Business Without BS

EP 427 — Preparing UK founders for the shock of needing US GAAP fast when American investors arrive. Most founders only discover the real cost of US GAAP when an investor demands it. Katrina Nacci explains why the pain isn’t the accounting rules, but the sudden need for better systems, documentation and proper consolidation. This episode breaks down the operational gaps that derail UK and European...

EP [number] — Kevin Gaskell argues that clarity, accountability and attitude drive real organisational performance — not slogans or bureaucracy. Kevin Gaskell explains why most struggling companies aren’t failing on product or market, but on leadership clarity. He argues that teams follow certainty, not noise — and that avoiding the ‘difficult bits’ is what actually sinks performance. He breaks do...

EP 427 — Richard Francis argues that accountants who embrace advisory and human connection will outlast any AI wave. Richard Francis lays out why advisory-led accounting beats compliance-heavy firms and why AI won't replace human judgement. He explains how accountants can create more value by asking better questions, choosing the right clients, and focusing on the future rather than the past. He b...

EP — Daniel shows how to turn networking from a chore into a strategic advantage. Daniel Levan-Harris argues that most UK founders fail at networking because they treat people as targets not humans. His approach is simpler: genuine curiosity, zero selling, and building relationships that compound for decades. This episode covers practical ways to navigate a room, how to follow up properly, why CEO...

EP [number] — Expanding to the US without tripping state taxes or visa traps. US expansion sounds exciting until you realise how easily it can go wrong. Sonia Kanjee breaks down why most founders misjudge when they're actually ready for America and how small missteps around people, sales tax and structure can snowball fast. She walks through the three tiers of US entry, how state rules really work...

EP - William Humphreys, partner at Oury Clark Chartered Accountants, explores and explains financial reporting, giving a clear picture of what company accounts are, and why understanding them is a foundational skill for entrepreneurs. Andy and William run through the various components of statutory accounts, including the balance sheet, profit and loss statement, and cash flow statement. Using a c...

EP [number] — Grimsey argues that corporate strategy starts with fixing leadership, not spreadsheets. Bill Grimsey unpacks why UK high streets keep failing and why most boardrooms still dodge the real work: leadership, confidence and clarity. Starting with Hong Kong turnarounds and ending with British town centres, he explains why strategy dies when leaders avoid the truth. The conversation covers...

EP — Adam Pope on why Manchester outperforms cities twice its size. Manchester’s business culture is built on graft, confidence and doing things without waiting for permission. Adam Pope explains why the city’s attitude consistently turns small firms into serious operators and why founders underestimate the Northern Powerhouse region at their cost. The conversation covers how Greater Manchester’s...

EP — Lucy Parker explains why sustainability only works when leaders stop hiding in the castle and start engaging with the real world. Lucy Parker argues that the real challenge in sustainability is leadership behaviour: large companies still operate as if they can stay behind the walls, even though stakeholders now expect open engagement and socially relevant decisions. The conversation covers ES...

Mark argues most SMEs fail at marketing because they misunderstand the customer, the market and the value they actually provide. About this episode Mark Palmer dismantles the modern marketing fog: founders often make stronger marketers than the marketers they hire, most values pages are fiction, and copying competitors is a reliable way to shrink margins. He argues marketing’s core job has not cha...

Oury Clark partners lay out how new UK property rules reshape renting, leaseholds and development in 2026 and beyond. ### About this episode Three major UK property reforms land at once — renters’ rights, leasehold reform and commonhold — and Jemma and Michael from Oury Clark explain why these shifts change timelines, cashflow and asset planning for founders far more than headlines suggest. The te...

Dave Birss says you won't be replaced by AI - you'll be replaced by a leader who's been told the wrong story about it. About this episode Dave Birss is back on Business Without BS - author of the Sensible AI Manifesto, co-founder of the Gen AI Academy, and a man who's taught a million-and-a-half people how to use AI without setting their business on fire. He walks Andy and Andrew through what he c...

Matt Hunt built a 300-million-ball business without a co-packer and without betting on supermarket shelves to do the work for him. About this episode Matt Hunt is 11 years into building The Protein Ball Company — 300 million balls sold, 14 export markets, 60,000 bags leaving Worthing every day. He's done it by manufacturing himself, hedging with private label and export, and — after Covid wiped ou...

EP 416 - What if your biggest business risk isn’t the market .. but your own assumptions? Former RAF Wing Commander Marcus Dimbleby reveals how leaders can use red teaming, applied critical thinking and pre-mortems to dramatically increase strategy success rates. We cover: Why most business plans fail The hidden danger of unchecked assumptions How to run a red team session (even in a small company...

EP 415 with guest co-host Andrew Craig. Fundraising isn’t a numbers game, it’s a targeting problem. In this episode, Shipshape VC founder Daniel Sawko explains why startups waste hundreds of hours pitching the wrong investors, how “zombie funds” distort the market, and why blasting your deck to 10,000 investors destroys focus. We unpack information asymmetry, interest rate impacts, UK vs US capita...

EP 414 - Dodge Woodall reveals how he mortgaged his family home during the 2008 financial crisis to launch what became the 30,000-person Bournemouth 7s Festival. From growing up above a pub to building and scaling multiple businesses, this is a raw masterclass in risk-taking, resilience, and real entrepreneurship. We cover: • Why entrepreneurship is an extreme sport • Risk addiction and betting ev...

EP 413 - The UK’s new Employment Rights Act is being framed as a major step forward for workers. But what happens when stronger protections collide with the realities of hiring, risk, and running a business? In this episode, we sit down with leading employment lawyers to unpack the biggest changes: from the reduction in unfair dismissal thresholds to new restrictions on “fire and rehire,” and long...

EP 412 - How far should UK employers go when it comes to looking after staff? In this episode we break down the real cost of being a “nice” employer - from UK statutory sick pay (SSP) and full sick pay policies to employee benefits, pensions, flexible working, and permanent health insurance (PHI). With major UK employment law changes coming, SMEs face difficult trade-offs: Is full sick pay worth t...

EP 411 - Most families don’t just feel grief when someone dies - they feel anger. Anger about the mess, the debt, the confusion, and the things nobody sorted out. In this episode of Business Without BS, we have the conversation most people avoid - but absolutely shouldn’t. We talk about what actually happens if you die without a plan, why love isn’t flowers and chocolates, and how a few uncomforta...

EP 410 - Tax Without BS returns with a fiery but surprisingly hopeful breakdown of the November 2025 UK Budget. Andy, Jemma and Emma from Oury Clark sift the good, the bad, and the “are-you-kidding-me?” of Britain’s latest fiscal plan From scale-up salvation and EIS boosts, to SME heartbreak, Mansion Tax grumbles, pension puzzles, and the four-year foreign-income free-for-all. It’s the only budget...

 EP 409 - What happens when you strip away phones, comfort and pretence? Therapist Jerry Hyde - often called “the most dangerous therapist in the world” - and filmmaker Mai Hua explore the raw truths of mental health, vulnerability and masculinity. Released for World Mental Health Day, the conversation dives into why modern life keeps us disconnected, how radical retreats (no phones, no showers,...

EP 408 - What happens when British charm collides with German order in the workplace? In part 4 of our Business Without Baggage series, we speak to professor and senior partner at GTK Germany - Manfred Klein - who breaks down the surprising differences - and hidden similarities - between the UK and Germany’s business cultures. From awkward handshakes and endless small talk to rigid agendas and dir...

EP 407 - What does it really take to build a food empire from scratch? We're giving our chat with John B Stapleton - serial entrepreneur, investor, and co-founder of the New Covent Garden Soup Company and Little Dish a re-run to remind us about the hard-won lessons behind his multi-million-pound successes. From inventing the UK’s fresh soup category to mentoring today’s challenger brands, John sha...

EP 406 - Economist and tax strategist Oriana Morrison pulls doesn't hold back in our chat about the UK economy, HMRC, tax avoidance, and inequality. Founder and CEO of ECNMX and trusted advisor to world champion athletes and entertainers, Oriana Morrison explains why HMRC is “shameful,” how tax is used as social engineering, and why Britain risks losing its top talent to fairer systems abroad. Fro...

EP 405 - Is Italy an entrepreneur’s dream or a business nightmare compared to the UK? In part 3 of our Business Without Baggage series, Andy speaks with corporate lawyer Marco Pistis about the cultural and legal contrasts between doing business in Italy and the UK. From relationship-driven deals to bureaucracy that stifles scale, Marco explains why British companies often struggle in Italy - and w...