Making the leap from a business plan to a fully operating company with customers and employees is an exhilarating journey. There is nothing more exciting and empowering than building a business. Particularly as a woman because you have this added sense of breaking the mould or going against the statistics. With excitement, come some terrifying lows, confidence crises and loneliness. I want to make it one of my personal missions for the negatives not to scare people away. 

2022 has been broadly embraced as a year of recovery for UK businesses. COVID restrictions have been completely lifted, and with the vaccine rollout marked a success, it seems unlikely that any further restrictions will be enforced in the near future. Customers are ready to spend, but is your business ready to take their payments?

Buy now, pay later (BNPL) has never had the best name in consumer financing. Although deferred payment schemes enable shoppers to access products they might otherwise be unable to afford, high interest rates, hidden fees and lack of regulation have drawn criticism.

Meeting rooms, breakout areas and outdoor spaces are the most in-demand workspace features, according to new research by infinitSpace. The European flexible workspace provider commissioned an independent study among 200 UK office landlords, asking them which features were most important in attracting tenants.

One of the hardest challenges all leaders face is knowing when to move on from their existing strategy.  This is not only because of the attachment we feel towards a plan we have created, or because of the humility required to accept that what we are doing is not working, but also because the clear thinking required to create a winning strategy is hard work.

The spotlight is being shone on the sustainability behaviours of individuals, companies and countries all over the world. The agendas and policies of our towns and cities are not immune to such scrutiny, especially capital cities whose presence on the international stage draws particular attention.

From customised prosthetics and implants to detailed anatomical models and even tissue and organ fabrication, the market for 3D printing in healthcare is growing rapidly and startups are playing a huge part.

Launching a new business is fraught with possible pitfalls, and as an entrepreneur it can often feel like one false move can bring the entire process crashing down. The reality is that business is full of inherent risks, and most business owners have encountered their fair share of failures and setbacks along the way.

You might be under the impression that the type of management style you choose to run your business with isn’t important. After all, it doesn’t matter how things get done as long as they get done, right? Wrong! Completely wrong.

Gone are the days of simple case studies presented with before and after stats, and just a quote from a client. Digital marketing has improved in leaps and bounds, and so have the ways case studies are created and presented to prospects in order to convert them into customers. 

Establishing your startup online is an exciting time. You’re proud of what you’ve accomplished and you want to share your business with the world. However, sometimes the reality of doing so can feel a little bit overwhelming - particularly if you’re tech-savvy.

Having decided whether to start your entrepreneurial journey as a sole founder or as a co-founder you will then be able to properly develop your idea and your business.  Whatever your business plans and structure, and whatever your ultimate aims are with regard to scaling your business, there will always be many different tasks to be attended to and the smaller the business and the fewer the resources the harder this can be.

When you're starting a new business, there are many things to think about. You have to create a product that people want, market it effectively, and establish partnerships with other companies. But one thing that's often overlooked is the importance of cybersecurity. 

The BBC recently reported that, as of the end of November 2021, more than six million people were waiting for routine operations in the UK.  This was the first time this figure had been hit in the history of the NHS and demonstrated the scale of the backlog in routine operations caused by the COVID-19 health crisis and its knock-on effect on the wellbeing of the nation.

A constant challenge for IT leaders is ensuring they see an appropriate return on investment from their Software Asset Management (SAM) programme. So, what can businesses do to ensure their SAM spend is providing adequate value as a result of improved decision making, cost savings and software licence compliance? Furthermore, when is it best to outsource SAM and licensing tasks, and what tasks should be maintained by automated SAM technology or an in-house team?

Starting a business can be difficult at the best of times, but creating a hardware product often adds a level of difficulty in, especially when it comes to manufacturing this product. There is a lot riding on the stage when you take your product from design to production and it can be one of the most difficult transitions.

Talent is a vital resource for the success of any business. Today, in any successful growth strategy, technology must be at the forefront. However, the reality is, attracting, developing and retaining talent that can support this growth is one the biggest issues facing any business due to the simple fact that technology is always evolving and there will always be a gap between demand for the latest technology and the skills to fulfill it.

The well-being of employees is crucial. Improper care for staff can impact their performance and can have harmful effects within a company.

Whether the offering of your startup is an eco-friendly product or range of products or whether, as a new business, you are all too well-aware that potential customers will be expecting your eco credentials to be sound, it might be that you feel baffled and confused by all the eco-friendly and environmental terminology you see being bandied about. And you are not alone.

All across Britain, the self-starter movement is gathering momentum with people starting side hustles, their own small business or turning their passion project into an income. Research done by OnePoll in collaboration with Mettle last year found that passion (35%), ambition (34%) and hobbies (33%) are the most popular reasons for starting a side hustle. In fact, almost two thirds (64%) say they regret not starting their side hustle sooner.