SRSLY Low Carb pretty much came to life at about the same time I collapsed on the way home from yet another manic work trip. When I came round, I finally accepted what I’d long suspected: that my existing work/life balance was unsustainable. I needed time out to recuperate and, as someone who was already an avid runner and triathlete, I decided that I needed a new challenge to focus my mind. Against my family’s better judgement, I took steps to complete my first Iron Man, which was when I was first introduced to a ketogenic lifestyle. This is what led me to start SRSLY Low Carb. A glaring gap ..read more

It’s a familiar story to parents across the country: early mornings driving your kids to and from whatever sport they have decided to take up. This was certainly the case for my co-founder Ian Critchlow, who was regularly getting up at 4am to take his son to swimming practice. As with many teenagers, his son needed fuel – specifically, a toasted peanut butter and banana sandwich on the recommendation of his coaches – in order to power him through the early morning sessions. It was out of these dietary demands that the business idea for the viral CRIMPiT was born. From humble beginnings to mass ..read more

It’s been said “do what you love and the money will follow” but what’s often left unsaid is that, eventually, you’ll have to stop doing it and start managing others instead. In most companies, people only advance by climbing the corporate ladder, often forcing them into management roles that steer them away from their true passion—their craft. Instead of honing that craft, people born to create are stuck reviewing work and playing office politics. This phenomenon creates undesirable career paths for many, with one-third of tech workers expressing they didn’t want to take on a managerial role ..read more

The long-awaited Labour manifesto, delivered yesterday by Kier Starmer, sets out a mission statement of creating the most pro-growth and pro-business treasury this country has ever seen.  “Wealth creation is our number one priority,” Starmer enthused at the manifesto launch. “If you take nothing else away from this today, let it be this.”  Although a large Labour majority may allow the party to follow through with its promises, a marginal, more fractured victory may leave more room for uncertainty.  Starmer promised a rare combination at the manifesto reveal – being both pro-wor ..read more

Early on in my business journey, as the founder of OMGTea, I was invited to apply for the BBC TV programme Dragons’ Den. It felt like a wonderful, albeit very scary, opportunity. It was 2018. The global matcha market was already valued at £2 billion and it was expected to increase rapidly. I was hopeful that the Dragons would be excited to get on the trend early, and provide me with the angel investment I needed to grow the brand. But what seems obvious to me now, and did all those years ago, was somehow lost on the millionaires in the room that day at BBC Studios. When it came to the end of t ..read more

I always knew I wanted to start my own business but had little idea what shape this business might take. I set off to university to study a Business Enterprise degree to nurture my entrepreneurial vision but jumped ship after a year. I figured 8 hours of lectures a week was a poor return on a mountain of student debt. Verifying Get the latest startup news, straight to your inbox Stay informed on the top business stories with Startups.co.uk’s weekly newsletter Please fill in your name Please fill in your email Subscribe By signing up to receive our newsletter, you agree to our Privacy Pol ..read more

Knowing when it’s time to quit and when to double down, even if the market signals aren’t rewarding your efforts just yet, is a crucial lesson I’ve learned through my entrepreneurial journey. I founded my first business straight out of university, with a History degree and a £2,000 enterprise grant. I had no idea how to even send an invoice, but I dived headfirst into setting up an online coffee business in York. The grant covered some branding, initial stock and a website I built using an early version of Shopify. Despite my efforts, the business ultimately failed due to tight margins and, if ..read more

Opening your first physical store is a seminal, coming-of-age moment for a retailer, particularly in the age of starting businesses online. Many entrepreneurs are enjoying rapid ecommerce success, building burgeoning brands. But opening and running a physical store is a different ball game. It’s a juncture that the vast majority must cross, and one that’s crucial to get right. However, the rising costs of operating a business, especially with a physical location, have made this leap harder than ever. Pop-up stores can bridge that gap. They allow retailers to experiment with in-store operations ..read more

Starting a business from scratch is never easy, especially in a market as crowded as the digital space. When I started Cedarwood Digital back in 2016, I didn’t have any financial backing. That may sound scary, but this was a deliberate choice. I wanted 100% ownership and control over my business. In the past few years, I’ve worked with a number of clients who have taken investment into their own businesses. I’ve seen the good, the bad and the ugly of angel investment and venture capital. I think if you choose this path, you really need the right investor with the right level of involvement. Ei ..read more

This article has been created in collaboration with a sponsoring partner. Every year, hundreds of lifestyle and culture writers pick out the top food and drink trends for the months ahead. In 2024, leaving aside the usual threats of potato milk and buckwheat, a prevailing customer concern will trump every modish ingredient: value. Today’s economy has set a stark table. Rising living costs have turned food receipts into a bitter read for customers. For food businesses desperate to salvage slim profits, dropping prices may seem beyond the pale. Reassuringly, value for money doesn’t necessarily ..read more