The Small Business Sessions – Details, episodes & analysis

The Small Business Sessions, Enterprise Nation's podcast, is back for a ninth exciting series of inspiring entrepreneurial stories and expert business tips! The podcast is powered by the business.connected online training programme and our partner Vodafone Business.

Joining freelance journalist Dan Martin for the fourth episode is Theo Paphitis, Dragons' Den investor and entrepreneur. 

As one of the UK's most high profile entrepreneurs, Theo is known as being one of the investors on BBC TV show Dragons' Den. He is also famous for turning around struggling high street brands like Ryman and Robert Dyas.

Theo does much to support small business owners, including through his #SBS Small Business Sunday community. 

In a wide ranging and inspiring converation, Theo discusses his extensive entrepreneurial career with loads of insights and advice. Don't miss this episode!

Topics discussed in the episode include:

• His early entrepreneurial experience including running a school tuck shop. 
• The impact of dyslexia on his entrepreneurial career.
• Transitioning from working as a tea boy to starting his own property finance company at age 23. 
• How he has turned around struggling retail brands like Ryman and Robert Dyas. 
• What is it like running high street businesses right now and what the government needs to do to support them.
• Stories from TV's Dragons' Den. 
• Why he started his Small Business Sunday competition in 2010.
• Why he still gets imposter syndrome.
• What he thinks about AI. 
• His top advice for business success.

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This episode is brought to you in partnership with Vodafone Business, the Nation’s Network*, as part of the business.connected campaign which helps small businesses embrace digital change and grow online.  

Access free training in a range of digital business areas, from online marketing to AI and smarter working at www.enterprisenation.com/businessconnected  

Listen to and watch previous podcast episodes at www.enterprisenation.com/podcast

*The Nation's Network: Vodafone - nation's most valuable brand, verified by Kantar BrandZ Most Valuable UK Brands Report 2024, and supporting the nation since 1984 through to 2025's major summer events. See full verification of the substantiation: www.vodafone.co.uk/TNN 

Welcome to the Small Business Sessions: Founder Fails podcast, brought to you by Enterprise Nation, in collaboration with Hiscox.

In this series, we're sitting down with bold business voices to talk candidly about their biggest fails, unexpected lessons and the power of getting back up.

Expect honest conversations, tales of resilience and real talk from founders who turned mistakes into movement.

In episode two, we're joined by Deepak Ravindran, co-founder of Oddbox, the UK’s first sustainable fruit and veg box delivery service. Deepak is now an executive coach for startup founders and leaders, helping others navigate the personal and professional challenges that come with building mission-led businesses.

In this conversation, Deepak shares the personal and leadership lessons behind building a food-waste-fighting business — from early doubts and bold career moves to burnout, identity shifts, and the surprising ways failure shaped the journey.

Topics discussed in the episode:

• The leap from a stable career in finance to founding Oddbox
• The tough early years — self-doubt, rejection, and redefining success
• How to separate your self-worth from your business identity
• Burnout, therapy, and rebuilding purpose after growth and pressure
• Leadership lessons learned the hard way
• Why founders should reframe “failure” as an experiment, not an identity
• The importance of reconnecting with your “why” and values

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Whether you're a sole trader, scaling a start-up or running a growing enterprise, Hiscox business insurance could protect you if the worst happens. Their policies are built around your business to protect you from the real risks you face every day.

Head to https://www.hiscox.co.uk/business-insurance to learn more.

Welcome to the Small Business Retail Sessions podcast, brought to you by Enterprise Nation's Powering the High Street programme, in collaboration with EDF.

This series explores the major challenges that today's retailers are facing – from declining footfall and vacant shop-fronts to the post-pandemic recovery and increasing demand for sustainability.

In episode six of the series, we're joined by Sol Escobar, founder of Give Your Best.

Give Your Best is a "tech for good" social enterprise tackling clothing poverty and fashion waste through an innovative online platform and physical store.

Launched during the 2020 lockdown, Give Your Best allows refugee women and other marginalised people to shop donated clothing for free – restoring not only their wardrobe but their dignity and agency too.

Since then, the enterprise has grown into a thriving community-led organisation, combining digital tools, peer-to-peer giving, and inclusive retail experiences.

In this episode, Sol shares her journey from humanitarian volunteer to award-winning founder, and explains how businesses of all sizes can take small, impactful steps toward more ethical and sustainable practices.

Topics discussed in the episode:

• How Give Your Best was born during lockdown and grew from a bedroom project into a national platform
• Why choice, dignity, and agency are central to ethical clothing donations
• How the platform works – like "Vinted for good" – allowing people to donate and shop for free
• The role of peer-to-peer giving in building empathy and community connection
• How the Islington store operates as a pay-it-forward space, mixing sales with free access for people in need
• Tackling fashion waste through upcycling, repair stations and brand partnerships
• The importance of trialling and testing before launching retail concepts
• What it means to build a social enterprise – and why it’s a different mindset from traditional business
• Advice for retail businesses looking to operate more sustainably or partner with impact-driven organisations
• Why slow growth, long-term thinking and collaboration are key to building a business for good

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Through the Powering the High Street programme, we're bringing new energy to retail in the UK. We're helping small businesses thrive on the high street – through expert support, smart energy advice and practical tools to grow sustainably.

Find out more at enterprisenation.com/poweringthehighstreet/

To listen to previous podcast episodes, go to enterprisenation.com/podcast