Tag: small business

#1 – Innovate but not as you know it When most businesses hear the word innovation they tend to think about technology, or how they create their next product or process. But innovation isn’t all about ideation, technology and widgets. Actually, it means ways to create value from ideas. In many cases this starts with […]

Small businesses make up nearly 99% of UK business and are at the heart of the UK economy. Our research shows that businesses that use external support are twice as likely to survive and succeed than businesses that don’t. Ensuring small businesses have somewhere and someone to turn to for valued and trusted support is […]

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 […]

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 […]

Startups are born to scale. They’re created to search for and validate a scalable business model in a way that can have a major impact on the market or how a problem has traditionally been solved. The innovation, disruption and scalability aspects of a startup are why they are different from small businesses and more […]

Small business owners can sometimes find it impossible to compete against massive corporations. Big businesses can typically leverage millions in advertising budgets and can outsupply and outpace small businesses at every turn. However, small businesses shouldn’t be so quick to throw in the towel. Some experiences that less expansive, more niche businesses can offer, large […]