Inspiring

Falcon Enamelware - Cardboard Popup When we think of the popup phenomenon we will generally envisage innovative and cutting edge startups looking for an exciting and modern way to introduce their product to market or create a bit of excitement - like these - Number 26 Stopup Shop, Propstore and WeArePopup.   But what about a 100 year old enamelware manufacturer with a strictly classical ran...
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It’s fair to say that in recent weeks we've been having something of a ‘social enterprise-fest’ here at Startacus, with such inspiring tales as Manchester Veg People, Pop-up bikes and Avaaz.org. Today we keep the wheel turning with an inspirational project which is putting the pedal to the metal with its not-for-profit bicycle refurbishment service that rescues those underloved b...
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Did you know that beer was first brewed in London in the 1300’s? Needless to say a lot has changed since then, not least of all the UK brewing industry, which has over the last century been under tremendous pressure for international imports which can be brewed faster and cheaper. For a while there it seemed that it was 'last orders at the bar' for the great British Pint… but the stor...
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If you are a regular visitor to Startacus, you’ll know that we are on a mission to bring you stories about inspirational startups who we think are headed for the big time...but not today! In fact Your Hero Delivery is, to all intents and purposes, a complete failure as it no longer exists - it ceased trading after only a few weeks in operation. Why then you may ask, are we giving this appare...
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Now for something umm... well... bizarre quite frankly. As you know, here at Startacus we are mad about inventive startups, social media and anything which makes running a business a happier and more productive endeavour...(check out TwitterTape as another mad cap invention for the office)On our quest to find some fun and quirky stories, we came across MurMurs, the new office seats/furry cre...
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Just last week we gave you the lowdown on Shopify's fantastic competition for budding online retailers and so to continue that thread, we searched high and low for a business which would demonstrate how a simple idea can grow into a highly successful online business. That’s how we stumbled across Laura Zander from California who over the past decade has knitted her way to international succe...
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We like cakes. We also like pop up shops. We also love innovative ideas that address social issues. So when we heard about the The Depressed Cake Shop we were hungry to find out more (sorry). Admittedly this story has gathered a lot of press over the last couple of months, so we are not claiming any exclusives here, but the reality is that the more people that hear about it and help spread the wo...
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GrowUp! Urban Farming... Last week we featured the innovative and inspiring 'Manchester Veg People' and we were really impressed with their local approach to fresh veg and their determination to give people the opportunity to know where their food has come from. So inspired were we in fact, that we decided to dig a little further into the public’s growing obsession with their food’s ...
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So many of us are particular about the food we prepare at home - for some, organic is the order of the day and for others, only high quality locally sourced produce is fit to grace the table. But surely it’s not possible to exercise the same selectivity when it comes to eating out? One valiant start-up in Manchester thinks it should be - in fact Manchester Veg People have set themselves the ...
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At Startacus we try not to complain too much - it generally doesn't do any good...but if there’s one thing that we simply can’t abide, it’s sitting in seemingly endless queues of traffic on our way to or from work -  it just makes our blood boil! If you listen to the hype you would believe that cycling is the magical answer to all such traffic-related misery, but sadly no - ...
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One of the realities of working in a co-working space where the majority of the other workers or startups are tech or comic or sci-fi fanatics is that it does rekindle your interest and passion for the whimsical - the adolescent passions, and the geek-esque interests of yesteryear. But apart from debating whether Quantum Leap is one of the best Sci-Fi shows of the 1990’s (Danny @UproarC...
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Avaaz.org- From Technology, new nimbleness and flexibility! It seems like everywhere you turn nowadays someone is complaining about the internet - the danger which it poses, the opportunities it affords to criminals, the security it lacks and the privacy which it takes from us. However it is wise to remember that although the rapid growth of the internet and social media may carry certain risks, ...
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