Dan Martin, freelance small business journalist, content creator and event host
Whether it’s interviewing billionaires like Sir Richard Branson, Dragons’ Den stars like Deborah Meaden or the founders behind the newest of start-ups, I’ve been writing about business owners and the issues that affect them since 2002.
My passion for a media career started long before I got a proper job. As a child, I spent hours recording my own made-up TV and radio shows while dreaming of becoming the next star newsreader.
A work experience placement at a website for small businesses while studying a professional journalism qualification in 2002, gave me the start-up bug and since then I’ve written about and supported Britain’s brilliant small business owners and entrepreneurs.
My career has seen me interview some of the biggest names in entrepreneurship, host and curate more than 50 events and travel around the world on small business trade missions.
I’ve also worked for the some of the UK’s top small business publications and small business support organisations.
From Dubai to Downing Street, my support and campaigning for small businesses has seen me travel far and wide.
I’ve run live webchats from inside 10 Downing Street allowing small businesses to give their views direct to the government and I’ve interviewed politicians including David Cameron, Jo Swinson, Lord Young, Jeremy Corbyn and Vince Cable about issues that matter to entrepreneurs.
I’ve also visited Downing Street with groups of small business owners to meet senior prime ministerial advisers and helped run small business trade missions to countries including United Arab Emirates, China, USA, France and Germany.
My experience
Bristol Local Leader, Enterprise Nation
(2018 – present)
Representing small business support network Enterprise Nation in Bristol, I run a monthly peer-to-peer meet-up that brings together local entrepreneurs to share their challenges and come up with solutions.
Co-founder, Lifestyle District
(2013 – present)
Lifestyle District is an arts, culture and travel blog.
Ambassador, Social Media Week Bristol
(2016 – present)
Bristol is the only UK city other than London to be part of the global Social Media Week initiative. I run the annual Small Business Social Media Summit and support the Social Media Week Bristol organising team across all the week’s events.
Head of content, Enterprise Nation
(2015 – 2019)
I was responsible for the content strategy and prolific blog and social media activity for Enterprise Nation, the small business support network founded by Emma Jones MBE. I also hosted several of the company’s 300+ annual events for small businesses; from intimate meet-ups encouraging business owners to support each other to large, high profile events sponsored by international brands like Facebook and Xero. In addition, I hosted the Small Business Sessions podcast and several Facebook Live broadcasts and webinars covering a wide range of business issues.
Editor, BusinessZone & UK Business Forums
(2006 – 2015)
I spent almost a decade growing the small business audience for Bristol publisher Sift Media and helped turn BusinessZone and UK Business Forums into two of the UK’s most active online communities for entrepreneurs. I also co-founded and hosted an events programme which developed from a local project in Bristol into events across the UK that engaged more than 1,000 entrepreneurs.
Prior to 2006, I worked for Sky News and start-up titles BusinessEurope and Startups.co.uk.
Dan Martin 