Features

Working hard is a way to help you grow in whatever aspect you choose

Working hard and overcoming failure are two essential elements for achieving success. Often, people who are successful in their fields are admired for their talent, skill, and intelligence. However, what many people don’t realise is that success is not just about talent or skill. It’s about putting in the hard work and overcoming failures that come along the way.

Startups making a global impact

Tina Charisma covers the disrupters and innovators of the world, highlighting Samuel Brooksworth and his courage and dedication to his tech on-demand services platform, Remoteli. 

Founder’s guide to bulletproof your startup cyber attacks in 2023

Startups are as likely to fall victim to cyber-attacks as large organisations. A survey by Identity Theft Resource Centre shows that 58% of cyber attacks in 2022 targeted small businesses. 75% of these victims were attacked more than once in the same year.  A constant threat lurks over the IT infrastructure of startup companies and they need cybersecurity to safeguard their digital assets, data, employees, and stakeholders.

People-brands hold the key to competitive advantage

You’ve had a bright idea, given what feels like endless hours of thought to your business and worked on your company mission statement, which will shape culture and guide commercial activities. You’ve pulled the business plan together, developed a marketing strategy for the year ahead and set the company’s revenue targets to deliver incremental growth. You can pitch your product or service; you know who your customer is but who are you? And what matters to you and your team? Where’s the plan that guides your activities as a business owner, as an industry thought leader, or as a diverse collective of human beings?

Home is where the heart is

Synonymous with famous landmarks, chic neighbourhoods and multiculturalism, London is a dream destination for tourists, enchanting millions of travellers each year. However, is the capital an ideal place to launch a tech startup? 

Small businesses priced out of awards

Business today is extremely competitive. Customers have access to a large number of products and services and are hesitant to make buying decisions.

The customer journey in your creative business: 6 main steps to get right

Designing your business systems can give you clarity in many areas and identify what steps you are missing or need to improve. The key is to keep things simple. The core of your business is your customer journey, so that’s what you should focus on. You and your team may have many ideas on new ways to improve the journey, but it is important to look at the following six main steps when shaping it.

The power of branding for small businesses during an economic downturn

Small businesses are the backbone of the UK economy, accounting for 36% of turnover in the UK private sector and half of the UK workforce. However, this backbone is experiencing a great period of economic uncertainty as both their costs have increased and customers have less to spend. This uncertainty has led to four in five small business owners struggling to plan beyond 2023. Facing such economic headwinds, small businesses should look to the power of branding as the way to continue thriving.

Things you can do if you suspect your team member is mentally struggling

It’s mental awareness month, and educating people about mental health is essential as more and more people are affected. When people around us are experiencing mental health issues, we need to know how to respond.

Opportunities for future startup-to-startup collaboration
This article is part 4 of 4 in the series Keeping it in the startup community

In the final article in our four-part series, we will pick up where we left off in part three (startups leveraging each other’s networks to drive portfolio sales) and look at how young firms buying from each other creates opportunities for closer collaborations. Over to Sam Perry, Founder of Ensemble, with contributions from Rory Sadler Co-Founder and CEO at Trumpet.

Why Seed stage startups should save money on PR

When is the right time for startups to invest in PR? With a Seed round secured, focus turns immediately to the most pressing priorities and how to spend wisely to move the boat faster. 

More women-led businesses need to scale and sell

Of the six million UK businesses in 2022, just 32,000 (that’s just 0.01%) grew beyond 45 employees and only 8,000 businesses scaled to the point that they employed more than 250 people.

Demystifying Marketing: B2B website optimisations to capture more leads

In the past, requesting a demo or contacting the company was seen as a mainstay of B2B commerce. Today, however, modern B2B customers have shifting expectations when it comes to their purchasing journeys, and B2B websites must keep up if they want to turn traffic into leads.

Maximising tax returns: tips for global companies with UK-based employees

As a business owner, navigating the complex world of taxes can be a daunting task. However, by employing effective strategies, staying informed about tax laws, and seeking professional advice, you can confidently navigate the intricacies of the tax system. By doing so, you can identify and leverage various opportunities to minimise your tax liability and optimise your financial position.

The mistakes startups make training and managing student interns

More than ever, startups are hiring college interns. But most startups have little experience training and managing interns. And most students have never worked in a professional setting, let alone a fast-paced startup environment. Result: host companies rarely educate interns properly. Only once in a while do students actually get to do anything substantial. More likely, they’re given too little to do or outright neglected. And it’s a shame. Here, Samantha Dewalt and Nicola Corzine share their insight.

Failure: the path to innovation

If there is one thing everyone hates, it’s the sense of failure. Indeed, the sweetness of victory feels just so much better. As an entrepreneur, though, you may learn much more from setbacks than successes. We must approach failure with a different mindset – seeing it as a chance rather than an obstacle.

How to support an employee with social anxiety disorder

Mental Health Awareness Week takes place 15 – 21 May, and this year’s theme focuses on anxiety. Most people can relate to feelings of anxiety around a social activity, be it a family gathering, big work meeting, or starting a new job. Social anxiety disorder, however, can be far more debilitating than the ‘normal’ nervousness that we can all experience, and it can have a significant impact on the wellbeing and relationships of those it affects, as well as those around them.

Want To Embrace a Buyer-Focused Mindset for Your Startup? Learn to Think Like a DJ

In my day gig as a provider of sales support services to startups, it’s fascinating to hear which factors are believed to be the most important when trying to attract new customers.

How startups can help to solve the childcare crisis

Britain’s parents are paying to work.

How to make the investment process more transparent

Every startup or scaleup founder knows how tough raising investment in this environment can be. From getting the correct marketing documents together, perfecting your pitch to building your confidence and finding the right investors; the process can be a minefield.