fb-pixel
Skip to content

Uncategorized

Is UK venture capital working?

Amid economic turmoil, questions about the role of VC in the UK and whether it can ever work as well as it does in the US are being asked

Andrew Lynch

A figure standing on near a shape looking into the distance

The hidden power of peer-to-peer forums for CEOs

Business Leader’s head of membership, Craig Wilmann, discusses the importance of ‘engineered serendipity’

Craig Wilmann

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - MAY 24: Labour leader Keir Starmer speaks to supporters during the launch of the Scottish Labour general election campaign at Caledonia House on May 24, 2024 in Glasgow, Scotland. Labour leader Keir Starmer is in Scotland to launch the party’s election campaign alongside his Scottish counterpart Anas Sarwar

Starmer might be ‘boring’, but his potential premiership won’t be dull

Starmer's critics see him as 'limited' but he is also ruthless and will shake-up how government is run, from centralising power to overhauling the civil service

Steven Swinford

Tom Beahon build career illustration

Passion, optimism and humour: 5 tips to building a career you’ll love

For ambitious young talent, it's important to remember that hard work, passion and kindness go a long way

Tom Beahon

Growth Engines: A kick-off starts the game, but the win is in the final score

James Thomas's Azzuu sports platform has grown rapidly after initially focusing on honing its platform by working with just one team: Everton

Pavlo Phitidis

Zara Nanu unfinished business illustration

Let’s narrow the divide on the unfinished business of pay gaps

Despite a reduction in the gender pay gap, true equity remains elusive. Business must adopt a more holistic and strategic approach.

Zara Nanu

Dave Law, Rob Law and their kids, co-founders of Zeepy

The pitch from hell (and how to avoid it)

If you have ever worried about your ability to win over investors, Rob Law’s story is one of turning disaster into triumph.

Andrew Lynch

Ed Smith hands playing chess illustration

The key to building a successful business? Finding your point of difference

Differentiation is important when starting and building a business, but be wary of being different for the sake of it

Ed Smith

Growth Engines: Leverage historic liabilities to build a future asset

An early interest in diving led to Yvonne Whiteley moving into data and eventually buying RED Scientific, which combines scientific research, technical support and engineering

Pavlo Phitidis

Josh Bayliss CEO Virgin Group sitting on a chair

Virgin Group’s CEO on why it’s important to be prepared to fail

For many business leaders, failure is something to avoid. But for Josh Bayliss, being prepared to fail has meant he's learnt more – and taken more risks

Graham Ruddick

Chill out Lunch photo innocent drinks

Innocent Drinks on why culture is key to its success

Emilie Stephenson, UK head of force for good at Innocent Drinks, explains how a great business culture comes from the right blend of ingredients

Patricia Cullen

Niki Turner-Harding attract and retain talent illustration

You need to attract and retain a multi-generational workforce. Here’s how

Our candidate pool has never been richer, wider, or more diverse, but to unlock its firepower, we must take front-footed routes to engagement, rewards, and retention, says Niki Turner-Harding

Niki Turner-Harding

Nando's illustration

The spicy tale of supersizing Nando’s 

How a small venture in the suburbs of Johannesburg grew into a global success story without compromising its original down-to-earth vision

Bruce Whitfield

Steven Swinford Starmer housebuilding illustration

Starmer is a man with a plan – for a huge expansion of housebuilding 

Housebuilding is likely to be a key battleground at the next election as politicians attempt to balance the need for more homes with a 'not in my backyard' outlook from voters

Steven Swinford

Emma Jones SME growth accelerator illustration

How government procurement can act as an SME growth accelerator

The government has promised to increase how much it spends with SMEs but it needs to go harder and faster to achieve its targets

Emma Jones

Ryan Metcalf from BNP

Growth Engines: It’s the storms that make skilful sailors

RNB Group has weathered a series of storms, from GDPR to Covid, but has learned to invest for growth

Pavlo Phitidis

Large selection of pet food zoo store

Fur-ever love: Inside the booming pet care industry

As pet ownership soars, the pet care industry is growing fast. From innovative meat-free solutions to digital rewards apps, entrepreneurs are tapping into this lucrative market

Patricia Cullen

More than just ‘patent protected’: How intellectual property can fuel collaboration and growth

Traditionally, intellectual property (IP) protection is viewed as a mechanism to create a monopoly and exclude competitors. For example, patents give the owner the right to stop others from using the patented technology and trade secrets work to protect key information by preventing external access to that information. While this exclusive aspect remains relevant, it...

The businesses bucking the return-to-office trend

Almost three years on from the pandemic, the world seems to be back to normal, but not everyone is happy with the return to the office.

Alice Cumming

Positivity in the workplace demonstrated by a yellow smiling ball in the office interior

Do wellness programmes really work? 

Many businesses claim to have put a focus on wellbeing, but do such programmes really help tackle burnout and nurture a supportive workplace culture? 

Patricia Cullen

Friends standing together with arms linked

The friends and family funding phenomenon

Many entrepreneurs borrow from friends and family but there are things to consider before taking investment from loved ones

Patricia Cullen

Business leaders stand around a table

How to preserve tacit knowledge 

Companies are usually reasonably good at preserving knowledge around processes and operations but fare less well when it comes to tacit knowledge. With staff turnover still high and sickness on the up, that’s a problem

Patricia Cullen

Rassie Erasmus book cover mock up

Bookshelf: Rassie Erasmus – stories of life and rugby

We’ve scoured the autobiography of Rassie Erasmus for some of the lessons within it that you can apply to your organisation.

Josh Dornbrack

A man doing a presentation

The three fates of workers in the age of AI

AI will have a profound effect on workers, says Index Venture's Hannah Seal. And while some jobs will be replaced, others will be reimagined or reinvented