In mid-2015 we formed a team bringing together people from the theatre industry as well as the tech industry to set a goal to build the ultimate discovery tool for Theatre-goers starting from London. (You can imagine it a bit like IMDb + Trip adviser but for theatre). That’s when Stagedoor was born. We initially set aside some personal funds to build the first prototype and prove some decent early traction before reaching out to investors. This was good because it allowed us to negotiate a better valuation. Having been through that process successfully raising $250,000, and now raising for our ..read more

The lean start-up methodology is to develop quickly, iterate quicker, and learn at the speed of light. It’s very rare to get things right first time, which is why you need to be quick to change and learn – most importantly don’t make the same mistakes. Some startups don’t have the luxury of continuous development, because of depletion of runway, and so never crack it and fail. So here’s some of my advice, from Hollabox’s developments to make sure you get some key things right first time for your app. Make the value immediately accessible We were guilty of making the first version of our produc ..read more

Testing is a vital part of any Software Life Cycle whether you are building a basic web site or a complex app for your business. Given that the time given to Testing is very limited and the focus is always on launching the product, it sometimes results in sub-optimal test coverage often resulting in Bad User Reviews from your customers and Low Ratings on the app stores. If you want to avoid this, here are some quick tips that would avoid this and ensure you release products with Minimum Viable Quality (MVQ) every time: 1.       Ensuring Business Needs This is the ..read more

Audience Understanding your audience is the first thing to do before setting up your social platforms. Where are they most active? What are they interested in? Social is all about community, your audience needs to dictate your decisions; there is no point in investing your time in a social platform if the audience isn’t there to hear what you are saying. Once you know where they are, how they communicate and what they respond to, you can start asking yourself why they should listen to you and love your brand. This ultimately leads to testing and experimenting with posts, tone of voice and imag ..read more

StartUp Britain is delighted to announce its partnership with the I-COM Data Startup Challenge 2017. The I-COM summit will take place in the enchanting city of Porto, Portugal, April 24th-27th, 2017. More information about the event, including how to enter, can be found in the release below: Never before has there been such a curiosity and need for large global enterprises to understand and invest in the latest approaches and technologies that are on the horizon. Now in its 5th edition, the I-COM Data Startup Challenge enables the ‘best and the brightest’ data startups from around the Wor ..read more

Despite what a you might hear, the UK is a great place to launch a business. There’s lots of opportunity and support available for you, you just need to go out and take it. I launched by social media agency, Blue Cliff Media, 18 months ago and I wanted to write this article, sharing my top tips for launching a business. Set clear goals The number one thing you need to think about when you’re launching a business is what do you want to achieve? And when I say that, it’s not just about what you want your business to achieve. It’s what do you want to achieve personally? When you’ve got a personal ..read more

PR as we know it is changing. Less elusive and increasingly accessible, it’s now entirely possible for businesses to do their own PR without the need for 50-strong team of staff and a six-figure budget. No one is better at selling your business than you are, so read ahead for five handy tips that’ll help you DIY your PR. Never turn down anyone for a coffee Today’s interns are tomorrow’s CEOs. You never know who you’re going to meet, or who they can connect you with – you may just come across that one person who will change your business forever. Understand your customer.. It’s perhaps obvi ..read more

At a lavish awards ceremony at Manchester’s stunning The Monastery, HI Therapies, a Bournemouth-based beauty salon beat hundreds of salons to the title of Beauty Salon of the Year South West at the Professional Beauty Regional Awards. The Professional Beauty Awards are the most prestigious and established awards scheme for the beauty, spa, nails and aesthetics markets, recognising those who make a real difference to the industry. They recognise the salons that stand out from the crowd and deserve recognition as a world-class player in the beauty and spa industry. HI Therapies was founded just ..read more

PRESS RELEASE London, 7th September 2016 Contact: Jason Dempsey. NatWest’s Media Relations Manager for London & South East (Jason.dempsey@natwest.com or 07825 724148 or Nick Howe, Regional Enterprise Manager, London & South East, NatWest Entrepreneurs & StartUp Britain (nick.howe@Natwest.com) NatWest is committed to motivating and inspiring the next generation of business leaders.  That’s why we’re helping to support and connect people interested in starting and growing their own business Following the success of the StartUp Britain Powered by NatWest Summer StartUp tour ..read more

Every day is different for me, that’s what I love about my job. Or is it a hobby? Anyway, Friday last saw the fantastic Startup Britain Bus visit Bristol. We found a plot right outside Engine Shed and just at the bottom of the main entrance to Temple Meads station – which sees 13m passengers go through it per year. Big thanks to Skanska, the developer, who own the plot of land we parked the bus on, for helping us out so readily. We all know that one of the strong features of an entrepreneur is the default response of “yes” then working out how to do it afterwards. That was what we got from Ska ..read more