Apple announced big updates for iCloud and iOS 15 at the company’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference this June, with a particular focus on privacy and data tracking. Newly unveiled features from the tech giant include the ability for users to load remote content privately without disclosing their IP, as well as using 'burner' email accounts to sign up for email offers.

Scaling your business, whilst maintaining efficiency, is possibly one of the hardest things to do in performance advertising. The reason for that is down to the way the platforms are set up. There are two traditional scaling methods - horizontal scaling and vertical scaling.

The billions promised by the government for catch-up tuition sounds like a lot of money, but when you work it out on an individual basis it’s barely enough to cover a few hours of one-to-one tuition per student. I believe that edtech rather than tuition provides the answer to meet the catch-up challenge, and his micro-tuition experiment proves that this approach can work.

Since the 1990s media artist Chris Hales has taken a solo DIY approach to create interactive film installations and performances that have been shown worldwide. His current interest is in customised film, in which user data (a video grab, a voice recording, selfie photo, or text responses) is incorporated into a short film in humorous ways, giving a personal experience for each user.

2021 has seen more new businesses being registered by women than ever before. I believe that when you truly set your intention to build your own business, and when you determine that nothing is going to stand in your way, you are already one solid step on the road to success. However, for women hoping to become mothers, or who already have families, the challenge of running your own business and bringing up a family at the same time is a complex one. Unless you have a stay-at-home and supportive partner, there will always be additional challenges.

The education sector is often called out due to its difficulty to implement change - whether that is because institutions have legacy systems in place, do not have the time it takes to adopt new technologies, or the affordability aspect. To understand how the education industry as a whole can take the necessary steps forward and achieve its long-anticipated digital transformation, we must first look at the key barriers holding it back.

You might have, in fact you most likely have, been hearing a lot of stuff about Clubhouse over the last few months. Although this audio-first social media platform actually came into existence well over a year ago, it has featured in the marketing and branding world’s Zeitgeist most heavily since the beginning of 2021.

Are you sitting on an idea for a brilliant new app or digital product? Perhaps you have already started the process into making that idea a reality but it is taking too long or just not coming out exactly as you had imagined? At Intrface, we specialise in helping start-ups develop and realise their vision with methods such as Rapid Validation and something we like to call: The Design Sprint 2.0.

The business world is changing at a fast pace. In this climate, industry giants are forced to quickly re-evaluate how they work and to be able to face the new challenges in their markets: startups. 

Today’s workforce is increasingly becoming more age-diverse, with more workers staying in employment into their later years and delaying retirement to secure a better financial future for themselves and their loved ones.

Expanding the business abroad is one of the most important goals and the most sought after ones for young entrepreneurs. It gives them a significant rise in their customers and also increases their popularity manifolds.

Sanofi’s acquisition of Cambridge UK-based, Kymab in early 2021, in a deal worth up to $1.45bn, was the largest sale of a UK biotech company on record, but was soon dwarfed by the $6.9bn acquisition of GW Pharmaceuticals by Jazz. These announcements drew global attention to the UK life science and healthtech sectors, and form part of a growing trend in these industries for increased funding, commercial and M&A activity.

There is no doubt that consumer demand for sustainable options is on the increase. It is now becoming a huge factor in the choices buyers make when shopping for goods. A recent survey conducted by Deloitte found that 32% of consumers are highly engaged with adopting a more sustainable lifestyle, with 61% of respondents saying they have limited their use of single use plastic, and 34% have chosen brands with environmentally sustainable practices and values.

Whether you are running a fledgling startup from a home office or heading up an international company employing tens of thousands of employees across the world, the challenge over the past 16 months has been the same. Those business owners who successfully navigated their business through the COVID-19 pandemic should take pride in coming through such an uncertain period in one piece.

The restrictions the coronavirus pandemic has placed on thousands of businesses and their ability to trade normally has forced many more companies than ever before to shift their products and services online.

Now that just about everything happens online, cyber security has taken on a new significance. Unfortunately, hackers and other nefarious actors have leapt at the opportunity of the pandemic, and cyber crime is on the rise.

It’s fair to say that over the past 16 months or so, we’ve become more digitally-connected than ever before. We can’t underestimate the roles that data and digital technologies continue to play in helping small businesses survive during the pandemic. Almost every interaction we all undertake every day produces data. This creates endless opportunities, but with opportunity comes responsibility - particularly when it comes to how data is used.

It's common for startups to experience growing pains and go through trial and error when getting their ideas off the ground. There are some misconceptions attached to running a startup, too - including the idea that finding the funding to successfully launch your startup is no easy task.

The internet is awash with help and advice for business owners. With all this information at your fingertips, is it worth having a dedicated mentor? The short answer is yes, without a doubt.

If your business is still using out-of-date systems and servers, then it’s high time that you started thinking about moving it over to the cloud. Not only will this help to reduce costs, but it can also make your life a whole lot easier.

The past year has seen many industries navigate a multitude of challenges and shifts to remain operational. However, as we emerge from a post-pandemic landscape, it’s time for organisations to gather their bearings and analyse how their business has fared over the past year and what long-term implications the global lockdown could have had on them.

Education doesn’t finish after school. With further qualifications required to move up in fields as diverse as healthcare, beauty therapy and construction, there’s a huge opportunity for edtech to help employers manage training. But how do you introduce your product to industries with plenty of trainees, but low tech adoption?

If you imagine a business like a body, company culture is the lifeblood that circulates, revives and powers everything. It’s a fundamental component of commercial success and without it, you and your team are likely to become rudderless and disorganised.

Language and communication tools are continuously developing. Human beings have an amazing ability to find new ways of understanding one another and the world around us. 

Money, dedication, sleepless nights - maybe even some failure along the way. Starting an ecommerce store can be a daunting task, but nothing matches the feeling once you start to reap the rewards of all that hard work.

Schools, colleges and universities may have finally got back into rhythm following numerous lockdowns, but in embracing new technology, there are elements of the shift to remote learning that will surely continue long after the pandemic is over.

Companies providing services like home workouts, high-end meal kits and even crochet tutorials all have boomed during the pandemic. Not everyone has had a smooth path through the pandemic though; businesses have had to become more agile and invest in technology. Many entrepreneurs and individuals have adjusted their attitudes, spending more time on worthy causes or making sure they are planning for their own futures.

The commute as we knew it may be gone for good, new research conducted by e-bike subscription service DASH Rides reveals. DASH and Sapio Research surveyed over 2,000 city-dwelling, full-time workers, who used to work primarily in the office and now work primarily at home, and discovered that three quarters of those returning to the office will be actively avoiding public transport or seeking new ways to travel. 

As we approach the end of compulsory remote working, many businesses are retaining some element within their operations. Remote working technology enabled virtual connectivity when physical proximity wasn’t possible, but how has this affected business operations in the long-term? Here we explore the impact of remote working technology on business and society.

Are work ethics losing their relevance to the pursuit of profits and ambitious objectives of growth? In contemporary times, there is a paradigm shift in the hiring strategies of most organisations. The great focus of business owners is to hire employees with versatile skills and creative perspectives. Without a doubt, this is the way forward to create an agile and competent workforce. As a business owner, you need an accomplished workforce exhibiting inspiring skills. However, what about their work ethics? Are you underplaying the significance of work ethics?

There are three essential elements to a startup’s communication toolkit. All help to sum up what you do in an instant, engage potential partners, customers and investors, and intrigue them into starting a conversation about working with you.

Fraud has always affected business and it can be particularly devastating for those companies that are in the start-up phase.  A recent report has found that fraud (particularly cyber fraud) has increased by 28% in the last year, largely driven by the Covid-19 situation.  This article looks at the warning signs, what might be done to stop it and what to do if you expect that it might be happening.

“It's easier to act your way into a new way of thinking, than think your way into a new way of acting.” said Jerry Sternin in The Power of Positive Deviance: How Unlikely Innovators Solve the World's Toughest Problems.

You’ve come up with a business idea, created your presentation and you already know what needs to be said. The very next step is to find potential investors and persuade them to fund your business proposal. In order to do that, you need to be able to effectively present your business.

New customer demands and fierce competition: the pressure on companies to innovate is high across all sectors – and established companies and young startups alike are struggling to meet these demands. Increasingly, this is leading to cooperation between corporates and startups. In this way, the speed and agility of young companies meet the professional structures and long-standing know-how of established companies. Both startups and corporates can benefit from each other's strengths in such a collaboration and ignite a firework of innovation together. 

With government changes from 19 July, the question being thrust into the limelight more than ever for many is 'Should we go back to the office?'

As a startup founder, it’s easy to view your business solely from your own perspective. Your startup idea is surely unrivalled in its brilliance, bordering on genius, beyond comparison.

Whether it’s an online fashion business or a breakthrough idea for a new financial service, starting a business today will invariably require some elements of a digital journey between the product or service and the end user, if not in its entirety.

While many industries suffered in 2020 with the ongoing health crisis, cyber crime and in particular ransomware grew significantly. With more time spent online by individuals, and the switch to remote working for many businesses, bad actors recognised the opportunities for increased cyber attacks and grabbed them with both hands. The bad news - this trend is going nowhere in 2021.

The economy has shifted. More and more people are becoming business owners or self-employed, so why are so few entrepreneurial skills taught in schools? From a young age we should all be learning how to innovate, collaborate and communicate effectively so that we are better prepared for the world of work. Edtech is perfectly equipped do this effectively, as well as encourage lifelong learning so that as adults we can all upskill and reskill easily.

It’s a challenge, being a challenger brand today. The relative ease and speed with which you can bring a company or product to market means the volume of brands in any given space is huge, so conveying genuine differentiation is hard. And staying the course, building a challenger that lasts, is even harder.

Running a small business can be hugely rewarding but also hugely frustrating. You have the perfect product, website and sales process in front of you, but getting in front of the perfect customer, and then scaling this, is a battle that we have all have to face. Often, SMEs will be time poor and resource limited, with individuals covering a range of different roles, making it hard to scale effectively.

The future of the office remains uncertain, and the recent speculation around changes to the right to work away from the office only muddies the waters further. Regardless, many large businesses such as Amazon are already planning their return to an office-centric culture to enable collaboration. Google also revealed that 60% of its workforce would be in the office a few days a week, with only 20% of the workforce working remotely.

An entrepreneur is often so in love with their idea, so confident in its perfection, that they begin to sin. And if it continues, they can torture their child with this selfish love.

Events mean business, with industry events actively driving markets forward by bringing key industry professionals together to share ideas, create new opportunities, and forge new business deals.

In the world of digital agencies, and more widely across industries, there’s a growing conversation around diversity and inclusion in the workplace. And rightly so. In 2020, 165 ad agencies in the US took part in a survey to better understand the demographics that make up the industry.

When you start your own business, it is your own idea and pretty much becomes your baby; the decisions, choices and growth are all within your own making. Most entrepreneurs will spend the first few months of business fully focused on their vision and what needs doing, but once you start growing a team you need to lead and be there for them.

The future for business owners has been talked about a lot in recent months. Whilst most articles have looked at the immediate 12 months, there are some changes that will remain for the long term.

Picture this: an employee sits down at their desk at 10am from their home office setup. They are welcomed by their personal digital assistant, which provides a quick brief about the day ahead. Upcoming meetings and projects are flagged, reminding them to make the necessary preparations, and seek out the information needed to ensure they can confidently put their questions, ideas and suggestions forward.

In today’s world where technology continues to innovate, and automation is a large key to success, the benefits of using multiple SaaS (Software as a Service) are phenomenal. From subscription focused ones, such as Profitwell, which works to reduce churn and shows Monthly Revenue Per User to team communication-based products such as Slack, which allow internal and external communication and automation to happen in synchronicity.

Regardless of what business you are in,  a data security breach is an increasingly likely scenario that all businesses must mitigate.  With escalating cybercrime, the widespread growth in Cloud computing, and the explosion in mobile devices and varying tech and app use amongst employees and partners; key aspects of enterprise security are now, and will forever be, beyond our control.

Sustainability in business practice is becoming more of a necessity than ever before. Customers are making moves to living a more sustainable lifestyle and therefore expect business leaders and their companies to follow suit. It can be a minefield knowing where to begin when it comes to acting sustainably, it’s an incredibly broad term and can be confusing to know what steps to take first.

Arguably there has never been a better time to start your own salon business, with more bricks and mortar locations becoming available throughout lockdown, the timing for finding that prime location to set up your salon business could be ideal.

More people than ever before are using their smartphones to browse the internet - 90% of the world’s internet population in fact! As such, it is essential that start-ups are equipped to deal with the demand by optimising their websites for mobile and developing apps to help reach and engage with customers more effectively. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has done no favours to charities in terms of funding, with a study in late 2020 showing over 80% of charities will have a lower income this year, impacting those they help the most.

At St. James’s Place, we work with a large number of fund managers within the UK venture capital industry, notably in the tax-advantaged space, investing across many different sectors. This provides us with a unique insight into the small business ecosystem.

When I hear that female founders have been the hardest hit due to the effects of COVID-19 and the UK’s numerous lockdowns, it pains me greatly, not least because, studies such as The Rose Review estimate that if women in the UK were founding businesses at similar rates as they are in other countries, about £200bn would be added to the UK economy!

Whilst many people enjoy watching the sparring between business angels on TV this type of investing may feel like something for others i.e., the millionaire business owners.  Because of this, rather than exploring this exciting asset class, we put our investments into safer options we are more familiar with such as mutual funds and stocks. Gavin Heys, Envestors Private Investment Club explains.

Legal & Governance Hub, are a business law consultancy supporting startups, scaleups and SMEs. I am Gulnaz the Founder who trained at a startup boutique law firm, which was my first real exposure to learning about business. I worked in marketing, finance and even sales with my own client following! Starting my career in a startup was a great move, I had lots of responsibility and autonomy.

As Loneliness Awareness Week just took place (14-18th June), Naomi Thompson, Head of Organisational Development at Benenden Health, wanted to explain how employers can support team members struggling with loneliness as we slowly move away from COVID-19 restrictions.

According to MoneySuperMarket, around 22% of the UK’s two million freelancers are busy delivering essential business support. As more companies embrace hybrid working models, recruiting external consultants can complement the skills of in-house staff. Here Ashmita Das, CEO of Kolabtree, the freelance platform for scientists, explains how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can integrate freelancers successfully.

When launching their business, entrepreneurs get very excited at the prospects of finding clients, but also anxious about how to do it. While there are many priorities for them in terms of business operations, building up the right teams, or maintaining their cash flow, organic marketing isn’t one that should be neglected or postponed.

Over the tumultuous year we've just faced, productivity has been challenged in ways most had never considered. The strain of financial, career and health uncertainty has been a formidable foe for employees and employers alike. As we celebrate World Productivity Day this year, we do so with the learnings of the past 12 months under our belt.

Starting over with a new business idea or career path is never easy, but sometimes it is absolutely necessary (this applies to other things in life as well). I have started over multiple times. I quit a stable job in HR to start my own business. People called me crazy, but I followed my dreams and persevered. It was anything but easy, but it brought me to where I am today and I wouldn’t change that for the world.

The UK’s National Health Service has been designed primarily by men, for men. Even in 2021, the majority of those in senior leadership positions (63%) are male, a startling figure when you consider that almost 80% of the NHS workforce are female.

If office space providers are to survive the shift to greater flexible working, they need to keep up with the increasing demand from businesses for shorter, flexible contracts. Long term, restrictive office commitments no longer appeal to SMEs, who are increasingly looking for complete flexibility in their requirements, to scale up and down as required, and remain agile.

Do you believe the next generation of tech giants will be European? At Scale-Up Europe, we do. That’s why, a few days ago, our group of stakeholders from across the world of European technology innovation presented a shared ambition for the continent to house 10 technology companies valued more than €100bn by 2030.

A company’s brand is so important. It’s the business philosophy, its culture and ethos, its products, its team, the customer service, its corporate reputation.

Writing a compelling job ad to entice graduates can be challenging, especially if writing isn’t your strong suit. How can you create the best possible job ad to attract the best talent to your business? Based on many years of experience, I have put together the perfect formula to attract stellar talent.

Closing the skills gap in organisations and industries around the world has a key role to play in our pandemic recovery. Factors such as geography, poor infrastructure, financial hardship and a lack of public resources are preventing many from accessing training that could transform their futures. Yet recent research shows that if digitally lagging sectors—such as manufacturing, mining, healthcare and education—double their use of digital tools, Europe alone could add €2.5 trillion to its GDP by 2025. 

"It is predicted that the resale market will be bigger than fast fashion by 2029 as traditional charity shops sell more items and the for-profit resale market balloons." Thred Up stated recently.

Starting any business comes with risk. However, for startups in the technology sector those risks can be significantly different from mainstream organisations due to the frequent rapid growth in what is often a new product or service offering.

Cash flow is king. It is the lifeblood of any business. If any recent trading period has underlined this to the nation’s SME businesses, it is the last twelve months.

In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, it seems that people are even more concerned about the environment. A survey of over 3,000 people across eight countries found that 70% of people were more aware of the impact human activity is having on the environment than before the pandemic.

Marketing spend has risen to record levels since the pandemic. PR and marketing have become business lifelines, boosting resilience and reputation throughout a challenging time. A large part of the focus has been on retaining customers and marketing efforts have become highly targeted with brand loyalty as a key driver. Approaches are increasingly personalised with customers treated as individuals and humanised to drive authenticity and credibility.

Finding insurance for your startup is essential for protecting your finances and employees. However, choosing a plan that works for your team and budget can be tricky. Luckily, there are several options available for small businesses.

NatWest’s landmark money-laundering case has dealt a huge blow to consumer trust in online banking; an industry that more than three quarters (76%) of UK consumers already admit they don’t fully trust, according to research from anti-money laundering specialists, SmartSearch.

A happy and healthy workplace is a rich environment and there’s mounting evidence that workplace culture fosters a more productive organisation. In light of recent events of the pandemic, mental health has been at the forefront of the discussion.

If you’re a business owner, the chances are you will want to know how to increase the value of your business. It’s important for any entrepreneur or business owner to have an idea of what their company is worth, especially if they are looking to either raise investment or plan an exit.

Having a strong reliable team is at the heart of building any successful sustainable business that is why investors say they invest in people not ideas. Many entrepreneurs overthink the ideas, the plans, the strategies, and underestimate the importance of building the team of people who will actually execute and turn these ideas into reality.

There are many resources that can walk you through the business basics: what to plan for, what numbers to crunch, and how to move forward. But there are a few things that we forget, or worse - things that we were never told about to begin with!

Most people would agree that things like nutrition and exercise lead to a healthier and happier individual. This same principle applies to the financial health of your business. In order to maintain a successful and thriving business, it’s important to stay healthy when it comes to your finances.

Starting a successful business at 30 and older may be daunting, especially if you have family and financial obligations. However, if you test the concept, write a plan, create a marketing strategy and find your customers, you will succeed.

There are high barriers to funding for Black founders, especially first-time ones. I know this because I’m a first-time Black founder who has raised (and is still raising) money. I’ve made a lot of mistakes, but also a lot of progress. Here’s what I’ve learned along the way.

With remote working and other scenarios caused by the pandemic increasing cybersecurity risks for businesses big and small alike, the team of experts at CloudCoCo have put together the following cyber security tips for small businesses.

The marketing space has seen drastic changes since the coronavirus pandemic began in early 2020, and marketers have had to pivot quickly to successfully navigate marketing through the great Covid crisis.

Following the ongoing discussion that youth unemployment is so high, Richard Evans, a professional careers mentor and Forbes 30 Under 30 Social Entrepreneur 2019 shares his thoughts on why the issues run much deeper than the recent pandemic. Richard has conducted over 600 interviews throughout his career and mentored over 100 students into the UK’s most competitive universities and companies as a careers mentor at The Profs.

The coronavirus pandemic has caused a year full of disruption, both in our personal and professional lives. Companies all over the UK were forced to close their offices in-line with government restrictions and 57% of all employees were told to work from home.

Businesses are often preoccupied with 'innovation'. Far from being merely a buzzword, the concept in fact reflects the necessary and consistent iteration that drives markets forwards and allows those who invest smartly a robust edge over their competitors. The trouble is, truly game-changing innovations are vanishingly rare.

The way in which businesses across the country work has transformed exponentially since March 2020, with entire workforces suddenly told to operate remotely. Some organisations thrived, with their cloud solutions and unified communication tools empowering them to adopt a remote working ethos with ease. On the other hand, those with more rigid and antiquated processes have found this sudden shift jarring. 

The kings of search Google will often improve their algorithm around SEO. This can be based on emerging tech like voice search or changes in human behaviour like the use of mobile. 2021 sees some very big changes that could easily derail your current strategy; it’s almost a clean slate.

Tech Nation’s ‘The future UK tech built’ 2021 report, published earlier this year, revealed that the UK currently sits third in the world for venture capital (VC) investment in tech companies, behind only China and the US, with $15bn pledged last year. Great news for the UK’s emerging businesses, right? Well, Simon Philips, CEO of ScaleUp Capital, tells a different story.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced businesses of all shape and size to adapt, adjust and pivot in response to the ‘new normal’. Whilst larger businesses - who suffer from being less nimble than their startup counterparts - have faced unique difficulties, startups – who lack the cash reserves and structure of larger businesses – have also faced their own challenges. Many startups have had to fundamentally reconsider their business models and how they operate as a result.

I founded Just Helpers after seeing first-hand the exploitation which migrant workers – and particularly women – were experiencing in our cities. I wanted to offer an alternative – a cleaning business which paid fairly, offered decent working conditions and developed potential in our people.

As businesses develop, so do their ideas and offerings. This often leads to an expansion in a business’ IP portfolio. Due to the public disclosure associated with Intellectual Property (IP) rights, monitoring your competitors’ application filings may provide insight into their future offerings and business direction.

It's well known that loyalty schemes are a hugely successful marketing tactic in the UK with notable successful programmes such as Nectar, Tesco Clubcard and Morrisons having helped drive customers to businesses.  

Have you ever wondered that why is leadership development important for every workplace? The most straightforward answer to this question is that leadership skills ensure the team stays on track, achieves goals, and keeps the business profitable.

Growing up, many people considered the games I played to be a distraction from the ‘important’ things in life, such as my education and career development. However, as a member of the ‘gamer generation’, I see how much we are overturning this view. Along with many others, I believe games offer a huge amount of business learnings that as startup leaders, we can capitalise upon.

The challenges faced by small businesses over the past year have had a profound impact on global economies. This is unsurprising given that they account for more than two-thirds of global employment and contribute up to half of national global GDP.

It’s awards season and businesses of all shapes and sizes are launching themselves into the spotlight to bring home the trophies! As a consultant helping SME businesses with sales and marketing, I’m proud to have written entries for 10 winning finalists so far this year.

While the heroic abilities of the NHS have been on display throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the last year has also exposed the longstanding limitations and frailties of our underfunded healthcare system.  

If the last 18 months have been bad for everyone in business, they’ve been disproportionately bad for the self-employed.

Launched in 2017, Huboo is one of the UK’s fastest growing fulfilment providers, working with more than 800 eCommerce retailers worldwide. Renowned for its unique ‘micro hub’ technology, which enables online retailers of all sizes to access a complete end-to-end fulfilment operation within minutes, Huboo has grown dramatically over the past few years - expanding its total UK warehouse space to 11,000sqm, and growing its team to 250 people.

Did you know that 14% of startups fail because of a poor marketing strategy? When you start a business with limited resources, you want to make sure that you're not wasting any of your resources. 

Molex Ventures was founded in 2013 as a strategic organisation designed to accelerate change and transformation through engagement with the innovation ecosystem. It leverages corporate venture capital to invest in startups and incubate organic ideas that have strategic alignment to the future growth opportunities of Molex.

As we all know by now, the road to startup success can be a dangerous one fraught with hazards, and success can often come at a price. Someone who knows that more than most is speaker, CEO, entrepreneur and executive coach, Daryl Woodhouse.

Many people see processing a payroll as a monotonous task and one to leave to the pen-pushers. However, having a successful process leads to employees being paid the right amount, on time. Payroll is a large part of the day-to-day running of a business and has over recent years become burdensome on business with the introduction of regular electronic filings and auto-enrolment compliance for pensions. There are also many penalty provisions available to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) to penalise for incorrect and late filings.

According to the Project Management Institute, project success depends on whether it’s delivered on time and the cost doesn’t exceed its budget. It’s even more important to consider if the delivered IT product works as it was intended, people within the company can use it and it ultimately meets that goal that drove the project initially.

As we all prepare for the reality of returning to the office, businesses are asking for more in a workspace - from allowing 'pandemic pets' in the building, to flexible contracts, and creating an environment which keeps employees' physical and mental wellbeing front of mind.

You are a startup, you've got investment, and you are ready to take on the world... but have you got solid ‘brand’ foundations in place to succeed when so many startups don’t?

Naturally, large and small businesses have innumerate differences in their motivations and capacity to operate. For instance, SMEs commonly benefit from the flexibility imparted by smaller and more focussed teams, with ownership often aligning with management. Conversely, they may have less financial freedom to invest in diversifying or building the kind of economies of scale enjoyed by more established enterprises.

New regulations for more sustainability in the European Union: on 10 February 2021, the EU adopted a tightened version of the Circular Economy Action Plan. Among other things, this plan deals particularly with the top of the sustainability chain, more specifically with specifications for a more sustainable product design. Bennet Barth, Program Director RESPOND at the BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt, explains what startup founders should look out for if they want to make their products more sustainable.

Following on from 'Unexpected Tips for Business Growth: Part 1', here are three more tips taken from successful entrepreneurs, founders and CEOs who know what it takes to not only survive tough times, but to thrive in them.

Virtual events have provided a lifeline for thousands of companies during the pandemic, allowing them to stay connected to their audiences and keep vital sales and marketing efforts going. But at the same time, most organisations have struggled to deliver a positive, consistent audience experience due to connectivity issues, problems with event formats, or difficulties encouraging participation, averting desk-based distractions and preventing Zoom fatigue.

Employees are at greater risk than ever of suffering burnout and employers should consider putting in place preventative and curative measures. For startups in particular it is important to look at tackling burnout in a sustainable way, eradicating the factors and issues before they take hold. Debra Clark, Head of Specialist at Towergate Health & Protection explains.

Fully embedding a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy within a business is more important now than ever, and this applies to startups just as much as to any blue chip. One may be forgiven for thinking that startups have more urgent priorities: securing investment, gaining customers, hiring talent or simply turning a profit, for instance.

Sometimes in life it can pay to watch, observe, and to take no immediate action. But there are also many times in life, and in business of course, where by far the best thing to do is to seize the moment. No action, can itself become an action, as events are taken out of your hands or the situation has moved on and left you behind.

Until the early 2000s, banks held almost a monopoly in credit. Around that time, enabled by the emergence of the internet a new type of digital lending started to emerge and with it a new way to invest in private debt: peer-to-peer (P2P) lending.

What makes a great website? Who knows for sure, but there are a lot of little things we know MUST go into the pot, and just as many that need to come out. A lot of webmasters out there think they know the answer, and yet, they aren’t following their own advice.

It's been a challenging year for all businesses and the startup community has been particularly impacted by ‘unprecedented times’. Kindred opened in 2018 and we had just celebrated our first birthday when the pandemic struck. As an owner of a space centered around community and connectivity, and one that constitutes as a hospitality business, I’ve ridden both personal and professional waves of uncertainty that we’ve experienced throughout the pandemic.

We are getting new business almost every day. With the rise of social media, luckily for us, we get to see them online each day more and more. During the lockdown last year, a lot of businesses failed, meanwhile a lot of businesses got a huge increase.

But Anna, how do I build a business pitch? I get asked a lot. Unfortunately, there is no magic formula for building a good pitch. I learned it by trial and (a lot) of error. I’ll give you an example.

As a startup, it’s easy to find yourself admiring a colossal corporation and begin mentally listing all the ways entering into a partnership with it could help you get where you want to be. There's no doubt that the economies of scale, the vast customer reach, and the global brand reputation of a blue-chip player can help elevate a startup company to another level.

We face a forever-altered landscape of communication and commerce. As a native of Ukraine, I have survived difficult times. As an entrepreneur, I have kept my company alive in the face of war and revolution. And, though the details and depth of our situations differ from day to day and person to person, these steps can offer a port in any storm.

Richard McCall, CEO of Armalytix, believes that despite the post COVID-19 road to recovery, Britain’s army of small businesses face an extremely uncertain six months as the implications of tax deferrals, loans and uncertain growth combine. Richard argues access to up-to-date financial information, made easier by Open Banking will help these businesses maximise the potential upside of the recovery.

Starting and growing a business also means getting a team of people together to grow and work with you and support you. But that’s not always easy. Sometimes it takes a few tries to get that perfect match (new business idea: a LinkedIn and Tinder hybrid!) and you have to make tough decisions on who you want on your team.

You’d think that a pizza company wouldn’t be a poster child for digital transformation, but that’s exactly what Domino’s Pizza is - one of the first to debut an app that lets you order through your smartwatch or Tweet and track your order on your mobile device.

Many things in businesses are reliant upon achieving the right balance. Sometimes this balance can be easy to achieve and other times it can be much more difficult to obtain. Sometimes it is a statutory requirement and other times it is more of a yin and yang thing that improves the business in many different ways. But all are important.

Recruitment remains a significant challenge for scaling a business. Like any other business skill, recruitment takes understanding and experience to get right, but the hiring process can be lengthy - anything from about 19 hours for design/creative roles to 30 for IT posts. Get it wrong and it all adds up to a colossal waste of time.

As the country slowly emerges from COVID restrictions, one of the lasting impacts of the pandemic is the mental health crisis it has left behind. For businesses to bounce back, employee wellbeing must become a commercial priority.

Buying British has been a trend that seems to go in and out of vogue every 10-15 years. The label 'British Made' was once a mark of quality and respected the world over. Items made from British steel were the pinnacle of reliability while, until the BSE crisis, British meat was regarded as the highest quality.

Vaccination against coronavirus began in many countries worldwide, which means that humanity will soon return to everyday life, including working life. Employees and employers can safely return to their offices. Let's talk about how to do it right.

You might think the phrase ‘harvesting data’ sounds a little bit X Files, but for most businesses compiling large amounts of customer or stakeholder data is far from an alien concept. And yet only 20% of organisations currently believe they are GDPR compliant.

A new business takes a lot of courage, and this holds even for small businesses. Entrepreneurs must exercise their proficiency on different levels - from legal to finances, from marketing to sales, there is a lot to take in before taking off.

If you’re wondering how to make the best success of your startup in the first year, I’m here to share 18 top tips with you. These insights are all gained from interviewing the first aid startup Cube Group-Services Ltd when we collaborated on a blog earlier this year.

As lockdown guidelines continue to ease and normality resumes, creatives and freelancers are likely to be seeing their cash flow patterns change and invoices starting to come in and out again as workloads increase.

In the traditional sense, a marketing approach is usually used to drive sales and a PR strategy is used to build and maintain a positive reputation for a company. The PRCA states that PR is “all about the way organisations communicate with the public, promote themselves, and build positive reputation and public image”.

The insurance industry is ripe for disruption. For consumers, shopping for fair insurance coverage is complicated, and plans are often expensive. For insurers, measuring risk in potential customers isn’t always straightforward, and determining fault or the extent of damage in an incident is often challenging.

Sit tight and read keenly as this small piece might change the way you do things in your business. Right, a startup is no less a business than a factory or a shop. And putting processes and procedures in place is a very best practice and my kind advice to you.

The pandemic has forced businesses, CEOs, and humans in general, to reconsider what is important to them, how they want to spend their time, and what they want to do in the future. In fact, my firm’s 2021 CEO Purpose Report, conducted amidst the COVID-19 pandemic shows that 79% of CEOs surveyed said the pandemic has had an impact on the way they run their business.

COVID has meant that many medical procedures and operations across the globe have been delayed or cancelled. The issue is likely to continue for some time, so employers with staff overseas need to consider the options for supporting health and wellbeing.

Creating a great startup marketing strategy doesn’t have to be stressful. You can use solid frameworks and marketing principles to start successfully. It just helps to hear those recommendations from someone that’s had the experience before you stumble through trying to discover the best approach yourself. The ideas in this article will help you get started.

So, your business has been doing great locally - but you don’t want to stop there. You want your business to expand on a global scale and reach out to customers across the world. You’ve already taken care of the international process lines you’re going to use to provide global customers with your products or services. But… have you thought about translation?

The hospitality industry is a dynamic environment in a constant state of movement and evolution. Thanks to technology, the industry has changed at an unprecedented rate in recent years. With hotels open and working full time in the ongoing pandemic, technology is more important than ever and will play a key role in recreation.

It is safe to say that most companies in the UK faced more challenges than ever before in 2020. However, one hugely positive thing that came out of last year was the growth of peer-to-peer business support, underpinned by the help and encouragement business owners showed one another.

In a year that saw mass layoffs, permanent closures and the GDP shrink to just 8.2%, some companies still managed to achieve growth.

We are increasingly becoming a cashless society. Cashless payments make payment processing easier than ever before, helping you drive more sales and provide great customer service.

Even though it may seem COVID is almost coming to an end (in the UK at least) and retail stores reopen, it remains hard to tell if the ecommerce bubble will ever burst.

Thanks to COVID-19, remote working has become the ‘new normal’ for many workers across the globe. While many profess to prefer this way of working, the impending re-opening of offices and a gradual return of many colleagues to the 9-5, is causing increasing anxiety to those who will remain almost, or entirely working from home.

As a travel company dedicated to putting travellers first, user research has always been an important part of our work. However, in 2020 it took centre stage when the unpredictable happened and a global pandemic changed entire industries overnight.

As a start up business owner there is no doubt that you may have overcome challenges to get to where you are today. But one area that many business owners may struggle with is the relentless heightened momentum that is needed to steer a business to success without hitting burnout. Keeping up momentum when you have limited staff and are trying to jump from department to department throughout the day can leave business leaders not knowing what to prioritise.

Whether it’s in a forest, field, garden, tree lined avenue, or plant-filled corner of your home, spending just two hours a week with nature is enough improve our mental and physical health.

Running a zero-waste business always starts with passion. Passion for the products, passion for ‘being better’ and passion for the planet. In order to ensure that you’re going to have the biggest impact, you need to consider all elements of your business from manufacturing and supply chain to the packaging that you use.

One presumption about tech-for-good startups is that they generate less profit than traditional tech companies. This is a myth - they need to take care to prevent the nobility of the cause from getting in the way of their financial ambition, but there is no fundamental conflict between good business and business for good.

If there’s one thing startup founders can take from 2020, it’s that the future is unpredictable in many ways. With the reminder that unexpected factors can affect plans at any time, a key takeaway is to stay agile and build an organisation that can respond to almost any circumstances.

It goes without saying that in 2020 COVID-19 shook humanity to the very core. Millions lost their lives and even more lost their livelihoods. But even amid all this chaos and uncertainty, there’s one group of people who are somehow still finding possibilities in a pandemic.

Innovation, by its very nature, involves change and disruption. This is undisputed, but many businesses can, naturally, have some reservations about disrupting themselves too much. After all, change can often seem like a scary thing. But businesses have now been forced to change by something well beyond their control. The aptitude to risk has changed and ‘pandemic’ will be referenced in the PESTLE analysis of every university student's dissertation for years to come.

Sustainability, more than a word or an ambition, but a daily reality and practise. Since we opened Huckletree in 2014, we have worked hard to make sure that being environmentally conscious was in each and every strand of our DNA and who we were as founders.

Over the last 30 years, there has been a steadfast campaign calling for remote working to be offered to employees. Calls for more flexible working options seemed to fall on deaf ears. Businesses were sceptical of change, unable to assess the differing productivity levels of those who worked remotely and those who worked in an office, so they consistently opted for the tried and tested. Us&Co - Professional Workspaces explores.

Cyber is becoming an increasingly important part of every business, from small to large enterprise. Regarding the added issue of security – how do you protect what you value most?

Today’s consumers are an evolved, diverse and versatile breed with ever-changing expectations. They make educated choices, are equipped with relevant information, and continuously challenge the enterprises they interact with. That said, enterprises that go the extra mile to understand their customers and their customers’ needs have an added advantage.

We’ve all dreamt about handing in our notice and leaving our full-time job to go it alone and start our own business. And, for many, this dream has become a reality, with the world going startup crazy in the last 12-months.

The majority of executives deem sustainability to be important, yet a mere 25% integrate sustainability into the core of their business (according to a BCG/MIT study). The issues stem from the fact that sustainability is considered a business side-branch, and not integrated into the business strategy and model.

On any given day, you’ll find Tom, a Deliveroo rider, astride his moped in front of a shuttered unit in an industrial park in Sussex.

These days, finding information is easy since you can always choose to access all of the world’s knowledge from the comfort of your office or house. But getting all that information alone is not sufficient for you to build a profitable venture, discover new investors, and develop an outstanding product.

More than a year after COVID fuelled stockpiling of necessities and grocery staples, we still see empty supermarket shelves. Many assume this is because of an increased focus on online sales by the large grocers, especially in the US.

When my business partner, Jack, and I started UnderPinned in August 2018, we had countless images of what running a startup would look like. Time has shown that many of them were poorly conceived. Some, downright fanciful. It’s only been two and half years, but it feels like aeons ago now, and I’ve often thought back to that time, wondering what I would tell myself if I could hop into a time-machine and talk to a younger, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed Albert.

“Cautious optimism is hugely important,” the CIO of a large coffee shop chain told us at the end of 2020. The sentiment of caution is familiar: the lockdown life we have all come to know is characterised by endless cancelled plans, delayed returns to the office and an underlying sense of uncertainty. Any optimism that we entertain must be held up with the slightest suspicion that our well-laid plans may indeed fall apart.

As a 90s kid I wanted nothing more than a glittering career in the music industry. I soaked up the Spice Girls’ confidence and felt like I could summon the power within myself to become famous. When TV shows like X-Factor and Popstars gained popularity in my teen years, a career in music seemed within arm’s reach. I believed that if I worked hard and didn’t give up, success would be there for the taking.

As a business owner - Identifying barriers and overcoming them is key to success. Jessica Williamson, successful entrepreneur and business coach has identified the three main challenges that create barriers in businesses.

As we emerge into this new, post-lockdown, post-brexit world, many businesses feel it's time to take the next big growth step - international expansion. Huge opportunities await across borders, but no doubt everyone's aware that new market entry is a time and labour-intensive process, and can be very costly if not successful. 

The latest research shows that employees' mental health is being affected by COVID and that this is having a knock-on effect on their working life. For Mental Health Awareness Week, Towergate Health & Protection urges employers to look after employees at all levels.

One of the few silver linings to come from the pandemic has been the rapid adoption of innovation in healthcare. The race to develop vaccines in less than one year is a prime example - taking anywhere between 10 and 15 years in normal circumstances. Other technologies such as telemedicine for virtual appointments, and Virtual Reality (VR) or Augmented Reality (AR) that provides lifelike remote training for medical staff, have broken through with great pace.

Martijn De Wever’s venture capital fund Force Over Mass has raised €103M to back the UK and Europe’s most promising tech startups. One sure bet in this pandemic has been the accelerated growth of tech, including the record returns seen in venture capital.

A little over a one year ago, CES just made it under the wire. One of the last of the major trade shows to 'go live' prior to the onset of the Coronavirus Pandemic, the mammoth showcase for emergent technology attracted its normal lineup of 1,200 startups, 4,400 total exhibitors and 170,000 attendees while delivering more than a hundred panels, seminars and presentations. 

Mobile app adoption has skyrocketed during the pandemic. Consumers downloaded a staggering 130 billion apps in 2020, and consumer spending in app stores rose by 25 percent. Yet, app abandonment has also soared to 25 percent.

Systems and procedures are crucial to the running of every successful business. Some company structures are inevitably simpler than others, and the complexity of the business does of course dictate the type of systems and procedures required, as well as the level of need. But whatever the size and complexity of the business, procedures are always needed.

Musicians reportedly lost out on two thirds of their income in 2020 with the doors to live music venues closed and festivals cancelled across the board. With live music taking a backseat, innovations in the sector came to the fore, with collaboration and creation taking on a truly digital-first approach.

This week Alphabet Inc, parent company to Google, saw record profit earnings during its first quarter, with its net profit jumping by 162% in three months. This success has been unsurprisingly attributed to the pandemic, with more people at home using online services to stay informed, connected, and entertained, as we continue to work remotely under lockdown.

According to the latest statistics, the average business spends between 5-12% of their annual turnover on marketing. While millions of organisations - particularly those operating in B2C sectors - perceive digital marketing as fundamental to driving sales and resulting business growth, other business owners still need convincing of its value, and often have preconceptions of the Return On Investment (ROI) required to make it worthwhile.

What’s remarkable is that during COVID-19 startup companies thrived even during trying times, while some of the more established enterprises did not. Part of that is because even in the best of times, a startup company needs to be nimble and pivot with the market as it changes.

With research showing that up to 96% of customers would consider switching from a business after a single bad service experience, there can be no doubt that service is a key differentiator for today’s customers. Contact centres have always been challenged by employee productivity and surges in demand, but never more so than now as remote working has brought new and more complex management issues.

A well thought through brand strategy can be the difference between success and failure when you’re starting out. And that’s been amplified thanks to COVID-19. So what steps can you take to drive success and give your startup the best chance?

If you’re one of the many business owners who have made a profit this past tax year you may be wondering how to extract those profits in the most tax-efficient way.

Agility and resilience are qualities we’ve all had to show in the face of unprecedented challenges since March 2020. It has been hard for all of us personally, and it has also been challenging for many professionally, with industries created and destroyed overnight; wild variations in customer demand; and general economic instability. In response, many businesses have had to pivot fast to survive and, in some cases, thrive.

It's a shame when brilliant ideas are left in limbo before they are able to come alive because of financial constraints. Did you know that most founders underestimate how much time their startup will need to achieve market validation by two to three times? What if one of these businesses runs out of money before anything viable can be completed, then this means that many great ideas are never given the chance they deserve. How many businesses could have succeeded if they had more time and money?

Intrapreneurs are known as ‘the dreamers that do’. One thing’s for sure: they do a lot more than just brainstorm ideas. From boosting revenue and driving growth, changing company culture, and improving retention and recruitment, intrapreneurship has the ability to enhance a business from top to bottom. And for startups transitioning from bootstrapping into a more established identity with an increasing number of employees, it’s critical to nurture an intrapreneurial outlook.

The number of public sector contracts being awarded to SMEs continues to rise and services are frequently being broken down into smaller contracts to facilitate SMEs. However, where SMEs may not have the funds to offer free value adds or perhaps offer the lowest price, it’s vital that they clearly articulate how they can deliver value.

Companies that sell across borders have higher revenues, higher profits, higher valuations, and better defend their domestic market. Buyers from around the world can access your website from wherever they are, so it’s time to optimize and make your site accessible for non-English speakers.

The pandemic has changed the world of work for good. As the country starts on the path towards recovery, we can clearly see how the crisis of the past year has re-shaped teams’ needs, wants and expectations.

When aiming to start a limited company, it's best to be particular about all the finer details, of which there are many. Having business partners, directors, and shareholders requires many separate agreements on paper that need to be filed correctly with all the correct channels.

Look at the following Business Purpose Statements - which brands do these belong to?

As per a survey performed by a magazine, 70% of our youth wish to settle in different countries, primarily the US and UK. Working in a foreign land is their idea of 'success'. Now emigration isn't as much of a problem as long as employers manage to keep the spirits of the international employees high, thereby, leading to their long-term engagement with the company.

The COVID-19 pandemic has touched all our lives and, sadly, has taken many, and widespread business closures and redundancies have had an unprecedented impact on peoples’ livelihoods that will be felt for many years to come.

When the pandemic first hit and we were forced into lockdown, businesses had no choice but to adapt quickly, and most did a commendable job, rising to the challenge and ensuring employees had what they needed to do their jobs effectively from home.

At White Camino we’re huge fans of challenger brand thinking, whatever market you’re in and even if you’re number one, keep behaving like a challenger. Leading with your ideas and having a distinctive voice are vital. After far too many years of working in the entertainment industry telling stories about erm... stories, has given us plenty of experience of dreaming up pipelines of great ideas. To get things started we spoke to a few of our compadres to gather  some of their pearls.

The COVID-19 pandemic and its subsequent lockdowns have placed a unique strain on many industries. As we begin to emerge into some form of normality, we may be surprised to find a radically different landscape of business strategy and consumer behaviour than previously.

It alarms me (and saddens me) that most women are suffering with general self-esteem issues. 79% of women admit to struggling in this area, according to our The WealthiHer Network 2020/21 report ‘The Changing Faces of Women’s Wealth’.

The pandemic has raised many questions about the future of work. As business begin to navigate their way out of lockdown, they are facing new obstacles operationally and new ways of working. With all of these changes afoot, it is clear that training will be more important than ever.

Everyone loves wine don’t they? Well most people do, yet there are two major issues that can cause consternation when it comes to choosing your wine.

For many businesses, the pandemic has been the biggest unwanted spanner in the works that will take some time to come back from. After working from home  for over a year, we can see first-hand the impact that the situation has had, especially for women.

For some industries, secure messaging isn’t simply a 'nice to have' - it’s essential. If you are in certain industries such as legal, finance, insurance or healthcare, you need to comply with strict regulation around the distribution of sensitive data.

The coronavirus pandemic has dramatically reshaped UK businesses across various sectors. Many organisations have been forced to make difficult decisions in the name of survival.

Riding Pals was an idea I had in June 2020. The main concept being, to make it easier to find people to mountain bike with. In June, I naively thought that the UK, and world, would be free from the COVID-19 restrictions within a few months.

For National Stress Awareness Month, Benenden Health’s Head Matron, Cheryl Lythgoe provides insight into how employers can effectively manage employee stress amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thursday 22nd April 2021 marks the 51st anniversary of Earth Day, a day that celebrates our planet and aims to raise awareness about the importance of protecting it. Before the pandemic, events would take place all around the world on this day and in the lead-up for individuals and businesses to get involved in.

One of the most useful things any startup business owner can do is to attend as many relevant networking events as possible. Events allow industry movers and shakers to meet, mingle and explore new business connections, innovations and opportunities - which is of enormous value.

As CEO and Co-founder of the UK’s biggest free sharing app OLIO, it’s fair to say Tessa Clarke knows a thing or two about what it takes to start and grow a successful business. She has rounded up her biggest business do’s and don’ts for other ambitious entrepreneurs looking to build a successful new venture.

For many businesses, acquiring new customers during the pandemic will have become much harder as a result of having to manage remote sales teams, customers tightening their spend and future economic uncertainty.

If you own an up-and-coming startup, you need to find reliable, skilled workers - and freelancers usually fit the bill, especially because they come with flexible payment schedules. These employees can help your business navigate the initial stages to achieve success. That said, you should note that freelance workforces can be tough to manage.

Long COVID could have a big impact for employers for many months to come. It is a relatively new illness that is not yet fully understood and may keep employees from returning to work for indeterminate amounts of time.

The year 2020 stands out as what you would call the banner year for remote work. While a good number of people worked remotely before that, the outbreak of the pandemic forced a major shift to remote work. People and companies that hadn’t embraced remote working had it rough trying to adjust to the circumstances.

Networking. Some people love it, some people hate it. But everyone knows it’s essential if you’re setting up a new business. Or is it? Tell anyone that you’re setting up a business without any industry contacts, and they’ll raise their eyebrows at you. Wouldn’t it be better to get to know the industry first, they’ll ask? Shouldn’t you build up your network before diving in?

The last year has shone a spotlight on the long-term future of the UK’s business sector, its reliance on people and the need for business resilience. It was crucial to protect the financial security of consumers so that they could continue to conduct business with each other, and that was understandably Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak’s priority, with the unprecedented introduction of Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS), Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) and furlough schemes.

Oil major, BP recently announced that 25,000 members of staff must Work From Home (WFH) two days per week post pandemic. As more firms transition to long-term remote working, evaluating and improving home office set ups will be critical to success. Here Kristian Torode, Director and Co-founder of business unified communications provider, Crystaline, looks at what companies should provide for their workers.

When you are building a plane in the sky - startup speak for tricky innovation in a tough environment - things slip. In the case of fast-growing businesses, important people priorities and processes fall down the agenda. Diversity and inclusion is one of them. It can be deprioritised by default, in a race to stay afloat, pay your teams and spend time on what will get you where you need to go, quickly.

Founded by childhood friends, Lucy Cohen and Sophie Hughes, Mazuma is a UK-based provider of online accounting services for small and micro businesses. As qualified accountants, the pair spotted a gap in the market in 2006 for low cost and stress-free accountancy which specifically serviced SMEs and the self-employed. Fast forward to today and the company is celebrating its 15th anniversary.

As we enter the ‘roadmap’ to recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses are reassessing their people operations. Some have adopted a ‘hybrid’ working model, allowing employees to split their time between working from home and from the office, and others have even given up their office spaces entirely.

The PR industry continues to go from strength to strength with a steady 5% growth in 2020 and the five years previous to that. This demonstrates that organisations recognise the value that communications play in their overall business strategy. Consumer research has shown that 48% see journalism and earned media to be the most credible source of information.   

With the vaccine rollout continuing across the world and a potential end in sight to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have looked at three of the top payment trends businesses should get to know as life gets back to some normality and the hospitality, travel and other sectors start to open once again.

Virtual reality is no longer a novelty, but VR events are an innovation in the event industry and marketing. A virtual event is a potent tool for promoting your brand or for organising conferences and concerts. This is an entirely new project that allows you to hold an event while staying at home, despite emergencies, such as the 2020 quarantine or other events.

With a number of people using eCommerce for the first time and employees working at home, the costs of cybercrime exceeded $1tn in 2020, up 50% from 2018.

COVID-19 has given rise to a mass adoption of technology. Many organisations have switched the office and physical meetings for Zoom calls, digitised their offline practices and undergone rapid digital transformation.

With COVID-19 restrictions constantly changing and evolving worldwide, many employees taking business trips to other countries, or already working abroad, have found that they are suddenly either banned from returning to their home country or not allowed to leave the country they have visited. Employers must ensure they are able to support employees who are stranded away from home.

It’s now been over a year since the first COVID-19 lockdowns hit, sending myriad companies hurtling into the unfamiliar world of remote working — and that time has proven very informative. On the whole, people have discovered that working at a distance isn’t the drain on productivity that many skeptics had claimed for so long, and the lack of time or money spent on commuting has left plenty of professionals determined to keep working from home in the future.

Founding your first startup is no walk in the park. If it was, everyone would do it. There will be long nights of building your MVP and many times you’ll want to rip your hair out. But there will also be incredibly rewarding moments, and, chances are, you won’t regret taking the journey. If the thought of building your own business sparks a fire within you, it’s worth the hard work that goes into it.

There’s no denying that the ultimate goal of launching a startup is for that startup to be successful. However, a significant reason that many individuals never follow their Big Ideas to embark on the founder’s journey is fear of failure. Failure they won’t succeed, failure their product will never take off.

Living in a digital world, where everything could grow or destroy your business, marketing is a very important strategy to use. Now when the internet has reached almost the highest point, it is a very good thing to use it to work with you, not against you. Any industry that uses technology and relies on it, has major changes each year because the technology is advancing each year.

They say nothing ages as quickly as yesterday’s vision of the future and this is especially true about digital technology, which is performing an increasingly crucial role for businesses across all industries.

It’s often claimed that there’s never a better time to start a business than in a crisis. The adage ‘from crisis comes opportunity’ has been rolled out constantly over the past year, replayed in countless articles from the New York Times to the BBC.

If you sell online then there a number of statutory or regulatory requirements you are obliged to fulfil or to which you must adhere.

2020 acted as a catalyst for trends we have seen in our economy for some time, from the rapid digital transformation across every aspect of our lives, to the dramatic rise in demand for e-commerce. Now more than ever, customers are expecting the 'next day delivery' option to be the norm, and it’s vital that all business leaders, regardless of the size of their operations, recognise the impact this can have on their business.

Marketing in the 21st century has become one of the biggest priorities for companies in all industries. Every year, it becomes important to show the general public your company still deserves their dollar and their support. People no longer settle simply for what they have ‘always known’ or what fits best in their budget.

It is common knowledge that the manufacturing industry is facing an existential crisis. Recent reports from Deloitte and Fictiv indicate that COVID-19 has only increased an already bleak narrative.

Technology today plays a major part in our daily routines, as well as our working lives. It has had a huge impact on the workplace and will only continue to do so at an incredible rate, due to the technological advancements of our time. What’s more, the events of the last 12 months have massively reshaped work culture across the globe. In particular, the need for technologies that can be used to virtually replicate an office environment, will continue to grow in importance as we move into 2021.

There is no denying the far-reaching impacts of COVID-19 on the UK economy. The pandemic has tested the resolve of even the most robust firms, causing enormous upheaval and unpredictable market conditions. As such, many UK businesses were forced to rely on Government support schemes to stay afloat.

The world is not going digital anymore, it is already there. Many industries have now embraced technology in almost all their operations, and the Financial industry is no different. Bitcoin, Robinhood, Monzo, Fintech are just examples of how technology has enhanced services in the Financial industry.

The twin forces of Brexit and the coronavirus pandemic have wreaked havoc on business confidence in the UK. It therefore comes as little surprise that almost two thirds (64%) reported the combination of the two made 2020 the hardest year they have faced, according to a recent survey of commissioned by One World Express.

Medical innovation has become a significant focus for venture capital investment in the last ten years. A growing, ageing population combined with the opportunity to develop global solutions is driving a spike in investment innovation that helps people better manage wellbeing or enables them to get well sooner. 

Whilst the UK is home to a large number of innovative startups, and has even been proclaimed the ‘unicorn’ capital of Europe, it also has a disappointingly high gender funding gap. According to a report commissioned by the British Business Bank, for every £1 of VC investment, less than 1p went to all-female teams and only 10p to mixed-gender teams. The initial reaction may be to point fingers at the VC industry, however interestingly the report also noted that in fact only 5% of all pitchdecks received are from all-female teams.

Last week we officially reached the milestone of a year since the first national lockdown. With lots of change and uncertainty - both at home and work - many of us turned to Google for advice and support.

In today’s technology powered world, the management of businesses across every industry, no matter how big or small, is heavily reliant on digital platforms and software development.

The pandemic has changed when, where and most importantly how we communicate at work. With thousands of traditionally desk-based workers becoming remote for the first time - as well as frontline workers finally receiving the recognition they deserve - two things are happening.

Until the early 2000s, banks held almost a monopoly in credit. Around that time, enabled by the emergence of the internet a new type of digital lending started to emerge and with it a new way to invest in private debt: peer-to-peer (P2P) lending. This innovation allowed retail investors to put their money in small loans so that consumers could achieve their financial goals. We spoke to Kimmo Rytkönen, CEO and Founder of Income Marketplace about the rewards of P2P investing.

Working while parenting has always been a balancing act, but the pandemic has led to any existing structures and routines being abandoned.  

Entrepreneurs and business founders typically work long, hard hours, where the norm is much more likely to be a 70 plus hour working week rather than a more traditional 35 hour week for those in more conventional roles.

Property managers are tasked with tracking multiple assets and actions over several properties through all stages of development - from planning to building and maintaining. These days, the role of the property manager is becoming increasingly streamlined and data-driven through the adoption of smart technology.

Founders must spin endless plates and wear lots of hats when firing up their entrepreneurial engines, whether that’s managing marketing and recruitment, or tackling development and accounting.

For all businesses, especially startups, to prosper systematically, sharing feedback effectively is essential. When functional feedback sharing is made a part of the company culture, it turns out to be beneficial for everyone. Even the most talented and passionate employees need a sense of direction from their superiors.

The quality of your onboarding strategy can either define, or undermine, your startup. New talent is the lifeblood for a business that craves marketplace competitiveness. Without key people priorities, your business might struggle to access the right knowledge and expertise.

As a content writer, my job is to tell stories. I use the power of narrative to sell via digital storytelling. Digital storytelling uses long-held storytelling techniques in combination with digital tools such as blogs, podcasts, videos, and social media. 

The UK is widely regarded as one of the greatest places to start an innovative tech company. This shouldn’t come as any surprise given the world-class academia we have to offer, the legacy of innovation and, importantly, the funding opportunities available to entrepreneurs.

The ranks of the self-employed have swelled over the past two decades, rising from 3.4 million (12.9% of the workforce) in 1998 to 4.8 million (15.1%) in 2017. Yet over the same period, the proportion of self-employed workers paying into a private pension has fallen from 48% to just 16%, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies.

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is just the latest version of Google Analytics and is now the default version for all new properties. Because it’s the fourth version, it’s called GA4. 

The ATI Boeing Accelerator is a three month programme for world-class startups building industry 4.0 and sustainability enabling technologies, with the potential to bolster the growth and competitiveness of the UK aerospace industry.

Businesses reeling from the effects of the pandemic feel like they have been given an ultimatum: transform or die. And while we have seen unfortunate consequences for the companies that were unable to adapt fast enough, it is important to remember that more often than not, digital innovation isn’t all or nothing.

Outsourcing as a business practice is extremely common. Yet you wouldn’t think this was the case given the negative light in which it is often painted.

The business world has, for some time now, appreciated the importance of collecting data. Organisations across a range of industries understand how analysing that data can unlock a wealth of insight and intelligence that can help them move forward.

Recent research has revealed how companies are facing the omnipresent ‘innovate or perish’ mantra that has professionals across industries scrambling for the next best thing. Training professionals have identified Learning and Development Training (L&D) as a key strategy to build a culture of innovation and carry your organisation into the future.

At the start of December 2020, new audio-only iPhone app, Clubhouse, had 3,500 members worldwide. Fast forward to the end of February 2021 and the Silicon Valley founded platform surpassed in excess of 10 million downloads, with 2 million weekly users.

To say data is critical to success in financial markets is a vast understatement, but for many banks, the ability to extract the true value of their data is still beyond their grasp. What’s holding these institutions back and why, in a post-COVID world, could failure to ignore prove costly?

Are you thinking of starting a business in 2021? If yes, you need to think of businesses that can thrive in the post-COVID-19 economy. The pandemic has changed consumer behaviour across the world, rendering many traditional businesses obsolete. For example, consumers now want to buy from businesses that meet them at their homes; that deliver products to their doorsteps.

Corporate culture embodies of all the written and unwritten rules, values and attitudes that characterise an organisation. It offers an insight into how business decisions are reached, and how they will be implemented. By extension, then, internal culture is the also the foundation upon which all successful innovation must be built.

In this month’s Founder Focus feature, Startups Magazine speaks to serial entrepreneur, investor and star of the Canadian Dragons’ Den, Michele Romanow.

For any startup, time to market, knowledge, confidence, and expertise are all vital to the success of the entrepreneurial journey. With extensive experience in all these key elements, we speak to John Bowman, Marketing Director, and David Pearson, Technical Director at Anglia, the UK-based authorised distributor of semiconductors, optoelectronics, interconnect, passive and electromechanical components, about what the company can offer to new businesses.

COVID-19 has materially impacted the way investors are looking at prospective companies to put their money into.

It’s not what you know but who you know. Or so the old saying goes. Whenever that is said though it always seems to be said in a disparaging way, as in the ‘old school tie’ is more useful in life than being clever, working hard, or looking for opportunities to make your own way in life.

Founder of the multinational coaching company Shamila M, Shamila Mhearban specalises in creating and implementing bespoke strategies and solutions to help clients realise their vision of success. Launching the business back in 2017, Shamila has built up an expertise, and here she shares tips on how businesses can rebound after the economic uncertainty of the global pandemic.

There are many new age jobs available in the 21st Century that our parents can’t quite get their heads around. Whether it is an SEO specialist or UX designer, one of the most new and interesting careers that exists is known as a ‘penetration tester.’

Now that we find ourselves several months into the year, digital innovation projects that were touted for early 2021 should now be well and truly underway.

World Sleep Day falls on 19th March this year. With significant numbers of people reporting poorer quality sleep during lockdown, Towergate Health & Protection is suggesting employers should look towards the Netherlands for good sleep habits.

Forget remote working, it’s all about asynchronous working thanks to an increase in global teams becoming the norm and changing the traditional workplace. Departing from the classic in-office, same-country model, global teams are creating a robust new workforce, global teams create asynchronous working styles that go against conventional practices.

COVID-19 has changed many businesses forever. The rapid transition to e-commerce and limited in-person shopping created an impossible situation for some businesses, 60% of which have closed permanently. However, some entrepreneurs have successfully worked through the challenges, getting help from anywhere they can.

The shortlist for the Business Book Awards 2021 has just been announced, celebrating the titles that should be on every business leader’s bookshelf. Here we have picked out the top six books in the ‘Startup / Scaleup’ category, packed with advice to help you start and grow a successful business.

Networking is a vital part of getting any business off the ground. No matter how good your product is or how on top of your finances you are, having good connections is essential both for learning skills necessary to the job and for establishing contacts who can provide you with new opportunities.

The UK is more environmentally conscious than ever, with 89% of adults prioritising being more environmentally friendly this year. Ahead of World Recycling Day on 18th March, flexible office specialist, Workthere, has shared top tips on how UK workers can be more conscious of recycling in the office.

When the knock-on effects of the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent UK lockdowns are discussed, much of the focus is on the negative impact on the economy, our physical health, and our mental health. But, while the damaging effects are unlike anything we’ve ever witnessed, it’s not all doom and gloom.

Since AWS Lambda first launched in 2014, serverless computing has exploded. Adoption is high, and Amazon, Microsoft and Google all now offer serverless capabilities. As is so often the case, entrepreneurs have reacted fast, and created an ecosystem of startups that support the continuing growth of the serverless industry.

Some very interesting statistics were released this week relating to trade over the past twelve months. What was so interesting about these two particular sets of statistics is that both of them were unique to looking backwards from spring 2021, and this period will be studied in schools and universities for many years to come.

When I left university, I entered arguably one of the most slow-moving, heavily regulated corners of engineering, nuclear power. I was a member of a team that made sure the world wasn’t given a spin-off series of HBO’s Chernobyl, building layer upon layer of safety programs.

Hutch Games, the mobile racing game company launched in 2011 with no funding and sold for $375m less than decade later. Shaun Rutland, one its Co-founders, explains how a former PlayStation team struck out on their own and how picking the right investors can help a business flourish.

Do you want to create a new business venture? Do you have a business idea but don’t know where to start? Have you started your business without a plan? It is time to create a business plan! A business plan is like a travel itinerary, you need to plan your trip before travelling: Where you will go? How to reach there? How much will you spend? Where will you stay? What will you do (activities)? Which places will you visit?

2020 flipped everyone’s plans for the year upside down, with no corner of the world left untouched. In this state of complete disarray, the primary business challenge for many was to keep customers happy while rapidly shifting staff to remote working. With this now mastered for most businesses and homeworking being the new norm, the next hurdle for leaders will be getting the balance right between the many conflicting desires of those in their workforce.

Through all the advancements seen over the past century, international trade has been slow to change. For example, Letters of Credit (LCs) continue to be an important trade finance product for global traders, but they rely on paper-based processes, which are fundamentally slow and prone to error. Now, with the need to change how organisations work in a post-COVID world, there is a greater need to improve how trade and trade finance operate

Rosa von Krogh is Head of Insights and Innovation at the North Alliance, one of the largest companies in Scandinavia marrying design, media and e-commerce. She is speaking at the global SHE Conference, alongside guests like Hillary Clinton, Norwegian PM, Erna Solberg and Icelandic PM Katrin Jakobsdottir, from 5-19th March 2021.

Nearly a year on since the onset of COVID-19, many companies have realised their staff are able to (almost) work as effectively remotely, as they did in an office. For tech companies and their investors, the transition to remote working was relatively seamless, as the culture and infrastructure needed to succeed was already in place. It has, however, prompted many startups to reconsider whether they need an office at all, and whether high rents in cities like New York, London, and San Francisco can be justified.

Today, the sales funnel is more buyer-focused. It’s no longer about sales professionals and their understanding of products and services, but rather a concentration on buyers and how a business can fulfill their needs. And if you are a business wanting to get more prospects and clients, you need to put enough information about your brand where your targets spend the most time.

What are the blueprints needed to start your own blockchain tech startup? How can you navigate through the tech tools, software, hardware, platforms, resources, projects, processes, methods and strategies necessary for success?

The success of your endeavors depends on your approach and perspectives towards things. Ultimately, it is all about how you train your mind to be at the helm of your pursuit. Yes, passion is a lot synonymous with following the heart, but you also need to develop a positive mindset. It is all about the mindsets after all! Positivity, confidence, persistence, and possibilities are all attributes of your mindset. Besides, it is a well-established fact that the prowess of our minds shapes our lives. Being in the right frame of mind is paramount.

New ideas are overrated, you can find them on every street corner. We’ve been in a holding pattern for a year, where everyone you meet is an expert on COVID and has their own ideas about what should happen. I’m sick of hearing them.

At the recent SaaStock exhibition, Philip Edmondson-Jones, Oxx, a venture capital (VC) company investing in ambitious B2B SaaS companies, explained the best practice when scaling your business rapidly.

Despite the global growth of women-led businesses, funding continues to be a significant challenge. Having gathered multiple data and research, Instant Offices revealed 35% of female business founders still face gender bias when raising their business capital. Female entrepreneurs also receive an average of 5% less funding than their male counterparts.

A few years ago I was sitting in a meeting, working while I waited for it to be my turn to present. The engineer sitting next to me asked me what I was doing - I said that in order to make it home in time before my children’s bath time, I had to work through every single free moment. He replied saying he preferred to not get home until after bath time.

Adapting and pivoting. For businesses, these two words sum up 2020 and the COVID pandemic perhaps more than any other words. Each and every business has had to reinvent itself in some form or another during the last year or so.

Working at Startups Magazine, we come across some extremely inspiring, empowering and all-round incredible women, but it would be impossible to name them all. As we celebrate International Women's Day 2021, we wanted to highlight our 20 most influential women of 2020 from our last Women in Tech edition.

Women throughout history continue to make their mark creating innovations and discoveries that impact our lives today. To celebrate International Women’s Day 2021, Miranda Kent, Managing Associate at intellectual property firm, Mathys & Squire, reflects on inspiring female inventors in each decade since 1910 - when the firm was first founded - to demonstrate the significant value that realising new ideas and inventions can bring.

Disputes in business are inevitable, but they don’t have to cost the earth or damage your reputation. Here are some tips to avoid commercial disputes from escalating.

The Digital Women’s Day, JFD in French, was started up by Delphine Remy-Boutang back in 2013, (back then just an annual meeting), but has since evolved into so much more. It is now a platform for the promotion of digital entrepreneurship for women, and JFD has brought together and celebrated a large number of women who all share the same goal - to revolutionise the world digitally both in Europe and Africa.

Today is World Book Day and primary school children across the UK will be dressed as their favourite fictional characters in front of laptops with their classmates.

Employees are at greater risk than ever of suffering burnout and employers should consider putting in place preventative and curative measures. For startup employers in particular it is important to look at tackling burnout in a sustainable way, eradicating the factors and issues before they take hold.

China can be a tough market to enter, however it is far from being as impenetrable as some startup leaders may believe. Yes, there are cultural attitudes and government roadblocks to overcome, but new sectors and opportunities are opening up in China all the time.

The Government is exercising extreme caution when it comes to easing lockdown restrictions. This is a sensible approach. After all, the UK is in its third national lockdown, and the Prime Minister will be keen to avoid another. That said, the slow road out of lockdown will likely frustrate many UK businesses. Many non-essential, retail and leisure businesses must now remain closed until 12th April, and even then, many will be unable to operate at full, pre-pandemic capacity.

The education sector is facing some of the toughest years in its history. But how can it position itself to handle the demands of the modern-day learner? Here we take a look at what’s driving a return to the classroom and how providers can best respond by offering new digital learning methods. 

There is nothing more important to company growth than employee productivity. That is why employers have to ensure that their workers are happy, educated, and motivated enough to give more than 100% on the job, on a daily basis. They strive to inject more office efficiency every single day.

As of this week, the government has put into effect a VAT Domestic Reverse Charge (DRC) for building and construction services. The reverse charge VAT procedure is an anti-fraud measure designed to counter sophisticated criminal attacks on the UK VAT system.

Value propositions can seem like a load of empty words to many entrepreneurs. "Leave it to the marketing team to get people to buy our product or services," they tell themselves.

Last year businesses were quickly forced into new ways of working, kickstarting one of the largest unplanned changes in operations the modern workplace has ever seen. It’s become clear that many of those changes are here to stay — for a long time to come, business as usual will not be an option. When we eventually return to the office, we can expect the workplace to be very different to how we left it. Typical office practices like hotdesking and crowded meeting rooms will no longer be viable as workplaces reduce onsite headcount and adhere to social distancing practices.

If you’ve dipped a toe into marketing, you know that every business needs social proof to grow. You must reassure potential customers that they’re right to pick you, because other people have done so before.

Right now it might feel harder than ever to cut through the noise and get your brand featured in the press. You might also feel that you'd like to secure media coverage but you don't have the budget to employ a PR agency, or perhaps the time yourself to knock up a press release or work out which journalists you should be targeting.

Over the last 12 months, video conferencing tool Zoom experienced exponential growth, B2B social media platform, LinkedIn, saw a 60% increase in user content creation and 55% of UK buyers revealed they will continue to shop online even when the high street re-opens its doors.

Last year was an incredibly challenging one for entrepreneurs and small business owners. According to a survey from Alignable, 45% of small businesses reported earning less than half of their pre-pandemic revenue. Statistics like these can scare you away from starting a company in 2021, but they shouldn’t.

There’s one tool that’s underused to address the gender diversity gap in startups - education.

Businesses in a wide range of industries rely on stock procurement to thrive, and issues with supply lines will always have a hugely detrimental impact on profits. Ultimately, companies cannot consistently sell their own goods if they’re struggling to procure the products and materials needed to manufacture them.  

At the moment, co-working is in jeopardy, and it may be time for the industry to change once again.

Website design accounts for up to 95% of a user’s first impression of your company. A good design can keep visitors on your site, which goes a long way in converting leads into purchases. For this reason, it’s increasingly important to make great website designs part of your marketing strategy. Here are eight of the best website designs to inspire you in 2021.

The world is undergoing huge changes at the moment. Between coronavirus pushing the economy to the limit and a group of Redditors challenging the financial market hegemony, people are questioning the role of established institutions. If finance doesn’t work to enable the economy, businesses or individuals, then who is it for?

The past twelve months have been especially hard for the UK’s many businesses. After several years of negotiations, the UK finally departed from the EU with a deal that had been finalised merely eight days before the formal withdrawal.

Small to medium enterprises (SMEs) are essential to the UK economy. The government has noted that they contribute to 99.9% of all private sector business in the country with a turnover of £2 trillion.

Last year, the Government introduced a new grant via the Kickstart Scheme to support the creation of new jobs placements at businesses across the UK. Unfortunately, the rules of the scheme meant that businesses needed to create a minimum of 30 job placements to apply directly for a grant.

As a social impact entrepreneur and investor, I like to think I know a business opportunity when I see one. The 2030 ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars provides us with a massive opportunity. Entrepreneurs and investors should be incredibly excited about this new technology and the potential to innovate. As far as I’m concerned, Electric Vehicles (EVs) are the new smartphones.

In today’s fast-paced, technological environment,  people are constantly retaining information through the internet and social media. There are many opportunities for individuals to access expert advice from all sorts of industries through the likes of online interviews, podcasts and Twitter feeds. Still, does this mean that all the advice that we have access to is useful?

Why do startups fail, and what can founders do to prevent it? Many entrepreneurs and investors opine on this question, but few offer data-driven answers. Our goal is to identify and share clear learnings on this, and the timing could not be more critical.

Social media will always be an integral part of your small business’ digital marketing strategy, whether you’re using it to alert fans and followers about new offerings, industry news, or showing how things work behind the scenes in your company

Launching a new startup is always a huge risk, but with effective user research and testing, product leaders can gain valuable insights from end users to reduce risk from the outset and build a culture of learning from their customers. We recently held a virtual event titled ‘From Idea to Launch: How startups succeed with UserTesting’ and we were joined by product and startup experts, including Arielle Kilroy and Justin Berkovi, to get their top tips for ensuring success.

In this article, Andrew White, Partner and UK & European patent attorney at intellectual property firm, Mathys & Squire discusses how building a strong Intellectual Property (IP) portfolio puts you in a better position to secure business investment when you need it and why linking your IP strategy to your business goals - including investment plans - is crucial for making it all come together effortlessly.

Online learning has become the new normal since last March, and since the most recent lockdown was announced, searches for how to learn new skills online have increased by 218%, suggesting more people want to utilise their spare time at home to learn.

Some unique ideas sound awkward but have continued to thrive in today’s world because they are rendering services that other traditional businesses are not. Below are some of the top unusual businesses that you can choose to explore:

It’s still common that businesses use manual and time-consuming processes as a force of habit. If you have never been exposed to the benefits of technology, then how would you know any different?

Side hustles continue to gain popularity. Whether it’s for a personal challenge or you want another source of income, starting a side project makes a lot of sense. After all, we’ve witnessed so many side projects evolve into million-dollar companies in the 2010s.

Being an entrepreneur is about more than just starting a business. Setting up business in an existing market has been done many times before. It comes with its own risks and challenges, but you’ll be able to find some good advice and guidance to steer you down the right path.

In this article, I will discuss the best ways to effectively implement a mental wellbeing policy in the workplace.

As Boris confirms lockdown will last until 8th March, and the idea of homeschooling continues to overwhelm working families around the UK, it is important employers are providing extra support and care for those suffering after nearly a year of remote working.

Starting a business is one of the most rewarding paths in life. The moments of elation will of course seamlessly morph into moments of aggravation and despair. But ask any entrepreneur, and there’s nothing they’d rather be doing.

According to the World Health Organisation, 66% of the world’s population is expected to live in cities by 2050. This makes cities a perfect hub to transform society and rebuild a world with rich biodiversity and a balanced climate.

Enterprise blockchain has seen huge advances in its application over the past year, and as we enter 2021, startup founders in virtually every sector are considering whether they should be incorporating this technology into their product.

For many of us, 2021 could not come fast enough. I will not expound on the world’s collective gratitude in 2020 being finished, you can watch Netflix’s Death to 2020 for a much more humorous take on this! As we continue in yet another lockdown, I’d like to frame some of the work that Allia will be working on this year to support the impact start-ups and local businesses that are getting ready to step up and make a difference.

In the time of COVID-19, the unheard victims are those entering the jobs market or hoping to build a career. The loss of life is tragic and deserves to dominate the headlines. Yet, we should not ignore the longer-term consequences to the confidence of our young people. 16 to 24-year-olds are the most likely to lose their job or be made redundant. It is also impossible for those fresh out of university to find a position. It is hard to win that first step on the ladder in the best of times, and these are not those times.

With the transition into the new era of digital marketing precipitated by the COVID-19 related shopping disruptions, the SEO landscape in 2021 looks like nothing before. With eCommerce sales expected to jump from 14.1% in 2019 to 22% by 2023, mobile shopping dominating the online retail and UX becoming a ranking factor.

For many, the New Year is a time to focus on personal resolutions such as getting fit, organising the house, or saving money. This year, what if we focused on putting our work life in order too - effectively gaining more space to cope with the demands of super-busy modern business life, make working in start-ups a bit easier or even get that next promotion? 

The amount of waste we produce has come under intense scrutiny in recent years, with global annual waste generation expected to jump to 3.4 billion tonnes over the next 30 years, up from 2.01 billion tonnes in 2016, according to report published by World Bank. Businesses and consumers alike are now faced with the challenge of reducing how much landfill our actions generate. With conflicting interests making for slow progress, the circular economy model could change our fortunes. Here we explore why the circular economy is here to stay and why it is set to play a vital role in a low-carbon future.

After being diagnosed with limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (a rare genetic disorder) at the age of 22, former investment banker Angus Drummond, was told his mobility would decline over the next few years until one day he would require a wheelchair. Determined to experience the best of what the world had to offer, Angus quit his job in London, and set off with his wife to explore 35 new countries.

The UK edtech market was predicted to increase to £3.4bn by 2021. With £90.9m invested into edtech companies in 2018, up from just £9.9m in 2013, this market is clearly growing. However, when schools first closed due to COVID-19, and again at the start of this year, it became clear that many were understandably underprepared for the enforced radical shift to tech-led remote learning. Teachers struggled with the transition to online work, and many students lacked the necessary devices and connectivity to engage effectively online.

The impact of innovation from the technology sector permeates our everyday lives. No sooner has one technology gone mainstream, but speculation begins on where the next big thing will come from, or what it will be.

All businesses, growing or not, should be actively looking at ways to attract new customers all the time. Those companies that ignore new business, believing that their established customer base is enough to keep the business ticking over nicely, will usually get a rude awakening.  

Music has proved to have a special place in all our lives given how we play it when we are happy or sad. This is because it is a universal language that speaks to people on various levels. If you want to prove this, think of the memorable times when music made you feel special such as during your graduation, wedding, or after heartbreak. It is also said that music impacts your mental performance and productivity at work.

Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) has become significant force in the venture capital market. In Europe, CVCs participated in 1,325 deals worth €19.4bn in 2020 and are active in virtually every sector, and across all stages from Seed to growth equity. In the UK, CVCs participated in some of the biggest deals of 2020 - Hopin, Carzoo, Arrival - and despite significant headwinds due to COVID-19 deal activity remained strong, defying critics who had anticipated a slowdown as corporate balance sheets came under pressure.

In an ever-changing landscape, marketers and digital businesses alike are forced to adapt with the times as new opportunities arise and existing strategies become redundant.

Businesses, industries, consumers and communities are all reeling under the pressures that the global pandemic has forced upon them. It’s easy to assume amidst so much uncertainty and doom and gloom that prospects are grim and that the best option is to hide under a rock until the situation passes.

As the pandemic continues to impact businesses - both small and large - across the globe, I meet with four diverse founders based in the UK, who are taking part in WeWork's Diverse Founders Programme in partnership with UK social enterprise, Foundervine.

With men being twice as likely to become entrepreneurs than women, the business world has a long way to go to address the barriers which stop women from starting companies, and help to create a more equal society.

When you’re heading up a startup, it can be understandable to think that, for now, some of the things your firm might need can be left off the table.

You wouldn’t necessarily think that technology and fashion go hand in hand, but virtual clothing is growing in popularity, and new digital marketplaces are cropping up as a result. As the younger generation addresses a concern about sustainability, whilst maintaining a love of fashion it seems like such a logical way forward - satisfying the fast-fashion urges without any (or extremely minimal) damage to the planet.

Over the last twelve months companies have had to adapt quickly to new situations they may have once been unfamiliar with. If these experiences have taught us anything, it’s that if you respond quickly and efficiently to changing surroundings, you can continue to excel.

If we learnt anything from the past year it’s that having control over cash flow is the cornerstone of business health. The impact of COVID and other external factors like Brexit mean that things are constantly changing for small businesses, meaning they have to continuously adapt. This means that you will need to consistently map your cash flow and review your forecast  as things change. For example, things like furlough coming to an end in April will need to be factored into forecasting.

With COVID-19 restrictions rushing businesses to channel their resources online, 2020 marked an unprecedented turn in building an efficient marketing strategy with great emphasis on premium website content.

If this pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that change and disruption on this colossal scale, really has the potential to highlight the pros and cons of big business vs startups. While the startup cons no doubt include a vulnerability to externalities, through factors such as short cash flows and unreliable customer books, the flip side is the flexibility with which to grasp the new opportunities.