The Erewash Sound Business Show Podcast

Prepare yourselves because this episode is unexpectedly very wholesome as I speak to Binder and Wayne, the men behind the sponsors of our Drive show, Orange Box Storage.

This is a family business, started 15 years ago with one site and it’s safe to say the industry and their own service has come a long way from what they describe as a bloke with a torch and a bunch of keys! Sites are now equipped with coded access, security systems, the facility to do remote viewings.

You might think this is now a set it and forget it business with little human contact required. But behind the buildings, the racking, the capacity calculations and the occupancy targets are very real, human lives. Let’s face it, most people requiring storage are going through something and it makes for pretty stressed customers. Marriage break ups, bereavements, financial troubles and house sales are all reasons someone might become a customer. And the team at Orange Box Storage are there to provide a service to help that customer navigate what could be the toughest time of their life, with kindness, and a clear, smooth process.

Their philosophy of if you can help someone you should applies in every area of the business including their recruitment and team management, and talking to them felt like a breath of fresh air.

You might think the multinationals have this storage business locked up, but Orange Box storage understands the importance of convenience and they’re planning on developing on a local level and into towns, where they can serve the people with what they need, right on their own doorstep. 

Huge thanks to Binda and Wayne for being so open about all aspects of their business, and their lives and sharing some real wisdom about what really matters in business and the importance of putting good things out in the world. 

In today’s episode I am speaking to Erewash Sound 100 Club members Damian and Helena about their business, The Locally We do Group.

The business began in true entrepreneurial style, with Damian and Helena printing their own flyers at home and putting in the steps to put them through people’s doors promoting their services. It has been a business grown the old fashioned way, starting with what they could already do; mow lawns and clean with a bit of beauty and hair care services thrown in. What they didn’t know they learned., the very definition of boot strapping a business.

They’ve worked hard to develop the business model into what is now The Locally We do Group – offering a home help style service, which also includes property maintenance, wellbeing and care. What they are finding is there is big demand, and not just amongst the elderly. What they are also finding is, in a world where families are scattered far and wide, having a service you can trust, means keeping potentially dependent family members Independent – a win for all involved.

It certainly hasn’t been easy for these two, and they have learned everything by having a go, learning from their mistakes and asking questions. By always trying to do better and make their service better, they’ve forged rock solid alliances and built real relationships both with their clients, and the tradesmen they now use.

Damian and Helena have not only put trust at the centre of everything they do, but also the belief that people should get to choose; whether they stay independent, and then also choose who looks after them and their home.

This episode is the personal story behind the business as we get into what drives this couple, and what their vision is for the future.

The Erewash Sound Business Show is real conversations with business founders and owners from the local area. We’re here to tell their business story, and we’re talking about the very real life of a business owner. If you would like to be on the show then please get in touch by emailing [email protected].

You’re listening to the Erewash Sound Business Show podcast, I am your host Sally Peacock and this show is sponsored by AHBS accounting, Ilkeston huge thanks to them for supporting the show and making this possible.

The Erewash Sound Business Show is real conversations with business founders and owners from the local area. We’re here to tell their business story, and we’re talking about the very real life of a business owner. If you would like to be on the show then please get in touch by emailing [email protected].

Today I’m joined by Colin Booth the man behind MG1 Elite Performance; a predominantly perceptual skills development program for athletes.

This business story is one with many pivots, from a university application that didn’t happen because of a summer job that didn’t end, from a corporate job with all the perks to a business that grew almost by accident until eventually Colin found his niche, downscaled from 18 employees to become a solopreneur and build his business with intention.

Perceptual Skills Development is based in neuroscience so how did Colin end up here without that university degree, and how has he built this business into what it is today, working with some of the best athletes in the world.

We’re going to find out, and we’re not only asking the business questions but as what Colin does is trending into the lives of non-athletes we’re also taking a bit of a dive into the benefits of practicing cognitive skills, the impact our brain function can have on our physical health, how we can help the brain fog women experience in menopause and well, much, much more.

This episode has a little bit everything and you won’t want to miss a single bit so settle in for this one and thank you for listening.

👉 Join our 100 club; https://www.erewashsound.com/erewash-sound-100-club-business-directory

This episode is another revisited and we start with one of my very first conversations from 2024 with Imogen about her Little Legs franchise and Cocoon studios.

Last year Imogen returned to the show with her business partner Megan to tell us about purchasing a failed soft play centre in Stapleford and what it took to revive and turn it into something that met their vision and principles of looking after parents as well as the little ones.

We’re starting with the original episode in which Imogen describes her beginning Little Legs after the birth of her twins and eventually setting up her own studio Cocoon, a safe place for parents to get support.

When Megan joins the conversation we get into the reality of going into business with a friend, the costs involved in taking over a business that had failed, lessons learned, brining your own food and visions for the future. Launching Mighty Monsters has been a wild ride and these ladies are willing to tell us everything.

The Erewash Sound Business Show is real conversations with business founders and owners from the local area. We’re here to tell their business story, and we’re talking about the very real life of a business owner. If you would like to be on the show then please get in touch by emailing [email protected]. If you enjoy this please share the show, give us a follow or write a review. Thank you so much for listening.

In this episode we are revisiting a story we recorded in 2024 when Adam Young first set up his business Kitchen HQ so we are starting with the original recording. Adam’s passion is healthy, nutritious, convenient food and he wants to disrupt the lunch deals offered by certain well know chains. 

In this first part we get into what drives him and how he got started. In our second conversation freshly recorded we are talking about the reality of being in business in today’s economy, especially the food business, taxes, cost of goods and profit margins.

The Erewash Sound Business Show is real conversations with business founders and owners from the local area. We’re here to tell their business story, and we’re talking about the very real life of a business owner. If you would like to be on the show then please get in touch by emailing [email protected]. If you enjoy this please share the show, give us a follow or write a review. Thank you so much for listening.

This episode is a wonderful collection of 3 conversations recorded in the first year of the Business Show with local artists that made art their business.

In this extended edit David, Julia and Josie share how they have turned their creativity into thriving businesses PLUS we talk about the benefits of being in a community of artists such as the Long Eaton Art Room and how that has impacted their growth both as artists and as business people.

Thank you to our show sponsors ahbs limited – accountancy, payroll and tax, you can find all their information on the Erewash Sound website, just click on the 100 Club for more information.

My Unforgettable Life is a business that makes a TV style documentary about your life. The idea is to record that in your living room, with cameras, lights and recording equipment, it's a real experience and the end product is something to share with family and friends. Podcast expert and friend of the show Pete Allen of Carrot Cruncher media talks to Business Show host Sally about this new business, and the power of video.

This conversation is about starting something new, that’s important to you and it goes beyond any motivation to make money. Story telling is at the heart of this business and putting the stories of our lives into some kind of order to preserve the details that only come from first hand recollection.

In it we discuss taking an idea that comes from the heart and turning it into a marketable service and a product. We talk about the importance of pricing, because while this is a passion project bills still need to be paid and work needs to be valued. This is not a business that will scale and churn out high volume, it's as much about the process as the end product.

It’s an experience in itself, that generates hours of editing and production work.

It’s also about raising a flag on forgotten memories and if it inspires one person to pick up a camera and record their mum telling the stories of her life, it’s worth it to Pete.

You can find out more and see examples at www.myunforgettablelife.co.uk

In this episode Sally is in conversation with Andy Williams and his daughter Kathryn, the family behind Castlefield Kennels and now also Cafe at Castlefield.

They're taking us through the last 12 years and we’re asking some critical questions about succession planning, how sharing customers can strengthen your business and even whether with so many closing are kennels a dying industry.

We’re also talking about the importance of diversification of your services and products in business and their development of Café at Castlefield, one of our Erewash Sound 100-club members.

You can find more information on all our interviews on our socials: we are @Erewashsound on all platforms and on our website. And if you would like to be a guest on THIS podcast, we want to hear from you. If you own a business anywhere in Erewash then get in touch by emailing [email protected].

Should your small business have a podcast?

In this episode of the Erewash Sound Business Show, podcast producer Pete Allen of Carrotcruncher Media explains why podcasting has become such a powerful tool for small businesses — and reasons why it might be better to be a guest on other's podcasts instead. We explore how podcasts build trust faster than social media, why long-form audio converts listeners into customers, and what it really takes to make a podcast work as a long-term marketing strategy.

If you’re considering starting a podcast, or wondering whether being a guest might be a better fit, this episode will help you decide before you invest your time or money.

You can find more information on all our interviews on our socials: we are @Erewashsound on all platforms and on our website. And if you would like to be a guest on THIS podcast, we want to hear from you. If you own a business anywhere in Erewash then get in touch by emailing [email protected].