Against the backdrop of continued economic uncertainty, 106 new businesses were created every hour across Britain in the first half of 2024, according to research by iwoca – one of Europe’s largest SME lenders.
Sustainability is no longer a distant ideal for businesses – it’s a pressing priority and a transformative opportunity. In the face of environmental and economic challenges, a new report reveals how small businesses across the UK are embedding green practices into their operations. These businesses demonstrate how sustainability can drive innovation, strengthen communities, and ensure long-term success.
As the festive season unwraps, new research from monday.com, the multi-product platform that runs all core aspects of work, reveals that UK employees are challenging the traditional year-end slowdown. A survey of 1,343 UK workers reveals that the majority (89%) remain productive during the holiday period, with over one in two (55%) reporting a surge in output driven by approaching year-end deadlines (25%) and a motivation to finish the year strong (30%).
As startups begin to grow, and projects develop, we find that it can be easy for founders and employees to ensure that every task undertaken by the business aligns with future goals. As part of our Innovation Toolbox, which is a wide range of resources developed for startups, we developed the Strategy Ladder as a way to make sure your mission and vision run through every piece of work you do.
Imagine finishing university, unsure if your degree aligns with your passions, struggling to navigate the job market, or simply wondering what you truly like or dislike. On top of that, making new friends or meaningful connections feels more daunting than ever.
Resilience is crucial for managing stress, handling change, and recovery and recharge. If you’re already anxious and overwhelmed, it can be challenging to focus on your resilience, but it is possible. Here are six practical steps you can take to build resilience.
A new poll has found that almost seven in 10 small and medium-sized businesses struggle to find new recruits with adequate skills. The Attitudes to Work study, conducted by an independent research firm, surveyed 525 business professionals at SME companies across various industries. It was commissioned by coworking company, The Brew.
Over 1,000 startups from around the world have participated in the 13 editions of the South Summit Madrid Startup Competition, each year, the competition selects the 100 most innovative and disruptive entrepreneurial projects on the planet. These startups have achieved a survival rate of close to 90% and have had a significant impact on the ecosystem: $15,3 billion raised in investment rounds, $11,4 billion in revenue, and nearly 60,000 jobs created. Additionally, they have been involved in over 100 exits, with eight reaching unicorn status, including notable Spanish companies such as Cabify, Factorial and JobandTalent.
Nscale, the hyperscaler engineered for AI, has announced that it has raised $155 million in Series A funding to accelerate expansion across Europe and North America. Led by Sandton Capital Partners, with participation from Kestrel, Bluesky Asset Management, and Florence Capital, this oversubscribed funding round signals strong confidence in Nscale’s path to building the hyperscaler, purposely engineered for AI.
The TechWorks Annual Awards ceremony served as a platform to celebrate excellence in the dynamic technology sector, highlighting innovation and individual achievements across this globally significant industry.
FIGR Ventures, a newly established family office fund, has announced its first portfolio investment into TRUSS, a UK-based tech startup revolutionising the fashion industry by powering resale with AI-enabled data infrastructure.
2024 was a turbulent year for startups. The anticipation of a new government coming to power and what the subsequent Autumn Budget would hold meant the landscape for the startup ecosystem in the UK was uncertain for much of the year. Meanwhile, budgets were tight due to restricted cash flow as the UK and Europe recovered from shrinking economies in 2023, and VC funding declined in early 2024.
New research from Xero, the global small business platform, has found leaders of the UK’s smallest businesses (1-9 employees) and sole traders spend less than half (46%) of the working week on their core jobs. These businesses effectively aren’t starting work on primary responsibilities until 2:36pm on Wednesday, because they’re juggling non-core roles like IT, legal, admin, finance and cleaning.
Mambu, a cloud banking platform, has announced the acquisition of Numeral, a French payment technology provider for banks and fintechs.
Christmas may be the season of giving, but new research from Pleo, surveying 1,000 UK working adults who incur expenses, reveals employees are unintentionally footing the bill for their bosses.
When I decided to stop practising as a social worker in March 2023 to devote myself full-time to my own business, I felt a deep sense of satisfaction and gratification. I felt content; I felt whole. Of course, I then faced a new set of challenges, but I realised that what I had achieved empowered me to deal with those challenges. Having achieved my purpose, I was able to navigate the tides and ride the waves that came my way.
Thrive, the fast-growth all-in-one learning technology company, has released findings from the UK’s first medical trial of the four-day work week in partnership with the University of Sussex, revealing significant improvements in both physical and mental wellbeing and productivity, but some challenges on a business level.
Oxford Ionics, a startup in trapped-ion quantum computing, has announced it is working together with Quanscient, a provider of multiphysics simulation software, and aerospace manufacturer Airbus to develop quantum simulations for computational fluid dynamics.
To operate successfully in an interconnected yet multifaceted world, the ability to communicate and relate in different languages has become increasingly important. Brits abroad are renowned for being lazy with language, relying on the widespread use of English in most parts of the world. Not only is this slightly mortifying, but this has resulted in an actual language deficit in the UK, which has been identified by the UK government as a barrier to trade.
Rick Gosling, Director and chartered financial planner at Five Wealth, explores how business owners can make surplus cash work harder for their companies.
