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. BUILDING TOWARDS YOUR FIRST £1M? Explore the next step with The Bootstrappers' Breakfasts™. Apply here: https://apply.bootstrappersbreakfasts.com/ CHAPTERS 00:00 Meet Patricia Ypma 01:44 Patricia's legal consultancy journey 04:12 Helping businesses expand across Europe 05:00 Turning legal expertise into a business 06:37 The Bootstrap Bargain: business and family 08:06 Growing gradually, building teams and systems 09:49 Personal growth and founder leadership 12:53 Family priorities and founder freedom 14:57 Investment, accountability and funding 17:52 Profit, purpose and bootstrap architecture 19:47 Spending decisions and calculated risks 22:30 Team culture, legacy and community 26:54 Finding your founder network 28:20 Learning through mistakes and bootstrapping 30:01 Revenue, values and the next stage of growth 33:35 Share the episode and founder diagnostic ABOUT THIS CHANNEL The Bootstrappers' Breakfasts™ is a podcast and live series for female founders building towards their first £1M without venture capital. A Seven Rungs series, hosted by Geeta Sidhu-Robb, CEO Growth Advisor. Each conversation explores The Bootstrap Bargain™: the decisions and trade-offs behind building without outside capital, from slower growth and cash flow pressures to autonomy and creating a business that fits your life. For women exploring how to grow a business without investors, these conversations offer honest founder experiences, lessons and perspectives. New episodes every two weeks. EXPLORE AND CONNECT YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@bootstrappersbreakfasts Website: https://www.geetasidhu-robb.com/ Bootstrappers' Breakfasts: https://www.geetasidhu-robb.com/bootstrappers-breakfasts CONNECT WITH GEETA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/geetasidhurobb/?hl=en LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geetasidhurobb/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/geetacoaching/ Pinterest: https://uk.pinterest.com/geetasidhu/ MORE FROM GEETA Menopause Answers Course: https://www.geetasidhu-robb.com/menopause-answers WATCH MORE EPISODES Episode 1: https://youtu.be/mMP_x2RdgJY Episode 2: https://youtu.be/8J3PrQpy_oU Episode 3: https://youtu.be/cfST1-RfasI Episode 4: https://youtu.be/QWZm8sAdd0Y Episode 5: https://youtu.be/MmiNum3egh8 Episode 6: https://youtu.be/H4QFrTAdeNM Episode 7: https://youtu.be/s-P_GulvzcA NEVER MISS AN EPISODE Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/@bootstrappersbreakfasts?sub_confirmation=1 IMPORTANT INFORMATION This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute personalised legal, financial or business advice. Please conduct your own due diligence. Individual experiences and outcomes vary. © The Bootstrappers' Breakfasts™ | Seven Rungs. Share the video link or embed the official video with proper attribution. #FemaleFounders #Bootstrapping #WomenInBusiness

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/