Business Live: for curious entrepreneurs and social entrepreneurs

What does it take to succeed as an artist? Talent. Persistence. Consistency. And business acumen.

My latest Business Live radio show, broadcast on Sheffield Live! FM radio on Friday and available as a podcast below, examined the commercial perspective of working as an artist.

Tom Vickers of Stoneface Creative and businessman and mentor, Steve Eyre (who runs World of Superheroes) joined me in the studio to give their advice.

Tom's father, Andrew Vickers, produces acclaimed work now being sought after by high profile entertainment and business figures.

Steve's made his share of business successes and investments, and has a passion for comics and superheroes. He now mentors artists and unveiled exciting news about internationally-recognised artist Joe Scarborough during the programme.

Tom and Steve covered partnerships, profile-raising and much more, and how commercial support can free up an artist to do more of what they love most.

Also on the show: business as a force for good and corporate social responsibility (CSR).

Kate Rawlings is a former journalist and now CSR Manager at Irwin Mitchell LLP. Civil servant Carolynn McConnell is Business in the Community’s Sheffield “Business Connector.”

Carolynn’s enjoyment of her role is so evident, it is infectious. She introduced the Trading for Good website and her approach to partnership-building.

Kate explained why Irwin Mitchell engage in CSR and their four-pronged approach. Does the work they do align with existing needs which have already been identified? Who do they work with, and why? Find out in the podcast!

I  also quizzed Kate about whether CSR has been devalued or is “greenwash” to make firms look good, so if you’re sceptical about CSR in 2018, do have a listen. And we heard about a collaborative and open initiative, the Responsible Business Forum in Sheffield.

Catch22 traces its history back to 1788, the beginning of the enlightenment.

230 years later this social business delivers a wide range of public services up and down the country.

As a "cradle to career" organisation Catch22 supports children excluded from mainstream education, delivers justice services working in 24 prisons across the country, runs victim support services, supports children in need, and delivers employability and apprenticeship programmes.

Chris Wright, CEO of Catch22, describes the need for a relationship-based (rather than transactional) approach to the outsourcing and delivery of public services in this podcast, which coincides with the NHS's 70th anniversary.

He covers Catch22's own pivot from dependency on grants and 'soft' contracts to earning the majority of its income from 'hard' contracts.

Chris also talks about:

• who should deliver public services nowadays, why – and how?
• how Government should create the conditions to allow social businesses and small organisations to compete and to win contracts,
• payment models for service delivery,
• the perception of risk by commissioners and risk-management,
• moving away from a paternalistic approach to public services to giving agency to people and enabling communities to take control and responsibility,
• a more intelligent approach to commissioning,
• how Catch22 has won contracts and advice for other leaders of social enterprises and businesses,
• his own career journey, approach to leadership and inspirations.

Timings:

• 0 - 3:10 introduction and updates
• 3:10 Chris Wright – public service delivery
• 33:18 break, forthcoming events including Sharrow Festival, superheroes in Storrs Wood, the Kickov Festival, and more
• 37:13 Chris Wright – Chris' career journey, drivers, leadership approach and inspirations
• 48:22 - end (49:15) wrapping up

Got an idea for a brilliant product or new business?

Wonderful. But how do you test it?

It's easy to get positive feedback from folk who believe in you but aren't your future customers. Or to be dissuaded by others projecting their fears at you.

Who are the right people to speak with? How do you find them?

How do you have a meaningful conversation without folk lying to you because they're polite?

How do you get to the truth? And whether people really will buy from you?

John Holcroft can help. In this week's radio show and podcast, he spills the beans on his process to validate and research business ideas.

Holcroft develops "apps which makes a difference" – one has won awards for advancing patient safety.

But it's not all been plain sailing.

After he left a well-paid city job writing software for an investment bank, he developed, launched and closed a startup selling a music education app.

He's frank about why this “worked as a product but failed as a business” and the key point he missed right at the start which is the reason it failed.

But since then John, who has also developed apps for national retailers, pitched to and won investment and mentoring from the tech-for-good start-up accelerator Bethnal Green Ventures.

He's developed multiple apps for hospitals and the NHS. And he's honed his research and interview skills.

"There are good and bad ways to talk with people about your ideas. With my first startup, I did it the appalling way."

Listen to John and use his advice to get robust, genuine and meaningful feedback about your next product or business.

Kate Welch is founder and CEO of Social Enterprise Acumen, a community interest company (CIC) which supports social entrepreneurs to develop their concepts or grow their businesses.

She joined me for an extensive radio interview on this morning's show – and the podcast is below. It's crammed with great advice for leaders of businesses and social enterprises.

Kate covers:

• Acumen's work and the most common challenges Kate and her team help clients to solve
• balancing the delivery of public sector contracts with the need for positive cashflow
• social investment: do impact investors understand social enterprises' needs?
• the vital importance of developing resilience for social entrepreneurs, including advice on separating problems from solutions
• public recognition and awards (Kate's been awarded the MBE for services to social enterprise and the Queen's Award for Enterprise Promotion) – do they help?
• the difference between budgeting with wishful thinking and realistic financial planning covering best and worst case scenarios
• tips on how to decide whether to bid for contracts, and if you do, how to put together an excellent bid
• her voluntary work with Girl Guiding and some of the skills and aptitudes this organisation develops in girls and young women (did you know girl guides are incredible sales people?)
• her long-held love for Sheffield having spent time studying physics at University in the city

Timings:

• 0 - 8:13 introduction and updates, including Sheffield's free city wi-fi which went live this week, on World Wi-Fi Day; report finds young entrepreneurs choosing social impact as their top business priority; the UK Social Enterprise Awards are open for entries; so are the Sheffield Business Awards and the Barnsley and Rotherham Business Awards,
• 8:13 - 43:44 Kate Welch,
• 43:44 - (47:24) wrapping up.

This week's radio show features live studio guest Al Daw and an interview with Lucy Findlay, founder and MD of Social Enterprise Mark CIC.

Al discusses his unique immersive Soviet soccer experience, Kickov.

Celebrating all nations in one city, the Kickov festival at Abbeydale Picture House starts on 14 June with a World Cup opening party featuring live traditional Russian music, street food and more.

The free to attend festival includes comedy, DJs, live bands, interactive quizzes, fancy dress and craft beer.

There's plenty for everyone, football fans and non-fans alike, plus the opportunity to watch most of the World Cup games on a massive screen, the biggest in the region.

Al also describes the inspiration which kicked off Kickov; a similar fan park he created at Old Street roundabout in Shoreditch, his work as an artist and exciting plans for a building.

Is business a force for good? On Thursday I went to a fascinating event, "Sharing the Wealth," The Social Enterprise Mark's conference in York. At the end of the event Lucy Findlay, founder and MD of The Social Enterprise Mark CIC joined me for an interview.

Lucy describes the process behind certification as a Mark holder; helping social enterprises to articulate their impact and how they make a difference; and the Social Enterprise Gold Mark. She also covers the rationale behind the "Sharing the Wealth" conference and how business done differently can be a force for good and a force for change.

Lucy gives examples of organisations taking a different approach to business, and makes a strong case for businesses and social enterprises to tackle societal problems. Lucy also calls for business schools to avoid taking too narrow an approach to education – missing out on the opportunity to give students what they want.

Timings:

• 0 - 1:02 introduction,
• 1:02 - 24:39 Al Daw, Kickov festival and artist,
• 24:39 - 28:07 is business a force for good?
• 28:08 - 44:13 Lucy Findlay, Social Enterprise Mark CIC,
• 44:13 - 45:51 wrapping up and upcoming events.

Nickala Torkington runs Flourish, a social enterprise which support women to create the change they see needed through peer learning, crowd sourcing, mentoring and investment. Flourish’s recent crowdfund, in support of their #InvestinWomenChangemakers Festival and Fund, was their 4th successful crowdfund.

Nick Middleton is founder of Zen Oracle, Zen Golf Mechanics and FlowMotion Golf. An innovator in golf coaching, equipment and technology, Middleton started making putters in Sheffield in the late 1990s. His approach to coaching and his putters have been described as revolutionary.

Fascinating discussions with both.

Timings:

• 0 – 2:33 introduction
• 2:33 – 12:00 Nick Middleton, part 1
• 12:00 – 31:39 Nickala Torkington
• 31:39 – 52:47 Nick Middleton, part 2

What next?

• Check out Flourish and Zen Oracle.
• More about my Business Live radio show.

Get yourself an education in business growth with this radio show podcast featuring an in-depth interview with Jon Seaton, co-founder of specialist online educational publisher, Twinkl.

Jon and wife Susie launched Twinkl to support the teaching community by providing access to resources and classroom material. Around 500,000 teaching resources have been created and the business has customers in more than 168 countries.

Founded in 2010, Twinkl was this week named a recipient of a Queen’s Award for Enterprise, the UK’s highest accolade for business success. The Queen's Award recognises outstanding achievement in international trade, innovation, Sustainable Development and Promoting Opportunity (through social mobility).

Also in the show: an interview with David Battle, Managing Director, Markets, NEX Exchange. David was in Sheffield this week (at an event I attended and chaired) to discuss how a listing on NEX Exchange, a UK regulated stock exchange for small companies, can be beneficial for businesses seeking access to capital.

David tells me what types of businesses are listed on NEX Exchange. And he describes the process to become ready to list or prepare for an IPO and how long it takes.

Timings and shownotes:

• 0 - 7:18 introduction and updates, including a recap of last week’s show; Business in the Community’s Responsible Business Week; Community Business Weekend on 4-7 May; other forthcoming events
• 7:18: Jon Seaton, CEO of Twinkl. Introducing Twinkl, specialised digital publishing business for education. Founded in 2010 by Jon and wife Susie, a teacher.
• [10:10] How did the business develop between 2010 and now?
• [10:55] Twinkl's two key business principles at the foundation of the business.
• [13:06] creating content and material, why Twinkl operates a "freemium" model, and how content is developed.
• [14:40] who are the people using Twinkl's resources and where are they?
• [16:20] how is content tailored for teachers in different territories.
• [19:50] as Twinkl has grown – now to a point where there may be 10,000 users downloading material within 20 minutes – how has the web infrastructure and the coding of the site developed to ensure the site is robust?
• [24:50] one defining factor of any great business, in Jon's view.
• [25:30] this week Twinkl won a Queen's Award for Enterprise in International Trade. What does that mean for the business?
• [29:16] why Twinkl started with a freemium model.
• [30:24] dealing with taxation as a business trading internationally.
• [32:12] why Jon believes businesses have a moral duty to pay taxes and contribute to the society in which they are based.
• [36:00] what advice could Jon today give to himself back in 2010, with the benefits of hindsight? And the pros and cons of classic entrepreneurial traits and the benefits of a strong team.
• [39:05] where next for the business? And how to get in touch with Jon.
• [41:45] contact the show, recap, and introducing David Battle, NEX Exchange.
• [43:07] what is NEX Exchange?
• [43:50] examples of a few companies listed on NEX Exchange, and typical sizes of companies joining.
• [45:10] the benefits of a listing on NEX.
• [46:19] how the exchange has worked closely with the Social Stock Exchange (now the Impact Investor Network).
• [47:10] what's the process to become ready to list on NEX or prepare for an IPO? How long does it take?
• [48:40] getting in touch with NEX Exchange.
• [49:00] wrapping up.

Jodie Marshall has been running A Mind Apart Theatre Company for 10 years.

It is a thriving business, a social enterprise, earning income from delivering education contracts, from parents paying for their children to attend weekly sessions and holiday clubs, and from adult workshops (among other income streams).

Its mission is to use performing arts to "challenge, inspire, encourage and change lives."

But it can't change any lives if it doesn't earn income.

Jodie was frank and forthright when she joined me for a radio interview this morning in the Sheffield Live studio.

Favourite quote: "Be obnoxious but be realistic" (but you should listen to the podcast to understand the context!)

We discussed Jodie's original driver to launch A Mind Apart • the work they do and with whom • diversifying income streams • bidding for contracts • delegating and trusting your team • abusing funding• biggest challenges overcome • when panic mode can be beneficial • and much more.

Timings and show notes: https://www.jamieveitch.co.uk/2018/04/jodie-marshall-a-mind-apart-interview/