In this episode of 'Living the Small Business Life' we hit the road and are on tour in Leighton Buzzard!

Sarah and Carrie, owners of Happydashery and The Workshop, two shops next door to each other on the High Street, share their inspiring journey from pop-up shop to two premises. They discuss the transition from part-time jobs to full-time business owners, the importance of a supportive local business community, and the candid challenges of retail, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

We talked about the value of adaptability, strategic planning, and embracing imperfection. It was so great to hear both Sarah and Carrie reflect on the difficulties of running a small business, such as managing cash flow, juggling roles, and maintaining work-life balance.

Sarah and Carrie were such great guests and shared some wonderful personal anecdotes, quirky customer experiences, and moments of unexpected joy from running their business. Big thanks to them for joining us.

00:00 Welcome to Living the Small Business Life

00:11 Meet Sarah and Carrie of Happydashery

00:42 The Journey of Happydashery

02:39 Taking the Leap: From Part-Time to Full-Time

05:58 Community and Collaboration in Leighton Buzzard

12:42 Challenges and Triumphs During the Pandemic

20:56 Balancing Multiple Revenue Streams

24:07 Implementing Processes for Business Growth

25:09 Balancing Strategic Planning and Daily Operations

26:08 The Importance of Team and Delegation

27:31 Admiration and Strengths in Business Partnership

29:33 Building a Community-Centric Business

31:00 Handling Disagreements and Business Philosophy

35:15 Staying Motivated and Reflecting on Achievements

40:19 Balancing Work and Personal Life

47:38 Unexpected and Hilarious Business Moments

49:08 Final Thoughts and Fun Questions

Find Happydashery here: https://happydashery.co.uk/

This episode was produced by Move Digital - find out more about our podcast work here: https://movedigital.co.uk/podcasts/

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In this episode of 'Living the Small Business Life' podcast, Laura, Ben and Ben discuss the interconnectedness of branding and reputation for small businesses.

We explore personal experiences with branding, including how a recognisable brand can spark memories and influence customers' buying decisions. Drawing on our own (mis)adventures in coming up with branding for our businesses, we also look at the challenges faced in maintaining consistency across various platforms.

We also chat about how Google reviews can affect business reputation and the necessity for businesses to manage online perceptions. How does your branding help (or hinder?) in recruitment, how does customer feedback shapes business strategy, and how can you leverage referrals and case studies?

00:00 Welcome to the Podcast

00:10 Understanding Branding and Reputation

01:28 The Role of Consistency in Branding

02:03 The Evolution of Business Logos

05:02 Branding in the Real World

07:56 The Importance of Professionalism

15:05 Consistency Across Platforms

18:33 Customer Feedback and Reputation

28:52 Handling Negative Reviews

30:27 Responding Professionally to Criticism

33:14 Dealing with Fake Reviews

35:33 Importance of Customer Referrals

36:30 Effective Use of Case Studies

39:47 Website Optimisation for Better Leads

42:58 Fun Branding Questions

49:23 Dream Collaborations

53:38 Conclusion and Call for Guests

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We're back for Season 2!

In this episode of Living the Small Business Life, we welcome Emily and Nikki of More Driver Solutions. They dive into their journey of building a business from its humble beginnings in 2008 to becoming a key player in driver recruitment in the logistics industry.

They discuss their initial lack of a formal plan, how they funded and eventually bought out their initial business partners, and the importance of flexibility and resilience. They share the challenges they faced, including navigating a recession, managing cash flow, and dealing with regulatory changes. The conversation also explores their partnership dynamics, the support they provide each other, and their emphasis on work-life balance and exercise.

It was so lovely to have them and hear about how they have turned challenges into growth opportunities and gave us some genuine insights into the highs and lows of running a small business.

https://moredriversolutions.ltd.uk/

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In our final episode of Season 1 we've gone off-script and are answering questions about running a small business that Ben has found from Chat GPT!

Find out what AI thinks we should have been talking about in the last 5 episodes and what answers we have.

Subscribe to the podcast now so you're the first to know about Season 2 - coming soon!

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How do you achieve work life balance as a small business owner? What is important to you? In this episode Ben, Ben and Laura discuss how they achieve and work on a work life balance that works for them.

How does it work for you? Let us know in the comments!

Produced by Move Digital: https://movedigital.co.uk/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This time around we're talking about growth and expansion for small businesses.

What does it look like? What are the growing pains that small businesses face? And what does it look like when your business is growing and expanding but you're constantly trying to keep up.

Join Ben, Ben and Laura to chat about all things small business, the highs, the lows and everything in between.

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This time round Ben, Ben and Laura talk about the small business reality of recruitment and outsourcing.

We talk about everything to do with building a team, growing a team, what your team my look like in terms of employment versus using freelancers and outsourcing including outsourcing overseas.

Like and subscribe wherever you get your podcast to hear the next episode first and find us on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEWshi7mIvNoVMDJB7TrPLg

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When you’re starting out, how do you plan for your small business? What is recommended, and what is the reality?

We’re Laura, Ben and Ben and we all run small businesses. In this episode of Living the Small Business Life, we tackle strategy and planning. What did we do when we were starting out? Was it helpful? How has it changed along with our businesses?

Join us for a frank conversation about the highs and lows of running a small business, and subscribe to the podcast to catch all our upcoming episodes!

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