The Business podcast

In our first Confessions of a Startup podcast, Rich Pleeth, founder of the social app Sup, describes struggling to achieve sustainable growth, falling out with his co-founders and having to tell investors you’re closing the business

Nick Edwards, the founder of software company Papaya, was faced with a dilemma in 2012 when his developer was killed in a hit-and-run incident

Arpana Gandhi, co-founder of landmine disposal company Disarmco, talks struggling to find investment, almost going bust and battling to save lives

In our second Confessions of a Small Business podcast, John Stapleton, founder of New Covent Garden Soup and Little Dish, talks about going out on a limb, coping with a fire that gutted his factory, and failing to crack the US

Little Riot founder Joanna Montgomery kicks off our Small Business podcast series by reliving the highs and lows of launching her product Pillow Talk and explaining how caring customers gave her heart

Traditional lenders often shy away from the creative industries – what can startup bands and independent musicians do to get on the road to financial success?

It's bash-a-banker time. As the former RBS boss Fred Goodwin loses his knighthood, his successor at the bank has handed back his bonus. Nils Pratley and Jill Treanor discuss

Seumas Milne, Rowenna Davis and Hopi Sen discuss Labour's shift in economic policy and how the party can remain true to its mission for social justice in austere times

The Occupy movement's philosopher-in-chief David Graeber examines the arguments for a debt jubilee in 2012. Plus Heather Stewart and Angelique Chrisafis explain the ratings downgrades of France and other EU countries

Larry Elliott, Jill Treanor and Nils Pratley discuss the economic indicators to watch in 2012 and look ahead to an Olympic year in which Britain is hoping to rediscover a feel-good factor