Features

TDK Ventures, the investment arm of TDK, invests in early stage hard-tech entrepreneurs from all around the world to help accelerate their dreams and find solutions for the world’s difficult problems. For this issue’s Startups Launchpad feature, we caught up with TDK Ventures, Managing Director, Nicolas Sauvage to find out more.

If you’re an avid watcher of sport, like I am, you’ll know that there has been great strides made over the last few years regarding the integration of data and technology – whether it be the ongoing debate of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) in football, to the humble sports watch that tracks your steps and distance whilst running.

As someone who has sustained their fair share of sporting injuries over the years, I certainly could have done with the Running Pod Pro (RPP) wearable device from PhysiGo, which has the ability to analyse my run and provide actionable insights to improve running form, and crucially, prevent injury. We caught up with CEO and Co-founder, Luke Stephen-Perrett to find out more.

Evidence has shown that consumers trust their energy supplier about as much as they do city bankers or politicians – a damning indictment for the industry. However, in this issue’s Founder Focus feature, we speak to Simon Oscroft, Founder of energy supplier So Energy, who has dared to challenge the status-quo and whose company uses the latest technology to operate as efficiently as possible, keep costs to a minimum and pass those savings onto customers.

For small business owners, 2020 was all about adaptability. You adapted the way you do business, the way your team operates, the way you offer support to clients and employees. A lot was asked of you, but the old answers no longer applied. We learned a lot in 2020, but what’s next? And how can we get ready for the twists and turns that lie ahead? Great HR and remote working practices will be key to being a successful employer in 2021 and beyond.

The negative impact that working from home is having on British office workers’ wellbeing is looking likely to be a key narrative of 2021, as we launch into the new year with yet another lockdown.

This is arguably one of the toughest times to run a small business. The FSB this month published figures that suggest that nearly 5% of UK small companies expect to be forced to close within 12 months, the largest proportion in the history of the Small Business Index. If accurate it would mean that 295,000 companies will shut down this year. How can you be sure that you’re not part of this statistic?

As the pandemic continues to change how we work, and people working from home find themselves working longer hours and feeling under more pressure, the issues of work time versus down time and overall work-life balance have become even hotter topics than they ordinarily are.

Office relocations are necessary in many situations. You might be outgrowing the current office, or you may need to downsize your office after laying off staff so that you can afford to remain in business. Moving from one location to another may be necessary to better serve your customers or your top clients.

The pandemic has created challenges that many businesses have never seen before. Beyond the initial financial strain many endured, the ongoing restrictions have had a lasting impact on the way the UK workforce approaches the working week.

What a difference a year makes. In the last 12 months, your company has no doubt changed beyond recognition. Long time employees are likely missing each other and may not have even met the newbies hired via Zoom or Teams in the midst of the pandemic.

The journey to becoming a technical founder is not as clear-cut as other career paths. Some careers have clear cut journeys. Doctors and nurses can expect university degrees, post-university education, residencies, clinics and more. Lawyers need to pass exams after post-university education.

It’s a complicated time to be a business owner, whether it’s a multinational company or a small enterprise. But while larger companies are having to make systematic changes to accommodate lockdowns, social distancing, and the other realities of COVID-19, many small businesses have been left adrift without clear guidance on how to proceed.

Even the biggest companies started with just an idea. While their founders all dreamed for their business to grow, we’re guessing most of them didn’t really imagine that their small spark will stand strong and eventually reach a global scale. But we didn’t come here to talk about their ideas, we’re here to talk about yours and how to turn it into a reality.

As everyone is gradually settling into the newer methods of working at the time of lockdowns such as collaboration and remote working, it is a good time to consider the professional skills you possess for increasing your worth as an employee. You must find out what skills have to be updated for meeting the changing demands. Most of the conventional professional development activities such as conventions, workshops, and conferences have been either postponed or cancelled.

This last 12 months has shown what businesses can achieve through the power of collaboration, some naming 2020 the year for brand partnership dominance. Businesses have had to co-operate in unique and creative ways to navigate a COVID-19 stricken world.