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 50% off Sage Accounting for three 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 50% off Sage Accounting for three 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 automation
• 11:13 The importance of quality data when using AI
• 13:14 Practical benefits of AI for small businesses
• 31:45 How to use AI to start your business
• 51:11 Top tips for using AI in 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.

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.