The legacy media are obsessed with unicorns, fintech ‘disruptors’, billion pound IPOs and firms with dreams of listing on the FTSE. That’s how out-of-touch they are with people in the real economy.
Newspage spoke to six people running businesses that aren’t sexy, will never float on the Stock Exchange and, in some cases, are about as exciting as watching paint dry.
But these business owners are happy, manage to pay the bills and love their work/life balance.
Welcome to real Britain. A country where scale doesn’t matter but is often scoffed at — something the legacy media all too often forget.
While the tech world chases billion-pound valuations, these Brits are happily plodding along with jobs many would consider mind-numbingly dull — cleaning ovens, ironing clothes, flogging mugs, writing CVs and managing property.
And they say they’re happier, healthier and more in control of their lives as a result.
They’re the quietly content business owners the media usually ignores – because they’re not building empires, scaling fast or trying to be the next Bezos, Zuck or Musk.
But they are, in their own words, living better lives by embracing boring and doing their own thing.
Cleaning, ironing and life control for Poole-based Sam Acton
Samantha Acton runs Domestic Angels, a nationwide cleaning franchise, and proudly describes her work as “INGing” – as in domestic cleaning, spring cleaning, ironing. She knows it’s boring and doesn’t sound sexy, but says it transforms lives.
Sam says her team of ‘Angels’ provides domestic support that gives working families their sanity and older people the energy to do something more interesting. The staff – who are employed rather than self-employed – work flexible hours to fit around school runs, caring duties and family life.
Even her franchisees benefit. They’re not chasing massive profits, she says – they just want control over their time and money. INGing, as she puts it, “smashes work-life balance” for everyone involved.
Just boilers and bills for London-based Jonathan Moser
In North London, Jonathan Moser spends his days dealing with broken boilers, leaky roofs and rent arrears. He runs Mo’Living, a property management company that people constantly mistake for a wellness brand – thanks to the slogan, “There’s no living like Mo’Living”.
Moser says people expect yoga mats and motivational quotes, but instead get a straight-talking firm that fixes what needs fixing and makes sure homes work. “We’re not here to change your life,” he says, “just quietly keep your lights on.” He’s totally fine with being unglamorous – it’s grown-up work, and someone’s got to do it.
Grease-scrubbing Graham Rogers in Bristol
Cleaning ovens may sound like one of the dullest jobs imaginable, but the founder of OvenGleamers, Graham Rogers, says there’s serious sparkle under the grime.
His South West-based franchise network has been scrubbing grease for over 20 years, and now supports dozens of franchisees, many of whom left corporate life to get off the hamster wheel. It’s not about scale, disruption or investors – just a proven business model that lets people be their own boss without going it alone.
Customers love the gleam. Franchisees love the freedom. Dull? Only if you ignore the life satisfaction that comes with it, says Rogers.
No scaling for Alton-based Esme Marshwitch, just stained glass
After the Covid microbusiness boom, stained glass maker Esme Marshwitch found herself one of many artists in her small town – but she couldn’t care less.
Her company, The Glassy Witch, isn’t chasing what sells, she says. She’s not desperate to grow. She’s simply making what she loves and staying out of the hustle-heavy craft circuit.
Her hobby is still her hobby, not a brand, and she’s found small, reliable outlets that suit her quiet pace. “I think that’s about as dull as it can get,” she says, “and that’s okay.”
Jen David perfectly happy in her Croydon CV Shed
For most people, writing a CV feels like revising for an exam – tedious, stressful and to be avoided at all costs. But for Jen David, who runs CV Shed, that’s exactly the appeal.
David says she loves untangling the “spaghetti” of people’s work histories and helping them get their next job. She admits she even enjoys revising for exams – and says while businesses like hers will never be a unicorn, her CVs do have a degree of magic.
It might be low-key, low-growth, and mostly under the radar, but it’s work she finds deeply satisfying. And no, she doesn’t want to scale.
Londoner, Jenny Blyth, doesn’t want to be the next John Lewis
Jenny Blyth has been running Storm in a Teacup Gifts for over a decade — and she has no dreams about being the next John Lewis. She’s not looking for a shop, as she says the high street is dead and she couldn’t afford one anyway.
Instead, she runs her online gift business from home, sells items made by other small businesses, and uses her stall at local events to campaign for better mental health care and fight for equality. She jokes that she flogs mugs one minute and gives her MP an earful the next.
Boring works for most Brits
So while the headlines in the legacy media are full of flashy businesses and start-ups chasing millions in venture capital funding, these down-to-earth Brits are quietly proving that boring works.
They’re not chasing extreme growth targets, pitching to investors or dreaming of Silicon Valley – they’re earning a steady income, enjoying a better work-life balance, and clocking off in time for the school run.
What the media misunderstand is that many businesses don’t want to scale. They just want to live. And in a country tired of extremes and dreams, boring and everyday businesses might just be Britain’s best-kept secret.
