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Author: Josh Dornbrack

The Queen honours ecommerce brand Lovehoney for boosting UK exports

The sexual wellness brand Lovehoney has received The Queen’s Award for Enterprise for outstanding continuous growth in overseas sales over the last six years. Since 2015, overseas sales have grown from £12m to £56m, an overall rise of 365%.The award – described as ‘the highest accolade for business success’ – allows Lovehoney to use the...

Josh Dornbrack

Volta Trucks announces the appointment of new CEO and executive chairman

Volta Trucks, the full-electric commercial vehicle manufacturer, has announced the appointment of its new chief executive officer and executive chairman, as it prepares to move ahead with the next stage of its corporate development. Essa Al-Saleh has been appointed as chief executive officer of Volta Trucks AB and Volta Trucks Ltd as of April 12....

Josh Dornbrack

Europe’s biggest CBD marketplace Alphagreen set to raise £2m funding

Alphagreen, a European marketplace for cannabis products is launching the largest ever crowdfunding raise in the CBD and medical cannabis space. The cash injection will be used to grow its e-commerce and digital marketing operations and expand into new global territories. Retail investors can register their interest in buying into the London-based start-up via the...

Josh Dornbrack

Biggest businesses that went bust due to COVID-19

Despite entering the first lockdown over a year ago, the effect of COVID-19 on all aspects of UK life is still being felt. One area that is certainly feeling its adverse effects is the economy. Gross domestic product (GDP) declined by 9.9% in 2020, giving you an idea of the damage endured. According to a...

Josh Dornbrack

Unrecognised female is working in the meeting room

Women account for just 6% of FTSE 100 CEOs – and are paid far less

According to Ezra, a global provider of digital coaching, women still make up a low proportion of CEOs in 2021 (6%), despite some high-profile success stories. In the UK FTSE 100 as it stands there are six female CEOs compared to 94 men in 2021, the same number as between 2017 and 2019. In 2020 there...

Josh Dornbrack

Who are sports’ most successful entrepreneurs?

To be a successful athlete you need to be self-motivated, competitive, optimistic and meticulous – all personality traits that are also needed to be a successful entrepreneur. It’s therefore no wonder that so many sports celebrities go on to become business tycoons once they have retired (or even while they are still competing). Below are...

Josh Dornbrack

My Working Day – Johan Hajji – Co-founder of UpperKey

As the leader of a company, you are there to set an example, to lead and inspire a team of individuals to achieve a series of business goals. But, how do these business leaders go about their daily routine? We spoke to Johan Hajji – Co-founder of UpperKey about his working day. What time do...

Josh Dornbrack

Used, not useless: Data on second-hand devices creates a cybersecurity concern for businesses

As many as 90% of second-hand storage media devices such as USB sticks and hard drives contain traces of private and business data from previous owners, according to research conducted by Kaspersky. Private photos and videos, pornographic content, and intimate messages have been found to exist alongside banking documents, medical reports, contact details, company emails,...

Josh Dornbrack

Group of children using laptops in school classroom together

UK edtech sector grew by 72% in 2020

Lockdown measures and mandatory school closures in 2020 led to an explosive 71.5% growth of the UK’s education technology sector (edtech) in spite of an 11% contraction in GDP (as of November 2020). Growth of the UK’s edtech sector surpassed the 17.9% year-on-year growth of the industry globally by 4x the pace. The growth puts...

Josh Dornbrack

Charlie Mullins argues vaccine passport is the way out of the COVID-19 crisis

This was written by Charlie Mullins, founder of Pimlico Plumbers, We’ve never been big fans of the identity card in the UK, and yet as a nation, we have one of the highest rates of passport possession in the world. And approximately 75% of all adults over 17 have a driver’s licence containing a digital...

Josh Dornbrack

Who are the top 32 leaders set to take 2021 by storm?

This year has been challenging for businesses and entrepreneurs across all industries. The COVID-19 pandemic has been a devastating force, leading to many companies going bust and millions being left unemployed. However, with 2021 on the horizon, Business Leader has put together a list of 32 individuals and their businesses that are set to lead...

Josh Dornbrack

Leadership concept using origami ship

IBM UK chief executive talks about digital leadership beyond lockdown

Written by Sreeram Visvanathan, chief executive at IBM UK and Ireland The COVID-19 pandemic delivered an abrupt shock to organisations across the UK both large and small. The experience has dominated our lives and news headlines around the world – disrupted business and triggered economic volatility in global markets. Now a few months down the...

Josh Dornbrack

What will the car of the future look like?

The car of the future is electrified, autonomous, shared and connected – welcome to the age of revolutionary change in the automotive industry. To explore what the future holds for the concept of the car and how innovation is driving change, Business Leader and SETsquared, the global number one business incubator and enterprise partnership, gathered...

Josh Dornbrack

AI and machine learning start-ups raised £48.5bn in total funding

Technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) have transformed business processes across different industries, changing how companies operate, manage finances, gather and analyse data, and build customer relations. As the algorithms and data-driven methods continue to develop, venture capitalists are becoming more interested in investing in artificial intelligence startups providing the most beneficial...

Josh Dornbrack

Three Joes acquire The Stable Pizza Group

Three Joes, the sourdough pizza and craft beer restaurant chain, has acquired the fourteen-strong ‘The Stable’ pizza chain (turnover £14.6m) from Fullers for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition sees the company expand its geographical spread into the South West, Wales and the Midlands. Tim Hall, chief executive and co-founder of Three Joes said: “We’ve been...

Josh Dornbrack

Liz Truss launches future trade strategy for UK tech industry

New measures to boost digital trade and help turn the UK into a global tech powerhouse have been announced today by the International Trade Secretary, answering industry calls for support for UK tech firms. Liz Truss will unveil a package of strategic interventions during London Tech Week to support UK tech companies to seize trade...

Josh Dornbrack

Cropped view of women holding hands and standing in hight heel shoes on grey background

Who are the UK’s top 32 female entrepreneurs to look out for?

We brought together a list of 32 female entrepreneurs to look out for. Whether they are an established and successful businesswoman, disrupting their industry, or are set to burst onto the scene – these women are set to dominate the business community for years to come. The list is in no particular order. Camilla Ainsworth...

Josh Dornbrack

Handshake deal between two business people

John Lewis & Partners and Domestic & General ink three-year deal

John Lewis & Partners has joined forces with the UK’s leading provider of appliance care, Domestic & General (D&G), to launch an exclusive new customer proposition called ProtectPlus. The arrangement will initially run for three years. Serving millions of households across the UK, Domestic & General created Protect Plus to provide cover for customers of...

Josh Dornbrack

Everything necessary for coronavirus prevention at workplace

Economic impact of COVID-19 could reach £7.3trn globally

The global economy could suffer up to £7.3trn in losses – equivalent to 6.4%-9.7% of global gross domestic product (GDP) – as a result of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, according to the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The bank found that economic losses in Asia and the Pacific could range from £1.4trn to £2.1trn,...

Josh Dornbrack

My Working Day – Kai Feller – Co-founder of Bark.com

As the leader of a company, you are there to set an example, to lead and inspire a team of individuals to achieve a series of business goals. But, how do these business leaders go about their daily routine? We spoke to Kai Feller – co-founder of Bark.com – about his working day. What time...

Josh Dornbrack

Lonely businessman drinking alcohol while sitting on chair under concrete wall

10 iconic businesses created during a recession

With the ongoing coronavirus pandemic causing untold devastation to the business world, economists have predicted we could be on the cusp of a recession – or even slip into a depression. However, just because companies across the world are struggling to deal with this unprecedented change to daily working life, there are some major global...

Josh Dornbrack

Everything necessary for coronavirus prevention at workplace

Is the ‘all or nothing’ Furlough system causing more problems for small businesses?

Businesses have supported a call to modify the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), to prevent problems which they say could cause workforce resentment and hamper business recovery. While welcoming the Government’s landmark offer to provide 80% of salary to furloughed employees, business owners say some kind of part-furlough scheme is desperately required. To help keep...

Josh Dornbrack

How has COVID-19 affected the recruitment sector?

Coronavirus has dominated the news for the last month, with a seeming ever-increasing negative impact on the business community. With the NHS struggling, airlines grounded, and the retail sector being decimated – many sectors are struggling with the impact of COVID-19. Following the introduction of Furlough Leave, loan schemes becoming available and daily updates from...

Josh Dornbrack

How many people in the UK worked from home prior to coronavirus outbreak?

Only 1.7 million people in the UK worked from home prior to the coronavirus pandemic, which has caused a seismic shift in working habits and methods – and seen an estimated 20 million people relocating to home offices. New data by the Office for National Statistics shows that just 5% of the active 32.6 million...

Josh Dornbrack