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.

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.

Tally Market, the on-demand workspace platform for teams, announced that it has just closed a six-digit seed financing round. The oversubscribed round was funded by a group of prominent angel investors and startup veterans, and brings Tally Market’s funding to date to £330,000.

The 'NINJA Accelerator in Kenya' - powered by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), in partnership with Double Feather Partners (DFP), Deloitte Tohmatsu Venture Support (DTVS), Deloitte Tohmatsu Financial Advisory (DTFA) and GrowthAfrica - kicked off this week with a virtual event hosted in Nairobi, highlighting five high potential Kenyan ventures, a tailored but intensive programme, as well as a chance to take part in an international experience from Nairobi to Tokyo, and now Silicon Valley.

Claudio D’Angelo, former Co-founder and co-managing partner of Ryse Asset Management, has announced the launch of his latest venture - an investment management firm designed to help digital healthcare and medtech startups deliver breakthroughs in healthcare systems.  

Creative workspace and business accelerator, Huckletree has announced Yvonne Eruteya as its new Financial Director to focus on future growth plans, that will include new workspace products and further expansion across the UK and Ireland.

The Texthelp Group has been recognised with The Queen’s Award For Enterprise in the International Trade category.

London-based AI scaleup, Vivacity Labs has been honoured with a Queen’s Award for Enterprise. The Vivacity Labs team was awarded the Innovation Award for its technology that supports government, regional bodies and local councils to re-think and optimise the way traffic and transport infrastructure is built and used.

Suss Ventures has backed five investment deals with a combined value of £570,000 in under half a year. The new investor matching service is funded by Sussex Innovation, the business incubator owned by the University of Sussex. Since it’s foundations in 2019, Suss Ventures has welcomed over 100 investors and fundraisers into its growing community and has hosted quarterly events welcoming over 300 attendees, comprising investors and founders.

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 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.

Sage has launched a peer-to-peer (P2P) customer service platform in partnership with Limitless, to enhance its customer experience and enable small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) to recover stronger as UK lockdown measures lift.

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

Growth Animals was founded during lockdown in 2020 by a team of tenacious marketeers that want to do more than just marketing, they want to give back. Here, Startups Magazine, speaks to Chris Thornhill, Co-founder & CEO of Growth Animals to find out more.