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British Business: The Bottom Line

British Business: The Bottom Line

By: Matt Holland Charlie Smith
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Running a business is tough—sleepless nights, cash flow struggles, hiring headaches, and economic uncertainty. This podcast is for UK entrepreneurs, small business owners, and startups who want the truth about success. No fluff, no corporate jargon—just raw, unfiltered conversations on what it takes to grow and scale in 2026. 💼 What You’ll Get: ✅ Entrepreneurship insights from real business owners ✅ How to start, grow & scale a UK business ✅ Small business success strategies ✅ The real struggles of business ownership ✅ Making money online, startup growth & mindset tipsMatt Holland, Charlie Smith Economics
Episodes
  • Should We Let Weak Businesses Fail? – Ep 78

    Should We Let Weak Businesses Fail? – Ep 78
    Jul 13 2026
    Three in every five UK businesses started in 2019 were gone within five years. So here is the uncomfortable question, should the country actually let weak businesses fail?In this one Matt and Charlie go back and forth on whether the state should step in to prop up struggling businesses, or whether the market should just be left to decide. They get into the high street versus online, the VAT and energy costs hammering hospitality, and why the model that worked ten years ago will not always survive the next ten.Along the way they cover accountability over excuses, knowing when to kill a part of your business that is not working, and why picking one model beats trying to do two things at once.Takeaways:📉 Why roughly three in five new UK businesses fail within five years⚖️ State intervention versus letting the market decide🔥 How VAT and energy costs are squeezing hospitality🔄 Why business models have to evolve or get left behind✂️ Knowing when to kill the part of your business that is not workingFollow Matt:📸 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mrmattholland/👨‍💻 LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrmattholland/📱 TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@mrmattholland❌ X - https://x.com/mrmattholland1Follow Charlie:📸 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theworkwearexpert👨‍💻 LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlie-smith-1a55295b/
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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • The 90 Day Delusion – Ep 77

    The 90 Day Delusion – Ep 77
    Jul 6 2026
    Progress is easy to miss when you're always chasing the next thing. In this episode Matt unpacks a big lesson from a business retreat in Malaga: most founders are running four projects at once and doing all of them averagely. He calls it the 90 day delusion, and it might be the reason your best ideas keep dragging.Takeaways:📈 Why you can't see your own progress when you're always looking forward🎯 The 90 day rule for running projects one at a time, start to finish🚫 Learning to say no and push decisions back down to your team⏳ The 10% rule: everyone can free up time for the work that actually matters🧠 Why protecting your thinking time is the real job, not the operatingFollow Matt:📸 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mrmattholland/👨‍💻 LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrmattholland/📱 TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@mrmattholland❌ X - https://x.com/mrmattholland1Follow Charlie:📸 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theworkwearexpert👨‍💻 LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlie-smith-1a55295b/
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    55 mins
  • Why Are You Actually Doing This? – Ep 76

    Why Are You Actually Doing This? – Ep 76
    Jun 29 2026
    A founder asked Matt one question over dinner and he couldn't answer it: what's your North Star?This week Matt and Charlie get into purpose. Not goals, not targets, but the actual reason you get out of bed and do this. Why are you really running your business?Matt makes the case that your North Star isn't fixed. It shifts as you grow, often without you noticing. His used to be providing for his family. Now he reckons it's something else entirely, and he's honest about still working it out.Backed by a 2025 YouGov survey for VistaPrint: 80% of UK small business owners say they're happy, with most of that coming from freedom and doing work they care about. Money landed further down the list than you'd expect.Takeaways:🧭 Why your North Star is about purpose, not a profit target🔄 How your "why" quietly changes as the business grows💷 Why money keeps slipping down the list once you're comfortable🪞 The dinner question every founder should sit with🌱 Why Matt now thinks personal growth is what's really driving himFollow Matt:📸 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mrmattholland/👨‍💻 LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrmattholland/📱 TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@mrmattholland❌ X - https://x.com/mrmattholland1Follow Charlie:📸 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theworkwearexpert👨‍💻 LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlie-smith-1a55295b/
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    57 mins
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