7 episodes

It’s tough to be a small business right now, but tough times bring big opportunities. Looking Up is a special six-part series that offers hope, inspiration and practical tools to help small business owners survive and thrive. Hosted by Courier’s Daniel Giacopelli and Amirah Jiwa, we travel to six cities across the UK to discover how the local community responded to the pandemic, and how small businesses found fresh ways to grow.

Looking Up Courier Media

    • Business
    • 4.6 • 10 Ratings

It’s tough to be a small business right now, but tough times bring big opportunities. Looking Up is a special six-part series that offers hope, inspiration and practical tools to help small business owners survive and thrive. Hosted by Courier’s Daniel Giacopelli and Amirah Jiwa, we travel to six cities across the UK to discover how the local community responded to the pandemic, and how small businesses found fresh ways to grow.

    Birmingham

    Birmingham

    Business lessons and insights from Tom Pell and Jeanette Wong, founders of The Clean Kilo, the largest zero-waste supermarket in the UK, and Katie Fisher, owner of the Birmingham-based independent, organic skincare brand Harvest.

    • 21 min
    Edinburgh

    Edinburgh

    Kristina Currie from modern kids store Bon Tot shares how her business has fared during the pandemic, plus her philosophy on digging in and getting stuff done, Stevie Kirkwood from independent shop Century General Store explains the three big things he’s learned during lockdown, and Susan Doherty from Scandinavian lifestyle store Lifestory talks about keeping customers engaged during lockdown.

    • 23 min
    Bristol

    Bristol

    Michael Jenkins and Dr Mena Fombo are the founders of Blak Wave, the only black-owned TV production company in Bristol – they share what it’s like shooting, producing and growing the business during lockdown. Plus, the co-founder of KASK wine bar talks pivoting, avoiding bad advice and lessons learned.

    • 25 min
    Brighton

    Brighton

    Before Covid-19, Georgina Burrows was an events producer, but when events got cancelled, she started picking up organic eggs from a local farm and delivering them to people she knew. She explains how it soon took on a life of its own and became a business. Plus: Seb Royle and Emilie Lashmar from Brighton-based coworking brand Platf9rm share how the company has adapted and survived recent months.

    • 26 min
    Manchester

    Manchester

    Len Hamilton shares lessons learned from launching his shop Northernlights Home only weeks before lockdown – and explains why Manchester is such a hub for creatives. Plus, Harry Williams from Form Lifestyle Store in Manchester’s Northern Quarter talks about how they’ve pivoted to e-commerce as a lifeline.

    • 28 min
    London

    London

    London-based writer and chef Zoe Adjonyoh shares how she pivoted her food business Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen into a community kitchen and online shop, and the founders of new hand sanitiser brand Hande talk about using skills learned at their day jobs at a knitwear company and creative studio to work on a company with a social purpose.

    • 32 min

Customer Reviews

4.6 out of 5
10 Ratings

10 Ratings

CFM_ ,

Timely and well executed!

Such a poignant podcast, great stories of small business and interesting pivots and successes, feels really inspiring in such weird times!
Definitely worth a listen!

aj1234581837474 ,

Fantastic !

Loved listening to this podcast

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