All Feature
Space: The final entrepreneurial frontier
Despite it taking until 2013 for the UK to have its first ‘official astronaut’, Britain’s space industry offers many opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs.
Acting quickly to capitalise on a new market
Time was of the essence when Mario Di Giorgio, CEO of e-cigarette brand Salmon & Trout, launched his business. He explains how being proactive worked.
Light touch regulation: Friend or foe?
Sophia Harrison, director of financial and professional services at Grayling, looks at how a new exchange platform out of Sweden could strike the right chord of regulation for SMEs.
Corporate leaks: How to prevent and investigate if they occur
Bob Mecrate-Butcher, partner at Charles Russell, looks at how corporate leaks can first be prevented and then plugged when they do occur.
Promoting the brand directly to the consumer
To allow his brand to stand out in a crowded market, John Bramm decided that shaking up the marketing strategy was the best way to make it stand out.
How to hire your first country manager
Peter Linas, international managing director of recruitment software provider Bullhorn, advises how to find and hire a successful country manager.
Procurement: do you sell around them, or with them?
David Freedman, associate director at behavioural change consultancy Huthwaite International, looks at how best to approach to issue of procurement – and the people that pull the strings.
Switching operations to purely business-to-business
Focusing on the right customer base is important for businesses – and for Omnifone CEO Jeff Hughes, it was a case of B2B is best.
Taking a chance with Groupon
Elliot Grove explains why his Raindance Film Festival and film school might not have survived without the website and Groupon.
How the skills of Manchester United's Alex Ferguson can be used to construct a winning business team
By looking at the skills and leadership qualities of Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson, Simon Swan, co-founder of Hiring-Hub.com, looks at how this can be applied to the business world and the success of growth companies.
Fairline Boats plots course for calmer seas as Better Capital support brings return to profit
Despite being located in land-locked Northamptonshire, Fairline Boats is making steady progress and has used its turnaround investment from Better Capital to launch a new manufacturing facility. GrowthBusiness visits the yacht builder to find out more.
Investment for business growth: Springfield Healthcare Group
Care home operator Springfield Healthcare Group has already begun to use its Business Growth Fund cash to get acquisitive. We find out how progress has been since the investment as part of an exclusive portfolio roundtable.
Investment for business growth: Broadbandchoices.co.uk
Advertising can often be a difficult thing to gauge in terms of return on investment, but is pivotal for the future success of Broadbandchoices.co.uk
Investment for business growth: Cennox
Back in June 2012, ATM services business Cennox became the Business Growth Fund's (BGF) 10th investment – at which point the company had already developed technology which was being used by the London cycle scheme to prevent card skimming.
Investment for business growth: GCI Com
With GCI Com one of the first three businesses backed by the Business Growth Fund, GrowthBusiness looks at why the company chose the funding route and how progress has been.
Investment for business growth: Marketing and new hires for companies after backing
Getting the right message out to the market, and finding the right people to do this with, is a crucial step for business success. Having investment firepower is helping Business Growth Fund portfolio companies to do this, we find out more.
Investment for business growth: Capital expenditure for companies post-investment
When the money rolls in following an institutional backing, businesses often have more money to utilise than ever before. GrowthBusiness has gathered four Business Growth Fund portfolio firms to find out how capital expenditure features in business growth.
Investment for business growth: Building out new products
The Business Growth Fund has now been around for two years. To find out how it is helping companies grow, we've been given exclusive access to four portfolio companies.
Investment for business growth: Taking on capital for acquisitions
Acquisitions form an important part of many company development plans, and is a strategy currently being supported by the Business Growth Fund. GrowthBusiness meets four of its portfolio companies to find out how.
Why the rise of angel investors provides a halo for the UK VC industry
In an era dominated by the struggles of SME funding, Alex MacPherson, head of ventures team at Octopus Investments, looks at how the rise of angels could be divine intervention.
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Space: The final entrepreneurial frontier
Despite it taking until 2013 for the UK to have its first ‘official astronaut’, Britain’s space industry offers many opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs.
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Light touch regulation: Friend or foe?
Sophia Harrison, director of financial and professional services at Grayling, looks at how a new exchange platform out of Sweden could strike the right chord of regulation for SMEs.
Comment & Analysis
Channeling Instagram for start-up success
That a team of 13 could build a business worth $1 billion should be the inspiration that all entrepreneurs need.
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The rise of cash shells
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