There’s still time to recession-proof your business

It’s troubling times for industries around the world who are attempting to negotiate the impact of a global pandemic and – for those in the UK and EU, the uncertainty around Brexit.

Generating insights from speech data in contact centre calls

Speechmatics and Prosodica, a provider of innovative voice and audio analysis technology and subsidiary of Vail Systems, have announced their partnership to deliver better caller experiences to enhance customer care and improve customer experiences.

Coronavirus cuts Q2 bridging finance volumes in half to £79m

Bridging volumes fell by more than half in the second quarter of 2020 and by 45% over the first half of 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 lockdown hit activity.

Manchester-based tech startup chosen by Asda to support CX

George at Asda, UK supermarket clothing brand, has partnered with delivery experience platform, Sorted as part of a trial aimed at providing real time updates to improve post-purchase tracking for George customers.

Five year growth target set to €100m

Global provider of Real Time Locating Systems (RTLS), Quuppa has announced its first ever round of funding, worth €20m.

5 top tips on how to approach a mentor

For freelancers and small business owners, mentors can help take your career to the next level. As such, Tide explores what to look for in an ideal mentor, and how to successfully find and approach one.

Mobile self-checkout technology launched in Irish grocery stores

Retailer and wholesaler, BWG Foods, has become the first retail and FMCG business in Ireland to launch an innovative Scan, Pay & Go checkout technology, developed by MishiPay, as part of a new pilot scheme taking place across its retail network.

Five ways to implement design thinking in your business

Now more than ever, the power of design thinking is being recognised. From Airbnb and Netflix to Tesla and Samsung, companies are looking to this ideology to change the way they view business problems, using it as a catalyst to introduce customer-focused design that works.

First-in-the-world cloud manufacturing solution developed

Manchester tech startup Fractory has announced that it has developed a first-in-the-world cloud manufacturing solution, becoming the only platform capable of instantly processing 3D models for pricing tube cutting without the need for manufacturing drawings.

Santander’s emerging entrepreneurs programme supports next-gen of talent

Santander UK is currently running the Santander Universities Emerging Entrepreneurs programme for 2020, bringing together budding entrepreneurs from across the UK and offering them start-up support as well as a chance of receiving up to £30,000 of funding at a virtual pitching competition final in September.

Google finds we are an economy of kindness

Local businesses are core to our communities, but the impact of COVID-19 has been tough on business owners and the surrounding community. As part of Google’s commitment to supporting local businesses in the UK, new research conducted by YouGov on behalf of Google has been released today which reveals the positive changes in people’s connections to their local community sparked by lockdown and that up to date online information is key to reigniting consumer confidence.

The best founders have lived the problem they’re trying to solve

It’s received wisdom that successful startups solve real world problems. But there’s a commonly overlooked footnote to this mantra: you can’t try to solve a problem unless you’ve lived it first. Because without gaining the authentic understanding of lived experience, you’ll never find a solution that works in practice as well as in theory.

How remote working is transforming company culture

Remote working has been in the technology ecosystem for many years. I have personally been doing partial remote work for the last ten to twenty years and what I have found is surprising. Most individuals are not used to this style of work which is accelerating a nationwide transformation of company culture.

Top tips to adapting and pivoting

Before any business is established the founder will of course have spotted a gap in the market, thought of the original idea, conducted research, and come up with the MVP. Taking these basic thoughts and then forming a business around them, with all the necessary steps that regular readers will now be very familiar with, does of course take considerable time and effort. 

From startup to sustainable growth

Nottingham-based electronics design and software engineering consultancy, Ignys recently celebrated their 3rd anniversary after moving into their new premises on Nottingham Science Park. East Midlands entrepreneur, Richard Fletcher set up Ignys in 2017 to provide the product development industry with an extra resource.

Xero acquires Waddle to help improve SMEs cash flow

Xero has ​announced the acquisition of Waddle, a cloud based lending platform that helps small businesses access capital through invoice financing. The acquisition aligns with Xero’s strategy to grow the small business platform and to address critical small business financial needs. Waddle’s cloud lending platform, combined with small businesses’ invoice data, will enable the delivery of tailored invoice financing solutions.

The digital bond trading revolution

It’s no secret that the fintech sector is booming. Here, Startups Magazine speaks to David Nicol, CEO and Co-founder of fintech startup, LedgerEdge, which is providing a new ecosystem for the exchange of data and assets in the corporate bond market, on the challenges of launching a new firm in this sector.

Mistakes are sent packing: autonomous machine vision improves accuracy

According to the World Allergy Organisation (WAO), 2.5% of the general population is allergic to one of more foods, while up to 10% can manifest adverse drug reactions. This is just one example of why in highly regulated industries, such as food or pharmaceutical manufacturing, it is particularly important to protect consumers by ensuring that items are properly packaged and labelled.

Five startups win £1000 worth of finance training

Five startup businesses have won a year’s access to a new online finance training platform from a Yorkshire-based finance management firm. The wins are part of a competition which launched Mellor Financial Training’s virtual training platform, established to offer an on-demand digital system specifically designed to be consumed online.

How to make your business more eco-friendly

As we continue to work towards the government’s net zero emissions by 2050 commitment, businesses are naturally becoming increasingly aware of the need to be more eco-friendly. Other strategies, such as the Clean Growth Strategy, which aims to promote economic growth at the same time as decreasing emissions, mean that the focus on having a positive effect on the environment is now higher than ever.