Business Spotlight Interview with Simon Marshall and Debbie Harris, founder of Autumna.

What does it take to transform a personal struggle into a business that helps thousands of families make better care decisions? In this episode of Business Spotlight, Simon is joined by Debbie Harris, founder of Autumna, the UK's leading directory for later-life care providers. Debbie shares the personal experience that inspired her to enter the social care sector after struggling to find the right care home for her Auntie Margaret. What began as a simple website evolved into Autumna — a free resource helping families find care homes, retirement living and adult social care options across the UK. Debbie explains how Autumna is tackling one of the biggest challenges in social care: giving families access to accurate, up-to-date information when making incredibly important decisions about care. The conversation also explores Autumna's innovative OpenScore rating system, designed to provide real-time insights into care quality at a time when traditional CQC inspections can be years apart. Simon and Debbie also discuss: • Why Debbie believes referral fees can compromise trust in the care sector • How Autumna was built around the needs of families • The challenges of building a technology business without a technical background • Why human connection still matters in an increasingly AI-driven world • Where AI can — and cannot — improve the customer experience • The future of social care and technology • Debbie's advice for entrepreneurs looking to scale a business • Why businesses need to focus on the end user, not just internal efficiency • Her ambition to make OpenScore a standard used by care providers across the UK With social care, technology and AI changing rapidly, Debbie offers a fascinating perspective on how businesses can use innovation while keeping people at the heart of what they do. Subscribe for more Business Spotlight interviews with entrepreneurs and business leaders. #BusinessSpotlight #DebbieHarris #Autumna #SocialCare #CareHomes #Healthcare #Entrepreneurship #BusinessGrowth #AI #CareHomeUK #ElderlyCare #UKBusiness