Seven Italian startups selected to participate in Israel’s first accelerator program for Italian startups could not have imagined in early January that the coronavirus pandemic would spread so rapidly and inflict such deadly damage to their country and around the world during their stay in Eilat.
Businesses in the UK, and across the world, are facing unprecedented challenges in order to survive and thrive in the wake of COVID-19. Scaling businesses are facing an additional and unique set of challenges, as many will be in the ‘critical growth’ phase which is often loss-making – embarking on a stage of expansion in order to achieve future revenue growth. This makes the current climate daunting to approach.
The longer the coronavirus lockdown goes on, the more my conversations with startups have varied from the norm. Just another example of ‘the new normal’ maybe, but recently I keep overhearing conversations comparing being in lockdown as being similar to being under siege.
With COVID-19 continuing to be at the forefront of everyone’s minds it can be hard to prioritise the right things for your startup when it comes to managing money. This is undoubtedly a tough time for everybody, but for startups, freelancers, sole traders and small business owners, it’s hitting particularly hard.
There is no question that these are unprecedented times, incredibly difficult for everyone mentally, physically, socially and economically.
In the UK educational technology (or edtech), is currently significantly under-funded, compared to a market like the US. Despite this, London-based company The Profs is shining through and making great strides when it comes to enhancing the offering of one-to-one education. Startups Magazine caught up with Founder Richard Evans.
It’s always been clear to me that I’m not a math person. Or at least that’s the story I’m used to telling myself. Soon after graduating from Political Science and International Relations, I started working for Panama’s foreign service in Geneva. This was an opportunity of a lifetime, representing my country on issues I cared for like gender, climate change, and mass migrations.
We are now a few weeks into the UK’s ‘lockdown’, and the existence of many small – and large – businesses is under threat. An inability to operate cash flows as normal is undoubtedly a major concern and so many are seeking ways to cut costs and access cash, and fast.
UK businesses are still missing out on thousands of pounds of unclaimed tax credits, according to new figures from Leyton, the UK’s leading innovation funding consultancy. Leyton’s clients – 85% of which are SMEs – claimed an average of £78,000 in R&D tax credits last year.
UK-founded marketing technology company ContentCal has secured a £2.5 million investment from early and growth stage investor Fuel Ventures with participation from existing shareholders. The new funding will be focussed on driving customer growth, product innovation and doubling the size of the team.
Across the globe, companies are introducing innovative ways to help their workforce focus. Wildly unconventional benefits and perks have surfaced over the last few years, with research estimating that increasing happiness can boost productivity by around 12%.
Balpro helps businesses balance aggressive revenue goals with employee wellbeing, creating aspirational corporate cultures that are safe to log off from. A typical client would be a company that’s flown through hyper-growth but forgotten to nurture their staff along the way, meaning that they’re suffering from a decline in productivity and have started haemorrhaging staff. Balpro helps their leadership get their mojo back, reignite employee engagement, help employees reconnect to the corporate vision and create a more safe, supportive and sustainable environment. Here we interview Founder Amber Coster.
YourLocal.Delivery, a new free online store service, is supporting local businesses to sell their goods online and help them to survive current difficult trading circumstances. Since its launch last month, a number of Kent businesses have signed up to the service and are already experiencing sales.
VibePay has announced its open banking driven offer for businesses. The latest products will allow brands to process frictionless checkout and subscription payments online, increasing transaction success and reducing fees, whilst giving brands a gateway into their engaged Gen Z community.
In 2020, companies throughout the world are investing significantly in colleague training. 94 per cent of British businesses’ suggesting, ‘that even in the current economic climate, learning and development is at the heart of their strategy’. The report by UK L&D noted how none of the companies who are spending more than the national average of £300 on training for each employee have a retention rate of less than half a year. Clearly, staff morale and job satisfaction are enhanced by sufficient training.
As a startup there is probably a high possibility you are not currently doing what you planned to do when you were child. ‘When I grow up I want to create my own business’ isn’t heard as often as policeman, astronaut or pilot we surely all have to agree.
The current Covid-19 pandemic is causing havoc for businesses across the world. If you are an employer with a small business, you are likely struggling or are concerned about the future of your company in the current economic climate.
Found & Flourish is a female founders and aspiring entrepreneurs online membership, media & events platform. We have over 10,000 women within our network and run on average 40 events a year. Our mission is to empower women in business to launch, grow and scale their dream businesses. We also provide services, resources and community to support the women at every stage of their entrepreneurial journey.
Inspiration can be found in the most unusual of places, although clinging to a yacht’s mast in the middle of a Caribbean storm might not be an obvious source of entrepreneurial zeal. However, this was the case for Jelte Liebrand, Founder of marine navigation platform Savvy Navvy, who has also recently been named as the Seedrs Entrepreneur of the Year. We caught up with him to find out more.
With interest rates constantly changing, it can be difficult to secure the best rates every time the market moves. So how can you make the most of your cash?
