On The Business Show on Marlow FM on 9th Jan 25, my guests were Emma Sweet of Ace Places, and Sarah Irving of the Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce.

I started with AC/DC’s “Back in Black” - hear it at https://youtu.be/j5rGm3kdTuk?si=k6yjcFzLxA9zOq9n .

Emma then spoke about Ace Places. They’re not just cards to play with, they’re a guide to the area, and promote organisations that you may not have been aware of. We also discussed her plan to franchise the idea across the UK.

Connect with Emma at https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-sweet-rg10/ . Her website is https://www.aceplaces.co.uk/ .

Sarah then spoke about the Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce - the voice of business across the Thames Valley. We discussed how businesses get heard by government, services offered by the Chamber, and the difference between them and the independent Marlow Chamber of Commerce.

Find Sarah at https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahirving/ . The Chamber website is https://www.thamesvalleychamber.co.uk/ .

She chose Don Henley’s “Boys of Summer” because it reminds her of her time driving her MGB GT. Hear it at https://youtu.be/6RUIeX6UCT8?si=uHvcIyd4C0DC9dKI .

Sarah's article was https://www.heathrow.com/transport-and-directions/terminal-drop-off-charge - maximising profits or nudging passengers towards being more environmentally friendly? Or both??

Emma chose “The Gambler” by Kenny Rogers, because it's on her cards related Spotify playlist, which you can find at https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1zSW20AaFTbisdLYL3mU6c?si=o_kNSujhSWecpwJygwcrXA&pi=e-rEsY76NnQYWd&nd=1&dlsi=fdd9d01523fd444a . Or hear the song at https://youtu.be/7hx4gdlfamo?si=O2lIhVQXzUifDKQa .

Her story was https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c77lg1nye7do - are there good reasons to have major brands and independents sharing the High Street?

Sarah's other story was https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2ex2ekp83po - would this be good for Marlow? Will someone drag me on to it?

My story was https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/jan/04/its-the-pits-would-you-pay-35-for-one-of-the-new-posh-deodorants – a triumph of branding over common sense?

The last song was The Prodigy with “Firestarter” - it's at https://youtu.be/wmin5WkOuPw?si=KGM4LhgovGIO2VSt .

Connect with me at https://www.linkedin.com/in/enterprisedoctor/ .

Join our Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/enterprisedoctorbusinessshow/.

https://enterprisedoctor.co.uk/ is my website.

Clips of all episodes are at https://www.youtube.com/user/EnterpriseDoctor/ - subscribe there, and within your podcast app!

Copyright Marlow FM Ltd 2025. Reproduced here by kind permission of Marlow FM Ltd.