News and Blog Articles

We have spoken to Inan Gokcek.Inan received support from Barclays Bank mentor, Andy Murphy. Inan runs Anares (http://www.anares.co.uk) and has a small studio based in Hackney, London, his work ranges from furniture design to interior architecture and even small architecture projects such as house extensions, conversions and more. Inan’s main focus is on interior architecture […]

A survey from City Lit in London has revealed that Britain is a nation of wannabe Sir Alan Sugars and Jamal Edwards’, with a staggering 53% of Brits admitting that they wish they could start their own business. The research, however, went on to show how apprehension gets in the way of this entrepreneurialism with […]

UK microbusinesses spent almost 10 weeks working on financial admin last year, according to a new report. In Make Business Simple, Starling Bank surveyed 1,000 UK microbusinesses. The average firm clocked up 79 hours of labour a week, 15 of which go on finance admin tasks – a considerable 19% chunk of the total time. Smaller companies are […]

There are huge benefits to be gained by both sides of the mentoring relationship from both the mentee and the mentor, we’ve taken a look at just a few below. For the Mentee: Provides impartial advice and encouragement Develops a supportive relationship Assists with problem solving Improves self-confidence Offers professional development Encourages reflection on practice […]

So, you’ve created a great product and you’re ready to scale. Whether you’re looking to land distribution with retailers or ambassadors, there’s one common need: to make sure who you’re selling to understands the incredible business opportunity that rests in working with you. To achieve this, they must believe they can easily sell your product […]

1. Cash flow is more important to monitor than profits. Too many business leaders rely on the monthly profit and loss (P&L) statement to gauge cash flow. Your P&L is important, but it’s not an accurate picture of the cash flowing into and out of your business. The cash flow statement is the go-to document […]

Funding can be key to the success of a business but securing the deal can be daunting. As a new entrepreneur, drawing up a meticulous business plan is often just the beginning – it’s the investment that brings an idea to life. Achieving investment bridges the gap between having a great idea and building a […]

It’s often said that you don’t know what you don’t know. As an aspiring entrepreneur, there will be many aspects of your journey that may catch you off guard or downright confuse you. While this is normal, some areas of ignorance can impact your chances of success. 1. Losing Sight Of The Big Picture In […]

The North West has overtaken the South East to become the UK’s most entrepreneurial region outside of London, new figures suggest. Data from Start Up Loans – part of the British Business Bank – shows that the Government-backed programme has delivered 8,366 loans, providing over £65 million in funding to start ups in the North […]

You’ve finally found your passion and launched that dream business only to find it challenging to get funding. You’re scratching your head because you have a solid business plan, yet the pounds aren’t rolling in. The truth is that potential investors look at you, the entrepreneur, as the investment. Not the business idea. In other […]

The Department for International Trade (DIT) has held 130 Brexit workshops for small businesses trading with the EU, and will soon launch a new market access database for UK traders. DIT invited thousands of small business traders to bespoke workshops, helping them develop personalised plans to continue and increase their trade after we leave the […]

The New Enterprise Allowance (NEA) scheme has helped launch 203 businesses by unemployed benefit claimants on average each week in the UK, since 2017. Older claimants and people in the North West in particular have shown entrepreneurial skills. Helping unemployed people become their own boss as a route from claiming benefits, the NEA scheme offers claimants a […]

The Customer Is Always Right is an exciting series that follows budding entrepreneurs from across the UK as they try to make a success of their inventions. They are making everything from pet accessories to health and beauty products, home and garden tools, to children’s gadgets. Each episode of The Customer Is Always Right will […]

This flagship event is sponsored again this year by Barclays and takes place on Friday 22nd November 2019 at the prestigious Barclays offices in Canary Wharf, London. This one day event dedicated to Unleashing Innovation in Enterprise offers fantastic networking opportunities and an impressive programme to inspire and encourage new thinking as to how an […]

The mind can be a difficult place. Sadly, mental illness is invisible and affects everyone. At times, it may seem like an epidemic that can’t be beaten as workplace-related mental illness has reached staggering numbers. However, UK startups are changing our approach to mental wellbeing. So we wanted to share 5 mental health UK startups and celebrate […]

Mental health is often misunderstood and used to describe poor mental health. Instead, mental health should be referred to as you would when talking about physical health. Mental health is just as important as physical health and we should always try to avoid things that make our mental health decline and try to keep our […]

Celebrating Enterprise 2019 was held at The House of Lords on the 3rd October and brought together key figures from the small business, enterprise and skills sector in the UK, celebrating and recognising the very best in enterprise learning and skills. IOEE Chief Executive, Sarah Trouten IOEE Chief Executive, Sarah Trouten opened the award with an […]

Enterprisingly Me is a monthly feature where you can follow my entrepreneurial adventures. Names have been changed to protect the innocent but everything you read really happened. I hope my story inspires you to take your first steps, or if you already have, then it lets you know you’re not on your own. Starting and […]

Mind-blowing fact: The happier your employees, the more successful your company. Happy employees are more creative, innovative and dedicated than their unhappy counterparts. And, they’re more likely to stick around long-term. Sound too good to be true? Many studies & workplace reports show that happiness has a direct correlation to your business’s bottom line. In particular, a study cited by […]

SFEDI Group and The Institute of Enterprise and Entrepreneurs are thrilled to have Marston’s Telecoms on board as our headline sponsor for this year’s Celebrating Enterprise Awards at The House of Lords in London. The event will see eight categories of awards handed out to the countries rising and existing starts of enterprise. Marston’s Telecoms […]

The Celebrating Enterprise Awards 2019 is fast approaching so we’re taking a look back over last years’ winners in anticipation of the awards which will take place at the House of Lords on the 3rd October. One of the most notable receivers of an award last year was the Enterprising Learner of the Year, Haydar Ali-Ismail. Ali was […]

UK businesses are watching events in parliament with growing frustration and alarm, judging by this statement from Dr Adam Marshall, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce: “Businesses feel like Westminster is playing an endless game of political chess, while their futures and the health of the UK economy hang in the balance. “Every move in this game […]

Every apprentice needs a workplace mentor – someone there every day who understands and supports their learning and development needs, and the concerns that go along with settling into a new role.So here’s a few tips on how to look after your apprentice successfully. Don’t assume it’ll be easy because you’re already a manager It’s […]

Supporting employees’ mental wellbeing is a critical business issue for organisations, but it’s hard to know where to start. The Institute of Leadership & Management’s latest thought leadership research report: Mind Culture reveals alarming new statistics on how mental health is handled by managers; but more importantly, gives practical solutions on how workplaces can move forward and […]