The Business podcast

The Guardian

Running a business rarely runs smoothly, but a cool head and self-belief can turn adversity into advantage. The Guardian Small Business Network's confessions events bring entrepreneurs together to share the highs and lows of entrepreneurship. These are the stories you won't hear anywhere else. Hosted by Guardian journalist Coco Khan

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100 episodes
Updated Feb 7, 2018

Episodes100

Newest first

Feb 7, 2018 · 20 min
'A strong brand will get you through a crisis': Meet the Mentors with Cobra beer's founder
In the final podcast of the series, Lord Karan Bilimoria advises the founders of tech startup Zipabout on everything from marketing to investment
Jan 31, 2018 · 13 min
'Stay paranoid': Meet the Mentors with Ebookers' founder
Dinesh Dhamija gives leadership tips to Jamie Wilson, budding entrepreneur and founder of carer provider HomeTouch
Jan 24, 2018 · 16 min
'I was told British people wouldn't eat dark chocolate': Meet the Mentors with Green & Black's Jo Fairley
Serial entrepreneur and organic food pioneer Jo Fairley gives her tips to milliner Sahar Freemantle on how to make it big
Jan 17, 2018 · 21 min
'Trust your intuition': Meet the Mentors with Cath Kidston
The designer who created an empire around her trademark floral wash bags, tea cloths and crockery, reveals that luck played a big part in her success
Jan 10, 2018 · 19 min
Bedroom business to world domination: Meet the Mentors with Trunki's Rob Law
In the first podcast of a new series, the designer of the award-winning kids’ luggage brand shares his top tips for global expansion with a furniture maker from Blackburn
Apr 11, 2017 · 28 min
'The journey is nothing but extraordinary' – Confessions of a Startup
In our last podcast of the series, entrepreneurs at our Confessions of a Startup seminar agreed it’s important to have people around who support your vision
Apr 4, 2017 · 34 min
'Embrace adversity' – Confessions of a Small Business
If you don’t experience tough times, you’re not putting yourself out there enough. That was the verdict from the entrepreneurs at our first Confessions of a Small Business seminar. Catch up with what you missed
Mar 31, 2017 · 8 min
'Have faith in what you're doing' – Confessions of a Startup
Isabella Lane started Smarter Applications with husband Christian two and a half years ago. Their first product was a wifi kettle, which they built for £100
Mar 29, 2017 · 9 min
'It takes longer and costs more than you think' – Confessions of a Startup
It’s been a long road for Efe Çakarel, founder of MUBI. He had his big idea in 2006 but it was seven years before he finally felt the model was working
Mar 16, 2017 · 11 min
'Breaking up with a co-founder is like a divorce' – Confessions of a Startup
Emily Forbes loves film. But setting up Seenit, a video collaboration platform, has challenged her, not least because she’s parted ways with two co-founders
Mar 14, 2017 · 14 min
'We have learned so much from failure' – Confessions of a Startup
Rich Pleeth, founder of the social app Sup, describes struggling to achieve sustainable growth, falling out with his co-founders and having to tell investors you’re closing
Mar 3, 2017 · 9 min
'You've got to live it 24/7' – Confessions of a Small Business
Nick Edwards, the founder of software company Papaya, was faced with a dilemma in 2012 when his developer was killed in a hit-and-run incident
Mar 1, 2017 · 9 min
'You have to keep fighting' – Confessions of a Small Business
Arpana Gandhi, co-founder of landmine disposal company Disarmco, talks struggling to find investment, almost going bust and battling to save lives
Feb 24, 2017 · 16 min
'Failure makes you more humble' – Confessions of a Small Business
In our second Confessions of a Small Business podcast, John Stapleton, founder of New Covent Garden Soup and Little Dish, talks about going out on a limb, coping with a fire that gutted his factory, and failing to crack the US
Feb 16, 2017 · 16 min
Crowdfunding carnage – Confessions of a Small Business
Little Riot founder Joanna Montgomery kicks off our Small Business podcast series by reliving the highs and lows of launching her product Pillow Talk and explaining how caring customers gave her heart
Mar 10, 2015 · 28 min
How to make it in the music industry
Traditional lenders often shy away from the creative industries – what can startup bands and independent musicians do to get on the road to financial success?
Feb 1, 2012 · 17 min
The Business podcast: Fred Goodwin's knighthood shredded
It's bash-a-banker time. As the former RBS boss Fred Goodwin loses his knighthood, his successor at the bank has handed back his bonus. Nils Pratley and Jill Treanor discuss
Jan 20, 2012 · 25 min
Politics Weekly podcast: Labour's economic alternative
Seumas Milne, Rowenna Davis and Hopi Sen discuss Labour's shift in economic policy and how the party can remain true to its mission for social justice in austere times
Jan 17, 2012 · 31 min
The Business podcast: France, credit ratings and Occupy
The Occupy movement's philosopher-in-chief David Graeber examines the arguments for a debt jubilee in 2012
Jan 11, 2012 · 25 min
The Business podcast: what to watch in 2012
Larry Elliott, Jill Treanor and Nils Pratley discuss the economic indicators to watch in 2012 and look ahead to an Olympic year in which Britain is hoping to rediscover a feel-good factor