Dr Eve Davies, co-founder of ProtectaPet, joins Geeta Sidhu-Robb to talk about building a self-funded product business with her husband, Simon. ProtectaPet makes cat fencing and cat enclosures that keep cats safe outdoors.

Eve and Simon started it after losing their own cat in a road accident, with £3,000 in the bank and a £600 mortgage payment due the next month.

This year ProtectaPet is on track for around £3.5M in turnover, built without venture capital.

It holds a King's Award for Innovation and eight patents, and ships from five UK depots and a European hub in Rotterdam.

Bootstrappers' Breakfasts events: https://www.geetasidhu-robb.com/boots... Subscribe: / @bootstrappersbreakfasts This content is for educational purposes only and is not personalised financial, legal or business advice. #BootstrappedBusiness #ProtectaPet #SelfFunded

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

ProtectaPet | Stoke-on-Trent | Facebook

https://www.linkedin.com/company/protectapet/

https://twitter.com/protectapet

https://www.youtube.com/@protectapet

https://www.instagram.com/protectapet/

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/ProtectaPetUK/

https://www.tiktok.com/@protectapetofficial

How do you grow a business without investors while still being there for your children?

Patricia Ypma joins Geeta Sidhu-Robb to explore how to grow a business without investors, build a capable team and retain the freedom to grow at your own pace.

Patricia started her business when her children were around two-and-a-half years and six months old.

She wanted to win a few projects, do meaningful work and remain present for her family.

Over the following years, that modest ambition developed into a legal consultancy reporting revenue of almost three million.

In this episode of The Bootstrappers' Breakfasts™, Patricia discusses cash flow management, hiring, business systems, calculated risk-taking and learning to lead.

She also shares why supportive founder networks matter and why success means more than money.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN • How Patricia grew from her first projects to managing a team. • Why she chose gradual growth while raising young children. • How bootstrapping shaped her spending and hiring decisions. • Why sustainable growth requires systems and personal development. • How trust develops within a team navigating change. • Why peer support networks matter when building a business.

ABOUT PATRICIA YPMA Patricia is the CEO and Founder of Spark Legal & Policy, a Dutch legal professional and policy advisor with over 20 years' experience in EU law, regulatory strategy and cross-border legal compliance.

Her experience offers female founders a practical perspective on turning specialist expertise into a business, developing leadership skills and building around family priorities.

WEBSITE: https://www.sparklegalpolicy.eu/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/patricia-ypma-3321b64/

Could buying an established business give you more control over your future, even when the bank initially says no?

If you're exploring how to buy a business, Jenny Johnston shares how she secured acquisition financing after reworking her projections and business case.

In this episode of The Bootstrappers' Breakfasts™, Geeta Sidhu-Robb speaks with Jenny about her move from corporate marketing to becoming CEO and owner of Azure Communications, an Irish print, packaging and marketing business.

Jenny joined as CEO in 2023 through an earn-in agreement, then realized that growing the company was also increasing the valuation of the business she wanted to buy. She completed the acquisition in 2024, using bank debt and deferred consideration payable to the original founders, without venture capital.

The first bank rejection became a learning opportunity. Jenny explains how achievable financial projections, historical performance, repayment capacity and expert support helped her present a business case lenders could back. Under her leadership, turnover returned from approximately €3–3.5M to €5M.

For female founders considering buying an existing business, her experience opens up another route to ownership: building on established customers, systems and a team. She also shares the realities behind greater autonomy, including hard work, family support and choosing how to spend her time.

ABOUT JENNY JOHNSTON

Jenny Johnston is a marketing leader and strategist who became CEO of Azure Communications in 2023 and completed its acquisition in 2024. In this conversation, she shares her experience of business acquisition financing, growth and female business ownership.

Website: https://www.azurecomm.ie/

LinkedIn: https://ie.linkedin.com/in/johnstonjenny

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennyjohnston.oneill/

Victoria Johnson built a veterinary radiology business to nearly £20 million in turnover—without outside funding.

A vet by training, Victoria started by reading scans for veterinary practices, funding her new venture through a second business and figuring things out as she went. In conversation with Geeta Sidhu-Robb, she shares how that scrappy beginning grew into a company operating across 26 countries, why risk registers and formal board meetings eventually became essential, and what bootstrapping gave her that money can't buy: the freedom to build a business around family life.

But there was a trade-off—she was answering emails with a one-day-old baby on her lap.

An honest conversation about bootstrapping, growth, leadership, and building a business on your own terms.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

WEBSITE: https://vet-ct.com

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/vet.ct/

LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-johnson-31375629/

Can you grow from £1,000 to a £2.5 million business without giving up ownership?

If you're wondering how to grow a business without funding, Nathalie Agnew's journey shows how disciplined reinvestment, strategic hiring and creatively structured acquisitions can make self-funded business growth possible.

In this episode of The Bootstrappers' Breakfasts™, host Geeta Sidhu-Robb speaks with Nathalie Agnew, Founder and Managing Director of Muckle Media, about building a profitable agency group while retaining 100% equity.

After leaving a successful agency career in London, Nathalie returned to the Scottish Highlands and began freelancing to pay her mortgage. Within six months, she made her first hire and discovered that growing revenue could fund a growing team.

Nathalie later used relationships, revenue-sharing agreements, monthly instalments and carefully considered debt to complete three acquisitions. One acquisition nearly doubled the business overnight, expanding the team from 20 to 35 people and adding experienced operational capability without years of organic recruitment.

This is an honest conversation about bootstrapping a business, protecting profitability, buying another company with limited cash and building sustainable business growth without investors.

00:00 Why Women Should Stop Raising Money

00:51 £2.5M With 100% Equity

01:37 From PR Burnout to Business Owner

03:13 The First Hire That Changed Everything

04:41 How Bootstrapping Protects Profitability

05:42 How Women Build Businesses Differently

07:12 Business Growth Through Acquisitions

08:20 Buying a Competitor With Only £1,000

09:31 Scaling Through Two More Acquisitions

10:58 Growing From 20 to 35 Employees Overnight

15:58 The Risks of Acquisition Integration

17:25 Trade Sale vs Share Purchase

20:35 Profitability, Efficiency and AI

24:19 Growth Advice for Female Founders

ABOUT NATHALIE AGNEW

Nathalie Agnew formed Muckle Media in 2012. A former Fleishman-Hillard and Porter Novelli senior international PR adviser, she is a Chartered Fellow of the CIPR.

Nathalie has led her team to win numerous awards, including the PRCA DARE Large Agency of the Year award in 2022 and the CIPR Scotland PRide Outstanding PR Consultancy award in 2018.

She specialises in creating impactful marketing programmes that meet business and organisational objectives, using creative approaches to deliver excellent ROI.

Muckle Media: https://mucklemedia.co.uk/

In this episode of The Bootstrappers' Breakfasts™, hosted by Geeta Sidhu-Robb, Geeta speaks with Cara Sayer, founder of SnoozeShade, the innovative blackout shade for prams. Cara shares how she built a nearly £2 million business over 17 years without external funding, while balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship.

Cara discusses embracing the "lifestyle business" model, prioritising profitability over aggressive growth, and keeping operations lean and sustainable. She also reflects on pivoting to Amazon following her divorce, navigating retail margins, and using AI tools to streamline and grow her business.

Throughout the conversation, Cara shares valuable insights for women entrepreneurs, encouraging them to understand their finances, trust the process, stay resilient, and take small but meaningful steps forward.

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SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

WEBSITE: https://www.snoozeshade.com/

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/SnoozeShade/

PINTEREST: https://pinterest.com/snoozeshade

INSTAGRAM: https://instagram.com/snoozeshade

YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/user/snoozeshade

In this episode of Bootstrappers' Breakfast, Geeta Sidhu-Robb is joined by Johanna Beresford, founder of Fabric Shift, who has built a bootstrapped HR technology company generating more than £3 million in revenue while raising six children.

Together, they explore why only 1–2% of venture capital funding goes to women-led businesses and why many female founders choose a different path—building profitable, purpose-driven companies designed for long-term success rather than rapid, investment-led growth.

Johanna shares lessons on resilience, strategic leadership, and trusting your instincts, offering an inspiring perspective on creating a business that reflects your values and delivers lasting impact.

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SOCIALS:

Linkedln - www.linkedin.com/in/johanna-beresford-070a5110

Website - https://fabricshift.com/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@fabricshift