Bridget and Paul are The Shropshire Microfarm… They produce micro-greens, which are small veg packed full of flavour and nutritional value.

They're modest and humble entrepreneurs, who are in business for exactly the right reasons - they want to build a life that works for them, and they get joy from the daily activities of their business - it's not necessarily about building for profit.

They have experienced some great success in a short amount of time - admitting that the response to their home delivery service during lockdown panicked them, because it was in such high demand!

They care about their product, they care about their customers, and they care about the world around them - they want their business to make their world, and the world around us, a better place - well, Shropshire at least, because they always want to stay local.

You can find out more about The Shropshire Microfarm on their website: www.theshropshiremicrofarm.com

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Marching On is presented by Ed Nell and produced by Ben Anderson from Sound Rebel for Marches Growth Hub Shropshire, and is funded by Shropshire Council's £3.2 million economic recovery programme, which uses government grants to fund a series of business support programmes.

The views expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers themselves and do not necessarily reflect the views of Marches Growth Hub, its representatives or its employees. To find out more about Marches Growth Hub Shropshire, visit marchesgrowthhub.co.uk.

Martin & Jones is a marketing consultancy company, proudly based in Shropshire and working with small businesses across the region.

Ruth is the Martin in Martin & Jones - and her Mum, Janet, is the Jones. In this conversation, Ruth talks about this interesting business dynamic and how starting the business came at the right time for them both.

Ruth also talks about her career before starting the business, and how it feels as if it was all leading up to doing her own thing - and she also talks about how she approaches marketing, with a more holistic approach.

You can find out more about Martin & Jones on their website: www.martinandjonesmarketing.co.uk

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Marching On is presented by Ed Nell and produced by Ben Anderson from Sound Rebel for Marches Growth Hub Shropshire, and is funded by Shropshire Council's £3.2 million economic recovery programme, which uses government grants to fund a series of business support programmes.

The views expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers themselves and do not necessarily reflect the views of Marches Growth Hub, its representatives or its employees. To find out more about Marches Growth Hub Shropshire, visit marchesgrowthhub.co.uk.

Gill and Pete are husband and wife, and have both spent their careers working within technology sales for a big well-known corporate. They are now applying the skills they've learned to help businesses closer to home, working with the agricultural sector to tackle issues of farm security, lone working and crop monitoring using technological solutions.

They don't come from an agricultural background, but living in Shropshire, they see the challenges around them that the agriculture industry are facing every day - and they genuinely want to improve both the processes of the agricultural industry to produce better results, but also the quality of life for people working on farms - but also the rural economy as a whole.

They both left their corporate jobs for the same company at the same time, after 20 years of service - like so many, lockdown made them rethink what they wanted from their lives. They talk about the differences in lifestyle and the sometimes less talked about benefits of taking the leap and working for yourself - like actually being able to take a holiday in December!

You can find out more about NextGenAgri on their website: www.nextgenagri.co.uk

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Marching On is presented by Ed Nell and produced by Ben Anderson from Sound Rebel for Marches Growth Hub Shropshire, and is funded by Shropshire Council's £3.2 million economic recovery programme, which uses government grants to fund a series of business support programmes.

The views expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers themselves and do not necessarily reflect the views of Marches Growth Hub, its representatives or its employees. To find out more about Marches Growth Hub Shropshire, visit marchesgrowthhub.co.uk.

In this conversation, Dave and Lee-Ann from J A Milton Upholstery in Oswestry talk to Ed Nell about a business that has been established for a long time, but has recently had to deal with the loss of its founder, a woman who was so loved by the staff that Dave actually bought the business to keep it alive and the staff employed.

Dave has ended up owning and running J A Milton Upholstery through circumstance, not because he had a particular desire to run his own business - more a sense of duty. It's a business which isn't primarily motivated by profit... Instead, it's core concern is with its people.

You can find out more about J A Milton Upholstery on their website: https://www.jamiltonupholstery.co.uk

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Marching On is presented by Ed Nell and produced by Ben Anderson from Sound Rebel for Marches Growth Hub Shropshire, and is funded by Shropshire Council's £3.2 million economic recovery programme, which uses government grants to fund a series of business support programmes.

The views expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers themselves and do not necessarily reflect the views of Marches Growth Hub, its representatives or its employees. To find out more about Marches Growth Hub Shropshire, visit marchesgrowthhub.co.uk.

If you hear a few thuds and bangs in this episode, it's because Kev's coffee roasters were getting set up for the day - and from looking at everything that was going on in the background on Zoom, there's definitely more to it than flicking on a switch!

Kev Burrow's passion for coffee started as a young boy in Wolverhampton, and it was whilst he was living in Australia that he realised how different coffee culture was between the UK and his new home. When he moved back to England, he knew he had an opportunity - and Iron & Fire was born.

Iron & Fire roasts coffee, but it also provides machinery to coffee shops so that they can roast their own coffee properly. Kev knows his products inside out, and he knows it so well because he has such a huge passion for the product itself - good quality coffee.

Iron & Fire is a local business in a global market - and global forces affect them hugely, such as the price of green beans. This conversation is a fascinating insight into a Shropshire business with a huge reach.

You can find out more about Iron & Fire on their website: www.ironandfire.co.uk

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Marching On is presented by Ed Nell and produced by Ben Anderson from Sound Rebel for Marches Growth Hub Shropshire, and is funded by Shropshire Council's £3.2 million economic recovery programme, which uses government grants to fund a series of business support programmes.

The views expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers themselves and do not necessarily reflect the views of Marches Growth Hub, its representatives or its employees. To find out more about Marches Growth Hub Shropshire, visit marchesgrowthhub.co.uk.

Caroline Bailey loves to share her love of baking, and has some big plans for Hunkington House Kitchen. Caroline talks to Ed about how the business was forced to change and adapt as a result of the pandemic, and how it has helped to set a new path for its future. 

But she hasn't always been in the kitchen... In fact she spent a lot of her career in the corporate world, firstly in travel and then in HR. Her business, based in Walford Heath, gives her the opportunity to pursue her passion - but more importantly, it allows her to spend time with her family.

You can find out more about Hunkington House Kitchen on their website: www.hunkingtonhousekitchen.co.uk

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Marching On is presented by Ed Nell and produced by Ben Anderson from Sound Rebel for Marches Growth Hub Shropshire, and is funded by Shropshire Council's £3.2 million economic recovery programme, which uses government grants to fund a series of business support programmes.

The views expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers themselves and do not necessarily reflect the views of Marches Growth Hub, its representatives or its employees. To find out more about Marches Growth Hub Shropshire, visit marchesgrowthhub.co.uk.

Jenna Blair loves yoga - and it was her huge personal passion for yoga that inspired her to renovate a space and set up a full-time yoga studio.

Of course, the pandemic hit businesses like Jenna's like a ton of bricks - suddenly she couldn't invite people to her studio for classes, and instead had to quickly work out how to do this online.

She didn't just adapt to the situation, but she now still incorporates the technology she had to use to survive as an important part of her everyday business, and talks about how her hybrid classes are now here to stay.

The overwhelming feeling you'll be left with at the end of this conversation is that Jenna is hugely passionate about what she does, and has created the business as a vehicle to share her passion with the world - because she truly believes in the benefits of yoga, especially when we're in a situation like the one we're all in today.

You can find out more about Jenna on her website: www.jennablairyoga.co.uk

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Marching On is presented by Ed Nell and produced by Ben Anderson from Sound Rebel for Marches Growth Hub Shropshire, and is funded by Shropshire Council's £3.2 million economic recovery programme, which uses government grants to fund a series of business support programmes.

The views expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers themselves and do not necessarily reflect the views of Marches Growth Hub, its representatives or its employees. To find out more about Marches Growth Hub Shropshire, visit marchesgrowthhub.co.uk.

Joe Lockley is creating a business with heart - Bright Star Boxing is a not-for-profit with big ambitions.

Joe talks about how his experiences growing up shaped his vision for the organisation, and how it benefits local communities. In this conversation, he also talks about how the support he offered had to change as a result of COVID, but also about the unexpected benefits that COVID created.

Joe is always looking for new opportunities to help people in need, and hopes that Bright Star Boxing can one day gain full charity status and help people both within and far beyond the Shropshire borders.

You can find out more about Bright Star Boxing on their website: https://www.brightstarboxing.co.uk

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Marching On is presented by Ed Nell and produced by Ben Anderson from Sound Rebel for Marches Growth Hub Shropshire, and is funded by Shropshire Council's £3.2 million economic recovery programme, which uses government grants to fund a series of business support programmes.

The views expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers themselves and do not necessarily reflect the views of Marches Growth Hub, its representatives or its employees. To find out more about Marches Growth Hub Shropshire, visit marchesgrowthhub.co.uk.

Tom and Anna are Alexa and Bud - the business that likes to have a good time.

They're our first couple who we will be interviewing as part of this podcast series, two people who've decided to work together as well as be together in a relationship, and they talk about the dynamics of their partnership and separating work from home.

This is a business that was created as a result of COVID, and is well-placed in a growing industry - especially as live events come back with a bang.

You can find out more about Alexa & Bud on their website: https://www.alexaandbud.co.uk

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Marching On is presented by Ed Nell and produced by Ben Anderson from Sound Rebel for Marches Growth Hub Shropshire, and is funded by Shropshire Council's £3.2 million economic recovery programme, which uses government grants to fund a series of business support programmes.

The views expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers themselves and do not necessarily reflect the views of Marches Growth Hub, its representatives or its employees. To find out more about Marches Growth Hub Shropshire, visit marchesgrowthhub.co.uk.

Luke Boxall is a worm farmer who sells worm poo in his business, Worm Soil.

Vermicast is worm poo's official name, and it's an agricultural product with huge potential - and as you will hear, Luke has got big ambitions for his new business which was a brainchild of lockdown.

Most importantly, Luke has never been happier - taking the leap and starting his own business, along with his wife Stephanie, has without doubt improved their quality of life as they build something that could genuinely revolutionise the way we farm in this country. 

They're on a mission to convince those who work with soil in the UK that chemicals aren't the future, and that their more natural product is something that could benefit their plants or crops for years to come - and, of course, the environment in general, something which continues to be something at the top of the news agenda.

You can find out more about Worm Soil on their website: https://wormsoil.co.uk

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Marching On is presented by Ed Nell and produced by Ben Anderson from Sound Rebel for Marches Growth Hub Shropshire, and is funded by Shropshire Council's £3.2 million economic recovery programme, which uses government grants to fund a series of business support programmes.

The views expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers themselves and do not necessarily reflect the views of Marches Growth Hub, its representatives or its employees. To find out more about Marches Growth Hub Shropshire, visit marchesgrowthhub.co.uk.

Marching On is the podcast from Marches Growth Hub, where BBC Radio and commercial radio presenter Ed Nell talks to business owners in Shropshire who have grown and adapted as a result of the pandemic.

Ed talks to entrepreneurs from all walks of Shropshire life, from coffee roasters to worm farmers, about the barriers that they've jumped and the opportunities they've embraced. One thing shines through more than anything in this series: business owners in Shropshire are passionate, they're driven and they're succeeding.

Marching On is presented by Ed Nell and produced by Ben Anderson from Sound Rebel for Marches Growth Hub Shropshire, and is funded by Shropshire Council's £3.2 million economic recovery programme, which uses government grants to fund a series of business support programmes.

The views expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers themselves and do not necessarily reflect the views of Marches Growth Hub, its representatives or its employees. To find out more about Marches Growth Hub Shropshire, visit marchesgrowthhub.co.uk.