Business Daily

Starting a business is never easy, but in the last few years there’s been more than usual to deal with. Many would assume it's not been a great time to start trading but we speak to three business owners who did just that.

Tina Kayoma is the co-founder of Project of Japan in Kyoto. A business that sells products made by Japanese crafts people across the world. She opened her first shop last year.

Maria Jose Hernadez is in Switzerland where she runs a confectionary business called El Caramelo and Lisa Nielson is in Ghana where she runs Tiny Reusers, a business that sells second hand baby items.

They come together in this episode to explain what it's been like setting up a business where they live. They also discuss the good and bad moments they've had and give their tips for anyone else looking to start a business.

Producer/presenter: Hannah Mullane

(Image: Tina Kayoma, Maria Jose Hernadez and Lisa Nielson, with kind permission)

Some businesses in South East Asia are growing at remarkable rates by using social media to sell. Live streaming on TikTok and live chatting on apps like Whatsapp, Line and Zalo are all being used to increase sales. We find out how.

Nina Dizon-Cabrera is the CEO of make-up brand, Colourette Cosmetics in the Philippines. She explains how her business began on social media and how she can sell thousands of products in just a few hours by live streaming on TikTok.

Joan Aurelia heads to Jakarta in Indonesia. The country has over 100,000 TikTok users, the second biggest market for the app after the United States. She speaks to business owners there about how social media has allowed them to transform their businesses.

Simon Torring is the cofounder of Cube Asia, a market analyst. He explains how much this new way of selling is contributing to the economy and predicts where the next big trends will come.

Presenter/producer: Hannah Mullane

(Photo: Nina Dixon-Cabrera Credit: Colourette Cosmetics)

A mentor can take many different forms but ultimately they’re there to give you advice, put you in touch with contacts they have and support you, whether you’re setting up a new business or looking to make the next step in your career.

We head to Sweden to speak to Caxton Njuki, a professional sports and health coach who is a mentor to Jessika Sillanpää. He supported her for a year as she set up her business Jessikastory. They give us an insight into their mentoring relationship and how the process allowed Jessika to work on her business full time.

Abhishek Nagaraj, an expert in business mentoring at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkley. He discusses the different forms of mentoring and the economic benefits if you have a really good mentor.

Producer/presenter: Hannah Mullane

(Image: Caxton Njuki and Jessika Sillanpää Credit: Caxton Njuki)

With food and heating prices going up, and wages not rising at the same rate, there is pressure on central bankers across the world to tackle inflation. But is this the right approach? And can it be done without crashing the economy?

Ed Butler hears from parents at a cheerleading class in Castleford in northern England, who are concerned about rising prices. They say it is the food shopping where they have noticed the price rises – with one parent shopping online to stop children asking for more items.

Jason Furman, a Harvard professor and President Obama's chief economic adviser, explains how we have reached this position – largely as a result of the pandemic and resulting government responses, and the invasion of Ukraine.

Former Federal Reserve economist Claudia Sahm explains how prices are rising for the core essentials - hitting poorer households disproportionately which is an issue for the whole economy.

And why do we have a 2% inflation target? Mohamed El-Erian, veteran economist and president of Queen’s College, Cambridge, talks about the historical factors around this 'desirable' number.

Presenter/producer: Ed Butler

(Photo: Woman with shopping basket. Credit: Getty Images)

Presenter Matthew Kenyon visits Dutch tech giant ASML, the company which makes the most advanced machines used in the manufacturing of microchips.

It is Europe’s most valuable tech company and business is booming – ASML expanded its headcount by nearly a third in 2022 – but political pressure from the US to restrict exports to China threatens to disrupt the semiconductor landscape.

We hear from ASML chief executive Peter Wennink, find out more about the process of creating ASML’s remarkable products and consider what the fallout from Washington’s intervention might be.

Presenter/producer: Matthew Kenyon

(Photo: ASML expo in Shanghai. Credit: Getty Images)

On World Hijab Day, Business Daily's Emb Hashmi explores the enormous market in modest fashion and in particular the hijab. We meet four women who wear the hijab in their own way and also make a living out of modelling, making and selling hijabs.

Dr Sana Askary, founder of Yumin Hijab tells Emb that when she decided to wear the hijab a few years ago she couldn’t find one she could wear comfortably so she designed her own and now runs a hijab business which she’s hoping to expand this year.

Shazrina Azman aka Mizz Nina was an award winning Malaysian singer songwriter but a chance moment on Hajj pilgrimage made her realise she wanted to dress more modestly. Sharzina adapted her already very successful fashion business to more modest clothing designs and left her free hair look behind to wear the hijab.

Lalla Mariah al-Idrissi is a model and filmmaker and tells us she’s considered a model with hijab she's considered a model with hijab because the hijab is such a significant part of her appearance and Eniya Rana a modest fashion influencer based in London and married mother of 5 describes how she creates very relatable online content for a growing global female audience.

Presenter/producer: Emb Hashmi

(Photo: Dr Sana Askary and friends; Credit: Yumin Hijabs)

Presenter David Reid explores the huge market in military memorabilia. Enthusiasts recreating historical battles has surged in recent years and driven a boom in the market for military uniforms and artefacts. We speak to dealers and buyers and explore the ethics of what some say is a blood soaked trade.

David reports from a re-enactment event and speaks to John Ruffhead, the co-ordinator for the Royal Navy Beachhead Commando re-enactors, to find out more about those who take part. Charlotte Huxley-James, a World War Two living historian tells us about the military uniforms she has bought over the years and why authenticity really matters.

We also hear from military memorabilia dealer Malcolm Fisher who tells us the market for what he sells is huge and defends the trade in Nazi artefacts.

Producer/presenter: David Reid

(Photo: US Army Sergeant in uniform decorated with medals. Credit: Getty Images)

Ade Ayeyemi, the CEO of Ecobank - Africa’s biggest bank - speaks to presenter Peter MacJob about the economic woes facing much of Africa and explores the leadership and policy adjustments needed to turn the continents fortunes around.

In a candid and wide ranging interview Mr Ayeyemi says that African governments need to stop introducing subsidies and start collecting more taxes in order to manage their economies better.

Presenter/producer: Peter MacJob

(Photo: Ade Ayeyemi, CEO Ecobank. Credit: Getty Images)

For the final episode of our cost of living series, the Business Daily team are in Dresden, a manufacturing powerhouse in the east of Germany.

Leanna Byrne speaks to small business owners, students considering taking on extra paid work and a big manufacturing boss about how the rising cost of living is affecting them and their livelihoods.

Detlef Neuhaus, the chief executive of one of Germany's biggest renewables companies - Solarwatt - tells us how the war in Ukraine has changed the mindset of some people when it comes to the value of renewable energy and how their manufacturing costs have gone up in recent months.

Presenter: Leanna Byrne

We all know a coffee shop, a restaurant, a greasy spoon, a pub or a fine dining eatery that has closed in the last few months. But why, after two years of forced closures because of the coronavirus pandemic, are hospitality businesses closing now?

Leanna Byrne speaks to hospitality business owners from three different countries to find out how they’re covering their overheads.

Alessandro Borghese is a chef who owns restaurants in Milan and in Venice. He says he’s paying more for everything from food to oils and staff.

And Mandla Mataure is the managing director for the Chimanimani Hotel in Manicaland in eastern Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe ended 2023 reporting a 244% inflation rate. How does Mandla deal with constant price rises when staff are looking for more money?

Oliver Mansaray owns the restaurant, Kink, in Berlin. Oliver opened his first ever hospitality business right before the pandemic struck. Like Mandla, he’s taken on the cost of living challenge by cutting costs elsewhere and trying to be more efficient.

Presenter/producer: Leanna Byrne