It's The Small Things

Following our interview with London Sock Company co-founder Dave Pickard, which took place before the outbreak of coronavirus, we check back in to find out why the ecommerce business founders realised they'd removed themselves too much from day-to-day operations, why a change in operation model was required and how unprecedented disruptions to global supply chains were dealt with.

Following our interview with Black+Blum founder Dan Black, which took place before the outbreak of coronavirus, we check back in to find out how the on-the-go food and drink products business navigated the challenge of everyone staying at home, tapping into the new ways in which people were living and taking a critical approach to the way it was marketing its recently refined set of products.

Following our interview with KellyBronze MD Paul Kelly, which took place before the outbreak of coronavirus, we check back in to find out how the turkey-breeding business navigated the challenge of not knowing what demand would be for its product, making plans when labour supply was an unknown entity and continuing to focus on making small but important changes to operations.

Following our interview with Flight Club CEO Steve Moore, which took place before the outbreak of coronavirus, we check back in to find out how the hospitality business navigated the challenge of having to close the doors at all of its venues, putting the majority of staff on furlough and looking beyond the worrying headlines that continued to give no clear indication as to when trade could be recommenced.

Following our interview with Origin Global COO Victoria Brocklesby, which took place before the outbreak of coronavirus, we check back in to find out how the business navigated the challenge of managing a factory, a complex supply chain, a surge in demand for home improvement products and staying on track with an existing growth strategy.

Following our interview with Brompton Bicycle MD Will Butler-Adams, which took place before the outbreak of coronavirus, we check back in to find out how the business navigated the challenge of managing a factory with hundreds of workers, a complex supply chain, a surge in demand for bicycles and staying on track with an existing growth strategy.

In the tenth episode of It's The Small Things, we spoke to Simon Saunders about how he's built Ariel Motor Company into a successful brand that comes with a two-year waiting list. Brought back to life at the turn of the millenium, Ariel adopted the name of a British engineering company that built the world's first bicycle and went on to innovate historic cars and motorcycles. The business shot to fame when its flagship car, the Atom, appeared on Top Gear and went unbeaten around the show's test track, a record it held for two years. Despite the huge demand for its vehicles, Ariel continues to operate with a small team of 35 and builds just 120 cars every year at its Somerset premises. In this episode, you'll find advice on: Developing a clear ethos for your business Building a strong supplier network The impact of giving staff autonomy

In the ninth episode of It's The Small Things, we visited Tom at Westcombe Dairy's Somerset farm to talk about the evolution of the family business, automation and what he's learnt as a leader. Westcombe Dairy first produced unpasteurised cheddar in the late 1800s, before expanding into a creamery during World War II. It returned to its cheesemaking origins in the late 1990s and now produces around 120 tonnes of cheddar every year. The team at Westcombe includes 19 employees as well a cheese turning machine called Tina the Turner! Listen to this episode to get tips on: Challenging traditions to achieve excellence The impact of automating “grunt work” in the business Balancing firefighting with top-level tasks

In the eighth episode of It's The Small Things, we spoke to Julianne about how she turned Creative Nature from a debt-laden business into a major retail success with a turnover set to hit £2 million. Julianne bought Creative Nature in a management buyout in 2012, aged 22. Gradually, she transformed the company into a superfood brand and brought it back into profit. One of the reasons Julianne was so driven to create tasty free-from products is because she has suffered from anaphylaxis since she was two years old and was frustrated by the lack of products on the market. This episode has advice on: Developing your branding Pitching to major retailers Incorporating customer feedback into product development

The sixth episode of this season of It's The Small Things sees us sit down for a cold one with Toast Ale co-founder and COO Louisa Ziane. While a relatively young business, the social enterprise has made big progress in its efforts to both grew great beer and tackle the food wastage and wider sustainability issues that are becoming increasingly prevalent. Louisa has overseen a tricky period for Toast Ale where growing pains associated with recruitment and big competition on the British craft beer scene keep her and the team constantly on their toes. This episode has advice on: How to embed sustainability initiatives into your business Implementing mental health objectives for your team Adapting and improving your brand to really stand out

The sixth episode of this season of It's The Small Things welcomes London Sock Company co-founder Dave Pickard. In 2013, Dave and co-founder Ryan Palmer discovered that while fewer men were wearing ties to work, many still wanted to add some personality to their outfits. The pair decided that colourful, high-quality socks were the answer. Since starting the business, it's grown from a two-man band to a team of 23 with an international distribution network. This episode has advice on: Building a team with a blend of experience and enthusiasm The value of strong supplier relationships when you're making in one country and selling How technology plays a big part in getting a simple product into customer hands

The fifth episode of this season of It's The Small Things welcomes Black+Blum co-founder and lead designer, Dan Black.  When Black+Blum launched 21 years ago, there was no limit to the types of product it would manufacture – but the business lacked direction and a clear brand identity. Dan took over the reins in 2014 and started to steer the business towards the food and drink on-the-go market. Four years later, he made the bold decision to step down from running the company and brought in an external MD. This episode has advice on: Recognising that you're not a natural leader Making investments to enable future growth Getting product development right the first time

The fourth episode of this season of It's The Small Things welcomes KellyBronze owner and MD Paul Kelly. He helped turn the Christmas turkey business into a multi-million pound family-run empire that counts the Royal family, Jamie Oliver and Michel Roux Jr among its customers. Paul explains why he made the bold decision to breed expensive bronze turkeys decades after they had been dropped for cheaper breeds. And talks how he tripled productivity with a fraction of the staff after inventing the world's first turkey plucking line. This episode has advice on: Making wise capital investments How leaders should never be afraid to forge their own path Why implementing a bonus for low paid staff might pay off

Our third episode of It's The Small Things looks at a brand that's taken darts out of dingy pubs and turned the sport into an immersive experience that's accessible to everyone.   Developing a unique concept allowed Flight Club to build a business that turns over £30m in the UK, alongside its revenue from new US locations, employs over 550 staff and has set a standard for customer experience.   The episode has advice on:   Running hundreds of pre-launch feedback sessions that helped build an army of advocates The functions and management team needed to scale The benefit of slow recruitment and onboarding as well as developing expertise in house

The second episode of this season of It's The Small Things welcomes Origin co-founder and COO, Victoria Brocklesby. Along with her cousin, Neil Ginger, Victoria has built the bespoke window and door manufacturer into a £40m business.   Victoria shares how a pioneering approach to customer service, good internal communication and an ethos of always listening to staff ideas has transformed Origin from a small family operation into a global business with 300 employees.   The episode has advice on:   Adopting technology to improve collaboration Creating a culture where staff are empowered to try new ideas without fear of failure Putting customers first – in this case with a promise to deliver bespoke orders the next day if required

The first episode of season two of It's The Small Things welcomes Brompton Bicycle MD Will Butler-Adams. He built the business from 7,500 to 55,000 bikes a year with a relentless focus on cutting waste.   Will shares how the business evolved from its old school approach, where staff had a “meltdown” when he started talking about increasing capacity, to an ambitious, international brand that employs nearly 300 people.   The episode has advice on:   Driving efficiencies in manufacturing, including sourcing ideas from staff and getting inspiration from site visits to other firms How management can nurture a culture where every member of staff can push innovation forward The invention that caused a “blooming Nora” reaction!

Before we take a break ahead of series two, there’s time for a special bonus episode. Sir Charlie Mayfield, chairman of the John Lewis Partnership and Be the Business, took a few minutes out of his day to take us inside the day-to-day workings at one of Britain’s biggest retail brands. He discussed: How he stays connected to thousands of the company’s “partners” around the country Why continual improvement is so important What happens when he visits different John Lewis or Waitrose sites His rallying call for British firms wanting to improve but not knowing where to start GUEST: Sir Charlie Mayfield HOST: Hunter Ruthven TAGS: small business, SME, leadership, business improvement, management, startup, entrepreneurs, productivity, innovation, luxury goods, manufacturing For more on Be the Business, subscribe to our newsletter here www.bethebusiness.com

In this tenth and final episode of series one, we sit down Chris Blade, managing director of Cumbria Crystal – the UK’s only remaining producer of hand-blown, hand-cut, English lead crystal. He talks us through some of the challenges of manufacturing in the luxury goods sector as well as the highlights of running a business based on rare artisan skills: Inventive ways to maximise revenue: workshops and events Small operational changes that take a big chunk off overheads Using bonuses to get disparate teams to share a collective goal The value of executive learning programmes and networks GUEST: Chris Blade HOST:Hunter Ruthven TAGS: small business, SME, leadership, business improvement, management, startup, entrepreneurs, productivity, innovation, luxury goods, manufacturing For more on Be the Business, subscribe to our newsletter here www.bethebusiness.com

In this episode we sit down with Mark Schaberg, COO of Finest Dental – a challenger brand of dental surgeries. Mark talks us through some of the challenges he’s seen in growing the chain to ten surgeries in and around the South East of England and reveals why there is a lot other businesses can learn a seemingly niche industry like dentistry. He touches on: Developing a new business model in a change-averse industry Use of data-driven marketing and innovative technology Attracting, retaining and motivating medical professionals Creating customer journeys for a highly diverse demographic GUEST: Mark Schaberg HOST:Hunter Ruthven TAGS: small business, SME, leadership, business improvement, management, startup, entrepreneurs, productivity, innovation, medical For more on Be the Business, subscribe to our newsletter here www.bethebusiness.com

In this episode we sit down with Artichoke founder Bruce Hodgson, a craftsman by trade who has had to learn about management and leadership as his business grew. Bruce goes into detail about: Finding talent in an area where the right skillset is hard to find Saying no to work if they are the wrong kind of projects Changing pricing models to suit both customers and the business Creating a business structure that helps with succession GUEST: Bruce Hodgson HOST: Hunter Ruthven TAGS: small business, SME, leadership, business improvement, management, startup, entrepreneurs, productivity, innovation, food industry For more on Be the Business, subscribe to our newsletter here www.bethebusiness.com

In this episode we sit down with Dom Beaven, one half of a husband and wife team that saw an opportunity in the wedding gift list space and capitalised on it. He explains how Prezola: Built an online business to take on physical incumbents Used industry trends to direct change in the organisation Tackled issues such as sustainability in a creative way Created a company where people see career opportunities GUEST: Dom Beaven HOST: Hunter Ruthven TAGS: small business, SME, leadership, business improvement, management, startup, entrepreneurs, productivity, innovation, food industry For more on Be the Business, subscribe to our newsletter here www.bethebusiness.com

In this episode we sit down with Lily Simpson, founder of healthy meal delivery business Detox Kitchen. She talks us through some of the challenges she’s overcome in her quality-first foodie mission so far: Scaling up at the right time to maintain quality Being in tune with industry trends not a slave to them How to find meaningful mentor relationships When to follow instincts and when to follow the data GUEST: Lily Simpson HOST: Hunter Ruthven  TAGS: small business, SME, leadership, business improvement, management, startup, entrepreneurs, productivity, innovation, food industry  For more on Be the Business, subscribe to our newsletter here www.bethebusiness.com

In this episode we sit down with Matt Lumb, former CEO of Tangle Teezer – the innovative hairbrush brand.  Matt covers pretty much everything he went through during his seven years at Tangle Teezer. Phenomenal growth, tick. Zero staff turnover, tick. Company cult or culture? Tick. Global distribution strategy, tick. Flat management structure, tick. And how come they still manufacture everything in the UK? GUEST: Matt Lumb HOST: Hunter Ruthven  TAGS: small business, SME, leadership, business improvement, management, startup, entrepreneurs, productivity, innovation, retail, manufacturing, innovation,   For more on Be the Business, subscribe to our newsletter here www.bethebusiness.com

In this episode we sit down with Joan Murphy, CEO of Move Your Frame – the feel-good fitness studio people.  Joan talks to us about: The fun of scaling up a fitness business in Central London Why the biggest leap was going to four locations Why they’re settling at seven sites for a while  Why she still teaches classes and works on reception GUEST: Joan Murphy HOST: Hunter Ruthven  TAGS: small business, SME, leadership, business improvement, management, startup, entrepreneurs, productivity, innovation, fitness industry   For more on Be the Business, subscribe to our newsletter here www.bethebusiness.com

In this episode we sit down with Nick Coleman, CEO of Snaffling Pig – the perfect-with-a-pint pork scratchings people.  Nick is a leader who absolutely relishes the small stuff inside his business. He buys walkie talkies to save his staff shoe leather. He stands in his warehouse to look at footfall efficiencies. He picks packaging waste off the post-room floor to calculate the cost-savings to be made. He draws circles round scissors and sticky tape so that people don’t waste time looking for them. It all adds up to some very copiable innovations and a fascinating guy. Oh and listen out for Nick’s cashflow woes and impostor syndrome – it’s not just us then! GUEST: Nick Coleman  HOST: Hunter Ruthven  For more on Be the Business, subscribe to our newsletter here www.bethebusiness.com

In this episode we sit down with Anthony Fletcher, CEO of Graze – the healthy snack box people.  Anthony has taken Graze from a fledgling snack delivery service to a brand that's stocked by supermarkets around the world. Before that he was with chirpy drinks brand Innocent for six years and says the skills needed to succeed in the two scale-ups were similar. He talks to us about: Not letting your ego get in the way – expecting your first hypothesis to be wrong Not believing in big market research reports – ask customers what they think instead Not getting lost in data – work out which bits of information can help which people  Coping with growth and international expansion – it involves thousands of cardboard bunnies GUEST: Anthony Fletcher  HOST: Hunter Ruthven  For more on Be the Business, subscribe to our newsletter here www.bethebusiness.com

In this episode we sit down with Humphrey Cobbold, former CEO of Wiggle and current CEO of PureGym. He talks us through some of the turning points he’s seen in these fast-growth fitness businesses: Simple decisions that disrupt industries (who says you can’t sell wetsuits online?) One surprising touch that tripled web sales Letting customers do some of the work for you To-do list tips – all you need is a three-column spreadsheet We interviewed Humphrey in his office next to a PureGym so listen out for the motivational music… GUEST: Humphrey Cobbold   HOST: Hunter Ruthven  For more on Be the Business, subscribe to our newsletter here www.bethebusiness.com