Welcome to my new series ‘The Next Steps’. Every business owner and director, at every stage of a business’s life, should always be considering the next steps. If it is not constantly changing and adapting, and considering how to take the business forward, then the chances are very high that the business will fail.

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.

A brand new recruitment agency has launched in the West Midlands with the ambition of making the industry a more community-conscious one. 70/30 Club is leading the way in ethical recruitment, committing 70% of its profits to local charities every year, whilst delivering talent acquisition for a range of organisations.

Future Acres - a new startup bringing sustainable agricultural robotics to the farm industry in order to optimise workforce efficiency and safety - has launched to raise up to $3m in seed capital via equity crowdfunding site, SeedInvest. The company is producing an autonomous, electric agricultural robotic harvest companion, named Carry, to help farmers gather hand-picked crops faster and with less physical demand.

A tech spin-out whose cloud based data capture and analysis technology is unlocking five-fold increases in manufacturing factory floor productivity in the North of England has secured a significant six-figure investment from a combined Angel and Venture Capital syndicate, valuing the company at £2m.

With pupils set to go back to school on 8th March, there are a number of safety measures schools need to implement to ensure the health and wellness of staff, students and school communities. 

A revolutionary new technology that allows customers to order products or access information with just the tap of a smartphone could transform the online marketplace, an expert says.

Recently I’ve been wishing for more meetings with men. I spend a lot of time in meetings with women. And while I know my 20-something self would be puzzled by this statement (and would be delighted to chat regularly to women, albeit in a work capacity) let me explain…

Gophr, the UK's fastest-growing last-mile delivery provider, has raised £4m led by Nauta Capital, assisted by The ScaleUp Accelerator and White Horse Capital.   

Bumble’s CEO, Whitney Wolfe Herd, became the world’s youngest female self-made billionaire last week– a huge milestone for women in business everywhere. But how many female decision-makers are there in the boardrooms of some of the biggest companies in technology, entertainment and e-commerce?

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.

The Data & Marketing Association (DMA) has published new guidance, ‘DMA Talent: ADHD Employer Guide’, created using insights from neurodiversity consultants, brands/employers, and employees with ADHD working across the creative, data and marketing industries.

Tech Nation​, the UK network for ambitious tech entrepreneurs, has announced the ten early-stage scaleup winners of its nationwide competition, Rising Stars. These companies have been selected because they are at the forefront of UK technology, across a range of subsectors, providing solutions such as digitally connecting healthcare workers with communities, digital recruitment for schools, and tools for online content creators.

Xero, the global small business platform, is calling for urgent action to put small businesses at the centre of the UK economic recovery - after new Xero Small Business Insights (XSBI) data finds revenue slowed further in January to 9.3% below levels seen a year ago.

Axis Spine Technologies (AST) has raised £2.2m in a funding round led by ACF Investors, with follow-on investment from Mercia’s EIS funds. Mercia was the first investor when Axis was founded by Jon Acros in 2017. This is the first investment from ACF Investors’ new Delta Fund, a fast-track investment fund designed for high potential UK businesses that have been backed by a syndicate of angel investors with deep sector knowledge.

Londoners are huge cryptocurrency fans, having bought more of the digital asset than any other region in the UK according to a new national survey, while cautious Scots have bought the least.

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

Waze, the platform bringing together communities on and off the road, has announced updates to Waze Ads Starter, its advertising solution tailored specifically to small businesses. The features take into account the unique challenges faced by small businesses now, making it easier for them to connect with existing customers and attract new ones while making the most of their marketing investment.

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.