Funding

Top Tips to Getting Investment Ready

If you want to scale your early-stage business, and to grow it quickly, then it is quite possible that you will need to raise investment by selling part of your business to new investors. This is done by the business issuing new shares which has the impact of leaving the original shareholders owning the same number of shares that they did, but a smaller percentage of the total.

This article is part 13 of 14 in the series Kevins Top Tips
The difference in scaling after raising Series A and Series B funding

It’s not for nothing that the tech ecosystem can resemble an extreme sport at times.

UK startups must rely on international funding and talent

UK inflation has risen to 10.1% in July, the first time it’s hit double digits in 40 years, according to the ONS – up from 9.4% in June. Driven by rising costs in energy, food, and fuel, this has resulted in a drastic drop in funding and valuations across the startup arena, with a report from Tech Nation revealing that 50% of earlier-stage startups were struggling to scale beyond the seed and pre-seed stages.

The business benefits of renting home office equipment over buying

The ‘war for talent’ is only intensifying, meaning every perk counts. If you weren’t offering your remote/hybrid team members an attractive home office package before, you should seriously consider doing so now.

Top tips to surviving recession

It has been said that ‘when the going gets tough, the tough get going’. But in reality, when a recession is looming and the business environment gets even tougher than normal, many more businesses, especially early-stage businesses, will fail.

This article is part 12 of 14 in the series Kevins Top Tips
Aerospace Xelerated opens call for startups working on digital services and solutions

Aerospace Xelerated has announced that its call for applications is open.

Simple bookkeeping for small business owners

If you’re thinking of starting a small business, it won’t do you good if you don’t know how to keep track of your money. Bookkeeping involves more than just maintaining receipts; it includes preparing financial statements and taxes. In this quick-start guide, we’ll introduce you to bookkeeping tips so you can get started in the right direction.

When term sheets are tightening and VC’s are closing ranks – what should you do?

The front pages of the newspapers tell us that the economy is on a precipice. Interest rates are rising, inflation is at a 40-year high, and many report that venture capital is pulling back.

A third of SMEs set to fold without further funding

One in three UK small and medium enterprises (SMEs) say their survival is dependent on accessing finance by the end of the year, new research from NerdWallet has revealed.  

Applications are open for the Impact Accelerator for Women Founders 

AWS is launching a one-of-its-kind programme that gives more women founders the support they need to accelerate their businesses. 

Green light given to sustainable startups with £5m investment

Sainsbury’s partners with Williams Advanced Engineering and gives green light to sustainable startups with £5m investment

Gender matters when accessing funding

More than a quarter of SMEs believe that debt funding is more widely available to male-owned businesses than female, according to research conducted by independent asset manager BOOST&Co.

Where Can Companies Save Money When Starting Out?

When starting your own business, there are hundreds of things to think about and it can seem like the list of expenses is never-ending. From operational costs, to the cost of overheads, employing staff and getting your company’s name out there, there are many costs that need to be paid. However, if you are savvy, there are certain areas where you might be able to cut costs and keep your business more cost-efficient and today we hear from some industry leaders to get their thoughts.

Top Tips to Cash Flow

These are tough times for many businesses. Rapid inflation and so rising input costs. Rising interest rates leading to increased financial costs. Squeezed consumers buying less and making it difficult to pass on increased costs by increasing prices. Add to this, recession, and global supply chain issues, and for many it is the perfect storm conspiring to undermine business.

Startups need to recruit techies the same way as they pitch for funding

Disparity from HR, eagle eye investors who are aware of the issue and startups with big goals and small bank accounts have all compounded into a tech recruitment issue causing much debate in the industry.

Adopting more payment options to boost conversion rates

The payments world is complex and packed with innovative payment providers and technologies that cater to every customer’s need. This multitude of providers shows the increasing innovation in this sector. Equally, it makes it challenging to navigate the payments ecosystem and find the right providers for the right markets. 

Prioritising mental health within startup and VC culture

Let’s face it, in the startup and VC world, every day can bring a new set of challenges. This is why many of us are drawn to the industry in the first place – it’s a high stakes space where mere ideas can turn into multi-billion global businesses, amassing considerable wealth for both entrepreneurs and their investors.

Fundraising – Everything you need to know to get your business off the ground

You are convinced that your novel and amazing business idea is going to change the world. So what do you do next to get it off and running? In the autumn of 2021, we raised a £300k pre-seed round for FoodLama from some notable angels who had exited their ventures to companies like Snap and Twitter, as well as someone on the board of Kraft Heinz. This is an attempt at describing what we learnt before, during and after that journey.

Startup Equity: How Best to Manage It

Launching a business is not easy. As a young entrepreneur, you have to focus on different areas. Although your primary responsibilities include empowering and scaling a business, you must focus on equity. Equity management becomes critical when considering investors for funding your business.

Let’s talk about money

When it comes to the topic of ‘Money’ people feel a ton of emotions. Some feel sadness, anxiety, depression. Others get excited and see it as an opportunity to make the world a better place, to travel and to take care of their loved ones.