Episode 4: Are businesses falling through the cracks?

Today Esther talks to three very different people who have, for one reason or another, fallen through the cracks: cracks of the support system, cracks of the childcare system and cracks of the business systemDenise Valente, owner of The Market Co., a market space for artisan makers and bakers to come together and sell their products. Hosting over 500 traders, Denise’s marketplace was on the up. But everything changed on 19 March.A’Dell Harper has owned a children’s nursery for 30 years. Even though her business has been allowed to remain open during lockdown, she reveals how it is now in a far worse place.  She also worries about the length of the lockdown and the impact it is having on children’s development and people’s mental wellbeing.With supply chains wrecked, and confidence at an all-time low, businesses that rely on one another are feeling the strain. One such business is Hy-Pro, owned by Atul Shah.  Hy-Pro creates licensed products for some of the most recognisable brands in the world.  Recently they won the contract to supply branded products for the Olympics 2020 and Euro 2020.  But both events have now been cancelled, threatening the existence of Atul’s business legacy.We listen as they live each moment, from despair to survival to fightback, and what they discover along the way.  We hear how their hope, resourcefulness and optimism is getting them through the disruption COVID-19 has brought upon all of us.  They will be fine - won’t they?Check out The Market Co. here: https://themarketco.co.uk

Om Podcasten

Welcome to Blue Collar Conversations! We’ve moved from the pub to the podcast. And like our country wide pub events, these podcasts act as a space to discuss ideas that champion working people. In our podcast series, we will talk to staff and business owners, bringing their voice to the fore, discussing their concerns, aligning the needs of staff to the vision of the business owner, asking: will we recover from this pandemic and what will the recovery look likeWhat will be the impact on staff and workers and what does the future world of work look like? Get involved: [email protected]