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Dan Martin

@danmartin_

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Freelance business journalist & event/podcast host | Co-founder @lstyledistrict | Podcast host @e_nation | Editor @bristol_ci | Editor, SMEWeb.com

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Happy 16th birthday SBS (Small Business Sunday) 🥳

What started as one social media post by entrepreneur and Dragons’ Den investor Theo Paphitis is now a community of over 5,000 small business owners. I’m a proud SBS winner.

I was delighted to interview Theo about SBS for the Enterprise Nation Small Business Sessions podcast.

Other topics included:

💡 His early entrepreneurial experience, including running a school tuck shop and launching a property finance business aged 23.

🧠 How dyslexia shaped his career and why he still faces imposter syndrome.

🏬 What it’s like running high street retail stores today and what government support is really needed.

📺 Behind-the-scenes insights from TV’s Dragons’ Den.

Listen to and watch the full episode by searching for ‘Small Business Sessions’ on Spotify, Apple and YouTube.

#smallbusiness #dragonsden #sbs #theopaphitis #entrepreneurs by @danmartin_

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I loved being on stage at the @canva_uk Pitch Perfect Live event last Friday.

I interviewed @spicekitchenuk co-founder Sanjay Aggarwal about his Dragons’ Den experience and other top tips for pitching, in front of a very enthusiastic audience of small business owners.

Big thanks @lornabladen for inviting me to take part and congrats on organising such a great event.

#dragonsden #smallbusiness #smallbusinessowner #ukentrepreneurs #canva taken in London, England by @danmartin_

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I had incredible 30 year reunion in Tampere, Finland last weekend with friends from around the world who I studied with in 1996/97. Old memories rekindled and new ones created. Old haunts revisited and new ones discovered. We may not have all been together for three decades, but it was just like the 90s all over again! The planning for the next reunion has already begun and I can’t wait.

#tampere #finland #oldfriends #reunion #tamperefinland taken in Tampere, Finland by @danmartin_

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22 days ago

Don’t miss the final episode of this season of the Small Business Sessions podcast 🎙️

Dee Omole, founder of @deesbasement, talks about building a loyal community on social media, learning to spot brands that want free work in exchange for “exposure,” expanding from a home kitchen to a commercial kitchen, and writing her first cookbook with Quadrille, an imprint of Penguin.

Head to the link in the bio to listen to the full episode 🎧

In partnership with @edfenergy and supported by @squareuk

#SmallBusinessSessions #PoweringLocalBusinesses by @danmartin_

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AD | The Royle Family actor Ralf Little in The Spy Who Came in From the Cold at Theatre Royal Bath.

Ralf stars in the first ever theatre production of John le Carré’s classic novel.

It’s a great show with Ralf and the rest of the cast delivering top performances. It’s a stylish and tense production but with some humour too. The music is fabulous and communicates really well the atmosphere of 1960s Cold War espionage and intrigue.

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

The Spy Who Came in From the Cold is at Theatre Royal Bath until 22 August.

#spies #uktheatre #theatreshow #ralflittle #bathuk taken in Bath, United Kingdom by @danmartin_

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It’s time for the final episode of this season of the Small Business Sessions podcast 🎙️

This week, we’re joined by Dee Omole, founder of @deesbasement, a confectionery studio specialising in nostalgia-inspired cakes and desserts 🍰

In this episode, @danmartin_ and Dee discuss:

🎂 How a university project became the foundation for Dee’s Basement
📱 Building a loyal social media following – including a video that racked up 12 million TikTok views
🤝 Pitching to brands like Pinterest and Liberty London rather than waiting to be discovered
⚠️ Learning to spot brands offering «exposure» instead of payment
📖 Writing and publishing her cookbook, A Little of What You Fancy, with Quadrille

Head to the link in the bio to check out the full episode on YouTube or your favourite podcast platform 🎧

In partnership with @edfenergy and supported by @squareuk

#SmallBusinessSessions #PoweringLocalBusinesses by @danmartin_

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Don’t miss episode 7 of the Small Business Sessions podcast 🎙️

Usman Khalid, founder of @haven_coffee, shares how his social enterprise uses coffee, comedy and art to challenge false narratives about refugees – and why he’s just trying to make people stop and think.

Head to the link in the bio to listen to the full episode 🎧

@edfenergy @squareuk @danmartin_

#SmallBusinessSessions #PoweringLocalBusinesses by @danmartin_

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Hanging out with Wallace & Gromit in the Bristol Balloon Fiesta arena.

A pleasure to be in the arena for the spectacular mass ascent of 87 hot air balloons at the 2026 Bristol International Balloon Fiesta this morning. Always good to see the @thegrandappeal Wallace & Gromit rocket balloon.

The free fiesta is at Bristol’s Ashton Court until Sunday.

#bristol #wallaceandgromit #bristolballoonfiesta #bristolballoons #gromit taken in Bristol, United Kingdom by @danmartin_

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Don’t miss episode 6 of the Small Business Sessions podcast 🎙️

Charlie Duckworth, co-founder of @communitysaunabaths, shares how the idea came together after the pandemic, why he wanted to create a regular, community-focused sauna experience outside of expensive gyms and spas, and how the business grew from a low-cost garden site into a five-site operation.

Head to the link in the bio to listen to the full episode 🎧

@edfenergy @squareuk

#SmallBusinessSessions #PoweringLocalBusinesses by @danmartin_

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It’s time for episode 6 of the Small Business Sessions podcast 🎙️

This week, we’re joined by Charlie Duckworth, co-founder of @communitysaunabaths, the not-for-profit social enterprise making sauna and cold plunge more affordable and accessible across London 🧖

In this episode, @danmartin_ and Charlie discuss:

🌱 Why Charlie wanted to create a regular, community-focused sauna experience outside of expensive gyms and spas

💸 Starting small after missing out on early funding – and bootstrapping the first site in a back garden

🏙️ Growing from one garden site to five London locations

🎯 Why Charlie wants a community sauna in every London borough by 2030

Head to the link in the bio to check out the full episode on YouTube or your favourite podcast platform 🎧

@edfenergy @squareuk

#SmallBusinessSessions #PoweringLocalBusinesses by @danmartin_

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Don’t miss episode 5 of the Small Business Sessions podcast 🎙️

Jade Georgiou, co-founder of @hackneybarkers, shares the realities of running a physical business – from learning to set boundaries with customers to building a salon where dogs, owners and staff feel properly looked after.

Head to the link in the bio to listen to the full episode 🎧

@edfenergy @squareuk

#SmallBusinessSessions #PoweringLocalBusinesses taken in Hackney Barkers by @danmartin_

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