The internet of things, or IoT, is a system of interconnected computational devices and digital machines that can share data over a network without requiring human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction.

With gas prices soaring and an increasing drive for sustainability across the UK, electric cars have never made more sense. Yet figures show that despite electric car sales increasing, the market still has plenty of room to grow – and could contribute far more to efforts to decarbonise.

Despite challenging and uncertain times in the form of political and economic instability, entrepreneurs launch new businesses every day. Fortune favours the bold, right? So, where there’s uncertainty lies opportunity.

Lot traceability software is a system that helps businesses track the movement of products through the supply chain. This information can be used for various things. There are a lot of benefits of lot traceability and the biggest ones will be discussed in this article.

The business landscape has faced significant disruption in recent years. And the turbulence doesn’t seem to be settling down anytime soon.

It’s never been this expensive to get behind a wheel. But leasing via a salary sacrifice scheme could help.

Many start-up owners dream about the day when they get to introduce their business to a North American audience. However, that task can quickly become a nightmare if it’s not managed correctly.

The property market for landlords has transformed significantly over the last few years. 

There have been changes to property ownership and tenants’ rights in just the last few months, which are likely to affect how residential landlords in particular approach buying and managing a property. Many of these changes began early in 2020 during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and while the initial view was that they were likely to be temporary, some have now been enacted permanently.

Working life has undergone significant changes in recent years. From the introduction of remote working to The Great Resignation, businesses have experienced a lot. Now, we’re experiencing a cost-of-living crisis and there are growing fears of potential recession. It seems we can’t catch a break.

German startup company, Voltfang, have come up with an innovative way of bringing reused car batteries to life – by using them as an electricity storage system.

Years ago, as a younger officer who had just joined the Singapore public service, I sat in a classroom listening to a senior civil servant share his philosophy for policy making. “Policy is implementation.” He said, “what’s on paper is only as good as what is actually practiced on the ground.” It sounded like good advice; I scribbled it in my notebook at the time and kept it at the back of my mind.

This is the second of a two-part series we at Colorintech have put together on the topic of “What Early-Stage VCs Think About Traction”.

At Colorintech, we work to support underrepresented people to get into tech and be successful in tech. One of the ways we do that is by supporting underrepresented tech founders by running an annual accelerator programme, but following four editions of this, we wanted to challenge ourselves to think about how we can evolve the model of founder support.

It’s widely documented that entrepreneurship is fraught with challenges. Even the most seasoned of entrepreneurs have tackled many obstacles over their career. It is the lessons that these challenges provide which set you up for future success. These learning opportunities can be even further enriched by consulting entrepreneurs who have overcome similar hurdles. 

Business owners have to juggle day-to-day operations, finances, marketing, managing a team, legal requirements, and much more. But the harsh reality is that, overnight, their efforts can all be made irrelevant.

New businesses are launched seemingly every minute, and every business leader believes they have stumbled on the next big thing. However, the Association of Business Executives has stated that approximately 660,000 new companies are registered in the UK every year, of these, 20% will not make it past their first year, rising to almost 60% within three years.

Walt Disney’s first animation company went bankrupt before he created his entertainment empire. August Horch was ousted from his company before going on to pioneer what would eventually become Audi. Bill Gates’ traffic data measuring company failed when many states began offering this service for free

Starting and running a successful business is the dream of many entrepreneurs. Violeta Martin, VP Commercial Sales, EMEA at DocuSign explores how deploying electronic signatures can offer a genuine opportunity for growth.

Learn about WebRTC – an open framework for the web that has become one of the most popular solutions for organising online voice and video communication.

In 1962, Arthur C Clarke wrote “magic’s just science we don’t understand yet”, and it’s a quote that bears striking relevancy today. Nearly every home in the developed world is filled with a menagerie of electronic gadgets allowing cheap, easy, and near-instantaneous communication with almost anyone, regardless of their global location.

Recent Gallup analysis shows fully engaged customers will give a 23% greater share of their wallet – providing a significant revenue opportunity for businesses to compete on quality of Customer Experience (CX).

Businesses are finally beginning to understand just how vital omnichannel customer service experiences are. A customer would head into a brick-and-mortar store to make a purchase. These are single-channel customers.

Technology is something that aids our progression forward, but can it be used as a force for good and point us in the right direction as we move to the future?

With TikTok becoming one of the most used social apps, but a lot of people still thinking it is aimed more for the younger generation, are businesses missing a trick not being on TikTok?

The IT market is experiencing a crisis all over the world - the number of vacancies is declining, while the number of specialists open to new offers is steadily growing. There are many reasons for such changes in the IT market. The main now is the  Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the economic crisis and its consequences in all spheres of our lives

There is evidence to suggest that people only retain 10% of a message when reading it, but as much as 85% when viewing a video.

By 2020, more than 220 million people around the world were unemployed. That means the global unemployment rate was at 6.5%.

The world is currently experiencing a mass shift that is caused by the pervading attitudes among millennials, or Generation Y, and Generation Z (collectively those aged 20-50) as among the most valued group of employees and customers.

Every company is struggling to attract enough talent. Despite huge pressure to fill jobs, record levels of recruitment woes globally are showing no signs of improvement. By 2030, research consultancy Korn Ferry estimates that more than 85 million jobs could go unfilled because there simply aren’t enough skilled people to take them.

Every now and again, two seemingly divergent ideas work together. Peanut butter and jelly anyone? I’d like to propose another unlikely combo: offices and tents. On the face of it, it may seem crazy, but this idea is backed by solid research.

As TikTik consumption is increasing, we spoke to someone with expertise, Cat Anderson, Head of Marketing EMEA at Sprout Social on why B2B startups should bother with TikTok, and how entrepreneurs can work on growing their social presence.

One of the biggest challenges that businesses are experiencing today is recruitment. Described as The Great Resignation, the UK has seen higher-than-usual numbers of employees voluntarily leaving their jobs since the pandemic, which is having a huge impact on businesses finding and retaining talent.

Once starting up, the competition can be fierce, and it can be difficult standing out from the crowd. You always need to be ahead of the game and prepare for the unexpected.

The customer is always right, and one of the most important factors when it comes to business decisions. So how do you keep the customer happy?

Most entrepreneurs, and indeed the early-stage businesses themselves, share many of the same challenges and experiences along their journey. This is basically true irrespective of the industry in which they operate or the product or service that they deliver.

Harvard Business School conducted a recent survey where they discovered 70% of people believe it is important for businesses to make a positive impact. They also found 25% of consumers take a zero-tolerance stance on companies that employ questionable ethical practices.

A new economic landscape is quickly materialising as consumers become more discerning with spending, and the pressure is on startups to work harder to generate love for their brand across many different surfaces.

It's been 50 years since mankind last set foot on the Moon. During this time, human space exploration has focused on manned low-Earth orbit missions and unmanned exploration. The space industry is worth £240bn worldwide with the UK accounting for £16bn of that.

In the face of rising care backlogs and staffing shortages, healthcare services urgently need innovative solutions to deliver sustainable transformation and support. As an Accident and Emergency doctor, I witnessed first-hand how poorly implemented, inflexible tech put additional pressure on clinicians and affected the ability to provide the best patient care. 

Our brain is constantly evolving. According to Zimmer, the brain has up to 100 billion neurons which create 100 trillion neural connections, making our brain into a highly complex thinking machine. We can take seemingly random pieces of information and connect them to completely unrelated subjects and create something new, which is why as humans we are incredibly creative and innovative. It seems like a paradox then, as despite this, we can find it so difficult to break negative habits that may even be detrimental to us.

Soaring fuel and energy costs have seen average household energy bills in the UK forecasted to rise to more than £3,000 this winter, this is also going to have a significant impact on offices too. While rocketing energy costs are certainly a cause for concern for many businesses, there are some reliable ways to increase the energy efficiency of your office and reduce outgoings.

Since handymen and labourers returned to work following national lockdowns, competition is back to pre-pandemic levels. The rising cost of living, altered working schedules and the new remote culture have led to an increased reliance on contractors. More so than ever before, it’s essential that your jack-of-all-trades company name is well-known, and that your services stand out from the crowd, but how can you get the best results from your handyman business?

If you are in the process of starting a new small business, you will be well aware of the various challenges that you may have to face in the near future. In Britain alone, you will be competing with another 5.5 million small businesses which means that you will have to pull out all of the stops in order to make enough revenue to stay afloat.

eCommerce is a growing trend, and the demand for eCommerce platforms will rise over the next few years. The good news is that several different eCommerce platforms are available to help you get started. The bad news? Building an online store isn't easy—nor should it be!

The UK’s tech sector has become one of the standout industries of recent years. Despite the harsh impact of the global pandemic, which has slowed down the performance of most sectors, the UK tech industry is one that has remained resilient.

Driven by the goods and services that address an increasing expectation, the anywhere economy is built upon solid foundations: anything, anytime, anywhere, all enabled by the Internet. After the traditional economy faltered during the pandemic, the anywhere economy surged. Companies like Zoom, Netflix and Amazon became providers of essential services for work, life and sanity.

As a Branding Advisor for Virgin Startup, I often get questions from the business community. A recent question that came up was about team building and company culture.

Workplaces across the globe have borne witness to rapid shifts towards digitalisation. New and innovative emerging tech has facilitated remote working, increased productivity, and changed the way in which businesses operate.

Stemming from the continued effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the climate crisis, and now the cost of living crisis, the Great Resignation is still a critical issue across numerous industries. Led principally by Generations Y and Z, employees have left their posts in droves for various reasons, from personal to political.

Companies are beginning to realise how important good food is in attracting talent and creating healthy workplaces that look after their employees. A recent study revealed two-thirds of respondents believe an organisation which prioritises their health and wellbeing would make them more likely to stay in their current role, so healthy food and beverage provisions should not be overlooked.

Storage is an essential factor in this age of digital technology. Many businesses have adopted the trend of storing data in a storage area network. This dedicated network comprising several storage devices allows multiple computers and servers to access shared storage. As a result, organisations can manage storage from a central place and apply data protection, security, and disaster recovery standards.

The Covid-19 pandemic proved to be a turning point for the corporate work culture, as companies reevaluated their practices and found new ways to respond to the evolving needs of the workplace. Amid lockdowns and social distancing, many employers rose to the occasion, strengthening their communications and relationships with staff while reimagining the workplace to accommodate hybrid work and a more supportive and encouraging environment.

An image of a plane making an attempt to take off just a few yards before the mountain edge has become a common representation of startups managing their financial runway to avoid going bust. 

Working with the right partners can make the difference between success and failure in almost any scenario, but this is even more true when running an early-stage business.  As a founder, it is simply not possible to know everything that needs to be done and the best way to do it.

With the rate of inflation soaring around the world, small businesses everywhere are facing a new kind of challenge – how they can best support employees through the cost-of-living crisis.

In the startup ecosystem, we’ve been hearing a lot of speculations about how the economic downturn will bring correction to the tech industry. We’ve seen layoffs happening across the industry, yet at the same time we’ve also seen news from startups that have achieved significant funding rounds.

On the scaling up journey, too many business owners fall into the trap of being at the hub of everything– creating an ‘owner’s trap’ that can be difficult to break out of. 

Supply chain and logistics departments often ignore reverse logistics, meaning $1trn worth of products is lost every year in the US alone.

Redesigning a website is one of the most challenging things you can do for your business. It's expensive, time-consuming, and requires some technical know-how if you want to achieve the best results. But don't worry. We've got some tips to help make the process easier and more successful.

Data has come to dominate many aspects of our lives, with Big Tech companies tracking almost everything we do online or on our phones. It is estimated that by 2025 we will have created nearly 200 zettabytes worth of data as more and more devices record more and more information. That is an unimaginably large amount of data. A zettabyte is one sextillion (one followed by 21 zeros) bytes. The Bible is just four million bytes.

For some business people, the opportunity to establish an overseas business is irresistible. Globalisation, increased online communication, the lure of international supply chains, and emerging markets are encouraging businesses from every industry to travel to foreign lands in search of new customer bases and better material sources.

One of the many consequences of COVID-19 is the increase in those working remotely, with almost 50% of people working from home at some point during the pandemic. This type of working has many benefits, as does working in an office, and as we have begun to return to normal this has provided a new challenge for many companies. How do you navigate managing a workforce where some people are remote, some are hybrid and some are full-time office-based? In this article, we will explore some of the best techniques for achieving synergy within a geographically diverse team.

Employers have a legal responsibility to take care of their employees and to make everyone aware of how to handle potential hazards in the workplace. Apart from these legal reasons, they also have a moral responsibility with their employees and with society at large to guarantee the health and safety of the collective.

How many times have you read the words ‘this tweet was posted in error by an intern’? It happens far too frequently and regardless of whether it’s true or not, it highlights the lack of any strategic approach to social media. Whether you have a large team, are a startup, or all of your social media content is handled by you as the founder - the common mistake many businesses make is by treating the medium as just another sales channel.  

The pandemic forced the world to change its working habits, with many working from home full time for the past two years to ensure employee safety. However, over two years on since the pandemic was declared, workplace habits are beginning to change. With 80% of people surveyed by Mckinsey stating they enjoy working from home and 41% of people saying they are more productive, is working from home here to stay? Mark Bond, Group Chair, Mentor and Coach at Vistage discusses.

First impressions count. How a company handles the first few days and months of an employee’s experience can have a serious impact not only on their new team member’s confidence and productivity but on the business’s ability to retain top talent.

Funding rounds and cash injections are fantastic for startups - but what we don’t often see discussed are the business challenges that rapid growth can present. For example, the cash injection following our Series B funding round helped us triple our headcount in just six months - but because our onboarding process wasn’t built to handle so many new employees joining, we realised this simple inefficiency was hindering everyone’s success. 

As we celebrated World Youth Skills Day earlier this month (15th July) - the annual celebration of the strategic importance of equipping young people with skills for employment and entrepreneurship as they begin their career journey, we wanted to highlight some tips from business leaders on how we can support the next generation as they enter the workforce.

When establishing a startup, or later on during the whole scale up journey, there is one general concept that holds good, and that is that you should try to under promise and over deliver. When producing a Pitch Deck or Business Plan don’t just focus on the best case scenario and don’t always just go for the highest valuation as there can be many downsides in doing this; raised expectations is only one of them.

Due to the impact of the pandemic, traditional working structures have been upended. During various lockdowns and restrictions, the global workforce had the opportunity to reflect and re-evaluate what they wanted from a career. From more flexible work arrangements to greater autonomy or even a complete industry change, this mindset shift is coming to fruition in the form of the so-called Great Resignation. And employers are faced with the consequences.

For many software professionals, coding is a pursuit of passion, and being promoted to higher positions is not a top priority. However, the desire for new challenges may leave software developers considering other opportunities.

I have always worked in tech, so have needed to understand the technical nature of the products we are building. This process has generally been over-complicated for me so I now always try to write a guide for non-technical people like me. It turns out that once you understand it you can explain it to other non-technical people much easier.

Even before the global health crisis changed the face of enterprise forever, digital transformation was soaring higher and higher on the business agenda for boards of directors worldwide. When it comes to establishing and holding a competitive edge, digital solutions can set businesses apart with improved operational efficiency and agility.

Hybrid working became the norm two years ago. How has it developed to become a realistic working model for the future?

One of the most difficult things to being a founder or running an early-stage business is the lack of human resources and the sheer amount and diversity of work that needs to be done. This can so often lead to founders getting caught in a cycle of fighting fires and finding themselves not able to have a planned approach, nor to being able to look at the overall picture of what needs to be done and when.

As temperatures soar during this heatwave, at what point does it become too hot to still work?

Those currently in the early stages of their career are facing a very new set of challenges. As the cost of living crisis continues, Gen Z’s view of what they are looking for from their career has changed. We’re seeing the move from the traditional 9 to 5 to individuals embracing new and exciting ways of working including side-hustles. 

Feefo is a software-as­-a-service consumer ratings and reviews platform, harnessing the power of verified consumer reviews to improve online sales conversion metrics, enhance digital marketing and provide valuable customer insights and analysis to ecommerce customers. Startups Magazine caught up with Feefo's CPO, Bera Kalhan.

Inbound and outbound logistics, often used interchangeably, are very different processes that serve other purposes in the supply chain. Understanding the differences between inbound and outbound logistics can help you streamline your supply chain, reduce costs and improve customer satisfaction.

Fintech companies have huge implications in the world on the global economy, and on global warming. Currently, the world is facing one of its greatest challenges yet, to prevent rising global temperatures, by reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

On average, we spend about a third of our lives working, so it comes as no surprise that our jobs can have an enormous impact on our wellbeing. Indeed’s Work Happiness Score, found that only 27% of UK workers report being happy at work, with nearly three quarters (72%) admitting that their workplace unhappiness has had a negative impact on their physical and/or mental wellbeing.

Working at home can be pretty fantastic. Increased flexibility, a quiet environment and no more commuting in peak travel hours are just a few reasons why working remotely can lead to a rewarding work life.

Climate change has been at the forefront of news reports, social media campaigns, and charity efforts for the past few years and it's been having a big impact on everything from the way people live to the way businesses run.

A key part of starting any business is figuring out how and when to take care of your bookkeeping and accounting. If you’re not sure where to begin, look no further!

Many of us will have probably read news stories about battles between companies over intellectual property (IP). Such stories can really capture the public imagination when it involves a small or medium sized company embroiled in a dispute with a large corporate. The British public seem to love an underdog story, with the classic David vs. Goliath scenario winning hearts and minds as people cheer on an SME’s attempt to fend off a challenge from a big business.

Starting your own company can be an expensive business and the costs soon add up. Luckily, even if you are short of money, there are different options available for improving your company cash flow and today we hear from some industry experts to get their insights.

The UK has become more environmentally conscious in recent years. In fact, the global pandemic encouraged people to become more sustainable, and 36% of consumers report supporting companies that are environmentally friendly. But where do Gen Z fit into this?

Disparity from HR, eagle eye investors who are aware of the issue and startups with big goals and small bank accounts have all compounded into a tech recruitment issue causing much debate in the industry.

Economists are signalling that a toxic mix of recession risks are hanging over the global economy. Many startups won’t have felt the effects of such a financial slump before and will find themselves in unchartered territory.

Femtech, technology aimed at supporting female health, has been on the rise in recent years as millions of women turn to technology to gain insight into their bodies.

If you're in debt, you're not alone. In fact, according to a 2019 report from the Federal Reserve, the average American household owes nearly $7,000 in credit card debt. But just because debt is common doesn't mean it's easy to deal with. If you're struggling to keep up with your payments, it can feel like you're drowning in a sea of numbers with no end. But there is light at the end of the tunnel

Over the last few weeks, we’ve surveyed our customer base, with the findings indicating that most UK businesses are starting to return to pre-pandemic levels of business travel, with plans to increase their business travel further in the future. Even international travel, which is still somewhat disrupted, is slowly increasing. These seem reflective of the wider UK too as the country gets to grips with a hybrid way of working with more miles on the road and in the air, while home working remains here to stay.

We’ve all struggled with feeling like we’re not good enough, and it’s common for employees to end up feeling like an imposter in the workplace - but according to Mike Jones, founder of Better Happy, these feelings of insecurity can actually benefit your business.

To be a successful entrepreneur means that you have to run a successful business. That in turn requires your business to sell products or services that customers want to buy and at a price that they are prepared to pay. In addition, the profit margins that you make need to be sufficient to support a growing business.

The Fast Identity Online (FIDO) Alliance – a group of technology companies including Apple, Google and Microsoft – announced its commitment to supporting passwordless authentication across its products.

As the cost of living continues to climb and a potential recession looms, small businesses are facing new challenges. The pandemic, which already brought about an accelerated shift to online shopping, has piled the pressure on high street brands to keep pace with online counterparts.

You've got a great idea for a startup, and you're ready to make it happen. You don’t have a surefire marketing strategy in mind yet. But you know one thing - you gotta have an active email list ASAP.

The demand for app development doesn't show signs of getting slower any sooner. As apps are an accessible type of technology, where people can have access from anywhere, the consumers' interest in this technology is vital. Therefore, many companies are taking this trend and changing their traditional environment to mobile for effective business positioning. But developing an app isn't easy and takes time and teamwork for a positive outcome.

We are all aware that something needs to be done to reduce our carbon footprint, but many of us have no idea where to start. Naturally the best place to start anything is from the beginning and in carbon planning the beginning is to measure where you are now - what your current carbon emissions are.