The Business podcast

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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

The Guardian


    • Feb 7, 2018 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 26m AVG DURATION
    • 100 EPISODES


    Latest episodes from The Business podcast

    'A strong brand will get you through a crisis': Meet the Mentors with Cobra beer's founder

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 7, 2018 20:12


    In the final podcast of the series, Lord Karan Bilimoria advises the founders of tech startup Zipabout on everything from marketing to investment

    'Stay paranoid': Meet the Mentors with Ebookers' founder

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 31, 2018 13:58


    Dinesh Dhamija gives leadership tips to Jamie Wilson, budding entrepreneur and founder of carer provider HomeTouch

    'I was told British people wouldn't eat dark chocolate': Meet the Mentors with Green & Black's Jo Fairley

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 24, 2018 16:48


    Serial entrepreneur and organic food pioneer Jo Fairley gives her tips to milliner Sahar Freemantle on how to make it big

    'Trust your intuition': Meet the Mentors with Cath Kidston

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 17, 2018 21:54


    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

    Bedroom business to world domination: Meet the Mentors with Trunki's Rob Law

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 10, 2018 19:42


    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

    'The journey is nothing but extraordinary' – Confessions of a Startup

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 11, 2017 28:38


    In our last podcast of the series, entrepreneurs at our Confessions of a Startup seminar shared their tales of overcoming obstacles while starting a business. They agreed it's important to have people around who support your vision

    'Embrace adversity' – Confessions of a Small Business

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 4, 2017 34:31


    If you don't experience tough times, you're not putting yourself out there enough. That was the verdict of the entrepreneurs at our first Confessions of a Small Business seminar. Catch up with what you missed

    'Have faith in what you're doing' – Confessions of a Startup

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 31, 2017 8:30


    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

    'It takes longer and costs more than you think' – Confessions of a Startup

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 29, 2017 9:00


    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

    'Breaking up with a co-founder is like a divorce' – Confessions of a Startup

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 16, 2017 11:34


    Emily Forbes loves film and working in storytelling. But setting up Seenit, a video collaboration platform, has challenged her in ways she couldn't imagine. Not least because she has parted ways with not one but two co-founders

    'We have learned so much from failure' – Confessions of a Startup

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 14, 2017 14:23


    In our first Confessions of a Startup podcast, 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 the business

    'You've got to live it 24/7' – Confessions of a Small Business

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 3, 2017 9:56


    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

    'You have to keep fighting' – Confessions of a Small Business

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 1, 2017 9:57


    Arpana Gandhi, co-founder of landmine disposal company Disarmco, talks struggling to find investment, almost going bust and battling to save lives

    'Failure makes you more humble' – Confessions of a Small Business

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 24, 2017 16:04


    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

    Crowdfunding carnage –  Confessions of a Small Business

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 16, 2017 16:01


    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

    How to make it in the music industry

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 10, 2015 28:15


    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?

    The Business podcast: Fred Goodwin's knighthood shredded

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 1, 2012 17:27


    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

    Politics Weekly podcast: Labour's economic alternative

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 20, 2012 25:44


    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

    The Business podcast: France, credit ratings and Occupy

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 17, 2012 31:57


    The Occupy movement's philosopher-in-chief David Graeber examines the arguments for a debt jubilee in 2012. Plus Heather Stewart and Angelique Chrisafis explain the ratings downgrades of France and other EU countries

    The Business podcast: what to watch in 2012

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 11, 2012 25:49


    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

    The Business podcast: Christmas economics and a review of 2011

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 21, 2011 23:02


    Economist Joel Waldfogel explains why you shouldn't buy Christmas presents plus Larry Elliott and Simon Goodley round up a turbulent year in business and economics

    The Business podcast: Rogue banks and rogue traders

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 14, 2011 18:50


    John Gapper and Jill Treanor discuss a new report into the failure of Royal Bank of Scotland. Plus: we look at the history of rogue traders. What makes some bank employees risk everything when they seem to have so little to gain?

    The Business podcast extra: Jeffrey Sachs on economics and ethics

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 9, 2011 26:53


    Jeffrey Sachs discusses the turmoil in the eurozone, the ethical issues underlying the financial crisis and his new book The Price of Civilisation

    The Business podcast: Money, debt and the euro

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 6, 2011 20:29


    Philip Coggan, a historian of debt crises, discusses the current turmoil in Europe and explores the nature of money itself and our changing attitudes to it – most money now exists only on computers and the only thing that sustains it is confidence

    George Osborne's autumn statement

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 29, 2011 23:24


    Larry Elliott and Jackie Ashley join Tom Clark and Aditya Chakrabortty for a review of George Osborne's autumn statement on the British economy

    The Business podcast: executive pay

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 22, 2011 22:26


    Deborah Hargreaves of the High Pay Commission discusses her report on the inequality of salaries in Britain with the Guardian's City editor Jill Treanor

    The Business podcast: a million young people unemployed

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 16, 2011 23:30


    Katie Allen, Dan Milmo and Giles Tremlett discuss stark youth unemployment figures. Plus we ask whether austerity is working in Ireland

    The Business podcast: Italy, the euro and Darwinian economics

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 9, 2011 34:57


    John Hooper and Larry Elliott on how Italy became the latest EU economy to face attack on the bond markets and economist Robert H Frank discusses his new book The Darwin Economy

    The Business podcast: Living beyond our means

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 2, 2011 24:57


    Sheldon Garon, author of Beyond Our Means and an economic historian at Princeton University, on why the UK and the US stopped saving and started spending in the second half of the 20th century

    The Business podcast: eurozone crisis

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 25, 2011 24:36


    Larry Elliott, David Gow and Jill Treanor examine the three major issues on the table this week: Greece, European banks and the EU bailout fund

    The Business podcast: Occupy London Stock Exchange

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 19, 2011 19:02


    Danny Dorling discusses his new book Fair Play and how its arguments can inspire those who are protesting against wealth inequality in London

    The Business podcast: Is Europe's bailout fund a big enough 'bazooka'?

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 14, 2011 21:57


    The European Financial Stability Facility is the bailout fund that the EU is hoping will be large enough to stave off the debt crisis in the continent. But as David Cameron calls for a big 'bazooka' to tackle debt we investigate ways of enlarging the fund

    The Business podcast at Conservative conference 2011: George Osborne goes for growth

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 4, 2011 27:51


    Jonathan Freedland, Mike Cherry of the Federation of Small Businesses and Tim Leunig of Centre Forum discuss the chancellor's plans to get money flowing to small businesses, announced in his speech to Conservative party conference

    The Business podcast: Labour's economic plan

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2011 20:00


    The financial crisis proved terminal for Labour's 13-year run in office. As the party gathers for its autumn conference, its main objective is to regain the trust of voters on the economy. Tom Clark hears from delegates, commentators and economists in Liverpool

    The Business podcast: IMF's warning on world economy

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 21, 2011 27:16


    Guardian experts discuss the global financial crisis; Italy's downgraded credit rating; and baby-boomers' toxic legacy for younger generations. With Jon Henley

    The Business podcast: The Vickers report

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 13, 2011 19:45


    A blueprint for a new banking system, or a huge opportunity missed? Aditya Chakrabortty, Jill Treanor and Nils Pratley discuss the long-awaited Vickers report into the reform of Britain's financial sector

    The Business podcast: Fears of a new global recession

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 10, 2011 35:20


    Markets have been in turmoil for days as central banks and politicians struggle to maintain confidence in major economies. Larry Elliott, Sukhdev Johal and Dominic Rushe discuss whether the world economy can avoid another crash

    The Business podcast: US steps back from brink of debt crisis

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 3, 2011 20:04


    A deal in Washington to raise the borrowing limit of the United States government has averted a major crisis, but has the damage to American credibility already been done? Nils Pratley, Peter Beaumont and Richard Adams discuss

    The Business podcast: Economies in crisis

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 28, 2011 35:21


    Britain's economy is struggling, the eurozone is lurching from one crisis to the next and the US is threatened with a credit rating downgrade. Julian Glover, Larry Elliott and Nick Pearce discuss how policymakers should react

    The Business podcast: US government flirts with default

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 20, 2011 22:11


    The US government is running out of time to agree an extension to its borrowing limit. But has the damage to the country's credit rating already been done? Larry Elliott, Richard Adams and Dean Baker discuss

    The Business podcast: Goldman Sachs and the financial crisis

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 13, 2011 25:29


    Goldman Sachs survived the financial crisis as many of its competitors on Wall Street collapsed. But how? William Cohan and Nils Pratley discuss the giant among investment banks and how it has remained at the top for so long

    The Business podcast: Greece's debt crisis and the euro

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 6, 2011 35:22


    The Greek debt crisis could turn into a European banking crisis, according to some economists. But is there any solution to the conundrum that protects living standards and pacifies the markets? With Martin Kettle, Phillip Inman, Aris Chatzistefanou and Aditya Chakrabortty

    The Business podcast: Retail in retreat as high street suffers

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 29, 2011 21:50


    As many household names in retail go out of business, we look at the future of the UK high street. Plus economist Ahmed Rahman on his quest for a 'unified growth theory'

    The Business podcast: Greece and the effectiveness of international aid

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 22, 2011 33:40


    The Greek debt crisis worsens as ratings agencies threaten further downgrades. Plus Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo discuss their new book Poor Economics

    The Business podcast: Is it time to curb high pay?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 16, 2011 33:36


    Is British society fair? And if it's not - is it time to get angry? We take a look at the pay gap as inflation leaves those at the bottom struggling. And the film industry takes on the financial crisis

    The Business podcast: Corruption and wealth in the new India

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 8, 2011 31:52


    What do India's writers think about its role as a new superpower? Aditya Chakrabortty speaks to Arundhati Roy and Siddhartha Deb

    The Business podcast: Interns and internships

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 1, 2011 27:34


    Can we increase social mobility by reforming internships, or should they simply be abolished? Aditya Chakrabortty is joined by Ross Perlin, author of Intern Nation

    Business podcast: Dotcom boom or new media bubble?

    Play Episode Listen Later May 25, 2011 33:37


    Social networking companies are becoming hot property. But does their high valuation indicate a new dotcom bubble? Plus: we examine the candidates vying to become the new head of the IMF; and a new hip-hop track charting the battle between Hayek and Keynes

    The Business podcast: The IMF, Japan and Google

    Play Episode Listen Later May 18, 2011 22:24


    Dominique Strauss-Kahn's arrest and the future of the IMF; Japan's economic recovery; and Google's chief economist Hal Varian on how the spread of information can prevent banking crises

    The Business podcast: PPI scandal and Greece's debt crisis

    Play Episode Listen Later May 11, 2011 35:32


    Our expert panel discusses the mis-selling of payment protection insurance to millions of customers and the debt crisis facing Greece and threatening the euro

    The Business podcast: Are supermarkets too powerful?

    Play Episode Listen Later May 4, 2011 34:01


    Phillip Blond, Shiv Malik, Nils Pratley and Andrew Simms discuss the growing power of supermarkets; the windfall tax on energy companies in the North sea; and Portugal's bailout

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