how can we become better bosses, adapt for a hybrid-working world and plan so businesse...
Printed By Us, Sheffield Credit Union and Fair Finance – social enterprise, high quality retail, job creation and financial inclusion
November 04, 2022 07:00 - 53 minutes - 36.8 MBTerry Murphy runs Printed By Us, a social enterprise which sells t-shirts, prints, mugs, hoodies and other products, all featuring amazing designs by notable and up-and-coming artists. Terry was last on the show five years ago with colleague James whose candid story moved many listeners. The business works with vulnerable people and people who are or were at risk of homelessness, teaching them screen printing and other skills, and supporting them into employment. It has grown since then to ...
New Funding for Businesses and Social Enterprises and a High Street Hero's Evergreen Advice
October 28, 2022 08:00 - 35 minutes - 24.5 MBEvery week on this show we try to highlight new grant and funding opportunities for businesses and social enterprises. Today (28 October 2022) we have details of 10 x £40,000 grants; funding streams with £8,000 and £18,000 awards; and a new games and tech accelerator programme. Those come after news of the shortlist announcement for the Sheffield Business Awards 2022. Several of the finalists have appeared on previous episodes of this radio show. One is The Treehouse Board Game Café, sho...
What businesses and a new Government can do about poverty and how to boost "good" business - Helen Barnard
October 21, 2022 07:00 - 35 minutes - 24.6 MBMost people in poverty in the UK are in working families. Four million workers live in poverty: their resources are well below their minimum needs. That means 'not being able to heat your home, pay your rent, or buy the essentials for your children. It means waking up every day facing insecurity, uncertainty, and impossible decisions about money.' And seven in ten children growing up in poverty live in a working family. How have we come to this? And what can we do about it? Helen Barnard ...
Writer Akeem Balogun on Words, Vision and Sound, Okapi Books and the realm of the imagination
October 14, 2022 07:00 - 36 minutes - 25.4 MBIt can be unfair to quote a line from a writer's work out of context. But the words 'Truths are unpopular. Lies are famous' capture the weird maelstrom of social media posturing, fake news, politicians who'll promise whatever it takes to get elected, and over-friendly corporate messaging we're bombarded by today. The lines come from Akeem Balogun's 'Nothing too Serious,' published at Written Gallery, and written in a different context. But imaginative fiction can show us future possibil...
A Rant about (De)Regulation, New Funding and Events, and Air Quality Entrepreneur Kate Barnard
October 07, 2022 08:00 - 41 minutes - 28.5 MBAll this talk about "slashing red tape" and a sudden zeal for deregulation as a magic bullet for growth made me climb aboard my soapbox. This episode starts with a rant and a reminder: regulation per se is no barrier to inclusive growth, and careless deregulation risks encouraging a race to the bottom in business and life. Do we want crappy, rubbish businesses exploiting people and planet for ever-diminishing returns on investment? I don't. Glad I've got that off my chest (and let me know w...
The Business of Beautiful Outdoor Books with Jon Barton, Vertebrate Publishing
September 30, 2022 07:00 - 54 minutes - 37.6 MBNearly 20 years ago Jon Barton created a mountain biking guide to the trails he loved to ride in the Peak District. Since then his firm Vertebrate Publishing has grown with its authors and the business scooping multiple accolades and awards, including Small Press of the Year at the 2022 British Book Awards. It publishes beautiful and inspiring outdoor adventure books and guides. Jon joins me for a thoughtful conversation about: how the publishing industry and his business has evolved over ...
How to be a digital nomad and scale-up social enterprises with Malcolm McClean
September 16, 2022 04:00 - 44 minutes - 30.3 MBToday's guest says he's the "world's oldest" digital nomad – until proven otherwise. Malcolm McClean has always loved the work he does, and when he hit 65 years of age he sold everything he owns to embark on a new adventure. Malcolm is an author and consultant to a remarkable social enterprise, PossAbilities Community Interest Company, which has grown from 200 to 600 employees during the time he's been involved. It works with people with learning disabilities and vulnerable people so they c...
How to outperform big high street chains and avoid a race to the bottom - Stephen Tighe, Allegro Optical
July 08, 2022 06:00 - 56 minutes - 38.9 MBAlways treat the customer as though they're your mum, says Stephen Tighe, CEO and co-founder of Allegro Opticians. Launched just a few years ago, Allegro now has customers from America, France, Germany, Japan, New Zealand and many other parts of the world, after identifying and addressing a profound need for specialist optical care for musicians and performing artists. Stephen, who worked in financial series for 35 years, and wife and business partner Sheryl Doe are both accomplished musi...
From 'you'll never work again' to her own business despite finance roadblock – Sarah Beaumont Inspires
June 30, 2022 06:00 - 36 minutes - 25.3 MBSarah Beaumont had held high-level management roles and worked all over the world. But when a chronic condition left her in constant pain she was told she'd never work again. Now she's launched and runs her own business helping other people, and tells her story in today's episode. Diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos syndrome and Fibromyalgia – both long term chronic illnesses – Sarah became bed-bound, saying "there were times I would crawl on my hands and knees just to get to the bathroom.” Heart...
Better onboarding for higher-performing teams plus identifying 'unfair advantages' with Ash Ali
April 29, 2022 03:00 - 35 minutes - 24.6 MBWhat is 'ever-boarding' and why should you use it in your business? Why do over half of sales people not hit their targets, and what can you do to support them better, giving you a huge return on investment if you do it right? And what does Ash Ali mean when he talks about unfair advantages which people can identify and apply? Imagine you spent a long time and invested a lot of money to get the best talent into your company, then gave your new starters a poor experience. In those first fe...
Proving naysayers wrong by doing the right thing – ethical business and the Better Business Act with Hellen Stirling-Baker, Small Stuff
April 22, 2022 04:00 - 40 minutes - 28 MBWhen Hellen Stirling-Baker launched Small Stuff in 2016, a mentor told her it would fail because she was so focussed on ethical business. Six years later she runs a thriving online and physical shop, has opened and expanded into larger retail premises, and survived the challenges of the pandemic. Turnover and profits are increasing, says Hellen – and she has not compromised her ethics and values. Hellen is one of over 1,000 leaders of businesses large and small calling for a "Better Busines...
Vinyl revival and indie retail with Mark Elliott, Record Collector
April 15, 2022 07:00 - 36 minutes - 25.4 MBIt's a Sheffield institution, a fixture in the firmament of music-lovers. Record Collector opened in 1978 and sells vinyl albums and CDs from its double-fronted shop in Broomhill and worldwide from its online store. Vinyl is "back with a bang" says Mark Elliott. He's worked at the store since 1988 give or take a couple of breaks including a stint in New Zealand. UK vinyl sales have jumped for the 14th consecutive year, according to BPI figures, and nearly a quarter of albums sold are purch...
Helping Ukrainian people and refugees and tracing her own family near Lviv with Diane Evans
April 01, 2022 04:00 - 38 minutes - 26.4 MBDiane Evans, whose father was Ukrainian, tracked down her relatives near Lviv in Western Ukraine just two-and-a-half years ago. Since then she's met them for the first time and been in frequent contact. When Russian forces invaded Ukraine she wanted to help the Ukrainian people and refugees fleeing the war. Over just two days her business, Evans Lee, collected over £100,000-worth of donations of medicines and bandages, bottled water, canned food, toiletries, baby milk and food, and good qu...
From Minimum Viable Product to worldwide impact with Caroline Allams, Natterhub
March 19, 2022 11:00 - 44 minutes - 30.6 MBIt's crucial to prioritise when you launch a Minimum Viable Product. How? And how do you progress from MVP to uptake in more than 60 countries worldwide? Caroline Allams and Manjit Sareen launched Natterhub, an educational social media platform which prepares primary school children to thrive online, in April 2020. Their platform teaches children to be safe and kind digital citizens and is an experiential learning environment where pupils learn about their relationship with screens. This i...
Beating dating app scammers with Jessica Zeun, Fluttr
February 25, 2022 08:00 - 33 minutes - 22.8 MBWho are we talking with when we meet someone on a dating app or social media platform? A real person or a fantasy construct? How do we know a person's profile is genuine and what they're telling us is true? With romance fraud rocketing, scammers and criminals are using dating apps and social media platforms to reel in their victims. But a new, British dating app uses robust ID verification to ensure users are who they say they are, and Jessica Zeun joined me today to explain how Fluttr work...
Seed funding for startups and effective altruism with Sean Donnelly, Ripples
February 04, 2022 08:00 - 40 minutes - 27.7 MBRemember going to shops and popping your change into a charity collection box next to the till? The problem for charities is this has become a memory, not a habit, as we move to a cashless society. And it means an £80m shortfall in fundraising every year for charities which used to collect spare change. But Sean Donnelly's business Ripples, a social enterprise, wants to fix this and help small acts of generosity ripple outward to make a huge impact. Ripples uses Open Banking and its own cl...
Breaking barriers to employment with education and training - Natalie Doherty, Aneeka Zarar, Laura Else
January 21, 2022 08:00 - 46 minutes - 32.3 MBThere's a game Natalie Doherty likes to play when she meets young people on one of the Source Skills Academy's programmes. They have this image indoctrinated into them about the type of person who is a Director of Quality, Curriculum and Innovation, she says. And they're often shocked by her career journey from dance to director – but hearing it makes the idea of a senior job more accessible to them. Doherty, whose father wanted her to be an accountant, "wasn't the conventional student" at...
How to support your employees' and your own mental health PLUS co-operatives explored
January 14, 2022 09:00 - 55 minutes - 37.9 MB"We're not just hashtagging, we're actually doing something about it. I hope that gives anyone listening with a mental health problem strength: you don't have to be shut down, you don't have to be defined, you can take control." Kat Morley is the founder of Insight PR and Media. After studying journalism and winning awards for her coverage of wrestling, while living with her own mental health issues including PTSD and BPD, Kat launched the #WeGetThat Campaign on social media, hit a crowdfu...
Filling the local news gap and the future of journalism with David Floyd, Social Spider CIC
January 07, 2022 11:00 - 54 minutes - 37.3 MBNews matters to local communities. How can we generate the most possible resource available for local news and then produce the best possible local newspaper with that resource? This is the starting point for Social Spider, which publishes five local newspapers. David Floyd, MD of the 2003-established social enterprise, joins us to explain Social Spider's purpose-driven, sustainable approach to “fill the gap left by the retreat and decline of corporate local news." How? David explains, cov...
How to protect yourself from burnout, isolation or hitting a festive tipping point with Mike Lawrence
December 17, 2021 10:00 - 49 minutes - 34 MBEpisode 356 of Business Live features Mike Lawrence, workplace health and wellbeing consultant. This interview was originally recorded on 17 December 2020 and is re-broadcast this week. Working from home means many entrepreneurs and employees feel isolated; others experience overwhelm and burnout, or never stop working. Mike has strategies to protect and support you and your colleagues' health and wellbeing. Mike "could talk for a week about some of the challenges I've had to overcome." A...
How to unlock explosive growth and secure investment with Manjit Sareen, Natterhub
December 10, 2021 07:00 - 41 minutes - 28.8 MBManjit Sareen is CEO and co-founder of Natterhub and a serial entrepreneur. Since her co-founder Caroline Allams was on the show earlier this year the business, which teaches children to be safe and savvy online, has announced a high-impact collaboration with Microsoft. Manjit explains how Natterhub offers an innovative, immersive and safe environment for children and how it has developed since launching last year. Although Manjit and Caroline had been working on the product for several ye...
Unleash your creativity, feel fantastic and reap personal and business rewards with Emily Moncuit
November 19, 2021 08:00 - 33 minutes - 23.1 MBWhat holds people back from using their creativity in the workplace? Why have "closet creatives" stopped expressing their creative side in day-to-day life? And what are the impacts on health, wellbeing, problem solving and productivity when you rediscover your creative voice? Emily Moncuit helps people find their creative voice through the art of sketching and drawing. She's been working with global corporates, running lunchtime sessions for their employees with profound impacts on feeling...
The bravest social enterprises supporting Veterans with Michelle Ferguson, Royal British Legion Industries
November 12, 2021 08:00 - 39 minutes - 26.9 MBRoyal British Legion Industries is a charity supporting the Armed Forces and its veterans, people with disabilities and people who are unemployed. Michelle Ferguson runs its two social enterprises, Britain’s Bravest Manufacturing Company and Scotland’s Bravest Manufacturing Company. The firms make road and rail signs, the RBLI's much-loved Tommy figures, and even offer ecommerce fulfilment services. Michelle tells me more about what Britain’s and Scotland's Bravest Manufacturing Companies...
Online communities and investment readiness with Beca Allsopp and Chris Sellars of Sheffield Forum and Bulldozer
November 05, 2021 08:00 - 35 minutes - 24.5 MBSocial media is more than the platforms whose name changes are headline news. Sheffield Forum launched in 2002, and by last year received over 245,000 visitors per month. People love to discuss local news, seek and give advice and recommendations, and engage in friendly or robust debate on Sheffield Forum. Some users have even met their life partner through the Forum; many have forged enduring friendships and relationships. But when its founder announced in 2020 that, after 18 years, Sheff...
How NFTs Changed Photographer and Artist Joe Horner's Life
October 28, 2021 19:00 - 47 minutes - 32.9 MBWhat are NFTs – Non-Fungible Tokens – and how can creators, creatives and artists start to sell NFTs of their work? Earlier this year Joe Horner, the award-winning Sheffield-based photographer, hit rock bottom in his business because of the impact of Covid. But a lack of bookings gave Joe the time to investigate the burgeoning world of NFTs. It has changed his life. NFTs boomed in 2021: Christies sold an NFT of an artwork for over $60m earlier this year, but what are they? And how can arti...
How to become a boggart-maker and why we should conserve not preserve heritage
October 15, 2021 08:00 - 31 minutes - 21.6 MBFancy a career where your skills will be in huge demand? No, not driving a lorry – working in one of Yorkshire's oldest and rarest traditional crafts. Stone masons, milliners and even boggart-makers are now sought-after more than ever. These and other heritage crafts offer health and wellbeing benefits and fantastic career opportunities, according to today's guest Richard Godley. Richard wears several hats, including for the WEA (Workers' Educational Association) which is behind a free Her...
Young people achieving the unbelievable and connecting with nature with Element Society CEO Chris Hill
October 08, 2021 06:00 - 35 minutes - 24.7 MBElement Society is a youth-led charity with an enterprise mindset, says CEO Chris Hill. It has run over 200 projects since launching in 2013: "young people become role models to their peers and we train them to deliver projects." Over 5,000 young people have changed their lives and their communities by working with Element. People attending Specialist schools don't always get the same opportunities as people at other schools, so Element has been running a Learning through Nature programm...
How to break into the film industry with no money and celebrating independent film: Ben Wilkinson and Joe Palmer
September 24, 2021 07:00 - 38 minutes - 26.5 MBWhat is a "micro-budget" film? Ben Wilkinson is the founder and director of the Spirit of Independence Film Festival, taking place on 2 October. Now in its third year the festival celebrates films across genres from all over the world. It showcases talent, demonstrates excellence in film-making, entertains viewers, and is a brilliant industry get-together for grassroutes film making. And Ben gives his definition of a micro-budget film: a maximum of £150,000 for a feature film, and £1,000 f...
Supporting educators to welcome pupils from overseas with Leon Smith, Twinkl
September 10, 2021 10:00 - 27 minutes - 18.9 MBLeon Smith is Chief Customer Officer at educational publisher Twinkl. The Sheffield-based firm employs over a thousand people and has produced specialist resources to support schools and educators in welcoming pupils arriving from overseas for many years. Now, in response to growing demand, the EdTech giant has launched a curated collection of these (and new) resources, many of which are free to access, to provide guidance on how educators can support and welcome students whose first langua...
Digital growth marketing and how to 25x ecommerce sales with Amanda Perry
August 27, 2021 17:00 - 43 minutes - 30 MBWhen shoemaker Hewlett & Co started working with Amanda Perry, the Louth-based firm made around £2,000 per month in online sales. "We knew there was something there and quite quickly took them to £150,000 months," says Amanda, founder of digital marketing agency Soup and the E-com Growth Hub. It's a remarkable tale in an episode crammed with them – Amanda says many businesses have increased sales by a factor of 25 through working with her team, and Soup itself has grown dramatically too. S...
Connecting people through sport with Justine Reilly, Sporting Heritage
July 30, 2021 07:00 - 40 minutes - 28.1 MBSport connects people in unique ways. How can intangible things like memories and shared experiences of sport be collected and harnessed? How can places, memorabilia and artefacts be preserved and looked after? And how does that benefit all of us? Dr. Justine Reilly set up Sporting Heritage CIC, a Yorkshire based organisation on a mission to look after, protect and celebrate the diverse sporting heritage across the UK's four nations. Sometimes bigger sports, which are more often in the pub...
Fixing diversity and inclusion with disruptive innovator, Shana Gujral
July 23, 2021 07:00 - 42 minutes - 29.4 MBSeven out of ten workplace diversity and inclusion programmes fail. They don't achieve meaningful change. A partner in an international accounting firm has even said "after every single unconscious bias training that has ever been done, nothing’s ever improved." So I was fascinated to talk with Shana Gujral in this episode. She's had direct experience of diversity and inclusion programmes which don't have any effect. Shana is determined to change this and her business, Lila, is "revolutioni...
An entrepreneurship 101 with Caroline Allams, Natterhub
July 15, 2021 21:00 - 45 minutes - 31.2 MBNatterhub is an educational social media platform which prepares primary school children to thrive online. A gated, "sandbox" environment which includes more than 300 interactive lessons, it develops media literacy and is used in more than 4000 schools. How did Caroline Allams and co-founder Manjit Sareen take Natterhub from idea to Minimum Viable Product in April 2020? And how did they scale up rapidly: Natterhub is now enjoyed by teachers and pupils in more than 60 countries around the w...