Why Small Business Matters

In this special episode we are on tour in South Yorkshire, Associate Professor Alexandra Anderson from Sheffield Business School at Sheffield Hallam University hosts the show, and speaks to a leading entrepreneur from the city. 

This episode looks at inclusivity from a social and economic perspective, Laura Winson is our special guest, co founder of Zebedee, an inclusive talent agency in Sheffield. Zebedee is a real disrupto...

In this episode, we talk about The Small Business Charter and the valuable support provided to small businesses over the last ten years.

Dr Matt Sutherland is joined by 3 guests, Flora Hamilton, Erin Sully-Norris and Helen Lee, three people who have experienced first hand the important work provided by the Small Business Charter.

Flora Hamilton having spent the last ten years as director and head of financial services at the CBI,...

In this episode the Why Small Business Matters podcast head out on tour from Northumbria University in Newcastle, to our capital and the University of West London.

In this episode we ask "Why Apprenticeships Matter", and to answer that question are some very experienced guests. Hosted by John Charlton, Head of Knowledge Exchange at UWL, we are also joined by Janet Rowson, Director of Apprenticeships, and Sashin Shah, who has welco...

In this episode Sarah Stephenson explores the world of HR and how to retain your best people with Kathryn Rodgers, of Newcastle based face2face HR.

Are you a small business owner struggling with the complexities of human resources? You're not alone. Human resources is a field that often gets bogged down in regulations and paperwork, losing sight of the very people it's supposed to serve. But what if you could transform your HR int...

Step inside the game-changing Business Clinic at Northumbria University, where the future of business consultancy is being redefined. This episode features the voices of those at the forefront: Nigel Coates, Dr Rebecca Dutson and entrepreneur Kelly Maxwell of Kelly's Heroes. Learn how the clinic's unique approach has not only provided over 700 small businesses with tailored support but has also equipped students with unmatched real...

In this special episode the podcast is on tour in the North West, as Professor Jennie Shorley is joined by special guest Helen Tonks. Helen is the vision and drive behind the growth of the multi award-winning Hydraulics Online brand; from a business start-up on a blank sheet of paper in 2004, to the Northern Powerhouse Export Champion and global provider that they are today - with
customers across 20 sectors in 130 countries aro...

In this episode Sarah Stephenson is joined by recruitment entrepreneur and group CEO Steve Rawlingson. Steve founded Samuel Knight, a specialist renewable energy and sustainable transportation recruitment business in 2014 from a single person office in Newcastle.

Steve discusses how despite some tough school years, he always felt he would be an entrepreneur.  Fast forward to 2023 and Samuel Knight employs over 100 consultants with...

In this episode of Why Small Business Matters Dr Kate Harland talks to Steve Underwood, Founder and Managing Director of Bonded Agency based in Newcastle.

We discuss why culture and values can't be created overnight, why support networks are immensely important in business, and building a brand from the ground up!

 Steve is a prominent member of the business sector growth board for the North East Local Enterprise Partnership, als...

In this episode Sarah Stephenson is joined by Justin Turner, business author and director of the accountancy and book keeping firm Orange Umbrella, a company where the aim is to relieve business owners of unnecessary stress and anxiety. He's also a subject expert and visiting lecturer at Northumbria University, helping business leaders to understand finance and financial management.

Justin describes himself as a Newcastle-based en...

In this episode we aim to unlock the power of networking, with Jeni Smith, owner of North East networking specialists NetKno. In this episode learn why it is important to have a strategy, and how with a little creative thinking you can avoid a morning of bad hotel coffee, and develop useful connections. 

Also hear about Jeni's own journey including  setting up a networking business in 2020, just as lockdown happened. 

And she has...

In this episode Dr Matt Sutherland investigates the world of Technology Transfer & Intellectual Property, and how ideas with the right support can help solve some of today's biggest challenges.

Joining Matt is Dr Iain Thomas is Head of Life Sciences at Cambridge Enterprise, part of the University of Cambridge that supports new models for developing early stage technology that can provide effective technology exchange. Iain is ...

In this episode Sarah Stephenson from the Northumbria University Help To Grow Management programme explores the world of top level construction projects. 

Many of us have had a manage a small renovation either at home or in business, and come face to face with the stress and pitfalls they can bring. But what if that project was the size of a high rise office block?

Paul Bevan is a highly experienced Project Manager with a broad p...

In this episode the focus is on sustainability & net zero, 2 phrases we hear a lot about but what do they actually mean, and what do businesses need to do to achieve them?

Sarah Stephenson talks to Tamma Carel, founder and owner of 2 businesses with experience in this area. Imvelo is an environmental consultancy helping companies understand sustainability and environmental management to meet United Nations sustainability targe...

In this episode of Why Small Business Matter, Dr Kate Harland explores the journey from the security of a large corporation to venturing out on your own as an entrepreneur.

Sam Spoors is founder and Talent & Resourcing Director of Talentheads, a North East based talent and resourcing agency based in Morpeth.

Becoming the boss of your own successful company has obvious benefits , but there are also some large challenges and Sa...

Engagement is a word many of us hear in business on a daily basis, but what IS engagement?!  

Formerly a church minister, he literally wrote the book on how people engage with ideas, things, and each other, working with organisations such as the United Nations and Microsoft.

Scott joins Dr Matt Sutherland to talk about creating better engagement, for both employees, brands, customers and your community in general.  Discover the d...

Does being a good person make you a successful one? Why should you act now to avoid regrets later? And why it's ok to say no!

These are some of the topics explored in this episode with Raman Sehgal, author of the best selling book "The Floundering Founder", and founder & Global President of ramarketing, a multi million dollar marketing and content agency with a focus on life sciences.

Starting the company in 2009, Raman is fr...

In this episode, Dr Matt Sutherland is joined by Joe Marshall, CEO of the National Centre for Universities & Business. An independent organisation focussed on making the UK the best place in the world for businesses and universities to collaborate.

We're also joined by Stuart Wilkinson, acting director in Innovation & Research Service at University of Oxford. The team at Oxford have led many ground breaking projects which ...

Hosted by Dr Matt Sutherland from Newcastle Business School at Northumbria University, this episode explores the topic of mental health and business, and in particular of the business owner.

Natasha McDonough has an impressive CV, working with top entrepreneurs in the US including Seth Godin of Yahoo and the founders of Office Depot. She's also been a nanny to Hollywood celebrities..!

Now though she's swapped Venice Beach for Rok...

Hosted by Sarah Stephenson, this episode looks at the process of starting a small business, and how the Business School at Northumbria University can help students become entrepreneurs, whilst giving them the safe space to research, test and validate their ideas.

Mark Renney is the founder of Wubbleyou, a scalable software business whose journey began in 2010 at Newcastle Business School when along the way Mark was introduced to o...