Features

We are delighted with last weeks launch of our annual self starter awards which aims to recognise the work of early stage self starter / entrepreneur / startup folk who are demonstrating that they’re doing something of note with that big or small idea that they have! The 2013 winner of the coveted ‘Self Starter of the Year’ award was Jennifer Duthie, founder of the innovative fo...
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If you have visited us in the last few months you will know that we’ve embarked upon a new inspiring series called “Self Employed Stories” which tells the stories of enterprising folks who have had to overcome very challenging times to fulfill their dreams of self employment. So far in the series we have featured such lovely folks as Alison with her tale of starting her own fitn...
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  Even though the downturn ended quite some time ago, trading conditions are still pretty tough for many businesses throughout the US. Companies large and small appear to be fighting a losing battle against low consumer confidence, stagnant wages and expensive overheads. However, there is a small yet significant band of enterprises who are managing to swim against the tide, but how? These c...
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So here we are folks - the Playable City Awards are back! Following last year’s successful event (which of course Startacus featured) and which was won by Pan Studio with their project ‘Hello Lamp Post’ – submissions for this year are now open. For those who don’t know what they are (where have you been people!?) – the second International Playable City Awards ...
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Calling all Northern Ireland based innovators! Time to get your thinking caps on as the INVENT 2014 Awards are now open. This is your chance to get your hands on a shared prize fund of a £33,000!! INVENT 2014 provides the opportunity to showcase the most exciting prototypes for technologies in Northern Ireland. 24 teams will be taken through a programme of workshops and mentorship to pitch ...
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It’s said that when you’re starting a business one of the first things you ought to do is find your niche. That’s something which our latest Startup of the Week has done, without question.Styleshapes is an online platform and community dedicated solely to 3D printed jewellery, design and fashion. If you’re a designer you can use the site to showcase your 3D designs an...
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Startacus Room 101 - It’s where all those ‘pet hates’ go!! Taking inspiration from George Orwell’s 1984 and the TV show with the same name, what we’re doing is asking Startacus members and leading entrepreneurs alike to nominate something to banish into the Startacus Entrepreneurial Room 101 - and for eternity too! Like the TV show - all they have to do is nominate ...
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It’s the third week of our new feature on Startacus - “Entrepreneurial Room 101” Last week, the job title “Entrepreneur”, Marketing and Super Hero Mentality were pitched by three self starters to go in Entrepreneurial room 101. Check out which one was the most popular proposal and thereby becomes our 2nd entry into the Startacus HQ cellar! Taking inspiration from Ge...
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A couple of weeks ago, with a little time on our hands, we jokingly drew a test tube image outlining what we reckoned the actual science of a successful startup would look like. Albeit, it was all a little jokey - everyone knows that the science of a startup is the formula er-st+fdr/c ², - but after a while, we thought that there is actually a little light humoured truth in all this mumbo-jum...
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Over the last couple of years, there’s been a real boom in the so-called Sharing Economy and there have been a plethora of startups created as a result - and that’s surely no bad thing. Sharing is pretty much the main focus of our latest Startup of the Week. Eatro is a new online community and marketplace for sharing homemade food.The concept is really straightforward.If you’re ...
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How to Start a Tattoo Studio - UK Tattooing - it’s one of the oldest art forms known to man… no really! For thousands of years countless civilizations have decorated their skin in an attempt to make a bold statement about something they felt was intrinsic to their existence. Of course for the most part, modern day tattooing is a far cry from the tribal branding and declarations o...
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It’s the second week of our new feature on Startacus -  “Entrepreneurial Room 101” Last week, buzzwords Pivot and Disrupt, Cold Calling Sales People and 24/7 connectivity were pitched by three self starters to go in Entrepreneurial room 101.  Find out which one was the most popular (or not so popular in fact) proposal and thereby becomes our first entry into the Starta...
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