Running a small business can leave you feeling isolated and lonely at times. Often you have no one to share your thoughts and feelings with. That’s when reaching out to other small-business owners can really help. Great value can be gained from seeking their independent opinions (and giving them yours). Many formal peer networking options are available, but even just occasionally meeting up for a coffee or something stronger with other business owners can be mutually beneficial.

In this episode, award-winning business coach, mentor, adviser and peer board facilitator Jonathan O’Shea explains the business and personal benefits of seeking peer group support.

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This series is brought to you thanks to the support of Dell Technologies. Our partnership with Dell means you get top products at special prices and a personalised consultation from a dedicated tech adviser who will get to know the goals of your business. Find out more by emailing the Dell for Startup UK representative at [email protected]

There are more than 5m family businesses in the UK. They employ 14.2m people and generate a quarter of UK GDP. Many people who start a business do so with a family member, whether their spouse, partner, sibling, son or daughter or other relation. And although there can be many pros to going into business with family – there can be cons.

So, what’s the key to getting it right so that the business is successful and family relationships are safeguarded? We ask Fiona Graham of the Institute of Family Business, who provides tips that could also help you if you’re thinking of going into business with a colleague or friend.

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.

This series is brought to you thanks to the support of Dell Technologies. Our partnership with Dell means you get top products at special prices and a personalised consultation from a dedicated tech adviser who will get to know the goals of your business. Find out more by emailing the Dell for Startup UK representative at [email protected]

Matt Mahatme and Jordan Palmer were bartenders who spotted a gap in the market for mixers that combined big flavours with less sugar, fewer calories and nothing artificial. “We wanted to create a brand with a bit of an edge, with a contemporary feel, that looked as good as it tasted,” recalls Matt. Since launch in 2018, helped by a successful crowdfunding campaign, Lixir Drinks has grown into an award-winning mixer brand that’s proved highly popular in the UK and internationally. So, what key start-up lessons did they learn and what’s the recipe for their success?

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.

This series is brought to you thanks to the support of Dell Technologies. Our partnership with Dell means you get top products at special prices and a personalised consultation from a dedicated tech adviser who will get to know the goals of your business. Find out more by emailing the Dell for Startup UK representative at [email protected]

Some people ooze self-confidence. And while others aren’t very self-confident, most are probably somewhere in between. Often things happen to us in life and business that damages our self-confidence. Why do some people lack self-confidence while others are supremely confident? How can you boost your self-confidence? Self-confidence and human behaviour expert Jo Emerson answers these and other key questions.

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.

This series is brought to you thanks to the support of Dell Technologies. Our partnership with Dell means you get top products at special prices and a personalised consultation from a dedicated tech adviser who will get to know the goals of your business. Find out more by emailing the Dell for Startup UK representative at [email protected]

Following a year of eye-watering inflation in 2022, especially energy prices, economic forecasts for the UK for 2023 make for pretty sobering reading. According to the Bank of England, the UK is facing its longest recession since records began, while the UK Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) expects the UK economy to shrink by 1.4% in 2023, leading to the biggest drop in living standards on record, with consumer spending set to plummet.

So, with really challenging times ahead for many UK businesses, what can owners do to mitigate risk and make their business as recession proof as possible? Find out from Rory MccGwire, founder and chief executive of Atom Content Marketing, publisher of the Donut websites – and battle-scarred veteran of previous recessions.

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.

This series is brought to you thanks to the support of Dell Technologies. Our partnership with Dell means you get top products at special prices and a personalised consultation from a dedicated tech adviser who will get to know the goals of your business. Find out more by emailing the Dell for Startup UK representative at [email protected]

Are you thinking of starting your own business in 2023? Maybe you've already taken the leap but are looking for reliable, free advice on the challenges you are facing.

The popular Start your Own Business podcast is back. Packed with top tips and free advice, downloading the podcast could be one of the best business decisions you make this year.

Find out what's coming up in series four by listening to the trailer now!

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.

This series is brought to you thanks to the support of Dell Technologies. Our partnership with Dell means you get top products at special prices and a personalised consultation from a dedicated tech adviser who will get to know the goals of your business. Find out more by emailing the Dell for Startup UK representative at [email protected]

Time is the one thing that small-business owners don’t have enough of, with many having to work long hours. Those starting a new business often must work even longer hours to get their business off the ground and into profit. So, what’s the key to making best use of every minute of every day? What role can technology play? Where can time be lost? How can people work less and get more done? How can listeners stay better organised and productive each day? These are some of the key questions covered in the penultimate episode of our third series.

Sharing her insight is guest Clare Evans, leading time management expert and productivity coach. She is also the author of the bestseller, Time Management For Dummies.

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.

This series is brought to you thanks to the support of Dell Technologies. Our partnership with Dell means you get top products at special prices and a personalised consultation from a dedicated tech adviser who will get to know the goals of your business. Find out more by emailing the Dell for Startup UK representative at [email protected]

More than 640,000 new businesses are started each year in the UK and most don’t grow much, they pretty much stay as one person enterprises, which suits their owners. Others are more ambitious, they want to take on staff, win many more customers, expand their operation, grow their business and take it to new heights. But growth isn’t a given. You have to work hard to achieve it. You must make good decisions. You have to take risks. You need some luck. There are many new obstacles to overcome.

In this episode we speak to Mark Hart, Professor of Small Business and Entrepreneurship at Aston Business School, who is also Associate Director of the Aston Centre for Growth and Deputy Director of the national Enterprise Research Centre. Mark explains why some owners are able to grow their businesses into much bigger enterprises – while others fail. He outlines the critical factors that affect growth and offers his advice to small-business owners who want to make it big.

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.

This series is brought to you thanks to the support of Dell Technologies. Our partnership with Dell means you get top products at special prices and a personalised consultation from a dedicated tech adviser who will get to know the goals of your business. Find out more by emailing the Dell for Startup UK representative at [email protected]

The best start-up advice usually comes from the best-placed experts of all – those who’ve actually been there and done it. In this Start-up Story episode, we speak to Surlender Pendress, co-founder of the Love Writing Company, which is based in the West Midlands. It sells innovative writing pencils, erasable colour pencils and washable crayons developed specifically for children’s hands, created to make it easier, quicker and more enjoyable for children to learn to write.

Surlender started the business in 2019 with Mark Sherwood. She explains where the idea for her business came from and retraces her start-up steps, looking at key challenges she faced and how she overcame them.

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.

This series is brought to you thanks to the support of Dell Technologies. Our partnership with Dell means you get top products at special prices and a personalised consultation from a dedicated tech adviser who will get to know the goals of your business. Find out more by emailing the Dell for Startup UK representative at [email protected]

Instagram is the world’s seventh most-visited website. Some 1.22bn people use Instagram each month, with 18 to 34 year olds making up the biggest share of Instagram’s audience. About 90% of Instagram users follow at least one business, and reportedly, half of its users have discovered new brands via Instagram. When you get it right, Instagram can be a superb, low-cost way to market your business to new and existing customers.

In this episode, we speak to Lou Chudley of Bristol-based agency, Spark Social. She reveals her top tips on how to build a brand on Instagram and generate leads and sales. If you want to find out how to use Instagram to grow your business, this episode is packed with top tips, so don’t miss it.

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.

This series is brought to you thanks to the support of Dell Technologies. Our partnership with Dell means you get top products at special prices and a personalised consultation from a dedicated tech adviser who will get to know the goals of your business. Find out more by emailing the Dell for Startup UK representative at [email protected]