Corporate Cafe: Conversations with Entrepreneurs

Established at the end of 2019, La Grotta Collective has quickly established itself as a successful UK-based eCommerce jewellery brand which is already expanding into other markets, including China. 

In today's Corporate Cafe, La Grotta Collective's CEO and founder Alexandra Cheung explains how she moved from FinTech to eCommerce, and offers vital tips on how to discover new customers, working with influencers, taking advice, and the need "to let go of the perfectionist mindset."

For more information on Alexandra and La Grotta Collective, see:

Website: https://lagrottacollective.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lagrotta.collective/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandra-cheung-82b24b5b/

Combining a love of travel with a desire to give back, Bhavesh Patel created Storyteller - a social enterprise that uses a percentage of its profits to help fund educational programmes around the world.

In the latest episode of Corporate Cafe, hear tips on how to prepare to jump from a comfortable full-time job into running a business, including advice on product development and gaining feedback, understanding finances, defining the perfect customer, and turning a customer base into a fan base.

Bhavesh Patel is a UMi Social Entrepreneur Index 2020 listed business owner who has also been names as a UK Point of Light - an award given daily by the Prime Minister's Office to outstanding individuals who can make change. 

For more information on Storyteller see: 

Website: https://www.storytellertravel.co.uk/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/storytellerteam/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/storytellertrav

There are few individuals like Louis Barnett.

Despite being diagnosed with multiple neurodiverse conditions at school (including dyslexia, dyspraxia, and ADHD), he became Europe's youngest entrepreneur at 12, and the youngest supplier to both Waitrose and Sainsbury's with his confectionary business: Chokolit.

Soon trading with 17 countries, he even gained a major foothold in Mexico – the birthplace of chocolate!

Still in his 20s, Louis is now a leading business consultant - or 'growth hacker' as he prefers to be described - sharing his extensive knowledge of everything from raising money and scaling up to consumer psychology with other businesses.

Listen in to Episode 12 of Corporate Cafe as he discusses the difference between debt and equity funding, acquiring the right customers, international trade (including the vital role of such bodies as the British Chamber of Commerce and Federation of Small Businesses), and the importance of "you don't ask; you don't get."

To find out more about Louis Barnett, see: 

Website: https://www.louisbarnett.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/louisbarnett 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barnettlouis 

Your business isn’t just what you sell or the services you provide. Your business has a personality, a voice, one that’s unique and true, and one that will help you establish your brand, communicate its values, and convince buyers and clients that you’re the best – regardless of pricing.

But how do you establish that ‘brand voice’? What does it entail? And how do you get over the obstacle of having multiple individuals, all with different perspectives, producing your messages?

Find out more as Gemma Edwards, co-founder of copywriting and brand voice specialists So Contented explores the vital importance of high quality and consistent content.

Moving from engineering to banking, Gemma quit the financial world in 2017 to start So Contented with business partner Helen, whose background was in law. Despite their obvious lack of copy/content experience, the duo turned this into a unique selling point. Emphasising their extensive real-world business experience across multiple sectors, they quickly established So Contented as a fast-rising new company.

Tune in as Gemma offers tips on developing the personality of a brand, how to capture someone else’s voice, customer loyalty, pricing, changing careers, ‘mum guilt’, and the role of personal development.

To find out more about So Contented, see:

Website: https://www.socontented.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/socontented/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gemedwards/

The 2020 lockdown inspired many people to set up their own businesses, including Lucy Hitchcock - founder of the insulated wine bottle business Partner In Wine.

Inspired by the challenge of keeping a bottle of rosé wine chilled for a summer picnic, Lucy started her new venture with just £3k, and is now seeing a monthly five-figure income!

Join us for Episode 10 of Corporate Cafe to hear how Lucy used her experience in digital marketing to promote and establish her new business, and eventually fulfil her aspiration of getting stocked by Selfridges.

Plus vital tips on product testing, handling orders yourself, using social media, the importance of email newsletters, budgeting, money mindset, and more.

Check out Alexandra Holder's Open Up: Why Talking About Money Will Change Your Life via Amazon.

To find Partner In Wine, check out the following links:

Website: https://www.partnerinwine.co.uk/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/partnerinwineuk/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@partnerinwineuk

Sara Sabin is a Transformational Leadership Coach who uses her extensive experience as an entrepreneur to help others on their own personal journeys. 

Having co-founded two successful start-ups in the medical and tech industries, she eventually discovered that her passion laid elsewhere, motivating a career shift and the launch of Sara Sabin Transformational Coaching. 

Stopping by to the Corporate Cafe, Sara shares advice on the challenges of working with co-founders, outlines how and when to secure investment, and identifies the top traits required to become a successful business owner. 

Check out Seth Godin’s The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick) via Amazon.

To find out more about Sara, see: 

Website: https://sarasabin.com/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sara-caroline-sabin/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SaraSabin1 

In today's Corporate Cafe we welcome Kay Suthar, a career chameleon and CEO of Uncensored Society - a business coaching company which specialises in raw, real, and relentless coaching.  

From the lessons Kay has learnt during her dramatic business journey, she's found the most effective route to success requires determination, commitment and creativity. Her application-based programme takes entrepreneurs through the five main pillars of business (Sales, Marketing, Finance, Operations and Leadership), and offers advice on how to maintain a healthy work/life balance.  

With tips on expanding your skillset, the need to promote promote promote, and how to discover what your audience really wants by creating multimedia content.  

To find out more about Uncensored Society, see: 

Website: www.uncensoredsociety.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/uncensoredsociety

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kay_suthar1/

Clubhouse: https://www.joinclubhouse.com/@kaysuthar

Our latest Corporate Cafe welcomes Chris Kong, one of the co-founders of rising meat-alternative start-up Better Nature.

Launched in 2020 by four self-confessed foodies, Better Nature's "without compromise" mission has seen them transform the reputation of tempeh - a 300-year-old all-natural plant-based protein originating from Java.

Listen in as Chris discusses how the company evolved from a biotech summit by embracing potential competitors and adapting, before raising £1.6m in eight days via crowdfunding platform Seedrs.

With advice on crowdfunding, the power of persistence, seeking help from other founders, creating successful video campaigns, and the importance of always learning.

To check out Better Nature, use these following links:

Instagram: Better Nature: Plant protein (@betternature_)

Website: https://betternaturefoods.co/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/betternature/

Joining us for the Corporate Cafe today is entrepreneur turned author Jan Cavelle.

From founding the award-winning Jan Cavelle Furniture in the ’90s, Jan’s more recently enjoyed a second career as a successful business writer.

Calling on her 20-plus years of business experience, her first book is Scale For Success: Expert Insights Into Growing Your Business (Bloomsbury), for which she spoke to leading business owners from the UK, US and Australia.

A specialist in scaling, Jan's Corporate Café visit sees her discuss the challenges she faced transforming a home-based micro selling business into a two-site manufacturing company, sharing vital lessons about sustainable growth, and gender bias. Plus, the importance of family and peer support networks, and valuing yourself.

If you'd like to get a copy of Jan's book "Scale For Success" you can find it here

To find out more about Jan, see:

Website: https://jancavelle.co.uk  

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jancavelle/

In this episode, we chat with Suraj Sodha – the founder of web specialists WP Maintain and an active international public speaker who draws from his own personal successes in business to motivate and inspire others on their entrepreneurial journeys.  

Tune in as Suraj discusses the importance of Russ Perry's Core4 strategy (which focuses on body, being, balance and business) to his life and work, and the idea that perhaps the customer is not always right! 

With advice on establishing subscription services, creating brand values that reflect your team, and how doing one thing really well can be far better than offering multiple services or products. 

Click here to check out Atomic Habits by James Clear

Russ Perry’s Core4: russperry.co/blog/daily-habits-to-create-power/

To keep up to date with Suraj and WP Maintain, use these following links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/surajsodha/

Personal Website: https://www.surajsodha.com

WP Maintain: https://www.wpmaintain.co.uk