Over the past few years, we have been plunged into a working life of makeshift desks, online meetings and working predominantly alone, often from home. Managers and their teams have adapted quickly to conducting the majority of business remotely, becoming rather adept at doing so.

As human beings, we primarily learn from trial and error. If our actions have positive outcomes, we feel compelled to repeat them; a behavioural pattern often driven by incentive and reward. Whether it’s buying one drink to get the second free, or donating old clothes to get money off the next order, incentives are key to understanding people and their priorities.

Welcome to a new series of articles for Startups Magazine. In this series we will look at some of the more common challenges that are faced by early-stage businesses and some of the top tips designed to overcome these challenges or, at the very least, to mitigate their worst effects.

As the saying goes - no-one can whistle a symphony, it takes an orchestra. For all the well-publicised (and valid) advantages of our new-found freedom to work wherever we want, some key elements of our working lives have become a little diminished.

As your startup business grows, so does the need for increased working capacity.

When you’re a startup founder, every decision has opportunity cost. It’s one of the reasons that running an early-stage business can be so stressful because even if you make the ‘right’ decision, there are consequences.

This week an HR Agency owner from Harrogate, Yorkshire is celebrating having found her perfect new team member, after having used TikTok to ensure they would be a good fit for the fun loving team.

Digital transformation has accelerated across the world’s enterprises in the past few years and has become a matter of corporate survival, making it a top priority for boards. Organisations know that digital transformation can bring huge improvements in operational efficiency and agility if correctly implemented, keeping them competitive. Rukmini Glanard, EVP Global Sales, Service and Marketing, Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise discusses.

Once upon a time, not very long ago, most businesses upheld an office-centric culture. Demanding boots on the ground, companies were limited to hiring employees that could be physically present five days a week, capping their talent pool and offering little flexibility. Now, in the wake of the pandemic, the seismic shift towards remote working has triggered a borderless working world, in which international companies can hire remote employees located anywhere.

Britain’s SMEs are facing a crisis. In a time where everything possible is transitioning to digital, SMEs are struggling to acquire sufficient skills to benefit from constantly evolving digital technologies. Here, Kristian Torode, Director and Co-Founder of IT business support and communication technology specialist Crystaline, investigates the reasons behind the digital skills gap, and SMEs can become as future ready as their larger counterparts.

Zeinab Ardeshir, Co-founder of PillSorted, the healthtech that’s raised £4.5m to work with the NHS in getting medications to patients more efficiently discussed their journey so far with Startups Magazine.

When it comes to gender equality in the workplace, the financial services sector is regularly in the spotlight. Traditionally male-dominated, progress has been made in recent years to ensure women are encouraged to pursue a career in the financial services, backed by private and public initiatives like the Women in Finance Charter. This is promising, with more women taking on visible leadership roles. 

“Start Up Bromley is fantastic… a role model”, David Smith, Economics Editor of The Sunday Times, said earlier this year when he was part of a panel of entrepreneurs and business influencers in Bromley’s Central Library.

The driving force behind any startup's success is connectedness. When you take the time to connect with others, you cultivate trust and encourage loyalty - the two cornerstones of building a successful business that will stand the test of time.

Setting up a new business can be an exciting time. Everything is new and the possibilities are endless. However, you don’t want to fall into the trap of making a few wrong decisions, leading to real problems down the line.