show episodes
 
Leaders of impact-creating businesses and social enterprises share their practical tips and stories. Be inspired, intrigued and amazed, get advice to help your values-driven business thrive and benefit from candid conversations about how other leaders overcame challenges and built their businesses and social enterprises. New episode every Friday here and on Sheffield Live FM radio.
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From banks that can’t lend to small businesses, predatory payday lenders, high interest loan sharks, or social investors who just don’t support social enterprises - there’s plenty to criticise in the world of finance. But there’s a a strong and growing network of finance providers who are building resilient economies throughout the UK – offering a personal service, a supportive approach and a real alternative to traditional bank lenders and finance providers. Responsible Finance providers br ...
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show series
 
Do we want to live in places full of thriving businesses and social enterprises, and where people don't get trapped by exploitative lenders and loan sharks? Sounds good to me. Eleanor Russell is policy and programmes lead at Responsible Finance, which represents the UK's social purpose lenders (community development finance institutions, CDFIs). Th…
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Caz and Darron Burness already had a thriving business – doggy day care, pet-sitting, home boarding and other services – when they spotted an opportunity to purchase a kennels premises. It was the perfect fit. But how to finance the acquisition? A £100,000 loan from BCRS Business Loans unlocked their ambition and growth plans, safeguarded several j…
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For a long time Claer Barrett vowed never to write a book about money. Now the award-winning financial journalist and broadcaster, who frequently answers the public's money questions on ITV's Lorraine, LBC radio and the Financial Times' Money Clinic podcast, has published 'What They Don't Teach You about Money.' It's a brilliant read – like having …
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We can do it if we really want to: Alpkit is a business success story which has doubled employee numbers since last appearing on this programme while dramatically reducing its absolute emissions and carbon intensity. "It's really positive and something ALL businesses can do, from small to big" says CEO David Hanney. The measures it is taking, Hanne…
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Impact investing has moved into the mainstream. Many asset owners and managers are trying to deliver more positive social and environmental impact as well as a financial return. Yet just a few years ago many institutions were dismissive or sceptical. How did this change? "It's not about telling people what they should do, it's demonstrating what ca…
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Dr Kirsty Smitten has gone from PhD Student to founder and CEO of MetalloBio Ltd: "I was writing my thesis while forming a company." Her firm is developing new compounds to address antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and is a spin-out from the University of Sheffield, incorporated in 2021. Already the cause of 1.2 million fatalities every year, antimicr…
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It's three years since Louis Speight, a former men’s European record holder, was last on the programme. His social enterprise Omnis Circumvado CIC is a specialist sports coaching company which works with children, young people and adults who have complex needs. "We are games-based" says Louis, and "our approach is to make sure everybody is having f…
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Ready for some big numbers? How about £165 million? Just one of the staggering figures revealed in Salad Money's first ever impact report. Salad CEO Tim Rooney tells us how the social enterprise, which lends to NHS and Public Sector workers, has helped applicants identify £165m in benefits they could apply for but were not claiming. Its customers "…
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In today's show: cost of living support and new funding opportunities for businesses and social enterprises. And it's the 'season of goodwill' – can't we have goodwill all year round? – but a time when many love to give presents. It's a horrifyingly difficult and challenging time for many. But it's also a crucial time for small businesses and socia…
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Can you feel it? Can you hear it? Yes, it's the blistering, crackling heat from the South Yorkshire Tech 100 – the "hottest" startups and scaleups in the region, published today in a new ecosystem report. It lists the most successful tech companies born since the start of 2000 with headquarters in South Yorkshire and emerging startups with tremendo…
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This is both an extraordinary and, sadly, an every day tale. All over the UK people with children or caring responsibilities compete for shifts or work patterns which fit around them, face the 'poverty premium' or are locked out from opportunities. "I was dismissed on so many levels," says Jules Hawkins. "I knew I was capable of more and I knew I w…
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Today's guests won't just make you make you think, I hope they'll help you to act since both offer practical and immediate action points to build a better world and better businesses. The UK generates some of the highest amounts of e-waste (electrical waste including headphones, remotes, computer equipment and devices) in the world. Why do we hoard…
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Terry Murphy runs Printed By Us, a social enterprise which sells t-shirts, prints, mugs, hoodies and other products, all featuring amazing designs by notable and up-and-coming artists. Terry was last on the show five years ago with colleague James whose candid story moved many listeners. The business works with vulnerable people and people who are …
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Every week on this show we try to highlight new grant and funding opportunities for businesses and social enterprises. Today (28 October 2022) we have details of 10 x £40,000 grants; funding streams with £8,000 and £18,000 awards; and a new games and tech accelerator programme. Those come after news of the shortlist announcement for the Sheffield B…
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Most people in poverty in the UK are in working families. Four million workers live in poverty: their resources are well below their minimum needs. That means 'not being able to heat your home, pay your rent, or buy the essentials for your children. It means waking up every day facing insecurity, uncertainty, and impossible decisions about money.' …
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It can be unfair to quote a line from a writer's work out of context. But the words 'Truths are unpopular. Lies are famous' capture the weird maelstrom of social media posturing, fake news, politicians who'll promise whatever it takes to get elected, and over-friendly corporate messaging we're bombarded by today. The lines come from Akeem Balogun's…
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All this talk about "slashing red tape" and a sudden zeal for deregulation as a magic bullet for growth made me climb aboard my soapbox. This episode starts with a rant and a reminder: regulation per se is no barrier to inclusive growth, and careless deregulation risks encouraging a race to the bottom in business and life. Do we want crappy, rubbis…
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Stephen Tighe and Sheryl Doe founded Allegro Opticians to address specific issues which the eyesight of musicians and performing artists. The business now has customers from all over the world, has won multiple business awards, has a trusted high street presence with three branches, and has grown from two to more than twenty employees. Stephen desc…
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Nearly 20 years ago Jon Barton created a mountain biking guide to the trails he loved to ride in the Peak District. Since then his firm Vertebrate Publishing has grown with its authors and the business scooping multiple accolades and awards, including Small Press of the Year at the 2022 British Book Awards. It publishes beautiful and inspiring outd…
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Air pollution contributes to around 40,000 deaths a year in the UK and more in many other parts of the world. Enjoy The Air helps cities achieve air quality standards through policy, infrastucture and behaviour change. CEO and founder Kate Barnard, an engineer, describes why she launched the business and how viewing cities as engineering systems me…
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"They make it feel like it's your fault," says Cath Wohlers about loan sharks. They use manipulation, isolation and coercive control and ruin lives. Earlier this year a Centre for Social Justice report estimated 1.08 million people in England alone are currently using illegal moneylenders, who prey on financially vulnerable people. Cath is LIAISE M…
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Today's guest says he's the "world's oldest" digital nomad – until proven otherwise. Malcolm McClean has always loved the work he does, and when he hit 65 years of age he sold everything he owns to embark on a new adventure. Malcolm is an author and consultant to a remarkable social enterprise, PossAbilities Community Interest Company, which has gr…
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Always treat the customer as though they're your mum, says Stephen Tighe, CEO and co-founder of Allegro Opticians. Launched just a few years ago, Allegro now has customers from America, France, Germany, Japan, New Zealand and many other parts of the world, after identifying and addressing a profound need for specialist optical care for musicians an…
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Sarah Beaumont had held high-level management roles and worked all over the world. But when a chronic condition left her in constant pain she was told she'd never work again. Now she's launched and runs her own business helping other people, and tells her story in today's episode. Diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos syndrome and Fibromyalgia – both long t…
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What is 'ever-boarding' and why should you use it in your business? Why do over half of sales people not hit their targets, and what can you do to support them better, giving you a huge return on investment if you do it right? And what does Ash Ali mean when he talks about unfair advantages which people can identify and apply? Imagine you spent a l…
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When Hellen Stirling-Baker launched Small Stuff in 2016, a mentor told her it would fail because she was so focussed on ethical business. Six years later she runs a thriving online and physical shop, has opened and expanded into larger retail premises, and survived the challenges of the pandemic. Turnover and profits are increasing, says Hellen – a…
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It's a Sheffield institution, a fixture in the firmament of music-lovers. Record Collector opened in 1978 and sells vinyl albums and CDs from its double-fronted shop in Broomhill and worldwide from its online store. Vinyl is "back with a bang" says Mark Elliott. He's worked at the store since 1988 give or take a couple of breaks including a stint i…
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Diane Evans, whose father was Ukrainian, tracked down her relatives near Lviv in Western Ukraine just two-and-a-half years ago. Since then she's met them for the first time and been in frequent contact. When Russian forces invaded Ukraine she wanted to help the Ukrainian people and refugees fleeing the war. Over just two days her business, Evans Le…
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It's crucial to prioritise when you launch a Minimum Viable Product. How? And how do you progress from MVP to uptake in more than 60 countries worldwide? Caroline Allams and Manjit Sareen launched Natterhub, an educational social media platform which prepares primary school children to thrive online, in April 2020. Their platform teaches children t…
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Who are we talking with when we meet someone on a dating app or social media platform? A real person or a fantasy construct? How do we know a person's profile is genuine and what they're telling us is true? With romance fraud rocketing, scammers and criminals are using dating apps and social media platforms to reel in their victims. But a new, Brit…
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Remember going to shops and popping your change into a charity collection box next to the till? The problem for charities is this has become a memory, not a habit, as we move to a cashless society. And it means an £80m shortfall in fundraising every year for charities which used to collect spare change. But Sean Donnelly's business Ripples, a socia…
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There's a game Natalie Doherty likes to play when she meets young people on one of the Source Skills Academy's programmes. They have this image indoctrinated into them about the type of person who is a Director of Quality, Curriculum and Innovation, she says. And they're often shocked by her career journey from dance to director – but hearing it ma…
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"We're not just hashtagging, we're actually doing something about it. I hope that gives anyone listening with a mental health problem strength: you don't have to be shut down, you don't have to be defined, you can take control." Kat Morley is the founder of Insight PR and Media. After studying journalism and winning awards for her coverage of wrest…
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News matters to local communities. How can we generate the most possible resource available for local news and then produce the best possible local newspaper with that resource? This is the starting point for Social Spider, which publishes five local newspapers. David Floyd, MD of the 2003-established social enterprise, joins us to explain Social S…
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Episode 356 of Business Live features Mike Lawrence, workplace health and wellbeing consultant. This interview was originally recorded on 17 December 2020 and is re-broadcast this week. Working from home means many entrepreneurs and employees feel isolated; others experience overwhelm and burnout, or never stop working. Mike has strategies to prote…
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Manjit Sareen is CEO and co-founder of Natterhub and a serial entrepreneur. Since her co-founder Caroline Allams was on the show earlier this year the business, which teaches children to be safe and savvy online, has announced a high-impact collaboration with Microsoft. Manjit explains how Natterhub offers an innovative, immersive and safe environm…
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What holds people back from using their creativity in the workplace? Why have "closet creatives" stopped expressing their creative side in day-to-day life? And what are the impacts on health, wellbeing, problem solving and productivity when you rediscover your creative voice? Emily Moncuit helps people find their creative voice through the art of s…
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Royal British Legion Industries is a charity supporting the Armed Forces and its veterans, people with disabilities and people who are unemployed. Michelle Ferguson runs its two social enterprises, Britain’s Bravest Manufacturing Company and Scotland’s Bravest Manufacturing Company. The firms make road and rail signs, the RBLI's much-loved Tommy fi…
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Social media is more than the platforms whose name changes are headline news. Sheffield Forum launched in 2002, and by last year received over 245,000 visitors per month. People love to discuss local news, seek and give advice and recommendations, and engage in friendly or robust debate on Sheffield Forum. Some users have even met their life partne…
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What are NFTs – Non-Fungible Tokens – and how can creators, creatives and artists start to sell NFTs of their work? Earlier this year Joe Horner, the award-winning Sheffield-based photographer, hit rock bottom in his business because of the impact of Covid. But a lack of bookings gave Joe the time to investigate the burgeoning world of NFTs. It has…
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Fancy a career where your skills will be in huge demand? No, not driving a lorry – working in one of Yorkshire's oldest and rarest traditional crafts. Stone masons, milliners and even boggart-makers are now sought-after more than ever. These and other heritage crafts offer health and wellbeing benefits and fantastic career opportunities, according …
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Element Society is a youth-led charity with an enterprise mindset, says CEO Chris Hill. It has run over 200 projects since launching in 2013: "young people become role models to their peers and we train them to deliver projects." Over 5,000 young people have changed their lives and their communities by working with Element. People attending Special…
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What is a "micro-budget" film? Ben Wilkinson is the founder and director of the Spirit of Independence Film Festival, taking place on 2 October. Now in its third year the festival celebrates films across genres from all over the world. It showcases talent, demonstrates excellence in film-making, entertains viewers, and is a brilliant industry get-t…
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Leon Smith is Chief Customer Officer at educational publisher Twinkl. The Sheffield-based firm employs over a thousand people and has produced specialist resources to support schools and educators in welcoming pupils arriving from overseas for many years. Now, in response to growing demand, the EdTech giant has launched a curated collection of thes…
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When shoemaker Hewlett & Co started working with Amanda Perry, the Louth-based firm made around £2,000 per month in online sales. "We knew there was something there and quite quickly took them to £150,000 months," says Amanda, founder of digital marketing agency Soup and the E-com Growth Hub. It's a remarkable tale in an episode crammed with them –…
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Sport connects people in unique ways. How can intangible things like memories and shared experiences of sport be collected and harnessed? How can places, memorabilia and artefacts be preserved and looked after? And how does that benefit all of us? Dr. Justine Reilly set up Sporting Heritage CIC, a Yorkshire based organisation on a mission to look a…
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Danny Kruger MP answers questions from Responsible Finance CEO, Theodora Hadjimichael: How can Government stimulate a boom in the social economy? Danny has described the role of social enterprises in “fixing broken markets” – what does he mean by broken markets? How can social enterprises address them? Banks and tech companies invest heavily in CDF…
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Seven out of ten workplace diversity and inclusion programmes fail. They don't achieve meaningful change. A partner in an international accounting firm has even said "after every single unconscious bias training that has ever been done, nothing’s ever improved." So I was fascinated to talk with Shana Gujral in this episode. She's had direct experie…
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Natterhub is an educational social media platform which prepares primary school children to thrive online. A gated, "sandbox" environment which includes more than 300 interactive lessons, it develops media literacy and is used in more than 4000 schools. How did Caroline Allams and co-founder Manjit Sareen take Natterhub from idea to Minimum Viable …
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Julie Brown makes a living in her dream career. The contemporary artist trained at Huddersfield University two decades ago and has returned to her full-time art practice after working as an illustrator and designer. Julia is part of a new, major group exhibition at The Sculpture Lounge in the Holme Valley where she is a resident studio holder. In t…
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