We are currently in a state of uncertainty in many different aspects, and for businesses it can be a very daunting time. After the past few years we have had, it is now about rebuilding the UK economy.

Famous for its coffee culture, grunge music scene, and chewing gum wall, Seattle boasts beauty, greenery and elegance. What’s more, when I picture the city, I think of ferry boats and the Space Needle, all thanks to medical drama, Grey's Anatomy.

As the cryptocurrency market is becoming more and more popular, many people are trying their luck by trading various cryptocurrencies. You also need to be aware that there is a huge profit to be made in that market. But with that said, it also brings certain risks. In order to start your trading adventure, you will need a crypto wallet.

In the last two years the digital payments landscape has experienced rapid evolution, which has largely been driven by the Covid-19 pandemic. Now that the UK economy begins to recover from the last two years, it’s evident that consumer expectations around the ease and choice of payment options have changed permanently, and it is essential that SMEs are aware of their demands.

Obviously as a startup there are a million things that you should be doing. But here is a checklist of ten that you need to prioritise from your never-ending list. 

The metaverse is a growing phenomenon. It has a huge variety especially when it comes to investing in the metaverse. We spoke to Grant Blaisdell, CEO of Copernic Space and asked his expert opinion on what we can expect to see with trends in the metaverse and investment. 

Even though customer service and customer experience are related, they are far from the same. One focuses on human relations, and the other is the sum of a customer's entire journey with a brand or company.

Duolingo has taken the online world by storm with its bold, hilarious marketing on TikTok, racking up an impressive 4.3 million followers. However, it doesn’t stop there. It can teach tech startups a lot, from the importance of gamification to ensuring product engagement. Duolingo is a free language learning website and mobile app allowing users to practice vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation using spaced repletion for 39 different languages. Here, Startups Magazine hears from CEO of AdamFard UX Studio, Adam Fard, discussing the key takeaways from Duolingo for tech companies.

Apple propelled Tap to Pay to the forefront of payments and fintech news, with their new Tap to Pay feature effectively turning iPhones into payment terminals. In theory, this could be a gamechanger for small businesses in the UK, helping them avoid high fees and clunky tech. What’s more, it’s not just Apple who’s bringing out new solutions here. Plenty of new entrants to the market are making a play for the Android users who make up 45% of the market. Now, let’s look at whether this is a technology which will really take off.

Creating and presenting a pitch deck is always a daunting prospect. Especially when you’re new to the process. Just knowing what information to include can be a minefield, let alone how to present it. And while tech advancements have opened the way to multimedia presentations, the question remains whether the likes of GIFs, emojis, and animations are appropriate in a business setting. Can they be used to make your business stand out in the right way?

Creating a highly engaged workforce and a thriving workplace continues to be a major focus for all HR managers. And the reason is simple. Every business needs what employee engagement creates: happier and more productive employees.

Cross-border commerce has created a new digital age of endless possibility. Brands and companies can expand into untapped markets, as well as grow their visibility with potential new consumers who aren’t dependent on localised commerce.

A successful team will be the foundation of any efficient and thriving business, no matter what industry the company is in. Even in high pressure industries, having a good team will make a big difference and will dictate how the company progresses and performs.

No matter how promising your startup idea is and how airtight your financials are, it's simply a fact that you will not succeed without the right people on your team. Hiring talent is crucial for startup success and should be your top priority as a founder.

Whether this is your first business, a new enterprise, or a brand within your existing company, choosing the right name is a vital part of its success. There are many factors to consider and, as IP and business name experts, we’ll take you through the process to ensure you’re off to the best start.

Dr Jeffery Timmons of Babson College in Massachusetts developed the Timmons Model of Entrepreneurship during his PhD thesis at Harvard University. This model has now become a well-known guide for entrepreneurs on how to increase their chances of success. Basically, he states that the success of a startup business hinges on the entrepreneur, the (market) opportunity and the resources.

Being a freelancer is amazing, you can control your professional and personal life, make sure they don't overlap, and also take an opportunity to establish a fruitful business you're the sole responsible for.

In 1975, when the UK first made it illegal to discriminate in the workplace on the grounds of sex, it’s unlikely that many people in the workforce had a formal “mentor”. Yet so many of us can recall how the guidance of one person, be it a teacher or senior colleague, had a profoundly positive impact on the direction of our lives and careers.

It has been over two years since the pandemic led to a large section of the population working from home. However, with the easing of COVID restrictions, the anticipated rush to return to the office has not materialised. Although there has been a general inclination to return after prolonged periods of working in isolation, COVID’s lingering nature, its many variants, and general uncertainty about whether a return to the office is really needed, has led to wide-spread inertia. 

Anthony Chadwick, considers himself to be a lucky person, as he is working in something he loves and has wanted since he was eight. As someone who is passionate about people, the planet and the animals that live there, it is the perfect fit for him. Being proud that his profession, veterinary, is at the forefront of developing a holistic one health approach to some of the big problems that face us, here Anthony talks about how this profession is tackling the waste problem and increasing biodiversity.  

Salesforce’s Global Digital Skills Index has revealed that 76% of respondents do not feel prepared for a world that prioritises tech savviness and a digital-first mindset. This, coupled with The Great Resignation, is causing significant problems for tech companies globally. Resourcing is a challenge that isn’t going away.

Keeping the customers you already have will always be more profitable and more important than finding new ones. Being able to sustain a high customer retention rate should be the priority of every business. Content marketing strategies are a great way to do this. Construct your buyer journey to continue beyond the initial purchase and optimise your content to ensure customers trust your brand.

For many, the Great Resignation has been a time of new roles, new opportunities, and career changes. Some have called it the Great Reset.

The ticketing market is something people of all ages and backgrounds have experience of. From a historic live music event to a local food festival, we have all had to go online and pre-book tickets. And most of us have at least once been left disappointed by having to go to a secondary market to pay an eye-wateringly high price just moments after the tickets first went on sale.

If you’re one of the half a million people in the UK that qualifies as a High Net Worth Individual (an annual salary of at least £100k, or net assets, excluding property and pensions, worth £250k), and are looking for more empowerment, impact, community and flexibility, now is the time to consider becoming an angel investor.

With international cyberattacks peaking at the end of 2021, founder are starting to get more serious about digitally protecting their companies from the outset.

Blockchain technology is amazing. Sadly, it is most known for bitcoins and other virtual currencies, where the added value of the technology has little to no meaning  to humankind. At the end of the day, Bitcoins  just create a lot of CO2 for nothing.

One of the key things that everyone struggles with is Time Management, whether they are C-Suite (I actually hate that phrase) or a junior executive. It’s also even more prevalent if you are the owner of a Start-up where you can end up being responsible for everything from toilet rolls to long-term business strategy. Even if you are the owner of a thriving SME with a team, you’ll still end up with a long, long ‘To Do’ list that never seems to get shorter, but only seems to grow longer. So what is the answer for effective Time Management?

As many UK health tech and fitness brands are moving through to the new financial year, you can hear the buzz of excitement from marketing communication professionals as finally, we are going back to face-to-face events. Nevertheless, content marketing remains a significant part of the PR and digital marketing strategy, and by the looks of it, its importance is only increasing.

74% of American companies have already adopted or plan to adopt a permanent hybrid work model. There are many benefits to using a hybrid work model for your startup. Your employees will have a better work-life balance, you can downsize your office space, and your employees will be more content.

Chances are you’ve heard the phrase ‘imposter syndrome’ at some point. Originally identified in a 1978 study, it refers to the idea that high-achieving individuals might consider themselves to be ‘imposters’ in their workplace, regardless of any evidence to the contrary.

Climate scientists have argued that ambitions for reaching net-zero emissions by 2050 will no longer be enough to avoid the worst impacts of global warming, because change is happening more rapidly than predicted.

We talk a lot about how leaders need to make sure everyone in their team is happy and comfortable. It’s important to create a culture that promotes well-being and performance, but while leaders take care of the people they lead, who is taking care of them?

When you first set out to launch a business, you’re prepared for the many beginner pitfalls. You might not know what they all are, or where they’ll all come from, but you know that it won’t be easy – primarily because everyone tells you so. However, something that’s talked about less often is the difficulties you’ll face once your business is fully established and you’re ready to start growing

Everyone, at some point in their career, has experienced feeling less-than-confident. Whether you were a nervous junior who felt like they had everything to prove, a new recruit meeting a highly-skilled team or an employee who has recently received a promotion – feeling like you don’t belong in a workplace or don’t deserve to be there is one of the most universal experiences going around.

So far in this ‘Back to Basics’ series we have looked at nine fundamental areas that entrepreneurs and would-be founders either consider or should be considering, both before and during their startup journey. These have covered: Should I Find a Co-founder?; Working with Advisors; To Scale or Not to Scale?; Pitch Decks and Business Plans; Think Green!; Raising Finance; Basic Truths; Cash Flow is Everything; and Second Thoughts.

Learning and development are crucial in creating a high performing team. Everyone processes information differently and it’s no different when we learn. With no two people the same, it’s important to acknowledge the different employee learning styles of employees in your team.

Undelivered packages. Lost parcels. Delays. Everyone has been a victim of a flawed last-mile delivery at least once, and failed deliveries significantly affect customer experience. Today's article will help you improve your last-mile delivery and avoid unsatisfied customers.

Historically, larger institutions have held the keys to the investment kingdom. Banks, hedge funds and other financial heavyweights have long used exclusive access and knowledge to peer under the hoods of public companies, using their findings to inform their investment decisions. Meanwhile individual investors have been left with little power in the stock market, deprived of the access and insight required to compete and find an edge.

Social mobility affects us all. It covers all strata in society and does not just affect those typically seen as underprivileged. The family you were born into, where you come from, or the people you know shouldn’t be what shapes your life and prospects – but the reality is these things can still impact an individual’s progression in life and in the workplace as much as talent and skill.

With The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations fast approaching, brands all over Britain are racing to get a slice of the royal pie.

The notion that the pandemic shifted the needle when it comes to applying technology to learning is overblown. Yes, we adapted, but did we really innovate? In many cases, we took the static, traditional learning process and shoehorned it into an online format. Technological advances progress at breakneck speed, and yet learning is an area that is not even close to making the most of what technology has to offer. Why is it, when we have the world’s most powerful knowledge resource (the internet) at our fingertips, that we continue to apply 200-year old ideas to how we learn?

To say 2022 has been a tumultuous year so far would be nothing short of an understatement. The cost of living is soaring, inflation is at its highest level in 30 years and the energy price cap rose by 54% at the start of April.

The method used by employers to conduct the necessary ‘right to work’ checks will be altered once more, as was outlined within the latest guidelines recently unveiled by the Government. With the interim process that was introduced during the pandemic slated for imminent withdrawal, news regarding further revisions perhaps won’t come as much of a surprise for many employers. However, there remains an element of disquiet as to whether the new procedures could also have a costly impact on business owners at a time when soaring expenses are already hurting many industries.

Making group decisions can be inefficient at the best of times, or an ordeal at worst. That time you couldn’t agree on lunch plans in the office with colleagues, and, no, being distracted by email overload was no excuse. Or when your team hit the wall while trying to decide on a research project.

As we are pivoting towards a digital-first world, SaaS is an acronym that pops up now and then. It stands for ‘software as a service’, and the boom in digital suggests significant growth in the SaaS industry.

Starting a business can be daunting. As a business owner for 16 years, I’ve learnt important lessons on the way. I wish I’d known these five tips when starting out, but for anyone starting out here are some vital lessons I’ve learnt.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the great resignation have caused us all to reconsider work, what we do and why, how we do it and where. It has put the onus on employers to deliver versatility on and offline, empowering employees with the technologies and working arrangements that will best produce efficiency, job retention, and satisfaction.

"If the reputation of a company’s products and services is its face, the talent brand is its heart and soul," said Hank Stringer & Rusty Rueff.

Building a brand is an intimidating prospect, and you might be tempted to plunge in without spending time on careful consideration and research beforehand. That's a mistake.

In the business world, there are two main types of messaging: A2P and P2P. But what do these terms mean? And which one is better for your company? In this blog post, we will explore the differences between A2P and P2P messaging, and explain when each type is most beneficial.

By the time you’ve read the opening line of this article, the average millennial has already switched off. That’s because millennials’ attention span for digital content is on average 12 seconds.

As a new startup business you have a number of things to consider in order to build and ensure success. One particularly crucial factor is selecting your tech stack. While on the surface it might seem like an easy decision, it can prove detrimental to a businesses’ success if not given careful consideration.

The last few years brought on sweeping changes – and challenges – across workplaces, industries and for business leaders. Many SME leaders and entrepreneurs found their roles transformed as health and safety came to the fore of decision making processes.

Retail technology startup, Slip provide insight on how its female co-founder had a 60% response rate when reaching out to female engineers about open jobs at the company while the male co-founder had no responses. 

We talk a lot about how leaders need to make sure everyone in their team is happy and comfortable. It’s important to create a culture that promotes well-being and performance, but while leaders take care of the people they lead, who is taking care of them? Ollie Phillips, Founder of Optimist Performance, pens some thoughts on loneliness amongst leaders, and how to address it.

The UK hospitality industry had a rougher pandemic than most. Between social distancing measures, forced closures and widespread uncertainty, business owners watched with gritted teeth as the sector lost an eye-watering 13 sites a day since the arrival of COVID-19.

A lot has happened in the past two years that have dramatically altered the way we define the concept of ‘work’. It is clear that hybrid working isn’t going anywhere and there has been a mixed bag of feelings about this working style. We’ve gone from feeling isolated during lockdowns, to loving avoiding the commute, to thinking about how we can use this model to its full potential.

Data is the lifeblood of any business. Critical to organisations of all sizes and sectors, it powers growth, enabling business leaders to make the decisions that come from insight and evidence. But when businesses are in startup mode, protecting data can fall to the bottom of their “to-do” list.  Here are five simple tips which will give you the peace of mind that comes with knowing your data is backed-up securely.

Entrepreneurs would all be delighted to find the magic solution to growing their business tenfold but what if the answer isn’t a magic solution but rather simply following a number of key drivers which lead inexorably towards that dream growth?

Have you ever been described as ‘too much?’ Too worried? Too… anything. What if our too much is actually our superpower? Does the below resonate with you?

Anyone that has started their own business, and even those that have thought about it but not made the jump as yet, or indeed decided not to do so in the end, all recognise that it is a big decision. A very big decision. And as such, it is a decision that is often deliberated over for a long time before it is acted upon. Certainly, a lot of research and clear thinking needs to be done before committing.

As COVID-19 has entered its third year, entrepreneurism and gig work is on the rise. Over 10% of the UK workforce, and over 20% in London, now work in the gig economy.  People are demanding greater flexibility and autonomy in their professions, thus work culture objectives are shifting too.

The threat landscape is rapidly expanding and in 2022, there’s one thing at the forefront of every corporate agenda: cybersecurity. In a world of sophisticated cyberwarfare and rising geopolitical tensions, cybersecurity threats are evolving at an even faster pace, impacting entire businesses, crippling operations, and risking hard-won reputations.

Hybrid working is the new norm and brings advantages to both businesses and their employees. However, it also creates a new set of challenges and requires a shift in activities to support employee empowerment.

For most, if not all freelancers, the invitation to work for free will land on our desks, often early on in our freelance careers.

The supply chain network faces another major crisis after shaking the global economy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Earth Day commences on the 22nd of April. Earth Day marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970. It celebrates the importance of recycling in preserving our natural resources and securing the future of our planet.

You’re reading this because you care. Because you want to make a difference, but the harsh reality is that you care more about your day job, the bottom-line, fund-raise, your next hire. Because that pays the bills and keeps the roof over everyone’s head. Once that’s all done, then you can worry about being sustainable.

The spirit implies your psyche or soul. The act of nourishing your spirit is spiritual wellness. Our physical, mental, and behavioural health condition determines our spiritual health.

If you use a managed service provider (MSP) for your small business’s IT needs, you may have noticed that your monthly spend with them has increased. This is because Microsoft has raised the price of the monthly subscription licence for the Office 365 suite. 

This Earth Day, Gaia’s Farming Co. is urging people to make a sustainable swap from dairy to its deliciously creamy ‘Hemp and Oat M*lk’ and extra chocolatey ‘Hemp and Coco M*lk’.

The best way to understand how an industry works is to get involved in whatever capacity you can. For example, if you want to open a shop, go and work in one. Doing this will give you an insight into what it takes to run a shop on a day-to-day basis. It will give you an understanding of what customers want, the potential pitfalls and the products that sell best. Working in a shop doesn’t mean you’ll make a success of your retail business, but it will give you a solid foundation to build on.

The first thing I ask my employees during our monthly 1:1's is 'how are you doing?'. Our sessions are 90% revolved around what that person is dealing with, their workload, their home life - are they struggling? If so, why? 80-90% of someone's output is based on their mindset, so if you don't know what is happening in your teams' minds you can't possibly expect to accurately judge their performance or potential. As its stress awareness month this April here are some honest thoughts on stress in the workplace.

Starting a business isn’t an easy task. In fact, developing your idea and encouraging growth can be a journey filled with adversity.

A group of Teens, passionate about Martial Arts, want to go for an adventure. One evening, they explore some Karate classes in their local neighborhoods. But as they walk from one training centre to the other, they’re scared. Because they feel, they don’t have 'flexible bones' for a 180° stance. They won’t join these classes even though they’re very much interested in Martial Arts.

Increasingly, the logistics industry is a technological one. The fortunes of the online retail sector is particularly interwoven with the growth of logistics – with both enjoying substantial growth during the pandemic.

Starting a business is an exciting time. You’re full of enthusiasm and excitement at all the possibilities. It’s fair to say you have big plans for your business - you wouldn’t be here if you didn’t.

How do you make sure your team is being productive while working from home? The move to remote working has left many businesses asking themselves this exact question. 

Much of the beauty industry in the UKand further afield is populated with freelancers; whether hair stylists, makeup artists or laser hair removal experts, the global pandemic accelerated the move towards freelance in the beauty industry.

Technology has enabled and connected people during a rough time these past two years. In fact, whilst often it does get a bad reputation, technology was for many a saviour. We are now fortunate to be in times where we can meet up in person, and this means events too.

Brand identity and company culture have traditionally been the remit of entirely separate departments. While marketing would take on the brand identity aspect, company culture is more likely to be defined by HR.

A quick search online for terms like ‘customer experience’ and ‘business’ swiftly and overwhelming paint a picture of the need for artificial intelligence (AI), analytics and huge volumes of customer data to deliver a hyper-personalised customer experience.

The last two years have been challenging for many businesses, with the pandemic disrupting their working practices and forcing them to adapt almost overnight. 2021 saw a continued uptake of new business technologies, with the ongoing rollout of 5G equipment, increased remote and hybrid working, and the move to more cloud-based systems.

Earlier this month I visited Qasr Al Farid, the tallest of the tombs at the ancient site of Hegra in northwest Saudi Arabia. Two thousand years ago, engineers with extraordinary vision, who were part of a thriving ancient culture, carved it out of the sandstone rockface.

Regardless of how much we, as a society, are able to utilise and implement technologies into business, global supply chains will always be dependent on the ways in which people interact with one another.

While the ability to connect and speak with others is important in just about any part of business, the power of networking is especially essential when it comes to meeting with venture capitalists and new networks when you are trying to get your product or idea off the ground. There is a lot of competition, and you never know when someone will have a similar idea, so you need to make a great impression with potential investors right off the bat so you can get your business moving.

It’s an exciting time to be in unified comms technology. The world has never been so diverse in terms of how people connect with each other, and this has affected how we all live, work and play. We have never been so together, and yet in many ways we have never been so fragmented, nor needed to multi-task quite so effectively, and this needs a carefully managed response.

As the economy opens up in the aftermath of the pandemic, many SMEs will be looking to trusted accountants and lawyers to ensure they take appropriate steps to enhance their businesses as they start to expand. While many advisers prove themselves to be a very effective asset, poor advice from a trusted source could cause significant financial loss for SMEs, and can constitute professional negligence under the law.  Some SMEs will be in the fortunate position of never needing to bring a claim against one of their professional advisors.  But for those that do, that process may be an unfamiliar one. 

There’s no doubt about it: today’s economy and sociopolitical outlook are impacting the ability of start-ups to fundraise. Early data during the pandemic showed a 50% drop in funding compared to the same weeks in 2019, and while there was significant uptick in venture capital in 2020, early stage companies still suffered.

As the economy springs back into action following two turbulent years, businesses are considering how to recover after the pandemic and maximise their commercial success. The role that events can play in this post-pandemic recovery should not be overlooked.

While individual multinational corporations may have a disproportionately negative impact on the environment, the cumulative effect of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) also presents both a huge problem and an excellent opportunity for climate action. According to a recent study by the British Business Bank, SMEs are responsible for nearly 50% of all business-driven greenhouse gas emissions in the UK largely, in part, due to the use of inefficient internal and supply chain processes. Despite this, 76% of SMEs are yet to implement a decarbonisation strategy and according to another recent study by O2 and the British Chamber of Commerce (BCC), only one in ten are even measuring their carbon emissions.

When the founder of an e-commerce company is looking to sell their business in the mid to long run, there are a few things they need to do first to make sure that they get the valuation they want and ensure a smooth process.

There can be little doubt that the last few years have been among the liveliest in online retail on record. While the sector has seen years of relentless incremental growth, several factors converged in 2020 to instigate a boom in eCommerce, and a quickening of its growth in share of all sales.

Every now and again, a complex area of law is thrust into the limelight by the circumstances of a particularly high-profile case.

COVID-19 has fundamentally changed the way restaurants operate, accelerating adoption of online ordering and delivery technology like never before as dining rooms closed and customers spent more time at home.

When you run a business, you aim to maximise the profits from your operations. To achieve this, you can consider automation to unlock the benefits of the constant technological advancements taking place. In this guide, we show you how your business can reap the benefits of automation.

Global crises like the current Corona and Ukraine crisis throw us into an ocean of uncertainty. And it isn’t over yet. We are probably facing a whole decade of drastic change, uncertainty, and upheaval.