Beating the Budget, Finding Funding & the Power of Podcasting with SWIG Finance Business Lending Manager, Steve Mayell and Co-Founder & MD of Podcast Labs, Kelly Butler #S3E17

The art of marketing in the wine industry is a challenge when bottles look so similar, which makes this Coffee & Catchup’s lineup ideal for anyone looking to stand out.

Fran Bridgewater FCIM and Garry James, CMO of FOUNDRY, both join us to share in the latest from Fran’s new brand Volcanic Wines, the latest developments with Poole’s FOUNDRY and Podcast Labs, and even share a few tipple tips ahead of the Christmas period…

This episode of The Dorset Growth Hub podcast covers:

• FOUNDRY and Podcast Labs’ latest collaborations at FOUNDRY Poole and beyond
• Fran’s latest venture with Volcanic Wines, and how they’re crafting their latest selections
• How vital it is to nail marketing in an industry with lookalike products
• Tips for wine connoisseurs to enjoy wine at its very best

With an ever-changing economic landscape, any support for small businesses is absolutely vital, a huge focus for this latest Coffee & Catchup episode of The Dorset Growth Hub Podcast.

Nick Gregory guides us through the latest in finance, funding and mentorship with Dorset Business Mentors’ Alistair Bayliss sharing more on the process, and Steve Mayell sharing some grant and loan opportunities for SMEs in the local area.

This episode of The Dorset Growth Hub podcast covers:

• How mentors can help small businesses, particularly at an early stage
• Low Carbon Dorset’s pot for funding green and energy saving projects
• Recent economic developments to stay aware of as SMEs
• A raft of resources from Dorset Business Mentors and SWIG Finance

Funding and friends are invaluable assets to any small business, and in this episode of The Dorset Growth Hub Podcast, we’re focusing on boosting finances and building a community.

Recorded at our Coffee & Catch Up event in July, Steve Bulley hosts BCP Council’s Charles Fynn, Mercia Asset Management’s Max Slinger and FOUNDRY’s Ema Armstrong.

The panel takes us through a new fund open to businesses in the BCP area, how best to seek venture capital funding, and how the Dolphin Centre’s new coworking space is catalysing collaboration.

This episode of The Dorset Growth Hub podcast covers:

• The UK Shared Prosperity Fund, and how to apply for some of BCP Council’s allocation of the fund
• Maximising your chances when seeking financial backing from venture capital
• FOUNDRY’s stellar opening in Poole’s Dolphin Centre and the community being built around it

Moving forwards and having the right people on your team are two elements of every business’ dream, and between Maggie Lawrie & Toni Taylor, we have two of the most comprehensive answers.

Being an Executive Coach with MLA International places Maggie perfectly to share strategies to go above and beyond your business goals, and Tru Talent Founder, Toni, is finely tuned into the talent market.

Join us on The Dorset Growth Hub Podcast as we break down the answers to two of every entrepreneur’s most pressing questions, in an episode recorded at our latest Coffee & Catch Up event!

This episode of The Dorset Growth Hub podcast covers:

• Riding out recent movements in the market with inflation
• A fun and innovative way to motivate yourself with stretch goals
• How to inject passion and energy into your business plans
• Generational shifts and values in the workforce
• Why retainment is about asking the right questions of your team

Funding, staff and marketing: a holy trinity which covers most top-of-mind issues for businesses right now, all of which are better tackled together.

As we convene for another wonderful Coffee & Catchup event, this week Jacqui Rock shares Poole BID’s new schemes and how the local area is evolving for SMEs.

Elsewhere in the episode, Steve Mayell covers the opportunities that SWIG Finance can offer, and we chat with ‘TikTok Queen’ Michelle Haslam about how to take on a platform which is daunting to many, but powerful to all.

This episode of The Dorset Growth Hub podcast covers:

• Three key business issues right now, and how to get on top of them
• Poole BID’s new initiatives and how the BCP area is evolving for businesses
• How to break into the TikTok space to find your audience
• SWIG Finance’s alternative route for those struggling with obtaining funding

With the recent budget, finance and investment are top of mind for businesses traversing the challenges of 2023.

Whether you’re looking for a loan away from the high street banks, or a new way to create business connections, we’ve got you covered - SWIG Finance’s Steve Mayell and Podcast Labs’ Kelly Butler are this week’s guests on The Dorset Growth Hub Podcast.

Tune into this week’s episode, recorded at our live business breakfast in March, to hear how podcasts are an evolving medium in which to network and build brands, and what a CDFI can do to provide new avenues for funding.

This episode of The Dorset Growth Hub podcast covers:

• Impacts of the recent budget on SMEs
• What a CDFI is and how they support financing small businesses
• Utilising the podcasting platform to reach new audiences and build bonds within your network

The money available for businesses now might not have decreased materially, but the hurdles to securing that funding are certainly larger than they once were.

Looking in the right place is key to finding finance for your business at such a time of need, and British Business Bank’s Ed Tellwright joins us on The Dorset Growth Hub Podcast to help you increase those chances.

We’re also joined on this special live episode by Street Agency’s Founder, Katie Street, who offers some cutting insights on how to strategize your content, boost your marketing and even find growth overseas.

This episode of The Dorset Growth Hub podcast covers:

• Various avenues of financial support for SMEs
• British Business Bank’s potential to enable new sources of funding for your business
• How to find new customers and expand abroad, with content strategies to enable that growth
• What you need to know to be ‘investor-ready’, whether it’s grants, equity investments or bank loans

Much of the media may be awash with dour predictions for the economy, but as business owners there’s plenty to do, and new initiatives to be excited about in the BCP area.

At last month’s Coffee & Catchup, we were joined by the Co-Founder of Foundry, Adam Walker, and Managing Director of digital marketing agency Uprated, John Darch.

We hear how Foundry is bringing a fantastic new curated co-working space to spruce up the Dolphin Centre, and John’s insightful tips to pick the right marketing channels at a time where they all matter most.

In this episode of The Dorset Growth Hub podcast:

• The latest on movements in the energy price market
• Adam Walker shares news on Foundry’s new development in the Dolphin Centre, and its hopes to elevate the local area
• Tips on effective marketing channels for your business from Uprated’s John Darch
• The future of the Dorset Growth Hub

The only certainty in 2023 is some degree of uncertainty, so as we wrap up the year it’s a vital time to protect the health of both your business, and yourself.

Whether you’re looking for sources of funding to keep up the cash flow, or mental wellbeing support to manage the challenges ahead, we ran through some essential resources on the latest Coffee & Catchup event!

The wonderful Marie-Clare Gale from Dorset Mind shares a wealth of information on access to mental health services, and we also dive into the energy price guarantee and what the Autumn Statement means for you.

This episode of The Dorset Growth Hub podcast covers:

• What the Autumn Statement really means for businesses
• Energy price guarantees & other financial reliefs
• How to stay on top of mental wellbeing through upcoming uncertainty
• Why cash flow is a key issue to stay on top of this Winter
• Invaluable sources of advice and support available
• Where to seek information on upcoming grants

The past month has proven to be most uncertain, but if you owned a business at the start of the pandemic and it’s still running, then you have the tools to tackle the bumpy road ahead.

From staying on top of accounts to keeping your staff front of mind and showing them that you care, the latest episode of The Dorset Growth Hub Podcast shines a light on the abundance of resources at your disposal that you need to take advantage of!

Recorded at the latest Coffee & Catchup online event in October, Nick Gregory is joined by a wonderful panel consisting of Debbie Greenwood, Elizabeth McCormick, Andy Headington and Steve Bulley.

This episode of The Dorset Growth Hub podcast covers:

• What we can do day-to-day that helps businesses and staff with current challenges
• Strategies to tackle the uncertainty ahead
• What a business mentor can offer you
• An array of tools and advice available to business owners