Business Live: for curious entrepreneurs and social entrepreneurs

Normally on this show we get to pick the brains of business leaders and social entrepreneurs. Today's episode is a little different: it's a deferred brain-picking, if you like. I recently joined a live call with Carol Jordan, Head of Planning at ITV News, organised by Broadcast Revolution. Responsible for three daily TV news bulletins, Carol has brilliant and valuable advice about what s...

In this episode: a round-up of support, funding and grants for businesses and social enterprises; a guide to where to buy wonderful presents which have a positive rather than negative impact in the world. It was 'Black Friday' when this show was first broadcast on FM radio, traditionally the biggest shopping day of the year, perhaps followed by 'Cyber Monday.'  Certainly a day...

How do you turn thoughts of a better future into reality? How can we create high-quality jobs,  make places work better for people, and truly enable an inclusive and green recovery? Paul Riley, director and network co-ordinator at Transition Liverpool CIC joined me for today's show, episode #320. He originally got in touch after I asked social entrepreneurs and purpose-driven business leaders...

Food Works collects, upcycles and shares surplus food, preventing 7-9 tonnes from being wasted every week. CEO Rene Meijer describes how it achieves this – and what this fantastic social enterprise has been doing this half-term to ensure no child in Sheffield should go hungry. Rene explains how Food Works operates (and has adapted), how it makes ingredients and meals accessible to people and how i...

Minreet Kaur is a freelance presenter, producer and reporter.  She’s worked in radio and television for the BBC, Sky News and multiple other media channels. Her father Rajinder Singh the "Skipping Sikh" has inspired people all over the world. His work to show people how to stay fit and healthy led to an MBE. Minreet used her journalistic skills and expertise to tell his story and make it...

We're talking about radio in episode 317 of Business Live. There's been a surge in listener numbers for local and community radio stations since the pandemic, and we explore why, with guests Sangita Basudev of Sheffield Live! and Shahid Ali of Link FM. It was Local Radio Day this week, highlighting the value of local radio to communities and celebrating the unique relationship between lo...

Tony Robinson OBE is my guest for episode 316 of Business Live. Tony has hard won advice for anyone who runs their own business or is thinking about starting one. And he’s someone who has waled the walk and earned the right to give that advice having started and run businesses for over 30 years. This wide ranging chat also covers bootstrapping rather than borrowing, why small is beautiful and what...

How do you make sales easy? What's the difference between a prospect and a suspect – and why should you treat each differently? Steve Knapp is the author of a best-selling sales book and one of the people behind a programme called Plan. Grow. Do, which offers fully funded training here in the Sheffield City Region. He has plenty of tips about effective selling in today's show, and descri...

Here's a super retail success story. 20 months ago Kelly Wright launched The Refillery – now Edinburgh's largest plastic-free and ethical shop. She left a well-paid corporate job to launch the business. Even before Covid-19 some folk might have had doubts about launching a bricks-and-mortar retail business when many high streets are struggling. It was certainly a 'huge financial ris...

Would you like a slice of £250,000 to start a business which will solve a pressing problem?  Em Scicluna joined me on the show today to tell us about a new scholarship programme for 18-22 year olds, launched by business accelerator TwinklHive. Em is TwinklHive's Resident Growth Manager at Twinkl Educational Publishing. She outlines what’s the scholarship includes, who can apply and how to do...

The word went out: tell me about a book which helped you in business. And Jane Austin of Persuasion Communications got in touch with an intriguing choice: not "Persuasion" by her near namesake Jane Austen, but Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre. Jane explains how re-reading Jane Eyre gave comfort through the difficulties of the pandemic – and how great novels like this offer lessons we ca...

"In a world when a lot of things are hard and tough, art is leading the way to beauty and some of the best things that we can achieve in our humanity, I love art." Jean-Michel Ledru. Much is written and said about effective management. But sometimes actions don't follow words. So it was wonderful to hear from Jean-Michel Ledru, CEO of Merci Maman, a five million-turnover personalise...

There's a lots of smoke and mirrors in online retail, especially when it comes to suppliers of PPC, SEO and other services necessary to build a successful ecommerce store. But Paul Clapham knows how to choose the right partners so his business, Uskees, gets the results it needs.  There can be smoke and mirrors around the word 'sustainable' too, especially when it comes to fashion. T...

The media has become notorious for its barriers to social mobility. It’s easy for a young person to gain work experience and secure paid internships if they have a parent with connections; it can be impossible for people without access to a network to gain experience. Think that's not a problem? Even if you don't care about inequality of opportunity then the numbers should convince you:...

It waits for no-one and if lost is never found again. Free yet priceless. We're talking of course about time: many business leaders wish they had more of it. Victoria Moffatt, the founder of LexRex, knows how to get more time. Her firm specialises in helping lawyers communicate. A former lawyer herself, Victoria read The Four Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss soon after it was published. The book...

What's complicated and costly for many companies? The energy market. But in today's show, practical advice on how to navigate your energy costs from Linda Spencer of Professional Energy Purchasing Ltd. Energy companies seem to pass wholesale price rises on to customers immediately. Yet many businesses feel there's a big delay before their supplier passes on any drops in the wholesal...

An interview with David Hanney, CEO of outdoor equipment manufacturer and retailer Alpkit, plus business and social enterprise funding opportunities and two book recommendations. David covers Alpkit's Foundation, funded by the business and making small grants with huge impacts; Alpkit's astonishing share offer success this week; the firm's commitment to sustainability and its journe...

Music Broth is a magnificent social enterprise in Glasgow, making musical instruments accessible to people across Scotland. Jen O'Brien, its co-founder, tells me how Music Broth's music instrument and equipment library works. Two and a half years ago it started with eight instruments – now there are over 1400 items available, from tin whistles to pianos, amps to drumkits, a clàrsach (har...

Yasin El Ashrafi left school aged 15 and did a series of stopgap jobs before figuring out what he wanted to do. But when his son was born with a cord around his neck and diagnosed with cerebral palsy, Yasin lost his job because he wanted to look after him and attend his medical appointments. He decided he didn't want to go back to working for someone else – and would build his own business, a...

Tricia Smith is passionate about the power of apprenticeships, having started her own career journey through a work placement. Now the CEO of The Source Skills Academy, in this interview she discusses: her charity's range of courses covering vitally important technical and 'soft' skills why apprenticeships are crucial how employers can engage with The Source and the benefits of doin...

Fay Selvan is Chief Executive of the Big Life group, which employs around 500 people and turns over £20m, and joins me in this, the 300th episode of the Business Live radio show. The Big Life Group is in the business of changing lives, creating opportunities for people who have the least. It runs schools, nurseries, children's centres and family support services. Big Issue North and The Big I...

If you run online workshops, meetings or events this episode is a must-listen: it's crammed with practical tips to ensure your events are interactive and effective from two brilliant guests. Mihaela Gruia is founder and chief executive of Research Retold. Her business works with researchers to help them communicate their findings in effective ways. One of Research Retold's activities is...

Why give radio or podcast interviews about your business? And how can you prepare most effectively so you will give a fantastic interview? Many hugely accomplished business leaders and social entrepreneurs are nervous about doing radio interviews.  But there are five powerful reasons why giving a radio interview can help propel you closer to your business goals, which we cover in this programme. A...

Don't try to help everyone – it's absolutely exhausting. When Wendy Ward came to this conclusion it gave her business, Let's Save Consultancy Services an instant boost. Wendy specialises in saving money for charities, third sector organisations and social enterprises by slashing utilities costs, phone bills and other fees. She helps them raise money too, through grant and funding ap...

We often describe this as the show for 'curious entrepreneurs' a description which fits today's guest perfectly. Jamie Hinton is CEO and co-founder of Razor, which works with businesses from start-ups to FTSE100 firms. He's also a former young musician of the year finalist, a mountain biker and an incomparable enthusiast for the brilliant manufacturing geniuses of Sheffield. Ra...