The year 2022 witnessed a significant spike in anti-money laundering penalties, sending a stern warning to businesses, including startups, about the financial perils of non-compliance.

Small business owners across the UK will be flying the flag for independent shops on Saturday 2nd December.

Scaling up a business is no easy feat, and can present the founder with many hurdles to overcome. But scaling is a journey worth taking, as it takes your startup to new heights. A fantastic example of this is Monzo.

ChatGPT made its debut in November 2022, and the impact and adoption was almost instant across the globe in the tech community. As it marks its one-year anniversary on the 30th of this month, the situation is very different.

The rise of AI tools capable of generating marketing copy and product descriptions at scale promises to revolutionise eCommerce and advertising worldwide.

In this interview series Richard Richie, Managing Partner of Alcon Maddox, gets some of London’s most forward-thinking tech leaders to spill the beans on what is making their companies so successful and what innovations the future has in store.

When a business is first starting out, and there’s just a handful of people involved, collaboration tends to be straightforward. It’s hard for things to fall through the cracks when everyone’s across the detail and getting an update from another department is as simple as tapping a desk-neighbour on the shoulder.

Startups and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have an essential role to play in achieving global climate goals due to their agility, innovation, and potential to drive change in various sectors. As COP28 approaches, they must receive the support they need to thrive, argues Gabi Matic, Co-Founder and Director of Metta.

Extraordinary women from across the country have been unveiled as the 2023 finalists in the everywoman Entrepreneur Awards, UK’s longest-running recognition programme for female entrepreneurs. One of these amazing women is Jenny Garrett, TEDx speaker, award-winning coach, author, and Co-Founder of Rocking Ur Teens, who is a finalist in the Entrepreneur for Good category.

The past 12 months have seen UK consumer spending met with challenge after challenge. Soaring interest rates have coincided with rampant inflation as the Consumer Price Index rose by nearly 7% between September 2022 and 2023.

Scottish innovation is alive and well, with a new generation of entrepreneurs creating products with the potential to meet some of the world’s most pressing challenges.

Few events match the intensity and pressure of Black Friday. It's a day that tests the limits of both businesses and their employees, laying bare the effectiveness of their engagement strategies and workplace cultures. 

Sustainability is no longer just a buzzword that gives you an edge over others, it is something that should be implemented into every business. The importance of a sustainable business model should not be overlooked as you start your business journey.

Startups Magazine had the privilege of attending the Women of Silicon Roundabout (WoSR) event at the ExCel Centre, taking place on 22nd and 23rd November 2023, an event that has earned the title of ‘Best UK Conference’ at the AEO Excellence Awards 2023.

Around the world, Black Friday has come to signify a day of consumer frenzy. At InPlanet, we are committed to helping companies redefine this commercial event by empowering them to decarbonise, both within and beyond their value chain.

For small businesses, there are few bigger shopping days in the year than Black Friday. Marking the start of the holiday shopping period, it’s a chance for retailers up and down the country to capitalise on consumer interest in gifting and deals.

In today’s rapidly changing business environment we must navigate change, innovate, disrupt and transform to ultimately stay relevant and grow. This often feels counterintuitive to long-term planning. How does long-term strategy marry with short-term agility?

High-volume data and several data pipelines can be hard to manage and cause disruptions, particularly for startups. Explore ways to improve financial management to keep business processes up to date.

The UK economy is undoubtedly on shaky ground. We may have narrowly avoided the quicksand of a recession in 2023, but as we head toward the inevitable downturn that awaits us in 2024, the urge to panic becomes ever more overwhelming.

Greenwashing is now a familiar concept to us all but in the pursuit of sales, brands are looking for ways to promote their environmental credentials in a way that is appealing, authentic and, importantly, compliant.

The telecommunications sector is going through a transformative period following the September Stop Sell and the Big Switch Off.

With Sam Altman resuming his role as CEO and the formation of a new board at OpenAI, one question arises: how has this leadership transition impacted both the startup and the broader generative AI landscape?

Extraordinary women from across the country have been unveiled as the 2023 finalists in the everywoman Entrepreneur Awards, UK’s longest-running recognition programme for female entrepreneurs. One of these amazing women is Catherine Mandungu, Founder and CEO of Think RevOps, who is a finalist in the Small Enterprise Category.

Beginning a new business can be thrilling for entrepreneurs. With so many things to do and plenty to look forward to, most things boil down to having a budget. If the budget is stretched to its limits, keeping a tight rein on your outgoings isn't just wise but key to the company's longevity.

 

When I look at the tech startup landscape today, I wonder how different my career might have been if I had been born 20 years later.

Shiti Manghani, COO of Find Satoshi Lab (FSL), talks to Startups Magazine’s Sheryl Miles about FSL's STEPN platform, its growth since its inception during COVID-19, the relevance of a digital trainers in today's world of increasing unhealthy lifestyles, and shares insights on the future of the Web3 industry.

The belief a business plan is unnecessary or useless for a startup is a common misconception which has detrimental consequences for aspiring entrepreneurs. A well-thought-out business plan is an important roadmap which not only helps guide the startup process but also provides a foundation for strategic decision-making and securing support from investors and stakeholders.

Every entrepreneur needs a large, engaged email list. After building it, the next step is personalised outreach. Remember, each subscriber is unique, with distinct demographics, lives, and needs. To keep them engaged and positively impact your bottom line, you must employ precise email segmentation.

Over the past eight years, fintech has experienced a remarkable surge, with disruptors challenging traditional finance and instigating a wave of customer-centric innovation. However, the fintech domain now confronts an unprecedented challenge, as it can no longer remain immune to a tumultuous and deteriorating macroeconomic environment.

The advent of accessible AI tools – such as ChatGPT - has led to a growing number of people experimenting with and adopting these technologies in their daily lives. As AI technology continues to evolve rapidly and become more widely used, these tools will likely remain part of our lives for the foreseeable future. 

Amidst economic uncertainty, businesses find themselves at a critical crossroads where unwavering focus must converge with the readiness to seize opportunities.

Companies with between 50 and 249 employees are at an above average risk of fraud, according to research by law firm, Foot Anstey. The survey of 1,000 senior managers across the UK revealed that 53% of medium businesses have had to act on fraud in the last year against a national average of 45%, and while the risk for businesses with less than 50 employees is lower, it is still significant with one in five having been affected.

Gone are the days when career paths were predictable and linear. Traditionally, carving out a career was a straight road, often with a single company or within one industry. It was the norm to start and finish your working life in the same job, climbing the ladder step by step – a testament to the value placed on loyalty and stability.

In this interview series Richard Richie, Managing Partner of Alcon Maddox, gets some of London’s most forward-thinking tech leaders to spill the beans on what is making their companies so successful and what innovations the future has in store.

Whether you have a multi-billion pound turnover or a pin-money side-hustle, nailing your online sales offering is imperative for millions of British businesses.

The UK’s technology sector is no longer ‘an emerging tech ecosystem’, but a thriving part of our economy, drawing strength from our rich tradition of cultivating innovation and invention, as well as our magnetism as a centre for finance and investment.

Many fintech startups today tend to implement exit strategies as part of their overall business plan. The highly competitive and constantly evolving market requires that innovative and ambitious companies have a strategy in place before their rapid growth pushes them over the edge of sustainability.

Global Entrepreneurship Week (13-19th November 2023) is a celebration of enterprise and entrepreneurial people.

Have you released a software update this week? If you wanted to release one by Friday, could you? If your service went down now, would it be back online before customers noticed?

When the average business uses two to three payment providers, it’s no surprise they aren’t getting the best ROI from their payments.

Lisa Franke, Founder, and CEO of Maxim VR, shares her compelling journey of breaking free with a young child from an abusive relationship and her unwavering commitment to building a nurturing virtual environment, blending VR, AI, and Peer-to-Peer support for children and teens struggling with mental health challenges.

Artificial intelligence is one of those technologies that always seemed to lurk somewhere just over the horizon, promising much but perennially underdelivering. In the blink of an eye all that changed.

Many budding entrepreneurs give up on their dreams because of the high startup costs. The good news is that you can launch many businesses with little money. All you need is perseverance, consistency, and hard work. Here are 11 ideas with low costs that can breathe life into your entrepreneurial dream.

By Lisa Logan, Partner, Corporate and Commercial/IP/IT at gunnercooke

Here are some top tips from Lisa Logan at gunnercooke, concerning the key legal issues for a startup business:

By Lexi Martel, Co-Founder & CEO of DesDeck

In today’s digital environment, a great website is one of the most important ingredients of success. Your website is the face of your business, your shop window, and your catalogue, all rolled into one. Your website will say something about who you are, about your personality and values as a business. It is your chance to win the attention of your potential customers and convert their attention into sales.

In the ever-evolving landscape of technology, certain innovations stand out for their potential to disrupt and transform entire industries.

WOLF Qanawat, the British audio entertainment communities app which I head up, recently launched its first customised AI Virtual Assistant, named Yasmine. The development marks a significant milestone for our UK-based startup, which has rapidly grown into one of the largest online communities for the Arabic-speaking market.

As brand founders, you are well aware of the importance of Black Friday in your annual marketing strategy. You, as the torchbearers of your brands, are already in the thick of prepping for this retail marathon. It's more than just a day; it's a month-long carnival of commerce.

Hypergrowth, a term that’s as exhilarating as it is daunting for founders, is a phase that a select few startups experience. It's that impressive period where everything you've planned, pitched, and pivoted towards starts to materialise at an almost overwhelming pace.

If you’re a small business owner looking to take on a new commercial lease agreement, you may be stepping into a world that you know little about. A business tenancy is very different to a residential tenancy, and it’s vital that you understand your rights and obligations before you sign on the dotted line, otherwise you could leave your business at risk.

I have spent 15 years working in sales, and I've seen the good, the bad and the ugly! Here, I share the sales mistake that I would say 99% of business owners, particularly women make when it comes to selling, especially when starting.

In this interview series Richard Richie, Managing Partner of Alcon Maddox, gets some of London’s most forward-thinking tech leaders to spill the beans on what is making their companies so successful and what innovations the future has in store.

Even during these uncertain economic conditions, SaaS spending by organisations doesn’t seem to slow down, with Gartner forecasting that the total spending on SaaS will reach $197 billion in 2023.

Capterra, a leading software and services marketplace, has been instrumental in guiding organisations in their digital journey. With a sprawling network spanning over 900 software categories and providing access to more than two million verified reviews, it emerges as a crucial resource for enhancing productivity and fostering growth, especially for SMEs.

AI stands as a transformative force in the modern technological landscape, and has the potential to revolutionise how startups operate across all sectors. For a startup poised to embark on the AI journey, developing and implementing a strategy is not without its challenges.

SMEs are grappling with so many export challenges today. These include, but aren’t limited to, increased paperwork and red tape, as well as supply chain and logistical issues. Such conditions are making it difficult for businesses to pursue their international growth plans.

According to McKinsey’s The State of AI in 2023 report, 55% of companies have adopted artificial intelligence (AI) in some form, but fewer than one-third say that AI is used in more than one business function. This shows that, while AI adoption is steadily increasing, the applications of this technology continue to be underutilised by organisations globally.

Who you are can be as important as the idea you’re pitching. When VCs are seeking partners, they need to know about your background, not just your business.

In the dynamic world of startups, efficiency is not just a goal; it's a critical survival tactic. AI has emerged as a formidable ally in this quest, allowing growing businesses to scale operations, personalise customer experiences, and make data-driven decisions with unprecedented speed and accuracy.

In an era where the boundaries between physical and digital experiences continue to blur, LETA Capital, an early-stage venture capital firm, has released a profound State of Phygital report.

Entrepreneur, Brice Dondelinger, on the hidden costs behind investment tactics, and reminding business owners that success isn’t always measures in £billions

In the paced world of entrepreneurship, every decision holds significance. From managing your team to making business choices it's easy to overlook the most fundamental aspect of your success – your health.

The tech sector is buzzing with emerging tech startups experiencing rapid growth, and the key to this is protecting intellectual property, says automated warehouse robotics unicorn Exotec.

Housing markets across Europe are facing a wall of challenges. In particular, privately owned rental property standards are continuing to decline, reducing value for money for renters, while their energy bills skyrocket. Altogether, it’s a damning situation considering the hiked cost-of-living.

With rising interest rates, high energy prices and recent news that there has been a spike in UK firms going bust, small business owners will be waiting with bated breath to hear what support they will receive from the chancellor in his Autumn Statement on November 22.  

In this interview series Richard Richie, Managing Partner of Alcon Maddox, gets some of London’s most forward-thinking tech leaders to spill the beans on what is making their companies so successful and what innovations the future has in store.

In the ever-evolving landscape of entrepreneurship, emerging businesses often grapple with multifaceted challenges, from refining their business strategies to securing essential funding. To address these challenges effectively, a growing number of startups turn to the guiding hands of startup accelerators and incubators.

In the landscape of contemporary work, it’s clear that there’s been a fundamental shift from the traditional ways of working. Despite the strong opinions of government officials and influential think tanks, advocating for a return to office life as a means to fuel the economy, the reality of work has transformed dramatically.

Low cost has always been one of the cloud’s most attractive prospects. However, the significant rise in energy bills, inflation, and chip scarcity has seen many large cloud vendors increase their costs – with some analysts predicting public cloud prices to rise by 30% in 2024. 

The integration of automation has emerged as a vital force in reshaping revenue management strategies. While automation simplifies and expedites various operational tasks, it also empowers businesses to adapt and thrive in a market environment characterised by tremendous competition and constant change.

Dr Renos Savva, Head of Innovation at Discovery Park, shares his experiences working with early-stage life science companies and what founders can do to give their innovation the best chance of successful commercialisation.

Neartail helps local businesses connect directly with their customers, instead of going through marketplaces. By doing so, they are able to create their own brand identity with customers.

As an executive deeply immersed in future foresight and private-public partnerships, I'd like to highlight the pivotal role of empathy and active listening in navigating this dynamic landscape. In our relentless pursuit of more efficient, effective, and innovative solutions to the myriad complex challenges of our era, startups often emerge as beacons of innovation. However, they frequently find themselves facing resource and expertise gaps and fierce competition to gain access to the necessary support.

With almost 40 years of experience behind me and having owned eight businesses myself, I know that the reality for many business owners is that the first time they pay close attention to the financial side of the company is when they get in trouble, whether that’s that they can’t meet payroll, supplier bills are late, a huge customer leaves, or there is a huge unexpected tax bill or another seemingly catastrophic situation occurs… I am on a mission to prevent these mistakes before it is too late and give you the tools to prevent business situations that cause sleepless nights and worry.

Famous for its historical cathedrals, stunning beaches, and captivating capital city, Ukraine is a country of rich culture. Home to some incredible unicorns, including GitLab and Grammarly, Ukraine is the leading startup hub in Eastern Europe and ranked 49th globally. Well-known in several verticals including fintech, artificial intelligence and Blockchain, Ukraine has become a global defence tech hub offering game-changing products and solutions.

In this interview series Richard Richie, Managing Partner of Alcon Maddox, gets some of London’s most forward-thinking tech leaders to spill the beans on what is making their companies so successful and what innovations the future has in store.

We all are pretty aware of the fact that the world is now standing face-to-face with numerous pressing environmental challenges requiring urgent action. Ecologists and environmental activists have done a remarkable job to bring these issues up for a global discussion. Climate change, deforestation, air pollution, uncontrollable amounts of waste, and other problems require a collective effort from governments, businesses, and individuals.

This is the first of a series of five technology briefings for Startups Magazine readers, in which we will be reviewing the fastest moving and most exciting fields to equip business leaders on how to identify trends that they can leverage in their own business and technology development plans. The series will cover AI, sustainability, security, and eHealth, but we start with the critical and frequently overlooked role of sensors.

Tom Price-Daniel is VP of Strategy at Teamed, a service-led platform which takes the hard work out of compliantly employing talent from anywhere in the world. Tom is an experienced Chief Revenue Officer with multiple exits.

Sometimes, successful startups don’t need to do anything new, they just need to do it better. HumanForest is one such a company taking that route. Rather than reinvent the wheel, they are seeking to make something that already works, better. Bike sharing. Sure, you’ve heard of it, from Santander Cycles to Lime bikes, they lounge on the pavements of major world cities and help everyone from tourists to company execs circumnavigate the city.

The idea of VR and exercise may seem either unfamiliar or incompatible to some, but the fact is the immersion VR offers can lend to some convincing scenery for avid cyclist to take a workout in. Imagine, it’s Monday, you live in central Paris, you get home from work at six o’clock; you’re a 25-minute, one-way journey from your nearest park, perhaps it’s also raining too. So many hurdles present themselves before you have even committed to go for a ride that for some, the easier option to not go may win them over.

There’s a Big Bang theory to economic growth, which goes much like the one denoting the origins of our universe. For tiny particles clustering together, take university spinouts. As they form into startups (atoms), eventually that concentration, over time, creates something far bigger, at a scale that was once unimaginable (stars and galaxies).

In today's fast-paced and fiercely competitive economic landscape, businesses face mounting pressures to excel.

Starting a business? Discover how exchange rate risk impacts startups and learn essential strategies to protect your business.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a small business in the Western world that isn’t utilising technology. Since the invention of the Internet and the rise of digital devices, tech has become commonplace across industries, transforming not only the way companies reach their audiences but also how they function at a base level. 

As a domain that’s so intrinsically human, networking is the sustaining force of our communities, especially in the business world.

The second day of TIS - Tourism Innovation Summit 2023 highlighted the most disruptive trends shaping a more sustainable and digital industry.

In a world that is becoming more conscious of its impact on the environment, sustainable startups are forging ahead, redefining the economic landscape.

The suit is dead. Long live a monkey! It used to be simple. If you wanted to look professional and gain trust for investments, you'd wear a suit. Startup culture killed it.

In this interview series Richard Richie, Managing Partner of Alcon Maddox, gets some of London’s most forward-thinking tech leaders to spill the beans on what is making their companies so successful and what innovations the future has in store.

Starting a business alone is quite a challenge, so founders prefer to do it in partnership. But there is a downside: you and a partner can end up with conflicts, and this will ruin the whole business. This means that you need to understand all the pros and cons of this decision and know how to avoid risks in advance.

Social commerce has created new ways for brands to connect with consumers and create new revenue streams. According to Accenture, In 2021, global social commerce sales totalled $492 billion and are expected to reach $1.2 trillion by 2025.

Climate change is one of the most pressing challenges facing humanity today, and its consequences are becoming increasingly evident. Rising temperatures, extreme weather events, and the degradation of natural ecosystems are threatening our planet's delicate balance.

Most startup entrepreneurs understand the significance of investing in technology to turbocharge their operations. However, it can be challenging to analyse and decide on tech tools that can deliver the best business outcomes.

Examining various work models available to employees, including job sharing, remote working and home office, learn about the pros and cons of each approach and offers insights into how to implement and overcome the challenges associated with adopting these models.

New research from the Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford, University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and the University of Melbourne shows startup founders have distinct personality traits, and they’re more important to the success of their companies than previously thought.

Many startups can leverage public web data to their advantage, with the extent of its utilisation depending on whether it serves as a supplementary tool during research phases or becomes a core aspect driving the entire business forward.

Aerospace Xelerated, the innovation arm of Boeing, is a 3-month accelerator for early-stage startups striving to advance the future of sustainable aerospace.

So, why should your business explore attending business expos? In this article, we explore why it’s so beneficial for your business to visit The Business Show.