Best Start Up Donut Podcasts (2025)

1
How I started, grew and sold Trunki 47:29

4d ago47:29

47:29

It’s the stuff of entrepreneurial dreams. To come up with a pioneering product idea, develop a prototype, create a hugely appealing brand and start a highly successful business that you grow and sell for a huge amount of money. That’s exactly what Rob Law MBE did. Coming from a product design background, he founded Trunki in 2006. Trunki is the muc…

1
How to attract and work with an investor 48:09

11d ago48:09

48:09

If you really want to grow your business at a faster pace or achieve significant growth, more than likely, unless you’re rich or your business is super profitable, you’ll need to attract external funding or finance. There are many options, but one of the most common is attracting investment from a wealthy investor or group of them. Find the right i…

1
How to manage your finances as a start up 41:01

18d ago41:01

41:01

You might be really skillful, knowledgeable and experienced when it comes to your trade or profession. Maybe you’re a brilliant salesperson. However, if you’re new to running your own business, you might not know much about how to manage your finances as a start-up. Unless you come from a financial background – why would you? But if your new busine…

1
How to stand out in a competitive market 39:40

25d ago39:40

39:40

There are many things you need to do to succeed in business, but one of the most important is to stand out. It’s essential if you operate in a crowded, competitive market, as most businesses do. If your business fails to stand out, because your brand, products and services haven’t been differentiated, you’ll just blend into the background and fewer…

1
How to put your hard-earned business cash to work 24:54

1M ago24:54

24:54

What if your business is earning a cash surplus every month? What would you do? Many small-business owners don’t do anything. They leave it in their current account to earn little or no interest. Some do nothing because they’re kept very busy with many other things. Others don’t do anything because they don’t realise they have other options. As a s…

1
How to use LinkedIn to grow your business 37:20

1M ago37:20

37:20

Globally, LinkedIn has a staggering 900 million-plus users. You might well be one of them. In the UK, LinkedIn is estimated to have more than 35 million users, a mix of individuals, organisations and businesses of all sizes. They use the site to raise their profile, network and find new customers. So, how do you connect to the right people on Linke…

1
How to create cash flow forecasts and budget 30:05

2M ago30:05

30:05

When a business fails it’s normally because it has run out of cash and can’t pay its bills on demand. This can happen to successful businesses, with attractive products and services, healthy sales and profit margins. Ensuring that your cash flow remains healthy needs to be a key priority for your business. That means not only not spending more than…

1
How to cold call your way to new customers 35:28

2M ago35:28

35:28

In an age where many businesses use digital marketing techniques, others use old-school tactics such as cold-calling. Cold calling is telemarketing, a direct marketing method involving phoning potential customers they’ve never met or spoken to previously. Cold-calling isn’t for the thin-skinned, because even if your opening gambit is polite, friend…

1
How to use funded training to future-proof your small business 46:57

3M ago46:57

46:57

It’s often said that a business’s most valuable asset is its people – and that includes you. Your team’s talent, knowledge, hard work and commitment will be what enables your business to succeed. But to make the most of your team, getting the necessary training is essential. And that’s an ongoing challenge, of course. New talent must also be brough…

1
How I started The Bottled Baking Co 37:42

6M ago37:42

37:42

If you’ve shopped at John Lewis, Selfridges, Oliver Bonas or a large number of smaller independent retailers in the UK, you may well have seen The Bottled Baking Co products. They’re available in a wide range of mouth watering flavours and varieties. The company sells ready-measured baking mixes that contain all of the dry ingredients you need to b…

1
How print on demand enabled me to start my business 30:29

6M ago30:29

30:29

When you start your own business, you must minimise your start-up costs, because then your business starts to make a profit much sooner. If you have to shell out for stock, it increases your start-up costs considerably. And you tie up money you could have used to run your business, while there’s also a risk that you’ll be left with stock you can’t …

1
How to develop confidence in your new business 38:39

6M ago38:39

38:39

Confidence is said to be everything. That’s not strictly true, because other things in life and business are also important. But, confidence can help you to overcome challenges, build relationships, take risks, deal with setbacks but ultimately achieve great things. You need to have confidence in yourself and your business. So, why might that not b…

1
How to increase online sign-ups, enquires or sales 33:13

9M ago33:13

33:13

Building a website and driving traffic to it is all well and good but if your site visitors don't go on to make a purchase, an enquiry or subscribe it will be of little benefit to your business. In part two of this special two-part mini series, Craig Murphy, founder of Birmingham-based Alt Agency, shares top tips and advice on how you can improve y…

1
Boost your website's Google ranking 33:36

9M ago33:36

33:36

Even if you don’t sell online, having a great website is a must. Before many customers will buy from you, they’ll want to find out more about what you sell and how much you charge. Many will also want to know more about your story, who you are, your values as a business and what makes you special. If you want as many visitors as possible to your we…

1
How to generate sales leads for your business 38:14

10M ago38:14

38:14

Success, and indeed survival in business, relies upon making enough sales. If you don’t, you’ll soon run out of cash and that’s likely to spell the end for your business. If you are to make enough sales, you must generate sufficient sales leads, which is a never-ending challenge, because all businesses lose customers over time. So, how does your bu…

1
How innovation and social media fuelled CRIMPiT's success 38:20

11M ago38:20

38:20

Who among us doesn’t enjoy a toastie or Mexican-style wrap? Both can be a delicious snack or meal. CRIMPiT is a successful new British business. Its clever, innovative products offer a quick, easy and mess-free way to create delicious toasties using your kitchen toaster or burritos, calzones, enchiladas, kebabs and pasties that can be heated in you…

1
How to start a successful small retail business 52:50

1y ago52:50

52:50

There are more than 310,000 retail businesses in the UK, which is 5.7% of all businesses, with SMEs accounting for more than 99% of them. Many UK retail businesses, especially those in the high street, have had a very tough time in recent years, having battled Covid and a record inflation-fuelled cost-of-living crisis that’s left consumers much mor…

1
How to use music to create a great customer experience 31:14

1y ago31:14

31:14

Creating a great customer experience is crucial, especially for new and established businesses operating in retail and hospitality. If you don’t create a great experience, many customers will avoid your business or head for the exit not long after entering your premises. There are many ways to encourage a great customer experience, but the potentia…

1
How Ecoegg revolutionised the laundry industry 30:17

1y ago30:17

30:17

How and why would a small business attempt to take on the multinational petrochemical companies? Can a small business even compete in a market dominated by a handful of big players? In short, yes! Dawn White of Ecoegg did just that. Dawn White battled eczema while growing up. Her struggles with sensitive skin inspired her to create a detergent that…

1
How to create a brilliant business plan for your small business 32:00

1y ago32:00

32:00

If you don’t have a well researched business plan, you may still be able to start and grow a successful business – but it may never achieve its full potential. To do that, you need goals and a successful strategy that enables you to achieve them. Essentially, that’s what a sound business plan offers you. So, what are the key components of a success…

1
How to future-proof your small business 46:04

1+ y ago46:04

46:04

What does the future hold for small businesses in the UK in the next five to ten years? Which businesses are most likely to survive and succeed? How will customer wants and needs change and how might small businesses market their products and services to them? Will online sales continue to grow and is that likely to bring about the demise of the hi…

1
How to buy and sell wholesale 35:00

1+ y ago35:00

35:00

Many new small independent retailers buy their stock wholesale, often from small suppliers, makers and craft businesses. It can really set you apart by providing you with high quality, exclusive stock that’s superior to the mass-produced options sold by others. But where do you find such suppliers and how do you negotiate good deals? Consultant and…

1
Key tasks you need to complete when starting your own business 38:22

1+ y ago38:22

38:22

Starting your own business is challenging. If you haven’t done it before, you’ll inevitably lack know-how, while there are common pitfalls to avoid. So, what key tasks do you need to complete when setting up your own business, if you’re to get off to the best possible start? Start-up and small-business content expert, journalist Mark Williams, answ…

1
How to start a scalable business 24:28

2y ago24:28

24:28

While some businesses grow steadily over many years, others achieve significant growth in a far shorter time and are started with that key aim. This episode looks at what types of start-ups are most scalable and in which sectors they’re usually to be found. The guest expert is Guy Rigby – AKA The Entrepreneurs’ Adviser – SME mentor and author. He e…

1
How to use email marketing to grow your business 29:41

2y ago29:41

29:41

Email marketing can be a highly cost-effective way to attract and retain customers, but your email marketing strategy and content have to be right if you are to get the open rates and click-throughs that lead to sales. Email marketing expert Laura Hanlon of Birmingham-based agency Pink Leopard reveals the secrets of building good email marketing li…

1
Start-up Story - Charlie Low and Dale Comley of Nohma 31:44

2y ago31:44

31:44

In 2019, tired of their daily commutes and living for weekends, Charlie Low, then head of analytics for an adventure travel company, and design consultancy engineer Dale Comely decided to leave the nine-to-five behind by converting an old DHL delivery van into an off-grid mobile home, so they could live a simpler life and travel around Europe. They…

1
How small-business owners can gain from peer group support 27:15

2y ago27:15

27:15

Running a small business can leave you feeling isolated and lonely at times. Often you have no one to share your thoughts and feelings with. That’s when reaching out to other small-business owners can really help. Great value can be gained from seeking their independent opinions (and giving them yours). Many formal peer networking options are avail…

1
How to start and run a business with a family member 25:44

2y ago25:44

25:44

There are more than 5m family businesses in the UK. They employ 14.2m people and generate a quarter of UK GDP. Many people who start a business do so with a family member, whether their spouse, partner, sibling, son or daughter or other relation. And although there can be many pros to going into business with family – there can be cons. So, what’s …

1
Start-up Story - Matt Mahatme of Lixir Drinks 26:29

2+ y ago26:29

26:29

Matt Mahatme and Jordan Palmer were bartenders who spotted a gap in the market for mixers that combined big flavours with less sugar, fewer calories and nothing artificial. “We wanted to create a brand with a bit of an edge, with a contemporary feel, that looked as good as it tasted,” recalls Matt. Since launch in 2018, helped by a successful crowd…

1
How to become more confident when running a small business 26:17

2+ y ago26:17

26:17

Some people ooze self-confidence. And while others aren’t very self-confident, most are probably somewhere in between. Often things happen to us in life and business that damages our self-confidence. Why do some people lack self-confidence while others are supremely confident? How can you boost your self-confidence? Self-confidence and human behavi…

1
How to keep your business afloat when times are tough 25:21

2+ y ago25:21

25:21

Following a year of eye-watering inflation in 2022, especially energy prices, economic forecasts for the UK for 2023 make for pretty sobering reading. According to the Bank of England, the UK is facing its longest recession since records began, while the UK Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) expects the UK economy to shrink by 1.4% in 2023, lea…

1
How to get more done each day when running your own small business 30:15

2+ y ago30:15

30:15

Time is the one thing that small-business owners don’t have enough of, with many having to work long hours. Those starting a new business often must work even longer hours to get their business off the ground and into profit. So, what’s the key to making best use of every minute of every day? What role can technology play? Where can time be lost? H…

1
How to grow your new small business 35:15

2+ y ago35:15

35:15

More than 640,000 new businesses are started each year in the UK and most don’t grow much, they pretty much stay as one person enterprises, which suits their owners. Others are more ambitious, they want to take on staff, win many more customers, expand their operation, grow their business and take it to new heights. But growth isn’t a given. You ha…

1
Start-up story – Surlender Pendress of the Love Writing Co shares her insight on how to start a business 31:54

2+ y ago31:54

31:54

The best start-up advice usually comes from the best-placed experts of all – those who’ve actually been there and done it. In this Start-up Story episode, we speak to Surlender Pendress, co-founder of the Love Writing Company, which is based in the West Midlands. It sells innovative writing pencils, erasable colour pencils and washable crayons deve…

1
How to use Instagram to grow your small business 32:05

2+ y ago32:05

32:05

Instagram is the world’s seventh most-visited website. Some 1.22bn people use Instagram each month, with 18 to 34 year olds making up the biggest share of Instagram’s audience. About 90% of Instagram users follow at least one business, and reportedly, half of its users have discovered new brands via Instagram. When you get it right, Instagram can b…

1
Get the right tech for your new business 30:03

2+ y ago30:03

30:03

Making sure that you have the right tech can enable your new business to quickly get established and grow. If you don’t have the required IT hardware and software – it will hold you back. In this episode, we speak to leading small-business technology expert, Richard Hillsdon, of Caerphilly-based IT consultancy Tekeez, which provides IT systems, rem…

1
Start-up story – Troy Johnson of Caribbean food brand Sweet Dee's Jerk reveals the recipe for his success 25:46

2+ y ago25:46

25:46

The best start-up advice usually comes from the best-placed experts of all – those who’ve actually been there and done it. In this start-up story episode, we speak to Troy Johnson, co-founder of Sweet Dee's Jerk (Juici Jerk at the time of recording), award-winning Caribbean food brand, kitchen and meal-kit maker, which is based in Tooting, South Lo…

1
How to provide excellent customer service 29:56

2+ y ago29:56

29:56

Offering superior customer service is a proven way that small businesses can be more attractive to customers and lure them away from larger and more established competitors. But any commitment to offering superior customer service has to be firm and consistent throughout your business. In this episode, we speak to leading customer service expert St…

1
How to start a new business on a shoestring budget 30:53

2+ y ago30:53

30:53

More than 640,000 new businesses are launched each year in the UK and the popularity of starting up continues to grow. But significantly rising costs means many people will have to try to start their own business with little or no money. In this first episode of our third series, we get top money-saving start-up tips from Lucy Cohen of Mazuma, lead…

1
Getting paid by your customers in difficult economic times 36:58

3y ago36:58

36:58

In the UK, small businesses are reportedly owed more than £23.4bn in unpaid invoices. That’s an eye-watering amount that creates significant cash flow problems for many business owners. Late payment remains a big problem for SMEs, with many large businesses particularly bad at paying their small-business suppliers on time. This can have disastrous …

1
How to succeed when selling face to face - key dos and don’ts for small businesses 32:09

3y ago32:09

32:09

Whether it’s via a market stall, shop, garage, restaurant, café or a range of other settings, being able to sell successfully face-to-face is key to success. It comes more naturally to some rather than others, but by adding knowledge and experience, most can get much better at it. In this episode, you can pick up some tried and tested face-to-face …

1
Don’t break the law when recruiting and managing staff - key facts for employers 30:32

3y ago30:32

30:32

Potentially it can be a legal minefield with costly consequences if you get it badly wrong when recruiting and managing staff. There is a wide range of legislation with which employers must comply if they want to stay out of trouble. In this episode we speak to employment law specialist, solicitor Hannah Thomas of Markel Law. She explains how small…

1
Graham Oakley of Clear Three on how he made his business carbon neutral and sustainable 33:37

3y ago33:37

33:37

As well as being better for the planet, being a net-zero business can bring a range of bottom line benefits. However, according to FSB research, although most small firms are concerned about climate change, only one-in-three has a plan to help tackle it. In this episode, consultant Graham Oakley explains how his business ensures that it is net zero…

1
How to win customers by advertising on Google, Facebook and other options 31:44

3y ago31:44

31:44

Digital advertising can enable businesses of all sizes and ages to attract customers. Its popularity continues to grow. About £10.5bn was spent on digital advertising in the UK in the first half of 2021 – 42% higher than in H1 2019. Paid search makes up 36% of UK digital advertising spend, followed by digital display on 27%. In this episode, digita…

1
What allowable expenses can sole traders claim to pay less tax and earn more income? 34:17

3y ago34:17

34:17

Some small-business owners don’t claim their full allowable expenses, which means they end up paying too much tax. Other small business claim for costs to which they’re not entitled, which can lead to problems if HMRC finds out. In this episode tax expert Mike Parkes provides a valuable introduction to claiming allowable expenses aimed at sole trad…

1
How to deal with stress and setbacks when running your own small business 33:26

3y ago33:26

33:26

Running your own small business can bring many highs and lows. It can be very stressful at times, too. In this episode, esteemed expert Sir Cary Cooper provides practical advice on dealing with stress when running a small business, while explaining the dangers to yourself and your employees if you fail to manage stress and disappointment effectivel…

1
Yasmine Hunter of Grasmere Gingerbread shares the secrets of her online selling success 30:04

3y ago30:04

30:04

The history of family business Grasmere Gingerbread dates back to 1854, when Victorian cook, Sarah Nelson, invented Grasmere gingerbread and started selling it locally. Third-generation owners Joanne and Andrew Hunter now run the and Yasmine is their daughter. As well as gingerbread – which is said to be the world’s best – Grasmere Gingerbread sell…

1
How to attract more customers by making offline marketing work for your small business 36:56

3y ago36:56

36:56

Such has been digital marketing’s rise to prominence that you could be forgiven for believing that there’s no point in bothering with offline marketing when it comes to trying to attract new customers to your start-up or small business. But for many start-ups and small businesses, tried and tested offline marketing techniques continue to offer exce…

1
How to protect your physical and mental health when starting and running a business 30:02

4y ago30:02

30:02

Advice on achieving the right work-life balance, managing your time, feeling supported and safeguarding your health and mental wellbeing. Running a small business can be highly demanding and working alone can make you feel isolated. In this episode, Christine Husbands joins us to offer tips on how to take better care of yourself, so you and your ne…

1
How to set up a successful business that sells online 30:50

4y ago30:50

30:50

An introduction to selling online, whether via marketplaces such as eBay, Amazon and Etsy, or your own e-commerce or general website. In this episode we speak to online selling expert, Chris Dawson, who talks about the advantages of selling online and guides us through selling via popular marketplace platforms. Chris is co-founder and editor of Tam…

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Start Up Donut Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen