It's The Small Things

Following our interview with London Sock Company co-founder Dave Pickard, which took place before the outbreak of coronavirus, we check back in to find out why the ecommerce business founders realised they’d removed themselves too much from day-to-day operations, why a change in operation model was required and how unprecedented disruptions to global supply chains were dealt with.

Following our interview with Black+Blum founder Dan Black, which took place before the outbreak of coronavirus, we check back in to find out how the on-the-go food and drink products business navigated the challenge of everyone staying at home, tapping into the new ways in which people were living and taking a critical approach to the way it was marketing its recently refined set of products.

Following our interview with KellyBronze MD Paul Kelly, which took place before the outbreak of coronavirus, we check back in to find out how the turkey-breeding business navigated the challenge of not knowing what demand would be for its product, making plans when labour supply was an unknown entity and continuing to focus on making small but important changes to operations.

Following our interview with Flight Club CEO Steve Moore, which took place before the outbreak of coronavirus, we check back in to find out how the hospitality business navigated the challenge of having to close the doors at all of its venues, putting the majority of staff on furlough and looking beyond the worrying headlines that continued to give no clear indication as to when trade could be recommenced.

Following our interview with Origin Global COO Victoria Brocklesby, which took place before the outbreak of coronavirus, we check back in to find out how the business navigated the challenge of managing a factory, a complex supply chain, a surge in demand for home improvement products and staying on track with an existing growth strategy.

Following our interview with Brompton Bicycle MD Will Butler-Adams, which took place before the outbreak of coronavirus, we check back in to find out how the business navigated the challenge of managing a factory with hundreds of workers, a complex supply chain, a surge in demand for bicycles and staying on track with an existing growth strategy.

In the tenth episode of It’s The Small Things, we spoke to Simon Saunders about how he’s built Ariel Motor Company into a successful brand that comes with a two-year waiting list. Brought back to life at the turn of the millenium, Ariel adopted the name of a British engineering company that built the world’s first bicycle and went on to innovate historic cars and motorcycles. The business shot to fame when its flagship car, the Atom, appeared on Top Gear and went unbeaten around the show’s test track, a record it held for two years. Despite the huge demand for its vehicles, Ariel continues to operate with a small team of 35 and builds just 120 cars every year at its Somerset premises. In this episode, you’ll find advice on:

• Developing a clear ethos for your business
• Building a strong supplier network
• The impact of giving staff autonomy

In the ninth episode of It’s The Small Things, we visited Tom at Westcombe Dairy’s Somerset farm to talk about the evolution of the family business, automation and what he’s learnt as a leader. Westcombe Dairy first produced unpasteurised cheddar in the late 1800s, before expanding into a creamery during World War II. It returned to its cheesemaking origins in the late 1990s and now produces around 120 tonnes of cheddar every year. The team at Westcombe includes 19 employees as well a cheese turning machine called Tina the Turner! Listen to this episode to get tips on:

• Challenging traditions to achieve excellence
• The impact of automating “grunt work” in the business
• Balancing firefighting with top-level tasks

In the eighth episode of It’s The Small Things, we spoke to Julianne about how she turned Creative Nature from a debt-laden business into a major retail success with a turnover set to hit £2 million. Julianne bought Creative Nature in a management buyout in 2012, aged 22. Gradually, she transformed the company into a superfood brand and brought it back into profit. One of the reasons Julianne was so driven to create tasty free-from products is because she has suffered from anaphylaxis since she was two years old and was frustrated by the lack of products on the market. This episode has advice on:

• Developing your branding
• Pitching to major retailers
• Incorporating customer feedback into product development

The sixth episode of this season of It’s The Small Things sees us sit down for a cold one with Toast Ale co-founder and COO Louisa Ziane. While a relatively young business, the social enterprise has made big progress in its efforts to both grew great beer and tackle the food wastage and wider sustainability issues that are becoming increasingly prevalent. Louisa has overseen a tricky period for Toast Ale where growing pains associated with recruitment and big competition on the British craft beer scene keep her and the team constantly on their toes. This episode has advice on:

• How to embed sustainability initiatives into your business
• Implementing mental health objectives for your team
• Adapting and improving your brand to really stand out