Over the last five articles I have tried to set the scene in terms of outlining what help is available to early stage businesses, and certain aspects of finance, including a valuable but often overlooked tax refund. In this article and the next I wanted to focus on two fundamental issues that will determine how your business develops and how you grow sales.

South-By-Southwest is an annual assemblage of conferences and festivals that takes place in Austin, Texas in early March to celebrate the convergence of film, music, interactive and other industries. Created to foster both professional and personal growth across multiple levels, the ten-day event prides itself on truly being all things to all people.

In the last two articles in this series I have looked at various aspects of finance and this time I am going to stay with the financial theme but from a very different angle – tax. But tax is a very broad topic and I wanted to focus on one unusual aspect of the UK tax system, and that is R&D (research and development) tax credits, and it is unusual in the fact that this time it is HMRC giving you money rather than taking it.

If you are an engineering startup and proud raise your hand! It is nearly a year since the first issue of Startups Magazine, and if it has opened my eyes up to one thing, it is that there are a lot of you startups out there – which is a great thing!

There is not enough diversity in the technology sector as a whole. At London Tech Week, Mike Butcher editor at Tech Crunch, said this year’s figures show that in the tech industry 20% is made up by females, and that has dropped from 33% in 2002.

There is a massive stigma out there that certain careers are for boys and others are for girls. But why?

2018 was 'the year of engineering', and arguably a year that allowed more women to make even more of a breakthrough in the industry.

So far in the series I have looked at some of the different types of assistance that is available to a startup and also about what benefits working with a Mentor can bring and how you should be trying to maximise those benefits. 

Founded in 2009 by four graduates, Bare Conductive has already launched two successful Kickstarter campaigns. Startups Magazine talks with with Isabel Lizardi, CCO and co-founder.

15Gifts was started seven years ago by founder, Tom Cox, when he had the idea to create the first intelligent gift finding engine.

According to research from King's College London, over 9,000 Londoners are dying early every year as a result of toxic air.

French startup Electrosmart sets out to increase people's awareness of electromagnetic radiation.

Jane Henry, co-founder of Marylebone Difference Marketing shares some words of PR wisdom for startups.

In 2015, Nicolas Gambini decided to create the world's first autonomous underwater drone. Four years later, meet iBubble.

Has our love affair with our phones reached obsession? Maybe it's time to get some space and find a new phone/life balance with SPACE app.

Launched on Kickstarter, this startup was supported by 3,140 backers who pledged a total of €313,637 to bring this project to life.

Co-Founders and CEOs of Apptimisation, Clara Toombs and Monica Pal first met in Japan whilst indulging in their shared passion for travel and it was there that they realised that they both had complimentary skill sets with which to provide fellow solo travellers with means to connect.

When you’re travelling around the UK and spending hundreds of pounds on train tickets, you expect a good rail service. You expect trains to arrive on time and no unexplained cancellations. Unfortunately, for many travellers it has become something of a rarity to see the 5.34pm train from London to Birmingham arrive on time… if it even arrives at all!

When I first heard the name ‘Tonik', my first thoughts conjured up images of a large gin.

In this, the first of an occasional series, I will be passing on my thoughts and observations in my capacity as a Mentor and how accepting the help that is available to startup business can help transform them.