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The Small Business Sessions
The Small Business Sessions is a weekly podcast from Enterprise Nation and the business.connected training programme that shares top tips and stories from some of Britain's best entrepreneurs and digital experts.
Enterprise Nation helps people turn their good ideas into great businesses through inspirational events, a supportive community, expert content and a campaigning voice. Find out more at www.enterprisenation.com/podcast and www.enterprisenation.com/businessconnected
And for a free one-to-one consultation with an expert business adviser from Vodafone's V-Hub, visit https://www.vodafone.co.uk/business/sme-business/small-business-advice/personal-advice
The Small Business Sessions
Stephen Lane: Film memorabilia collecting hobby to £35m business
The Small Business Sessions, Enterprise Nation's podcast, is back for a seventh exciting series of inspiring entrepreneurial stories and expert business tips! The podcast is powered by the business.connected online training programme and our partners Vodafone Business, Constant Contact, JP Morgan and Dropbox.
Joining freelance journalist Dan Martin for episode eight is Stephen Lane, founder of entertainment memorabilia business Propstore.
In the early 90s, movie lover Stephen began hunting for the props and costumes that were used to create his favourite films.
His collecting hobby became a business in 1998 and more than 25 years later, Propstore has 70 employees in London and Los Angeles and more than 25,000 square feet of archived props and costumes. The business also turns over £35m despite Stephen having taken on no external investment.
Since it started, Propstore has located and auctioned thousands of famous items to collectors around the world. Items include the lightsaber used by Darth Vader in The Empire Strikes Back, Harrison Ford's Indiana Jones Fedora, and guitars played on stage by the Gallagher brothers from Oasis.
In an insights and advice packed episode, the entrepreneur discusses turning a love for movie props into an actual business, how he tracks down memorabilia to sell, reaching a £35m turnover despite taking on no external investment, establishing a business in the US, running a business during several economic downturns and lots more.
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The business.connected hub is a free online training programme of workshops, webinars and e-learning modules designed to help businesses go digital and adopt new technology.
To find out more, go to www.enterprisenation.com/businessconnected
For a free one-to-one consultation with an expert business adviser from Vodafone's V-Hub, visit www.vodafone.co.uk/business/sme-business/small-business-advice/personal-advice
To listen to previous podcast episodes, go to www.enterprisenation.com/podcast
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