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Episode details

Radio 4,11 Dec 2017,28 mins

Zero Hour Hero?

The Untold

Available for over a year

Jonathan's app could be a lifeline for job seekers in the gig economy. Grace Dent follows the Essex entrepreneur as he tries to get his app off the ground before funding runs out. Jonathan's a former supermarket worker inspired by the poverty he's seen in his local area. He's created an online recruitment app that aims to help those left behind by the gig economy and zero-hour contracts. For a year he struggled to make progress, but now he's finally got his big break. A backer will fund him for 3 months. For the first time he's been able to pay himself and call the business his job. Yet when funding stops, there's no guarantee he'll be able to continue the enterprise. We're with Jonathan over the course of a make or break 12 weeks. It's a race against time to grow the business and make it succeed. Can he make enough profit to find a living for himself, as well as others? Producer: Sam Peach.

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