Alex Cousins makes dice trays from reclaimed materials. Every one is different, they can be engraved or embossed and feature bespoke materials and finishing.

I popped down to Ed’s Workshop, a wonderful workplace and community of makers in Sheffield to meet Alex and learn more about his new business, Wolven Crafts.

He tells me how, when playing Dungeons and Dragons, dice often fall off the table – so a dice tray is invaluable. He's used a £500 grant to help bring his business vision to life.

Alex successfully applied for funding from the SWEF Enterprise Fund at South Yorkshire Community Foundation (SYCF). This enabled him to use the fantastic facilities at Ed's Workshop, which includes embedded support and is a family business.

Alex is joined in this interview by his mentor Gayle Brogan from Opportunity Sheffield. Gayle has been working with Alex, who is autistic, since November 2023 in her role as a senior project support officer.

Kim of Ed's Workshop joins us too. I was blown away by the wonderful atmosphere and facilities there.

Alex also covers his prototyping and how a local gaming shop, Patriot Games Sheffield, has been so supportive and helpful to him in testing his dice trays.

What next?

• Listen to the episode and let me know what you think
• Visit the South Yorkshire Community Foundation website, https://www.sycf.org.uk/
• Learn more about Opportunity Sheffield, the employment and skills service in Sheffield City Council, https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/campaigns/opportunity-sheffield
• Visit the Ed's Workshop website, https://edsworkshop.co.uk/
• Contact me to nominate yourself or someone else as a potential guest for this show, telling me why there's a good fit (our audience: curious entrepreneurs and social entrepreneurs running businesses which make a positive impact for people, places or planet. Our priorities: inspiration and practical, actionable tips).

This is episode 398 of the Business Live radio show, for curious entrepreneurs and social entrepreneurs. Thanks for listening to the programme and to Sheffield Live! for broadcasting us on DAB and FM radio.

Many households want to install renewable energy technology – but the market doesn''t serve them well, says serial innovator Barry James.

But his "Green Streets Club" has already enabled homes on his own residential street in Sheffield to halve the cost of adoption of solar and battery.

Barry explains how they've done it – and other households can too.

He also covers his plans for a UK-wide network of Green Streets Hubs, social enterprises (community interest companies) that he says would support the transition to green energy, and revitalise high streets, support small businesses and empower tradespeople.

Barry explains his financial model for Green Streets Club and covers his panel of advisors which includes the economist and author, Ann Pettifor, and Professor Andrew Crossland of the Durham Energy Institute.

Plus a call for a small business to pilot a new iteration of Green Streets Club to support its employees.

What next?

• Listen to the episode and let me know what you think
• Visit Barry's Green Streets Club website, https://greenstreets.club
• Contact me to nominate yourself or someone else as a potential guest for this show, telling me why there's a good fit (our audience: curious entrepreneurs and social entrepreneurs running businesses which make a positive impact for people, places or planet. Our priorities: inspiration and practical, actionable tips).

This is episode 397 of the Business Live radio show, for curious entrepreneurs and social entrepreneurs. Thanks for listening to the programme and to Sheffield Live! for broadcasting us on DAB and FM radio.

Rebecca Collins is the Brand Coach at The Conscious Communication School, which she launched after becoming burnt out from 10 years in the mainstream media.

Now she helps business owners and social entrepreneurs craft powerful brand strategies and learn how to tell powerful stories which resonate with their target audience.

In today's episode Rebecca walks through exercises to help you find your big bang moment, covering her Breakthrough Brand Story Method and "five Cs" of mapping out your story.

She explains how this can build deep connections and strengthen relationships with your ideal audience, supporting your business development and growth.

It also means "no more panic posting" and gets rid of fake authenticity on social media.

We cover how building your story doesn't mean a "me, me, me" approach, folks' biggest problems when trying to embed storytelling in business, and as a special bonus, some insights about pitching your story to broadcast television.

This episode is crammed with practical tips you can use today. Links:

• Take Rebecca's free, 60 second brand audit quiz or download resources from her website, https://consciouscommunicationschool.com
• Rebecca's FREE event on 4 October 2024 in partnership with Union St: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/authentic-selling-through-storytelling-tickets-1012966338587
• The book Rebecca mentioned, Women Who Run with the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype, by Clarissa Pinkola Estés: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_Who_Run_with_the_Wolves

This is episode 396 of the Business Live radio show, for curious entrepreneurs and social entrepreneurs. Thanks for listening to the programme and to Sheffield Live! for broadcasting us on DAB and FM radio.