The Bicester Business Collective is the podcast that celebrates the people behind the businesses making Bicester and the surrounding area such a fantastic place to live, work and do business.
Hosted by Samantha Vaughan, Hub Manager at Perch Eco, each episode features relaxed and insightful conversations with local entrepreneurs, business owners and community leaders. Together, they explore the stories behind their businesses, the challenges they've overcome, what inspires them, and the lessons they've learned along the way. Whether you're an established business owner, just starting out, or simply curious about the people driving our local economy, you'll find inspiration, practical advice and plenty of fascinating stories.
The podcast is proudly recorded at Perch Eco, Bicester's thriving business hub and community workspace, where collaboration, innovation and entrepreneurship come together every day. Through The Bicester Business Collective, we're shining a spotlight on the remarkable people and businesses that help our local community grow—one conversation at a time.
Is Your Website Working for Your Business? With Richard Holmes
Your website might look great, but is it doing what your business needs? In this episode of The Bicester Business Collective, Samantha Vaughan chats with Richard Holmes, founder of Ampersand Studio, about his unexpected journey from managing leisure centres to web development and running his own business. Richard shares the conversation that changed his focus from replacing a monthly salary to building a business for the long term. He also explains why an effective website starts with underst...
4 Oct 2026
Chase the Network, Not the Net Worth – Sam Pennycook
In this episode of the Bicester Business Collective Podcast, Samantha Vaughan talks to Sam Pennycook, founder of the Growth Network. Sam shares the story of leaving a successful sales career to start his own business, the mistakes he made along the way, and how his network helped him rebuild when things went badly wrong. They discuss why good networking is about relationships rather than sales, why consistency matters, and how even nervous networkers can make valuable connections simply by st...
21 Sept 2026
Making Digital Marketing Make Sense with Becky Hopkin of Digital Gearbox
What should you get right before spending money on digital advertising—and why do relationships still matter in an increasingly automated world? Samantha Vaughan welcomes Becky Hopkin, owner of Bicester-based pay-per-click advertising agency Digital Gearbox, to the Bicester Business Collective. Becky shares her unexpected journey from employee to business owner, the responsibilities she hadn’t anticipated, and how building a trusted team has helped her balance running an agency with family li...
14 Sept 2026
Doing Law Differently – Roy Magara of Magara Law
In this episode of the Bicester Business Collective podcast, Sam Vaughan is joined by Roy Magara, founder and director of Magara Law, to talk about his journey from law school to building his own employment law firm. Roy shares how redundancy during the pandemic became the catalyst for starting Magara Law, why he wanted to create a different kind of legal practice, and how values such as empathy, care and trust have helped shape the business. He also reflects on the importance of building the...
5 Sept 2026
You Don't Have to Do It All Yourself – Jen Williams of Exec Support Solutions
In this episode of the Bicester Business Collective Podcast, Sam Vaughan talks to Jen Williams, founder of Exec Support Solutions, about her journey from a ten-year career as an Executive Assistant — including several years working in Formula 1 — to launching her own business and building a team of virtual assistants and book-keepers supporting businesses of all shapes and sizes. Sam and Jen discuss: How many small business owners can feel overwhelmed and how having a virtual assistant ...
25 Aug 2026
Building Futures: Lisa Perkins on Construction Apprenticeships
What does a modern apprenticeship really look like — and why should construction be seen as an exciting career choice rather than a fallback option? In this episode of the Bicester Business Collective Podcast, Sam Vaughan is joined by Lisa Perkins from ACE Training and Consultancy, a specialist construction training provider based in Oxfordshire. Lisa’s own route into training has been anything but conventional, taking her from sales and business development in hospitality to managing a marin...
13 Aug 2026
Think You Can’t Afford a Home? Think Again – with Charlotte Massey
Buying a home can feel complicated, expensive and sometimes completely out of reach. But are there more options available than many of us realise? In this episode of the Bicester Business Collective Podcast, Samantha Vaughan is joined by Charlotte Massey of Hive Mortgage Solutions, based at Town Square Bicester. Charlotte has worked in mortgage advice for around 15 years and launched Hive Mortgage Solutions to create a more personal, client-focused approach to mortgages and protection. She ta...
4 Aug 2026
More Than Food: How the Bicester Food Hub is Bringing Our Community Together
In this episode of the Bicester Business Collective Podcast, Samantha Vaughan sits down with Jo Wilson, founder of Bicester Food Hub, to discover how one local idea has grown into one of Bicester's most valuable community projects. What began as a mission to rescue perfectly good food from landfill has become something much bigger. Jo explains how the Food Hub not only reduces food waste but also tackles loneliness, creates friendships, supports local charities and gives hundreds of people a ...
24 Jul 2026
Seeing the Potential in Every Home – with Luke Roberts, House Made Ready
In the first full episode of The Bicester Business Collective, Samantha Vaughan is joined by Luke Roberts, founder of House Made Ready and an experienced architectural designer with a passion for helping homeowners unlock the hidden potential of their properties. Luke shares his journey from studying architecture and sustainable design, through running his own architectural practice, to launching House Made Ready—a business born from a simple idea: homeowners deserve better information befo...
2 Jul 2026
Meet Sam Vaughan, Host of the Bicester Business Collective Podcast
Welcome to the very first episode of The Bicester Business Collective. Host Samantha Vaughan introduces the podcast and shares the vision behind creating a platform dedicated to celebrating the businesses, entrepreneurs and professionals that make Bicester and the surrounding area such a vibrant place to work and do business. Recorded from Perch Eco Business Centre, each fortnightly episode will feature inspiring conversations with local business owners and community leaders, exploring their ...
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