Recently I connected with a non-profit civic engagement company called New Union to create a ‘tactical urbanism toolkit.’ Its aim is to bridge the gaps between governments and their citizens, starting conversations, and ultimately teaching communities that they can and should enact change within their communities – often for little or no cost.
Before the dreaded c-word hit the UK, and the rest of the world, most businesses were just planning for a busy Q2. With everything turned upside down and a full lockdown, it’s forced many SMEs and startup businesses to completely pivot and significantly adapt strategies.
SETsquared Bristol has been awarded ‘Hottest Accelerator’ in Europe at The Europas Awards. The University of Bristol led incubator, based at Engine Shed, supports the growth of technology-based businesses, helping them move from initial ideas into commercial viability.
We live in changing times. Rapidly changing times. Times always change and move forward but what has been remarkable recently has been the fact that the speed of change continues to increase year on year. It is no surprise, therefore, that many founders, both first time entrepreneurs and serial entrepreneurs, often ask themselves, and me, ‘where do I go from here?’
Performance marketing agency, Journey Further, has announced it has teamed up with Europe’s first revenue-based finance provider, Uncapped, to offer performance marketing support to entrepreneurs, startups and scaleups across the continent.
Global small business platform, Xero has announced its new analysis has revealed the extent of COVID-19’s impact on UK small business employment and revenue between March and May 2020, showing a 28% drop in revenue and a six percent decline in employment. Late payments to UK small businesses increased by 7.8 days between February and May 2020.
Embracing her entrepreneurial spirit and pursing a new venture, Suzann Bozorgi launched a tech platform designed to make interior design more accessible for clients.
Chocolate and technology, arguably two of the greatest two things in the entire world, and Sergio Figueredo, Founder of the startup Choco4Peace, is therefore arguably one of the greatest men in the world, as he managed to combine the two. Not only that he has also this year been chosen as the first Hustle Awards Winner in the category Social Impact Hero!
With a large and growing range of smart devices and intelligent products, Imou serves global IoT users through a ‘three in one’ business system encompassing Imou Cloud, the smart devices and the intelligent technology – and the latest and arguably most exciting one is the Ranger IQ.
More than two-thirds of business leaders across the UK have no idea how much employee sickness is costing their business, according to e-days, the absence intelligence platform.
French software provider, Saagie has announced a $28m fundraising round with Crédit Mutuel Innovation, alongside NewAlpha Asset Management, Seventure Partners and AG2R LA MONDIALE. Historic investors Cap Horn, BNPP Développement and C.Entrepreneurs (managed by Cathay Innovation) also participated.
The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed the way the world works, and with some UK workers beginning to return to the office, some anticipating a phased return in the coming weeks and others working at home for the foreseeable future, it can be difficult to connect the workforce together.
The Lloyds Bank National Business Awards has launched the Pivot for Purpose Award, a new trophy celebrating the fantastic achievements of UK organisations to support communities and key workers during the lockdown.
The pioneering supplier discovery platform connecting retailers with verified and sustainable suppliers, Sourcing Playground has announced that it has been awarded funding by Innovate UK to deliver an AI platform that will overhaul retail supply chains.
With COVID-19 set to spark the worst economic recession since the Great Depression, new research by the World Federation of Advertisers says 89% of large international companies have put their marketing and advertising campaigns on hold. Global marketing and advertising spend is plummeting at the fastest rate since the 2007-2008 financial crisis, leading to uncertainty and trepidation within the sector.
Secto Design has made a significant investment in startup company Paptic. “Until recently, Secto Design has purely invested in developing its own production. However, Paptic has such a meaningful goal and it fits perfectly to our own philosophy, that we had to jump along,” said Tuula Jusélius, the Founder of Secto Design.
From a young age Olivia Higgs, always knew she wanted to be an entrepreneur. Although initially it was more of a dream to own a boutique hotel, rather than being the Co-founder of NAVA, an app that enables users to explore cities in a personalised way whilst supporting local independent business owners, but it was through her interest in artificial intelligence that she found herself here.
With non-essential shops beginning to open in the UK, the latest Opinium-Cebr Business Distress Tracker shows things are already looking up for retailers, as less than a fifth (18%) now see themselves at risk of insolvency. This has fallen from 40% since the last Tracker two weeks ago.
The economic turndown resulting from Coronavirus is expected to have a devastating effect on SMEs, the extent of which will cost the UK’s small and medium sized businesses an average of around £12,000, according to a survey which shows that two fifths of such firms are at risk of closing permanently.
Within the context of the economic crisis caused by COVID-19, Trump has accused China of being the cause of the virus. If this were true, Beijing would have eliminated 91% of UK exports to China over the past ten years in one fell swoop.
