James Gold of fashion accessory brand Skinnydip London discusses the company's growth and his very ambitious plans to expand across the world.

The Small Business Sessions (S2E9): Wanting to build the biggest brand in the world

Podcast

It's Wednesday, which means another great episode of the 

Every week, Enterprise Nation founder Emma Jones MBE speaks to entrepreneurs and experts about starting and growing a successful business.

This week, James Gold tells the inspiring story of fashion accessory brand 

. He discusses its growth from an idea to selling through ASOS, Urban Outfitters, Selfridges and Top Shop and more plus his very ambitious plans to expand across the world.

You can listen to the podcast below and 

. Don't forget to subscribe to get your weekly fix of the Small Business Sessions every Wednesday. We'd also love it if you could rate and review the podcast.

James Gold of fashion accessory brand Skinnydip London on his very ambitious plans to expand across the world.

I&apos;m Ollie, creator of <a href=&apos;https://foundedandgrounded.com/&apos; target=&apos;_self&apos;>Founded &amp; Grounded</a> - UK&apos;s No.2 startup podcast.
We&apos;re on mission to amplify the next generation of thought leaders by enabling you to tell your unique story.&nbsp;
Why?
Born in a mud hut in Thithithagal, a small rural village in India, I grew up in the 80s watching my mum, fluent in Tamil, use business as a force for good as she pioneered Fair Trade organic cotton, with <a href=&apos;https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-bristol-22764255&apos; target=&apos;_self&apos;>Bishopston Trading Co</a>  AND transformed the South India village in the process.
How we take you from the shadows to the spotlight
You&apos;re a time-poor business owner who struggles with consistent content creation.
You&apos;re not getting the plaudits you deserve.
?One interview can change everything.
Join us in the studio for only two hours of your time, for an unforgettable experience with me, Ollie Collard. I have interviewed over 100 leading early-stage founders.
?We craft a 6-month content plan for you, filled with unique personal content that makes you shine.
Inbound opportunities are only an interview away.
- 52 Linkedin posts (2 per week)
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- 2-hour interview
- 45-minute pre-briefing strategy call
- 6-month thought leadership plan delivered all in one place in Notion
Book in a call now to organise your recording
https://calendly.com/enterpriseorchard/discovery-meeting
Ollie

Creating the next generation of thought leaders

Lunch and Learn: How to position yourself as a thought leader

Gain insights on becoming a standout thought leader in your industry.

John O’Shanahan is the founder and lead consultant with LeanBPI, a market leader in digital innovation for small businesses, working with Local Enterprise Office clients and Irish SMEs since 2015.
John has over 30 years’ experience in business operations, having held multiple roles with leading international companies in markets as diverse as Taiwan, Mexico, and The Netherlands.
Lean BPI specialises in helping SMEs/Micro industry clients to improve their workflows, converting from paper based or manual systems to more efficient simplified digital processes. Having completed 200+ successful business improvement projects across a variety of sectors, John’s application of lean best practice, thought leadership and digital innovation has led to clients experiencing increased business performance, reduced costs and sustainable results.
As well as helping clients optimise off the shelf software solutions, John and the team at LeanBPI develop bespoke solutions, built to meet client needs, enabling them to implement new workflows, which improve their business performance while reducing the stresses of the day-to-day operations. By applying lean methodologies, and digital Innovations, Lean BPI simplifies and streamlines a business’ processes to maximise its overall business performance.
John holds an MSc in Strategic Quality Management, Lean Sigma Systems from the University of Limerick and is a doctoral candidate in the University of Limerick.

Managing Director

Digital for business operations

This group is dedicated to business operations in the digital era. Whether you've already begun integrating digital tools into your operations and are seeing the benefits, or you're ready to start your digital transition.

I’ve worked in marketing for over 20 years, and I love it! No two days are the same and it’s this variety that makes marketing so special for me.
The last company I worked for, Constant Contact, gave me the opportunity to work with 100s of small businesses across the UK. It was the best nearly four years I’ve had in a job! The business owners I met were (and still are) incredible. You could say I was bitten by the small business bug.
In 2016, I was made redundant. I knew I still wanted to work with micro businesses, so when my husband said I should start my own business, I didn’t need a huge amount of convincing. After all, I loved sharing email marketing tips with small business owners, and this way, I could do it all the time. How could I not love that?
Something that has made running my business easier is tech. And not just for marketing. I’m a big advocate for using technology to streamline what I do. Given I’m the only person in my business, anything that makes my life easier is a win in my books. Here’s some of the tech that powers my business:
<ul>
<li>Accounting – I use an online tool that helps me keep track of what I’m spending, generate invoices (and automate sending them), as well as doing my expenses.</li>
<li>Payments – clients that pay me a set amount each month do so by direct debit. I use GoCardless to help me do this. I also use Stripe to help those who want to pay by credit card. It all gets automatically reconciled in my accounting app!</li>
<li>Design – I’m a BIG fan of Canva. I’ve been using it almost as long as I’ve been running my business. Anything is possible in Canva for those of us not blessed with design skills!</li>
<li>Industry knowledge – I have Google Alerts set up so I can keep up with trends in email marketing and the small business world. I also get alerts if I or my business are mentioned anywhere online.</li>
<li>Email marketing – where would I be without it? I use <a href=&apos;https://www.constantcontact.com/partner-offer?pn=marketingbyminal&intent=try&plantype=better&apos; target=&apos;_self&apos;>Constant Contact</a> for sending all my emails – my regular newsletter as well as my automations. It has a bunch of other digital tools too.</li>
<li>AI – OMG, how much time am I saving using AI? Around 4-5 hours a WEEK! That’s right, it’s a massive game-changer. I use ChatGPT.</li>
<li>My mobile – mustn’t forget this! I’m never without it. It helps me run my business when I’m not at my desk.</li>
</ul>
Now, if you struggle with getting your email marketing done, I’d love to hear from you. You didn’t start your business to become an email marketing expert. You do what you do because you love it. I want to help you figure out the email marketing stuff so that you can make money! It’s as simple as that. When you succeed, so do I. Plus, I get a warm glow knowing I helped you. Get in touch and tell me about your email marketing struggles!

The Eclair Email Marketing Package

Indulge in the luxury of comprehensive email marketing with ‘The Éclair’. 

Covering all bases from content creation to list growth strategies, this package is for those who want it all. With detailed reports and regular reviews, you’ll see your email marketing flourish like never before. 

What it includes:

Up to 2 emails per month.
You provide the content (I can write it for you with some guidance.)
I’ll create all images and optimise them.
I’ll do 2 rounds of edits per email to make sure it’

Are you keen to see your cutting-edge tech ideas come to life? You&apos;re in the right place!
Hey there! I’m Mardien, the Founder of Today Consultancy Ltd.
I founded this consultancy because I noticed something troubling: many businesses struggle to bring their digital and data products to market successfully. They often lack the specific expertise or resources needed, and hiring full-time isn&apos;t always the solution.
That’s where Today Consultancy Ltd steps in. 
With nearly two decades in market research and over 12 years specializing in digital solutions, apps, and data products, I&apos;ve learned how to turn ideas into reality. My dedication to industry standards is evident in my contributions to initiatives like the Market Research Society’s Data Quality program.
At Today Consultancy Ltd, we&apos;re here to help your business thrive in the digital world.
We specialise in guiding businesses through the process of building commercially successful digital and data products. 
From validating your idea to crafting top-notch digital solutions, we&apos;ve got you covered.
Whether it&apos;s apps, dashboards, bots, or anything in between, we have the skills and experience to bring your vision to life.
And that’s not all! 
We&apos;ll even handle tasks like designing your website and managing your SEO, ensuring your new digital venture gets the attention it deserves.
Don&apos;t let your ideas gather dust. We are here to help you turn them into reality.
Imagine a future where your company’s digital products aren’t just surviving, but thriving.
Did you know that a staggering 95% of new digital products launched each year fail? Why?
Because they lack a clear strategy and direction. To avoid becoming part of that statistic, you need:
- A solid product strategy aligned with your company&apos;s goals.
- A roadmap that incorporates feedback from your team and customers.
- A digital product that keeps customers coming back for more.
- A plan to create an environment where your product can grow.
- A strategy to maximize your assets, whether it&apos;s data or technology tools, for increased efficiency and revenue.
Stop worrying about the direction of your product. Let us guide you from idea to revenue.
Let’s work together to bring your innovative ideas to life, starting Today.

Founder and Lead Consultant

Mardien Drew

Are you keen to see your cutting-edge tech ideas come to life? You&apos;re in the right place!
Hey there! I’m Mardien, the Founder of Today Consultancy Ltd.
I founded this consultancy because I noticed something troubling: many businesses struggle to bring their digital and data products to market successfully. They often lack the specific expertise or resources needed, and hiring full-time isn&apos;t always the solution.
<

The Small Business Sessions (S2E9): Wanting to build the biggest brand in the world

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