Let’s work together to make work experience more rewarding March 31, 2020 Any student who’s ever spent a week getting coffee, photocopying, or doing research that is immediately thrown into the recycling knows that our current work experience system doesn’t work. It’s elitist, nepotistic, and formal work experience programmes tend to only be offered in very “establishment” industries: law, banking, consulting. And yet it’s still a vital [...]
If cities like London and Cardiff collaborate, the whole UK will prosper March 9, 2020 Last week, digital bank Starling announced the creation of 400 new jobs in Cardiff. To anyone familiar with the thriving city, it should come as no surprise. The Welsh capital has cultivated an innovative digital and tech centre with particular specialities around life sciences and software technology, as well as fast-growing adjacent industries such as [...]
EIS investing: A leap into the unknown February 26, 2020 For the uninitiated, investing can often feel like an alphabet soup of different acronyms. But knowing what they all mean can open up a whole new world of options for how to put your money to work. As investors prepare for a number of government changes to how they can invest in startups, City A.M. [...]
The importance of being positive: How to build a resilient business mindset February 21, 2020 From my experience, entrepreneurs are an optimistic bunch by nature. They see opportunity; they grasp it. Yet the not-so-simple journey from startup to growth requires relentless hard work and unshakable commitment. Of course, there will be high fives and heady moments of rapture in the bar. But the reality is that before we get to [...]
12 steps to turn your brilliant idea into a business January 27, 2020 Most of us have probably had a great business idea at some point in our lives. A lightbulb moment in the pub, a problem solved in the shower or brief thought whilst waiting for the bus. But so rarely do these ideas ever progress beyond a fleeting thought. And setting up a business can be daunting, [...]
Rabobank invests in online mortgage broker Trussle January 20, 2020 Rabobank’s strategic investment arm, Rabo Frontier Ventures, has contributed to a £7.5m funding round in online mortgage broker Trussle. Rabo Frontier Ventures joined the latest round of funding alongside existing investors Goldman Sachs Merchant Banking Division, Finch Capital and Propel Venture partners. The fresh round of funding brings Trussle’s total to £26.7m after the tech [...]
How to start your own business in 2020 January 17, 2020 As many of us embark on our new year’s resolutions to eat less and get fit, a good 20 per cent of us will be making plans to start a business. According to Companies House, 2019 was a record year for UK company registrations. An incredible 678,288 new businesses were registered. This is part of [...]
Revealed: The 10 fastest growing UK scale-ups of 2019 December 10, 2019 Renewable energy provider Bulb has won the top spot on a list of the fastest growing UK scale-ups thanks to a surge in value over the last three years. The energy provider, which has acquired 1.5m members since it was set up in 2015, has increased its valuation by 318 times since 2016, according to [...]
Too much regulation on bitcoin and cryptocurrency could scare away future tech innovators December 9, 2019 Back in October, the FCA closed its consultation on banning the sale of cryptocurrency derivatives to retail investors. A consultation that I hope will start a collaborative discussion, bringing crypto and its regulatory framework up to speed with the rapid growth of the industry. Thankfully, the FCA’s approach so far has been inclusive and forward-thinking. [...]
If you were chancellor, what would be in your Budget? November 6, 2019 Today was scheduled to be the first Budget of Boris Johnson’s premiership. The chancellor announced the Budget last month, saying: “This is the right and responsible thing to do – we must get on with governing.” Unfortunately, to misquote a phrase, the best-laid plans of chancellors and Prime Ministers often go awry. The Budget has [...]