Surviving Lockdown

As a professional magician Marco Seymour has always performed to a very varied audience, and on a daily basis would meet and perform to many people in a host of different social situations. When covid-19 hit - the bookings all postponed or cancelled. Marco chats about how the pandemic has changed the way he works and recalls one particularly unfortunate show overseas when it wasn't just his suitca...

Cassie Bouverie worked in the tech industry followed by 12 years running a B&B in central Edinburgh. Now she runs a website privatehousestays.com which allows Scottish B&B owners to take bookings commission free. She's taking on the big boys like Air B&B and booking.com trying to make it fairer for the accommodation owners. The pandemic has been dreadful for all B&B owners, and it'...

We all know that alongside hospitality, the events industry has been one of the hardest hit by the pandemic. Physical events have been replaced by virtual ones, with varying degrees of success, and now there's talk of hybrid events for the back end of 2021. Beckie Towle is the Chief Amazement Officer and founder of The Events Raccoon - an event management agency in their fifth year of trading, pro...

Some parts of the construction industry have been hit hard by problems with the supply chain on concrete and timber during the pandemic. How building companies have responded to those challenges will determine their long term success after covid. Charlotte Hiskins from SH Carpentry & Construction in Oxfordshire explains what they had to do to get through the tough times, and thinks 2021 could...

Covid compliance and mental health awareness have never been more prevalent, and whilst some companies are responding to the Health & Safety challenge well... some are not. After a 26 year military career, Harold Floyd now runs Elite Force Safety with the aim of 'Bringing Military Standards to Safety in the Workplace'... but as a business that only started at the beginning of 2020, it's not be...

Do you know how much you spend on household bills - or what all your direct debit payments are for? Our next guest on Surviving Lockdown has some great financial tips for you. Stephanie Richards set up Raynham Henderson Wealth Management in 2019. It's a family-led financial adviser practice assisting individuals, families and small companies with their financial needs. The pandemic has forced all...

Think of some of the most breathtaking photographs from high in the sky as well as action shots in sport - and you've described the Edinburgh based business Thomas Haywood Aerial Photography. Thomas is a photographer with over ten years’ experience, a qualified drone pilot and CAA-approved aerial photographer. When the pandemic hit - the focus of his business had to change slightly, and he underst...

If you've ever wished you could access cash for your business in days not weeks, or always make sure you have cash in your business then you should listen to what Ian Roberts, owner of Cashflow Creators has to say. With a proven track record of helping businesses to stay afloat, or close down and restart as a way of protecting employees - he helps companies unlock the secrets of commercial finance...

Capturing moments that can be treasured forever is the passion of Aina Gomez who runs Family Memento Photography. With a focus on families, Covid-19 restrictions meant that most shoots had to be postponed or cancelled, forcing Aina to change the direction of her business. As well as moving into product photography, she also launched a theatre school at the height of the pandemic. Aina chats to Mar...

Running a business during the pandemic has been hard enough - but starting one from scratch is a monumental task - yet that's what Francesca Eckersley has done with Frananda Yoga. Her journey to yoga began in 2014, when she walked into a Tai Chi class for the first time. Up and running since October 2020, her online yoga business is a testament to hard work, determination and true grit. You can co...

Sarah Palmer-Granville is a commercial interior designer who launched SPG Interior Design last summer, working on her own projects as well as freelancing into other designer consultancies. When lockdown hit - she saw projects being postponed and cancelled - but through networking and tailoring her business to post-covid solutions, has managed to keep striving ahead. You can contact Sarah through t...

Prepare for a delicious success story! Oli Barton set up Jolly Good Brownies in 2018. When Lockdown hit - orders went to full capacity - to the point where she's looking for a new home with enough space to set up a separate brownie kitchen to expand the business! Find out how Oli coped with Lockdown, and has come out stronger. You can order brownies and contact Oli through the website - jollygoodb...

After 20 years as a teacher - Fiona Millington-Pipe took the bold step of taking her photography business Fiona Millington Photography full time at the start of lockdown. The thing she loves most about photography is the change in her subjects as their confidence grows from having their picture taken. With no financial help from the Government, it's not been easy - but Fiona is going strong and ha...

Ceri Owen looks at houses when they're about to go on the market, and performs a kind of magical transformation called staging - giving the best chance of achieving a sale, and achieving it quickly. Her business, sort style and stage was relatively new when covid struck - and so she quickly had to turn to virtual staging. She talks to Mark about the property market, how things have been really tou...

David Wall is Director and Co-Founder of Dusted – a UK Top 100 design agency who deliver meaningful brand experiences for companies in finance, technology and professional services. With strong views on remote working and how business in general is looking, David explains how Dusted managed to thrive even in the most difficult of times. You can contact David through the website - www.dusted.com It...

Seánna Holland is the co-founder of Packsmart - a fulfilment company for small to medium sized businesses. They pick and pack products for retailers who don't have their own warehousing and distribution solutions. During lockdown the business saw a growth in demand - and they're even planning expansion. Some would say it's a risky move in the current climate - but the team at Packsmart is confiden...

Rob Jefferson is Director of Marketing at Knapton Wright - a creative marketing agency helping businesses achieve their marketing goals. They take a creative, results-led approach to digital marketing, PR and advertising - but when covid-19 struck how did the business keep their own name out there, as well as helping their clients. You can contact Rob through the website - www.knaptonwright.co.uk...

Getting your core message across to potential clients can be a big task - and it's one Steve Atkinson of ScreenForge Web Design in Hull relishes. He's much more than just a web designer. Mark caught up with Steve in Italy, to talk about how his business fared through lockdown, and how rough he thinks the next 12 months might be for business. You can contact Steve through the website - www.screenfo...

Dee Beckett of Mosaic Business Growth likes to cut through business jargon to help SME's achieve growth. From more than twenty years in director level roles, she's become more than just a business coach - the companies she works with include her as part of the team. Since Covid-19 hit, her focus has been to get her clients to think differently about the way forward, and she tells Mark that it can...

Steve Ray is an innovator in print and property. He's MD of Reynolds Press in Warwickshire, a bespoke printing service with decades of experience. Even before covid-19 hit - Steve and his business partner Ray were looking into ways of taking the business forward. Their mantra is STRATEGY! Steve says that they had a plan already in action which somewhat sheilded them from the effect lockdown had el...

Mike Neary is the Managing Director of Managing Excellence Through Training or METT. They offer a pragmatic approach that deals realistically with health, safety and environmental issues, tailored to meet the individual training needs of their clients... and they have a 100% pass rate on all their courses! When the pandemic hit, their face-to-face training obviously had to come to a halt - so how...

Now more than ever it's a good idea to have fresh pair of eyes look over your business - including your plans and strategies. Kevin Riley from ActionCOACH Warwick has over two decades of business experience, and helps people look at what they're doing with a new perspective. He thinks that every business is able to survive covid-19, and explains how you needn't be as hard hit by the impending rece...

Peak Pursuits aims to offer education through adventure - so if you or your kids have ever wanted a go at abseiling, canoeing, climbing or a whole host of adventures - Peak is the place. Paul Ball is the Managing Director, running six activity centres across the Midlands and North West. They also provide Duke of Edinburgh Award expeditions, and have four registered Independent day schools. The sta...

Two mates from school, a love of gin and an old horse trailer - just a few key ingredients of The Little Gin Company. Since 2015 Nicola Tavener and Emma Bishop have been running bespoke gin tasting events, taking their trailer to events up and down the UK and making their own brand of gin. When covid-19 hit, the cancellations came thick and fast - so Emma and Nicola explain how they adapted their...

Donna Nixon is the owner of 52 Degrees North Travel, an independent travel agency based in Stratford-upon-Avon. As with the entire travel industry, when covid-19 hit, Donna was thrown into a mix of getting people home safely, processing refunds and then the uncertainty of whether we'll ever travel on holiday the same way again. She talks to Mark about the uncertainties of the industry post-lockdow...