Produced by:
From Startup to Scaleup
Podcast Series
As Wales navigates a time of political, economic and social transformation, the role of business support organisations has never been more critical.
From Startup to Scaleup, a podcast series from social enterprise Business in Focus, explores why tailored business support is essential for helping Welsh entrepreneurs, startups, and growing SMEs to survive, adapt, and thrive.
With in-depth discussions featuring guests from across the business support ecosystem, the series considers the importance of timely targeted advice, flexible funding, skills training, and enterprise space and asks what needs to happen next for Wales to achieve its goal of economic growth.
Episode One:
Why Business Support is More Vital Than Ever in a Changing Wales
Economic growth is a key priority for governments in Wales and Westminster, and the UK Government’s recently-released plan for small and medium sized businesses says that accelerating SME growth by just 1 percentage point a year could deliver £320 billion to the UK economy by 2030.
Host Gemma Casey is joined by Phil Jones, CEO of Business in Focus, David Stephens, Chair of Business in Focus and Jessica Shipman, Chair of NatWest Cymru Regional Board, to discuss the support needed to help Welsh entrepreneurs, startups and scaleups to thrive, and how key organisations are evolving to provide crucial support.
Guests:
Phil Jones
CEO
Business in Focus
David Stephens
Chair
Business in Focus
Jessica Shipman
Chair
NatWest Cymru Regional Board
Episode two:
What Do SMEs Want from the Next Welsh Government?
In May 2026 Wales will vote in the Senedd election, with the polls currently indicating that the result could see the most significant shift in power since devolution began. Host Gemma Casey is joined by Phil Jones, CEO, Business in Focus, Richard Selby, Managing Director, ProSteel Engineering and IoD Wales Chair, and Huw Thomas, Business Correspondent at BBC Wales to consider the impact of Senedd reform and what the SME community wants to hear from political parties in the run-up to polling day as well as from an incoming government.
Guests:
Phil Jones
CEO
Business in Focus
Richard Selby
Managing Director
Pro Steel Engineering
Huw Thomas
Business Correspondent
BBC Wales
Business News Wales is a Welsh-owned independent media and communications business with a team of journalists and storytellers located in all regions of Wales.
Our wide-ranging menu of platforms, communication services, and highly targeted distribution networks offers our clients a proven, strategically connected one-stop-shop solution for all regions and business sectors in Wales and beyond.