If you’re looking for lucrative ways to raise capital for your start-up business you have some options to consider. The good news is that it’s never been easier to raise start-up funds than right now. You have a range of resources available at your fingertips, you just need to know where to look and the risks involved before making a decision.
crowdfunding
Chantelle Flynn, one of the creators of Tiipii bed takes part in our recent success story. She discusses the method of making a niche product an international success. TiiPii Beds are luxury floating hammock beds that create a unique relaxing space to be enjoyed indoors or outdoors.
[continue reading…]
Flowers are timeless and have been used for centuries to express emotions. They play a role in all occasions, from expressing sympathy, to celebrating the birth of a new baby or showing love on Valentine’s Day. Flowers being closely related to emotions and occasions is perhaps the reason why the florist industry has been thriving for decades and why the need remains strong. The fresh cut flowers and plant industry is currently worth £2.2 billion in the UK, and to give some perspective that is £0.2 billion more than the music industry in the UK. The florist business industry is huge and comes with the vast opportunity to start a successful company.
Starting and running a successful luxury brand business can take multiple sources of funding. In his success story, Mathew Cule from CuleM Watches tells all about his inspiration and how he went about creating and running a luxury brand.
[continue reading…]
When your early or growth stage company needs essential funding, equity crowdfunding can be an excellent way to achieve this.
Two brothers, Timothy McElroy and James McElroy founded their business as they struggled to find a dog sitter for their dog. They took inspiration from the likes of Uber and Airbnb to set up their business. Now, HouseMyDog is Europe’s largest online community that enables dog owners to find and book local, trusted dog sitters and walkers. It operates in more than 70 cities across the UK, Ireland, Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and Belgium.
As the bells and fireworks signal the dawn of another new year, we feel just enough optimism to make ambitious resolutions that, while well-intentioned, are often ditched come February. Rather than recommending you neglect Netflix in favour of a gym membership or swap your weekend (and evening) drinks for kale smoothies, I’d instead like to give you five reasons why 2019 is the year you should crowdfund your business.
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has carried out research looking at small businesses reaction to new credit. The study carried out had just under a thousand small business participants. One in three of those businesses say that the new credit is unaffordable. It’s making them hesitant to borrow funds, which are vital for growth. These findings come just ahead of Bank of England’s decision to raise interest rates in the UK.
You may think that the success of established global companies is the most vital factor in the health of the economy. However, you should not underestimate the importance of entrepreneurs in the business world. They start up fast-growing businesses that are responsible for creating around twice as many jobs as established companies. Entrepreneurs also innovate; they need to question practices and think creatively in order to survive and thrive. Established major companies do not have the same impetus to innovate. As the Financial Times reported, we need the innovation and job creation of the entrepreneur community, to help keep the economy stable and to keep the status quo from taking over and hampering technological and creative progress.
The social and political landscape is changing. Driven by the digital revolution and gathering pace as the number of so-called ‘digital natives’ reach adulthood, this paradigm shift is a result of society shunning traditional leadership models and preferring direct connection instead of intermediation. It’s because of this shift that crowdfunding was born, and the effects it’s having on society are far more profound than many realise.
In our latest success story, we discuss the success of Stem + Glory, a vegan restaurant, with the owner Louise Palmer-Masterton. Louise, a yoga instructor turned entrepreneur gives us an insight into her business journey, from discussing future plans to the rise of veganism.
[continue reading…]
Alex Eid the founder of Homie, a platform to help renters find a home with a help of a personal home finder, is the latest entrepreneur to be featured in our success story. Alex has raised $4 million in seed funding to set up and grow his business. In his story, he discusses workplace culture and advice for any prospective, aspiring entrepreneurs.
[continue reading…]
In the past five years, crowdfunding has skyrocketed in popularity as a way to bring innovations to life and has become a great contender to more traditional methods of funding. It has given entrepreneurs access to capital through the people who are most excited about their idea, and want to help it become a reality. This real-time interaction with ‘the crowd’ provides invaluable insights into the market for a given product, and allows entrepreneurs to tweak their products to better fit their customers’ needs. There’s no denying that there are are some major crowdfunding mistakes which can be made, however they can be easily avoided.
Essentially equity crowdfunding is the process through which a large number of people provide money to a business in return for shares in the company. It might not be the easiest way to raise funds, but if done right, it can bring you a lot more than just cash.
What started as a way for startups and entrepreneurs to gain access to capital has transformed into a industry worth over $34 billion (£23.9 billion). Most people think of crowdfunding as simply a way of raising funds for projects, but it’s actually much, much more. It’s also a great promotional tool and an effective way to build a community of supporters, so to use crowdfunding as a marketing platform only makes seems natural.
Access to funding is a major concern for many small businesses. At a time when there is so much uncertainty about the direction of the UK’s economy, not having the money needed to keep going or grow can cause anxiety for a lot of companies. One of the most common reasons behind a lack of money is reluctance from banks to offer business loans.
[continue reading…]
Funding Circle is one of the most prominent methods of getting loans for UK small businesses. In this guide, we will focus primarily on this method of financing, explaining how it works and why it’s such a great way of financing your business that you should definitely consider.
The number of small businesses taking off is increasing continuously, there was a huge increase in the number of new small business from 2015 to 2016; approximately 97, 000 more small businesses started. It seems that there has never been a better time to start your own business, which is promising news for any potential entrepreneurs. So, you have the perfect idea for a business, and you are ready to take on the world of small business but where will you find the funding?
[continue reading…]
Crowdfunding is an increasingly popular way to raise funds for your small business and if you think you can persuade the masses to give your idea a chance then do not hesitate to get your crowdfunding started. In 2016 crowdfunding provided 15% of total UK startup and venture-stage equity investments, and it continues to grow at a phenomenal rate. Here, we take a closer look at this innovative method to funding your small business idea.
[continue reading…]
You may need finance to get your business started, or seek an injection of capital further down the line once your business has grown. Here, we look at how most small business owners raise funding.
[continue reading…]
