Independent business, written from the inside
Behind the High Street.
The parts of running an independent business that don't make it onto Instagram. Leases, suppliers, systems, mistakes, and the people who keep their doors open anyway.
I'm Angie. I've co-run an independent bike shop in East London for five years. Here I write about the parts nobody posts: the cash system that paid everyone except me, the marketing spend that went viral and brought in nothing, nineteen months of not making a decision. And I sit down with other owners to ask how they really do it.
Running it in public / Owner interviews / Tools, systems and AI
Latest from the Substack.
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A new piece every other week.
Free to read. No paywall. If you find it useful, there's an option to support it, but that's entirely up to you.
Run an independent business? Tell me your story.
I'm looking for owners with a real door customers walk through: shops, workshops, salons, cafés, studios, nurseries. Anywhere in London.
The interview takes about an hour, in person or on a call. We talk about how you started, what nobody warned you about, what you'd do differently, and how you use AI, if at all.
- It's free. No fee, no catch, no "featured partner" package.
- Your story, in front of new people. The piece goes out to every Behind the High Street reader and stays online for good.
- Links back to you. Your website, your Instagram, your address. Handy for people searching for what you do, and for Google.
- Something to share. A proper write up your customers will actually read, ready for your own socials or newsletter.