Startup Survival Podcast

Send us Fan Mail

So many start-ups fail to prioritise selling as a key business issue. Entrepreneurs new to the journey often sell badly, think marketing is sales or believe their product/service is so good, no selling is required.

Don’t be fooled!

Instead, tune into sales trainer and selling guru Martin Hutchins. Hear him explain why so many people get sales wrong and how effective salespeople work. By listening you’ll learn what people really buy when they make a purchase. You’ll also discover how this knowledge will help you to redefine sales processes that work for your business.

This comprehensive episode covers many issues from mindset, resilience and relationships through to empathy, body language, communication and much more.

A bit of Podcast background...

UK-based Peter Harrington set up his first business following graduation in York in 1989. He has since started and grown several companies in various sectors including research, marketing, design, print, educational software and consultancy. Over the last 30+ years, Peter has employed over 1,000 people and experienced many highs and a few lows including burglaries, floods, fire and of course the most recent pandemic.

As well as being the CEO with the SimVenture team, Peter is also an Entrepreneur in Residence at the London School of Economics and London South Bank University.

Big thanks to LSE Generate, the SimVenture Team and Seajam Moths for supporting the Startup Survival Podcast.

Find Guest details and all Reference Sources

The full podcast series together with additional materials, guest details and hyperlinks to all episode reference sources is available on Peter Harrington's Blog 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to Entrepreneurship'.

Send us Fan Mail

For all startups on a budget, spending money and time on marketing is possibly one of the most frustrating of all activities...

Just when you thought a social media or google ads campaign would lead to customers lining up for your latest gizmo, all you get is silence and the inevitable bill. Like a casino, marketing is supposed to be the sexy, fun side of business. But like a casino, marketing can drain your business of precious money and time.

Have you been affected? Do you want to turn the marketing odds in your favour? Then listen to this show’s expert guest and marketing specialist, Victoria Bradley. A serial entrepreneur and seasoned startup advisor, Vics shares how you can build a business on a shoestring marketing budget. Tune in and learn how to apply common-sense tactics and strategies that will give your venture the best chance of survival and growth. Full of practical tips and advice, this is a must-listen episode for any startup student or entrepreneur seeking to succeed.

A bit of Podcast background...

UK-based Peter Harrington set up his first business following graduation in York in 1989. He has since started and grown several companies in various sectors including research, marketing, design, print, educational software and consultancy. Over the last 30+ years, Peter has employed over 1,000 people and experienced many highs and a few lows including burglaries, floods, fire and of course the most recent pandemic.

As well as being the CEO with the SimVenture team, Peter is also an Entrepreneur in Residence at the London School of Economics and London South Bank University.

Big thanks to LSE Generate, the SimVenture Team and Seajam Moths for supporting the Startup Survival Podcast.

Find Guest details and all Reference Sources

The full podcast series together with additional materials, guest details and hyperlinks to all episode reference sources is available on Peter Harrington's Blog 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to Entrepreneurship'.

Send us Fan Mail

All start-ups must get out of the building and out of their comfort zone. Inevitably, this means meeting others and starting conversations with people we don’t know.

For the lucky ones, ‘professional socialising’ is enjoyable and rewarding. But many find the task terrifying. And then there are those whose excessive self-belief means their perceived ability is at odds with reality.

Tune into this episode with my expert guest Amanda Dickens. With decades of networking experience in the professional services and start-up space, Amanda shares an array of insightful thoughts and ideas, all rooted in common sense and seasoned practice.

Listen to Amanda and learn how best to plan and prepare for meetings, read behavioural signals, break the ice with strangers and ultimately build sustainable professional relationships that will help you to grow your venture.

A bit of Podcast background...

UK-based Peter Harrington set up his first business following graduation in York in 1989. He has since started and grown several companies in various sectors including research, marketing, design, print, educational software and consultancy. Over the last 30+ years, Peter has employed over 1,000 people and experienced many highs and a few lows including burglaries, floods, fire and of course the most recent pandemic.

As well as being the CEO with the SimVenture team, Peter is also an Entrepreneur in Residence at the London School of Economics and London South Bank University.

Big thanks to LSE Generate, the SimVenture Team and Seajam Moths for supporting the Startup Survival Podcast.

Find Guest details and all Reference Sources

The full podcast series together with additional materials, guest details and hyperlinks to all episode reference sources is available on Peter Harrington's Blog 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to Entrepreneurship'.

Send us Fan Mail

Tune in and listen to entrepreneur, engineer and academic, Dr Peter Melville Shreeve, explain why all start-ups must prioritise environmental sustainability.

Early in this episode you'll learn about basic environmentally sound practices that all businesses should adopt. But as the podcast progresses you'll also hear about opportunities to seize and why the global environmental sector is going to boom in the next few years.

Talking through all the salient issues, Dr Melville Shreeve provides tips and advice throughout that will help all start-ups to grow their green credentials. He also shares specific thoughts as to how any organisation of any size can shape and market their services so they have the best chance of winning new business.

Dr Peter Melville-Shreeve began his professional life as an Environmental Engineer and over 10 years has worked in both consultancy practice and startups. He currently teaches product development and runs an entrepreneurship skills programme at University of Exeter’s Engineering School. As an entrepreneur Pete founded (2015) and exited (2020) an Internet of Things platform (OTA Analytics) which harnessed real-time control systems and weather data to control storm-water as it flows through our cities.

A bit of Podcast background...

UK-based Peter Harrington set up his first business following graduation in York in 1989. He has since started and grown several companies in various sectors including research, marketing, design, print, educational software and consultancy. Over the last 30+ years, Peter has employed over 1,000 people and experienced many highs and a few lows including burglaries, floods, fire and of course the most recent pandemic.

As well as being the CEO with the SimVenture team, Peter is also an Entrepreneur in Residence at the London School of Economics and London South Bank University.

Big thanks to LSE Generate, the SimVenture Team and Seajam Moths for supporting the Startup Survival Podcast.

Find Guest details and all Reference Sources

The full podcast series together with additional materials, guest details and hyperlinks to all episode reference sources is available on Peter Harrington's Blog 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to Entrepreneurship'.

Send us Fan Mail

Providing sex education within schools in Colombia drives social entrepreneur Sebastian Jaramillo to make a positive difference.

Listen to this podcast to find out how and why Seb started TxC, an organisation committed to reducing unwanted teenage pregnancies so young people can lead more fulfilling lives. Hear Seb offer specific and practical advice that can be applied to the launch and growth of any social enterprise.

By listening to this episode you’ll also learn about critical books and reference sources that Seb recommends. You’ll also develop a deeper appreciation of the startup growth stages, the marketing actions you need to take and the importance of building trusted partnerships with sponsors, customers and other stakeholders.

Social Entrepreneur, Sebastian Jaramillo, is Founder of TxC, where his team works in Colombia, South America, to reduce the poverty cycle caused by unwanted teenage pregnancy. As part of their work the team uses sophisticated technology to provide sexual and reproductive health interventions within schools. Before creating TxC, Sebastian worked for both the United Nations and the Colombian Government. He is passionate about creating social impact for social good.

A bit of Podcast background...

UK-based Peter Harrington set up his first business following graduation in York in 1989. He has since started and grown several companies in various sectors including research, marketing, design, print, educational software and consultancy. Over the last 30+ years, Peter has employed over 1,000 people and experienced many highs and a few lows including burglaries, floods, fire and of course the most recent pandemic.

As well as being the CEO with the SimVenture team, Peter is also an Entrepreneur in Residence at the London School of Economics and London South Bank University.

Big thanks to LSE Generate, the SimVenture Team and Seajam Moths for supporting the Startup Survival Podcast.

Find Guest details and all Reference Sources

The full podcast series together with additional materials, guest details and hyperlinks to all episode reference sources is available on Peter Harrington's Blog 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to Entrepreneurship'.

Send us Fan Mail

Whether you plan to run and scale a for-profit venture or social enterprise, tune into this pivotal episode and learn all about finding and securing investment finance.

My special guest, Olga Miler, is a rare individual. Not only has she spent many years working in the banking industry supporting start-ups, but she is also a serial entrepreneur. As a consequence she is able to view this subject from dual perspectives.

In this podcast listen to Olga’s advice about the different types of finance and how you go about finding investors. And discover what she says about preparation and lead times so you give yourself the best chance when you make your pitch. You’ll also hear Olga provide tips on pitching too.

Olga Miler is a global innovation expert, specializing in women and finance, sustainability, and gender-smart investing. She has been broadly recognized for her transformational achievements to change the financial services industry for women and gender equality with features in the global press such as Sky News, BBC News, CNBC, the Financial Times, Bloomberg and The Guardian and won numerous awards including ‘Inspirational Woman of the Year 2019’. Following her career at UBS she has co-founded her own start-up – SmartPurse – a fintech-ed-tech venture revolutionizing financial education.

A bit of Podcast background...

UK-based Peter Harrington set up his first business following graduation in York in 1989. He has since started and grown several companies in various sectors including research, marketing, design, print, educational software and consultancy. Over the last 30+ years, Peter has employed over 1,000 people and experienced many highs and a few lows including burglaries, floods, fire and of course the most recent pandemic.

As well as being the CEO with the SimVenture team, Peter is also an Entrepreneur in Residence at the London School of Economics and London South Bank University.

Big thanks to LSE Generate, the SimVenture Team and Seajam Moths for supporting the Startup Survival Podcast.

Find Guest details and all Reference Sources

The full podcast series together with additional materials, guest details and hyperlinks to all episode reference sources is available on Peter Harrington's Blog 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to Entrepreneurship'.

Send us Fan Mail

Any start-up business owner who knows how to consistently attract hundreds of thousands of loyal website visitors is worth a listen.

In this episode, tune into Chris Titley, Editorial Director at YorkMix Media. Hear him explain the fundamental principles underpinning the design and management of a high performing website. Learn about audience focus, building partnerships, SEO, website structure, common start-up website mistakes, supporting social media and much more.

Originally trained as a journalist, Chris started his entrepreneurial career nine years ago when he switched from print to digital media. And when he started his own company his website started from scratch too. 

By tuning into episode 5 you will hear everything you need to know to create, manage and sustain a highly successful website. 

Typewriters and Banda printers were Chris Titley's tools of the trade when he first started bashing out articles for publication. He trained as a reporter on the daily paper in Bath before moving to the Yorkshire Evening Press, where he was a reporter and later features editor. After a period freelancing for publications including the Guardian and Times Educational Supplement, Chris co-founded YorkMix Media Ltd, a digital content agency specialising in words, pictures and video. In 2012, Chris launched YorkMix.com, the award-winning news and entertainment website centred on the city of York. The site now gets more than one million hits a month and unique monthly site visitors top 350,000..

A bit of Podcast background...

UK-based Peter Harrington set up his first business following graduation in York in 1989. He has since started and grown several companies in various sectors including research, marketing, design, print, educational software and consultancy. Over the last 30+ years, Peter has employed over 1,000 people and experienced many highs and a few lows including burglaries, floods, fire and of course the most recent pandemic.

As well as being the CEO with the SimVenture team, Peter is also an Entrepreneur in Residence at the London School of Economics and London South Bank University.

Big thanks to LSE Generate, the SimVenture Team and Seajam Moths for supporting the Startup Survival Podcast.

Find Guest details and all Reference Sources

The full podcast series together with additional materials, guest details and hyperlinks to all episode reference sources is available on Peter Harrington's Blog 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to Entrepreneurship'.

Send us Fan Mail

To get a sense of what life has been like for UK entrepreneurs seeking to save their business during C19, tune into this ‘case story’ interview with international business-woman, Lisa Comfort.

Be prepared, this is not a typical interview about entrepreneurial success.

Frank, honest and often emotional, listen to Lisa share her struggles. Learn why facing up to previous challenges gave her the strength and ability to save her craft-based company from being a victim of the pandemic.

As part of the case story you will learn about Lisa’s background, her motives and her passion for sewing, clothes and crafts. As importantly, you'll learn about her retail roots and how her digital transformation leadership proved so vital during the darkest months of 2020.

Lisa Comfort set up Sew Over It in 2011 with one main aim – to teach as many people as possible to sew. She loves fashion and learned to sew as a teenager and wanted to share her passion.  After studying languages at university, she started her career in couture fashion and worked for Bruce Oldfield and Phillipa Lepley before venturing out on her own.  Lisa started the business by teaching people to sew in their homes; taking her sewing machine all over London. She opened her first shop in Clapham in South London in May 2011.

A bit of Podcast background...

UK-based Peter Harrington set up his first business following graduation in York in 1989. He has since started and grown several companies in various sectors including research, marketing, design, print, educational software and consultancy. Over the last 30+ years, Peter has employed over 1,000 people and experienced many highs and a few lows including burglaries, floods, fire and of course the most recent pandemic.

As well as being the CEO with the SimVenture team, Peter is also an Entrepreneur in Residence at the London School of Economics and London South Bank University.

Big thanks to LSE Generate, the SimVenture Team and Seajam Moths for supporting the Startup Survival Podcast.

Find Guest details and all Reference Sources

The full podcast series together with additional materials, guest details and hyperlinks to all episode reference sources is available on Peter Harrington's Blog 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to Entrepreneurship'.

Send us Fan Mail

Listen to Diana Kander - Serial Entrepreneur and New York Times Bestselling Author

Famed for her ground-breaking book 'All in Startup', Kansas-based Diana Kander gifted the entrepreneurial community a precious resource. And her work is the focus of this podcast.

In this episode, listen to Diana as she shares how to conduct research so you uncover the precious truths that will help turn your start-up into a sustainable and potentially thriving venture. Diana explains the challenges of research and the fact most people will lie to you and behave irrationally when you ask them questions. Discover in this episode how to trick people into telling you the truth and how to use feedback to maximum advantage.

Diana Kander is a serial entrepreneur, former MBA professor at Mizzou, and a New York Times bestselling author. She has served as entrepreneur-in-residence inside both Fortune 500 companies and government agencies. Diana has written two books about launching new products and creating a culture of innovation. Her first book ‘All in Startup’ has been heralded by entrepreneurs around the globe as one of the most valuable and influential texts available. She is obsessed with helping teams and organizations achieve breakthrough results by tweaking their daily habits.

A bit of Podcast background...

UK-based Peter Harrington set up his first business following graduation in York in 1989. He has since started and grown several companies in various sectors including research, marketing, design, print, educational software and consultancy. Over the last 30+ years, Peter has employed over 1,000 people and experienced many highs and a few lows including burglaries, floods, fire and of course the most recent pandemic.

As well as being the CEO with the SimVenture team, Peter is also an Entrepreneur in Residence at the London School of Economics and London South Bank University.

Big thanks to LSE Generate, the SimVenture Team and Seajam Moths for supporting the Startup Survival Podcast.

Find Guest details and all Reference Sources

The full podcast series together with additional materials, guest details and hyperlinks to all episode reference sources is available on Peter Harrington's Blog 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to Entrepreneurship'.

Send us Fan Mail

Get ready to be inspired by one of the most imaginative and creative of minds...

Forever curious and possessing an insatiable appetite for exploring 'better' horizons, Professor Alistair Fee shares his thoughts on being creative and generating ideas.

In this episode, discover how and why Alistair brings James Bond into the classroom and why he believes tall buildings offer so much learning opportunity. Packed with wonderful imagination, deep thinking and practical examples, enjoy this voyage into the world of how best to develop and progress any entrepreneurial idea you may have.

Professor Alistair Fee is a European specialist in Design Thinking and innovation. Over 30 years and in 60+ countries he has experimented with many aspects of creativity and innovation within organisations of all sizes. Alistair is a former Faculty Fellow at Stanford University, a Business Mentor at Yale Entrepreneurial Institute, a Visiting Professor at the European Business School and for 22 years and counting a pillar of inspiration and wisdom at Queen’s University Belfast.

A bit of Podcast background...

UK-based Peter Harrington set up his first business following graduation in York in 1989. He has since started and grown several companies in various sectors including research, marketing, design, print, educational software and consultancy. Over the last 30+ years, Peter has employed over 1,000 people and experienced many highs and a few lows including burglaries, floods, fire and of course the most recent pandemic.

As well as being the CEO with the SimVenture team, Peter is also an Entrepreneur in Residence at the London School of Economics and London South Bank University.

Big thanks to LSE Generate, the SimVenture Team and Seajam Moths for supporting the Startup Survival Podcast.

Find Guest details and all Reference Sources

The full podcast series together with additional materials, guest details and hyperlinks to all episode reference sources is available on Peter Harrington's Blog 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to Entrepreneurship'.