Culture

Becoming your own boss is something a few of us will have fantasised about. Making all the decisions, creating our company in our own image, choosing when we work – it all sounds like a dream, but a lot of effort is required to get any enterprise off the ground irrespective of industry, size or location. Here, we detail the pros and cons of becoming an entrepreneur: The pros You get comp...
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Our high streets are suffering. We all know that. And we all know too that something’s gotta be done about it. Whether it’s supporting those independent shops which remain or starting a popup in an empty unit - we all ought to play our part in making things better.However if you’ve got ideas for making things better on a much bigger scale, a new comp from the Technology Strategy ...
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If you’ve been considering using the power of the ‘crowd’ to help finance your business, you’ll have perhaps been a tad confused at the sheer amount of places and platforms that you could potentially use.However, thanks to our latest Startup of the Week, identifying which crowd or peer-to-peer finance option would be best for you and your business has become a whole lot eas...
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If you’re considering setting up a new business, there’s going to be plenty of things on your checklist, from finding a new office space to marketing your business. As far as the latter is concerned, you’ll almost certainly need a new website, but when going online, there are a few things you need to be wary of, especially when it comes to security. One of them is malware, which...
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How to start a sweetshop... First off we should say that starting a sweetshop is something we would never be able to do given our fundamental lack of willpower when it comes to food of the sugary variety.  If, like us, you would be in danger of consuming any profits which came in the door you may wish to consider some of the following alternative articles; how to start a bookshop, how to star...
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A popup shop selling lost and found items...Just a few weeks ago we did a feature on a clever and quirky little social enterprise called ‘Glove Love’ , a matchmaking service which guarantees to match single lost gloves with a suitable mate and them off on their way to a delighted new owner, with all proceeds going to an environmental charity. Today we’ve got a great new project,...
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StudioAlt is an e-commerce store that supplies physical toolkits to the Digital, Tech and Startup community to help empower & aid collaboration. Intrigued? Well read on for Tony Shorts Self Interview...What is StudioAlt? StudioAlt is an e-commerce store that supplies physical toolkits to the Digital, Tech and Startup community to help empower and aid collaboration. Currently this foc...
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Did you become self-employed between 6th April 2012 and 5th April 2013? If you did, then this could be the first year you’ll have to file a self assessment tax return - and it must be with HMRC by 31st January 2014. Emily Coltman FCA, Chief Accountant to FreeAgent - which provides an award-winning online accounting system for small businesses and freelancers - gives her top tips for how you...
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As the old adage goes (and as many a veteran news reporter will gladly tell you) never work with children or animals. But apparently the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) either didn't get the memo, or have elected to take a rather more optimistic standpoint by working with both of them together! With the tagline “Advertising thought by kids to get adults thinking” their new ‘Pets4Pets&...
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Welcome to the Startacus Technology News Round-up. For those who managed a screen-break over Christmas, our first round-up of 2014 brings you right up to date with all the latest tech headlines for UK businesses - courtesy of marketing and technology blogger Justin Firth. CES Shows The Future The 2014 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) has hit Las Vegas. CES provides an annual sneak peek of all the...
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One of the biggest challenges when starting up a business is getting a payment system in place that makes you as professional as your intentions. Frustrations abound when you have a client or customer who can only pay with card, especially if you can only accept cash payments. The good news though is that the innovative iZettle service and card reader is one of the best ways to help combat that...
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Update: DEAL NO LONGER IN DATE - DEAL NOLONGER IN DATE. Update: DEAL NO LONGER IN DATE - DEAL NOLONGER IN DATE. Update: DEAL NO LONGER IN DATE - DEAL NOLONGER IN DATE. Update: DEAL NO LONGER IN DATE - DEAL NOLONGER IN DATE. Update: DEAL NO LONGER IN DATE - DEAL NOLONGER IN DATE.  Back in December 2013, (yes, it does now seem an age away now) we were delighted to run 12 da...
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