Serial entrepreneur Nigel Botterill has said his recent appearance on Channel 5’s Rich House, Poor House served as a reminder that starting a business is often less difficult than trying to build one in isolation.
Botterill appeared on Sunday night’s episode alongside his wife, Sue, swapping lives with Damien — known as Damo — a Lincolnshire courier with ambitions to establish a car valeting business, and his wife Becki, a care worker. The programme followed the early stages of that transition, documenting the financial and practical realities faced by households at opposite ends of the income spectrum.
Speaking after the broadcast, Botterill said the experience had stayed with him long after filming concluded.
“Damo’s story really struck a chord,” he said. “Not because it was unusual but because it’s so familiar. He had the work ethic, the passion, and the willingness to graft. What he didn’t yet have was a clear plan, or someone helping him turn effort into momentum.”
Since filming ended, Damo has continued developing his business with ongoing mentoring through Entrepreneurs Circle’s Pre-Masterplan programme. According to Botterill, that support has helped him build a base of regular customers, improve confidence around pricing, and introduce more structure to how the business operates.
“That progress didn’t happen overnight,” Botterill said. “It came once he got clear on what he wanted to build, why it mattered to him, and then worked to a simple, practical plan.”
Damo said the months following the programme were not without difficulty, particularly during the quieter Christmas period.
“A few months after filming, around Christmas, things went quiet and I started doubting myself,” he said. “I didn’t have many customers coming in and I honestly thought about giving it up.”
After reaching out for advice, Damo received a 25-minute video message from Botterill setting out specific steps to help him generate customers locally and regain momentum.
“That pep talk changed everything,” Damo said. “It wasn’t fluff. It was practical. Nigel broke it down step by step and showed me what I needed to focus on. Once I actually did it, the results started coming.”
Since implementing those ideas, including a targeted flyer campaign in his local area, Damo has replaced his courier income with revenue from the valeting business and is continuing to build his customer base. He also credited his Entrepreneurs Circle coach, Lynn Hampson, with helping him stay focused and accountable.
“Lynn was brilliant,” he said. “She kept checking in, making sure I followed through and didn’t drift. Having someone there who genuinely wanted me to succeed made a massive difference.”
Botterill said stories like Damo’s highlight a recurring challenge for people at the start of their entrepreneurial journey.
“People are often told to ‘just start’, but very few are shown how to start properly,” he said. “They end up working long hours in the business, reacting to whatever’s in front of them, without ever stepping back to think about where they’re actually heading.”
He added that he encourages new business owners to spend 90 minutes a day working on the business rather than solely in it, focusing on planning, understanding the numbers, and consistently attracting and retaining customers.
The experience has also influenced Botterill’s next initiative. He said watching Damo navigate the early stages of self-employment reinforced the importance of environment and structure, contributing to the forthcoming launch of an Entrepreneurs Circle Startup Incubator programme aimed at people at the very beginning of building a business.
For Damo, the change has already been tangible.
“I’m still right at the start,” he said. “But once I stopped trying to do everything alone and actually followed a plan, everything felt possible again.”
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