Trading Up

Thana Thammavongsa was working for a mapping company in Coleraine when her career took an abrupt turn off the planned route and into the unchartered territory of running her own catering business. Three years later and she was taking a lease on premises in the town to see if her healthy Thai and Vietnamese street food concept would play well with a permanent base. Now more than a decade later she's driving off the map again with new business producing instant noodles under her Whoosh brand. Along the way she's sought help from the Go Succeed business support programme and Joanne McLaughlin joins the chat, along with former participant - and Trading Up regular - Melanie Harrison. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We don’t all get to take ourselves to the top of a mountain for inspiration. But for Matt Creighton, it worked. As a keen skier, he’d taken a job after university as a seasonaire in the Alps. The problem he faced was the paltry pay. In order to allow for a bit of beer money he began screen printing T-shirts to sell to his mates in the ski resorts. His side hustle has since developed into a serious activity and outdoor lifestyle clothing brand selling into 300 independent outlets across the UK, Ireland, mainland Europe and even North America. They’ve begun opening stores - not just their Belfast base, but also franchises in Ballymena, Cookstown and now one to come in France. In some ways the skills and model is old school - building relationships with independent retailers - but it’s paying off with Bleubird also securing distribution deals from other brands who want to use their sales network and benefit from the “dual market access” from their Belfast base. But the brand also sells direct from its website, though ensuring it never undercuts its loyal retail base. Matt and his two business partners have done it all to date without any huge borrowings. So maybe grab your fleece or hoodie and come for a jaunt to the outdoors with Matt on this week’s episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pete Boyle began with a student loan and an illegal pitch on Belfast’s Royal Avenue. He built a retail business that’s made him many millions and that enabled him to buy a reservoir near Belfast (because he loves kayaking) and turn it into a tourist and leisure destination. Meanwhile he’s been growing a property development business with a focus on transforming old buildings. Pete Boyle speaks frankly about his highs and lows; his great passions and his pet hates. It’s an episode packed with real learnings from someone who has built a business empire from the ground up. From the challenges of managing growth, to the demands of turning a bricks and mortar business into clicks and mortar operation; to the frustrations of dealing with red tape and bureaucracy - Pete shoots from the hip. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The journey begins in 1977 with a Ford Cortina in Crossgar and makes important stops in Dublin and London with foreign destinations now on the horizon. James Nicholson, founder of JN Wines, shares his incredible entrepreneurial journey from selling wine out of the back of his car to building a multi-million pound business. The episode explores the ups and downs of running a business, the challenges of navigating Brexit, and the importance of Northern Ireland's unique dual market access. James also discusses his passion for horse racing, sharing insights into the industry's future amidst the rise of online betting. This episode is packed with valuable lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs and anyone interested in the world of business, wine, and even horse racing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

John Kelly of McConnell’s Irish Whisky: It looks like a typo, but it’s central to the brand - McConnell’s Irish Whisky. Spot the issue? This week on Trading Up, Jim goes in search of an explanation for the missing “e” as he meets the man who has helped breathe new life into a brand that was once one of the biggest names in whisky/whiskey from Belfast to Boston but had gone out of business in the prohibition years before being resurrected in A Wing of Crumlin Road Jail. From the challenge of building a distillery in a listed Victorian jail to the task of building a 21st century brand and managing a major visitor attraction, McConnell’s CEO John Kelly distills the issues this week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When he’s not wearing wellies on the family farm at the weekend or trainers as he pounds the pavements prepping for his latest marathon, Rob Heron wears the title of Managing Partner at EY in Northern Ireland. A diverse skillset and decent fitness level is useful for the boss of a firm in rapid growth mode. EY in Northern Ireland has ambitious plans to more than double its 950-strong workforce in the next five years. On this week’s episode Jim explores what this 'big four' firm does - it’s not just accountancy and audit any more. From data, tech and AI consultancy, to running the Entrepreneur of the Year programme there’s a lot to discuss. Meanwhile, Jim and Rob explore some of the themes and insights that have emerged in the first few months of Trading Up episodes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Maeve Monaghan loves making money. It’s what she does with it that makes her business different. She heads Now Group which is a social enterprise, so her profits get reinvested in her cause - helping young people with learning difficulties and autism to find meaningful employment. She never begs, she delivers. She delivers for the many businesses who buy her products and services and she delivers for the thousands of people with learning difficulties and autism whose lives are transformed. On Trading Up this week she makes clear that it’s time for social enterprises - who have a combined turnover of £78 billion in the UK - to throw the begging bowl away and focus on delivering what business, or government wants. Angela McGowan joins the lively discussion. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The serious business of fun - So, picture the scene. You’re in town doing a bit of shopping but you’ve got your young toddler with you and they're getting restless. They begin tugging your arm towards the little rides out in the mall. How much are you willing to feed that machine and how does the business behind it capture your pound, or two?That’s a question for John McAreavey whose family business is installing and running those kiddie rides – 1,900 of them in 430 locations across the UK and Ireland. There’s something very old-school, nostalgic even, about those little rides. But on Trading Up we learn from John how he is positioning the business for the future with everything from cashless machines to home-grown apps, loyalty schemes, and plans for expansion.And Trading Up regular Nichola Mallon, who has fed those machines on occasion with her young children, joins the discussion. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you ever tired of hauling a suitcase after you on holidays and the queues for bag drop at airports; or wondered how to get a student packed off to university with all their gear; or even had to move the contents of your home to another country? The chances are you may have come across the business founded by the guest on Trading Up this week, Paul Stewart of mybaggage.comHow has he turned his personal frustration with sorting his own uni luggage into a global business that’s helping thousands each year deal with door-to-door logistics? Find out on this week’s podcast and discover how he has also developed his own software to take the pain out of customs paperwork for customers. Nichola Mallon of Logistics UK also joins the discussion and spins the Number Wheel this week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This business turned its net zero ambitions into a bottom line bonus, and at the same time found itself snarled up in an unwanted investigation from the all-powerful Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). Connor McCandless runs EnergyStore, a successful small company that makes and sells insulation products. He didn’t expect the CMA to come calling and, when they did, he wasn’t sure if he could afford the lawyers to fight his case - so he did it himself. Find out how the story unfolds on this week’s episode with Clare Guinness of Belfast Chamber joining the discussion and has the first spin on Trading Up’s new Wheel Of Fortune Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Securing £100m with a slide deckWhat sort of start-up business secures £100m in funding with nothing more than a slide-deck presentation to show for itself? And what sort of person is willing to take that money and several hundred millions more to build a business that won’t make a profit for years? This week on Trading Up we meet Dominic Kearns, the founder and CEO of telecoms challenger Fibrus. He explains the big numbers and the business model behind infrastructure investments like his as he takes fibre broadband to the parts of Northern Ireland (and Cumbria) the others don’t yet reach. With Clare Guinness of Belfast Chamber joining the discussion we also examine the wider issues of infrastructure investment and how the private sector could play its part in other parts of the economy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There's a Maghera company of joiners involved in some of the most prestigious commercial, leisure and residential developments in London.If you’ve ever needed anything more complicated than a bit of shelving installed at the house and want some decent woodwork done, you’ll know that It’s always hard to find a good joiner. On Trading Up this week Jim discovers that’s possibly because most of them have been snapped up by John Bosco O’Hagan and his Maghera-based Specialist Group. He began the business in 1987 to try and offer bespoke joinery to commercial customers. Today his business includes three of his children and a wider family of 270 employees delivering high end joinery, glass and metal manufacturing and fit out contracts. Projects include some of the most prestigious commercial, leisure and residential developments in London. JB talks about his inspiration, his family and his frustration with an education system that seems to have forgotten the value of practical skills. Suzanne Wylie from the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce joins Jim and JB in the studio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Peter Ringland is one half of the family firm, The Ringland Group, the other half is his brother Ben. Between them they’ve developed from an Airbnb business began in 2008 to a multi-million pound Belfast hospitality group. Their latest venture - Amelia Hall - is their most ambitious to date. A £12 million development beginning with an Italian food and drink concept opening in September with rooms to follow. Peter reveals how the brothers divide their responsibilities and work together to drive growth, with the core focus always on engaging customers with the 'why' rather than just the 'what'. Suzanne Wylie from the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce joins the discussion and Peter has a radical idea for improving the performance of our politicians. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brainwaves and brain-boxes in Belfast where a tech startup's mission is to zap brains across the world with electricityDr Jason McKeown is the founder of Belfast tech start-up Neurovalens. His medical devices, which he has been developing for the last six years, have recently won two approvals from the powerful Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US. These devices pulse electricity into the brain to treat conditions like anxiety or insomnia. The alternative treatments to date have involved expensive surgery, or drugs with side effects. His devices, also made in Northern Ireland, are non-invasive and are placed at the back of the head for short periods each day. With the recent approvals the company is gearing up to hit the US market. News, numbers and part-time dictators all feature. Nichola Mallon of logistics UK joins the discussion. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kneecap, the movieTrevor Birney is much more than a tenacious investigative journalist. He is a documentarian who has found himself producing a feature film that’s become a viral sensation even before it lands in cinemas across Ireland, the UK and US this month. In some ways it couldn’t be more niche: Kneecap is an Irish language film telling the story of a west Belfast rap group. But early indications, from awards to critical plaudits, are that the movie will have universal appeal. So what’s the business of showbusiness really like? How does a Belfast company raise millions to tell a story and bring it to screens across the world? All will be revealed. There’s also new, number crunching and proposals to make the world a better place. Melanie Harrison joins Trevor and Jim in the studio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.