The Small Business Sessions

The Small Business Sessions, Enterprise Nation's podcast, is back for a eighth exciting series of inspiring entrepreneurial stories and expert business tips! The podcast is powered by the business.connected online training programme and our partners Vodafone Business, Constant Contact, JP Morgan and Dropbox.

Joining freelance journalist Dan Martin for the second episode is Clare Andrews, the home cook turned social media sensation who's known as the Air Fryer Angel. 

Clare's culinary journey began during the lockdowns of 2020 when she was gifted an air fryer. 

She began to explore the full potential of the popular kitchen gadget and shared her air fryer recipes on Instagram. 

Clare now has more than 100,000 followers on Instagram, has published three bestselling cookbooks and has appeared on several air fryer-themed TV programmes. 

In the show, we discuss Clare's journey to becoming a social media influencer plus her tips for growing a following online, writing a book and attracting media coverage. 

-----

The business.connected hub is a free online training programme of workshops, webinars and e-learning modules designed to help businesses go digital and adopt new technology.

To find out more, go to www.enterprisenation.com/businessconnected

For a free one-to-one consultation with an expert business adviser from Vodafone's V-Hub, visit www.vodafone.co.uk/business/sme-business/small-business-advice/personal-advice

To listen to previous podcast episodes, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

The Small Business Sessions, Enterprise Nation's podcast, is back for a eighth exciting series of inspiring entrepreneurial stories and expert business tips! The podcast is powered by the business.connected online training programme and our partners Vodafone Business, Constant Contact, JP Morgan and Dropbox.

Joining freelance journalist Dan Martin for the first episode in the new series is entrepreneur and investor Richard Harpin.

Richard is best known as founder of home assistance company, HomeServe, but his entrepreneurial journey began at an early age. That included selling rabbits at age 6, and running a fishing fly-tie company, which earnt him enough for the deposit on his first house.

Richard grew HomeServe into a FTSE 100 listed business, with thousands of employees serving millions of customers around the world. In 2023 he sold it to Brookfield Asset Management for £4.1 billion.

Richard has stayed on as chair of HomeServe EMEA. He also invests in other entrepreneurs via Growth Partner and in 2023, he acquired Business Leader, a platform and membership community supporting mid-sized firms.

With Richard's huge entrepreneurial experience, this is a podcast you don't want to miss!

-----

The business.connected hub is a free online training programme of workshops, webinars and e-learning modules designed to help businesses go digital and adopt new technology.

To find out more, go to www.enterprisenation.com/businessconnected

For a free one-to-one consultation with an expert business adviser from Vodafone's V-Hub, visit www.vodafone.co.uk/business/sme-business/small-business-advice/personal-advice

To listen to previous podcast episodes, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

The Small Business Sessions, Enterprise Nation's podcast, is back for a seventh exciting series of inspiring entrepreneurial stories and expert business tips! The podcast is powered by the business.connected online training programme and our partners Vodafone Business, Constant Contact, JP Morgan and Dropbox.

Joining freelance journalist Dan Martin for the ninth and final episode in the current series is Steve Folland, a freelancer podcaster and video editor. 

With a long career in radio, Steve went freelance in 2013 and hasn't looked back! 

Alongside his work creating videos and podcasts for other people, he launched his own show, Being Freelance, in January 2015, followed by the Being Freelance vlog in 2016. 

Steve, who has been using Dropbox since 2013, also runs the Being Freelance community and is the co-host of Doing It For The Kids, a podcast for freelance parents which won gold for Best Business Podcast at the British Podcast Awards in 2021.

In the show, Dan and Steve discuss topics including:

• how to succeed as a freelancer
• how to set your prices as a freelancer
• how to win new freelancer clients
• tech tools to boost productivity and efficiency
• the impact of AI on the creative sector

Dropbox is the one place to keep life organised and keep work moving. Tools include Dropbox, File Request, Dropbox Replay and Dropbox Sign.

Big thanks for tuning into series seven of the Small Business Sessions. Look out for series eight in January 2025! 

-----

The business.connected hub is a free online training programme of workshops, webinars and e-learning modules designed to help businesses go digital and adopt new technology.

To find out more, go to www.enterprisenation.com/businessconnected

For a free one-to-one consultation with an expert business adviser from Vodafone's V-Hub, visit www.vodafone.co.uk/business/sme-business/small-business-advice/personal-advice

To listen to previous podcast episodes, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

The Small Business Sessions, Enterprise Nation's podcast, is back for a seventh exciting series of inspiring entrepreneurial stories and expert business tips! The podcast is powered by the business.connected online training programme and our partners Vodafone Business, Constant Contact, JP Morgan and Dropbox.

Joining freelance journalist Dan Martin for episode eight is Stephen Lane, founder of entertainment memorabilia business Propstore. 

In the early 90s, movie lover Stephen began hunting for the props and costumes that were used to create his favourite films. 

His collecting hobby became a business in 1998 and more than 25 years later, Propstore has 70 employees in London and Los Angeles and more than 25,000 square feet of archived props and costumes. The business also turns over £35m despite Stephen having taken on no external investment. 

Since it started, Propstore has located and auctioned thousands of famous items to collectors around the world. Items include the lightsaber used by Darth Vader in The Empire Strikes Back, Harrison Ford's Indiana Jones Fedora, and guitars played on stage by the Gallagher brothers from Oasis. 

In an insights and advice packed episode, the entrepreneur discusses turning a love for movie props into an actual business, how he tracks down memorabilia to sell, reaching a £35m turnover despite taking on no external investment, establishing a business in the US, running a business during several economic downturns and lots more. 

-----

The business.connected hub is a free online training programme of workshops, webinars and e-learning modules designed to help businesses go digital and adopt new technology.

To find out more, go to www.enterprisenation.com/businessconnected

For a free one-to-one consultation with an expert business adviser from Vodafone's V-Hub, visit www.vodafone.co.uk/business/sme-business/small-business-advice/personal-advice

To listen to previous podcast episodes, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

The Small Business Sessions, Enterprise Nation's podcast, is back for a seventh exciting series of inspiring entrepreneurial stories and expert business tips! The podcast is powered by the business.connected online training programme and our partners Vodafone Business, Constant Contact, JP Morgan and Dropbox.

Joining freelance journalist Dan Martin for episode seven is mixed media visual artist and Enterprise Nation member Christian Azolan. 

After a work contract ended due to the coronavirus pandemic, he began creating digital illustrations. That hobby soon turned into a business as Christian used the downtime during lockdown to create a brand for selling his limited edition artwork online. 

Since then, Christian has had several successful exhibitions, and achieved a significant amount of press coverage for his work. 

In the episode, Dan and Christian discuss how artists can commercialise their work, his brilliant advice for how small business owners can make media headlines, the importance of knowing your numbers, how he is bringing artists together via a social enterprise collective, the business boosting benefits of being an Enterprise Nation member, and lots more!

-----

The business.connected hub is a free online training programme of workshops, webinars and e-learning modules designed to help businesses go digital and adopt new technology.

To find out more, go to www.enterprisenation.com/businessconnected

For a free one-to-one consultation with an expert business adviser from Vodafone's V-Hub, visit www.vodafone.co.uk/business/sme-business/small-business-advice/personal-advice

To listen to previous podcast episodes, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

The Small Business Sessions, Enterprise Nation's podcast, is back for a seventh exciting series of inspiring entrepreneurial stories and expert business tips! The podcast is powered by the business.connected online training programme and our partners Vodafone Business, Constant Contact, JP Morgan and Dropbox.

Joining freelance journalist Dan Martin for episode six is Kat Pither, founder of eco-friendly yoga mats and accessories brand Yogi Bare. 

Kat first got into yoga while in rehab to deal with anxiety, PTSD and addiction. That love of the practice led her to becoming a yoga teacher, and she started Yogi Bare as a side project.  

During the brilliant conversation, Dan and Kat discuss using yoga to deal with mental health, starting a product business, encouraging a strong and supportive community around a business, building an ethical and sustainable company, growing a team and lots more.

-----

The business.connected hub is a free online training programme of workshops, webinars and e-learning modules designed to help businesses go digital and adopt new technology.

To find out more, go to www.enterprisenation.com/businessconnected

For a free one-to-one consultation with an expert business adviser from Vodafone's V-Hub, visit www.vodafone.co.uk/business/sme-business/small-business-advice/personal-advice

To listen to previous podcast episodes, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

The Small Business Sessions, Enterprise Nation's podcast, is back for a seventh exciting series of inspiring entrepreneurial stories and expert business tips! The podcast is powered by the business.connected online training programme and our partners Vodafone Business, Constant Contact, JP Morgan and Dropbox.

Joining freelance journalist Dan Martin for episode five is Erika Robinson, UK general manager at digital marketing platform Constant Contact, one of the partners of Enterprise Nation's business.connected programme. 

During her career, Erika has spent two decades working across strategy and finance for some of the UK's most recognisable brands, including financial software giant Intuit, and mental health company Headspace. 

Erika is also a small business owner herself so has an in-depth understanding of entrepreneurs' priorities and predicaments. 

In 2019, she founded Picnic, a play centre where children can learn about the world by acting out roles in everyday life, such as putting out a fire, delivering the post and serving customers in a shop. The business has employed over 30 people and welcomed 200,000 parents and children through its doors. 

In the show, we discuss Erika's tips for how to succeed with your digital marketing, her lessons from working in top companies, why she believes small businesses have several superpowers that big companies don't have and her experiences running her own small business. 

Constant Contact offers email and digital marketing tools that make it easy for your small business or nonprofit to get the attention and revenue it deserves.

-----

The business.connected hub is a free online training programme of workshops, webinars and e-learning modules designed to help businesses go digital and adopt new technology.

To find out more, go to www.enterprisenation.com/businessconnected

For a free one-to-one consultation with an expert business adviser from Vodafone's V-Hub, visit www.vodafone.co.uk/business/sme-business/small-business-advice/personal-advice

To listen to previous podcast episodes, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

The Small Business Sessions, Enterprise Nation's podcast, is back for a seventh exciting series of inspiring entrepreneurial stories and expert business tips! The podcast is powered by the business.connected online training programme and our partners Vodafone Business, Constant Contact, JP Morgan and Dropbox.

Joining freelance journalist Dan Martin for episode four is Dhruvin Patel, co-founder of blue light screen eye protector brand Ocushield. 

Whilst studying optometry at university, Dhruvin launched the initial development of his blue light filtering technology that make eyes healthier, improves sleep and boosts happiness. 

Since then, the business has grown into an international brand that has helped more than 300,000 eyes in over 147 countries. 

Ocushield also appeared an BBC TV's Dragons' Den and secured investment from Peter Jones and Tej Lalvani. The deal ended up not going through, but Ocushield went on to get £1m in funding, much more than they secured on the show. 

In the episode, Dhruvin discusses what happened on Dragons' Den, why the deal ended up not going through, how he raised more funding, his tips for accessing finance, managing relationships with investors and lots more. 

-----

The business.connected hub is a free online training programme of workshops, webinars and e-learning modules designed to help businesses go digital and adopt new technology.

To find out more, go to www.enterprisenation.com/businessconnected

For a free one-to-one consultation with an expert business adviser from Vodafone's V-Hub, visit www.vodafone.co.uk/business/sme-business/small-business-advice/personal-advice

To listen to previous podcast episodes, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

The Small Business Sessions, Enterprise Nation's podcast, is back for a seventh exciting series of inspiring entrepreneurial stories and expert business tips! The podcast is powered by the business.connected online training programme and our partners Vodafone Business, Constant Contact, JP Morgan and Dropbox.

Joining freelance journalist Dan Martin for episode three is Jade Beason, founder of The Creator Project, who helps entrepreneurs to grow their online presence, multiply their income streams and create profitable businesses.

Jade began her career in marketing and sponsorship, but quit corporate life in 2021. She used her eight years of experience to turn her YouTube channel into a six-figure business shortly after uploading her first video. 

In the show, we discuss switching from a side hustle to a full-time business, and how to grow a successful YouTube channel, plus Jade's tips for growing a subscription service and making the most of social media to power your entrepreneurial success.

-----

The business.connected hub is a free online training programme of workshops, webinars and e-learning modules designed to help businesses go digital and adopt new technology.

To find out more, go to www.enterprisenation.com/businessconnected

For a free one-to-one consultation with an expert business adviser from Vodafone's V-Hub, visit www.vodafone.co.uk/business/sme-business/small-business-advice/personal-advice

To listen to previous podcast episodes, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

The Small Business Sessions, Enterprise Nation's podcast, is back for a seventh exciting series of inspiring entrepreneurial stories and expert business tips! The podcast is powered by the business.connected online training programme and our partners Vodafone Business, Constant Contact, JP Morgan and Dropbox.

Joining freelance journalist Dan Martin for episode two is Marnie Swindells, founder of Bronx Boxing Club, who won BBC TV's The Apprentice in 2023. 

Marnie started boxing at the age of 17 and dreamed of opening her own club. She did just that in February 2023 when she launched her business in South East London, and is going for growth with the help of the £250,000 investment she won from Lord Sugar on the show. 

During our conversation, we discuss how Marnie's long held love for boxing became a business, what it's really like to appear on The Apprentice, the experience of working with Lord Sugar and her tips for entrepreneurial success.

-----

The business.connected hub is a free online training programme of workshops, webinars and e-learning modules designed to help businesses go digital and adopt new technology.

To find out more, go to www.enterprisenation.com/businessconnected

For a free one-to-one consultation with an expert business adviser from Vodafone's V-Hub, visit www.vodafone.co.uk/business/sme-business/small-business-advice/personal-advice

To listen to previous podcast episodes, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast