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News
Call for visa system for entrepreneurs to be overhauled
FT: The independent Migration Advisory Committee has said that industry experts rather than civil servants should help select the entrepreneurs admitted to Britain, adding that the home secretary should also consider a specific visa for those wanting to establish a start-up. Read more. Read the MAC report.
Related: Tech entrepreneurs warn immigration clamp-down could harm start-ups in letter to the prime minister (Coadec)
Think tank ranks most and least prosperous places to live in the UK
BT: The Legatum Institute has published its first ever ‘Geography of Prosperity’ index, which uses a combination of wealth and wellbeing data to assess the prosperity of local areas across the UK. Read more. View the index.
UK named as world’s sixth most business-friendly country
Startups: The UK is now the sixth best place in the world to do business – its highest position since a record fourth in 2011 – in the World Bank Group’s Doing Business 2016 report. Read more. Read the report.
UK is the darling of the European venture capital scene, attracting a third of investment
CityAM: The UK was the favourite European destination for venture capital investment over the past three months, attracting €947m across 87 deals and accounting for almost a third of all investment in the quarter. Read more.
Top 14 UK start-ups granted £500,000 by Mass Challenge
Tech City News: Start-up accelerator Mass Challenge has awarded 14 UK start-ups £500,000 in no equity cash. Read more and view the start-ups.
Graduates want more freelance support from universities
Fresh Business Thinking: UK graduates have said they feel universities should have done more to support freelancing and self-employment as career options, according to a survey by PolicyBee. Read more.
Opinion
Super-SMEs created three times more jobs than the FTSE 100 last year – but they can do better still
Simon Rogerson (chief executive, Octopus Investments) writes in CityAM to launch the second annual Octopus High Growth Small Business Report. Read more. Read the report.
Total transparency makes for better business
Anil Stocker (co-founder & CEO, MarketInvoice) makes the case for being open and honest with your employees and external stakeholders. Read more.
Entrepreneurs of the future: How politicians can support new businesses
Ensuring entrepreneurship is nurtured and sustained is vital to securing the economic future of the UK, writes Jim Duffy (chief executive optimist, Entrepreneurial Spark). Read more.
Watchdog must try harder on business banking
Instead of endorsing the status quo, the CMA should back bold measures to beef up competition in the market, writes John Longworth (director general, British Chambers of Commerce). Read more.
Do tech accelerators have a sexism problem?
With some figures showing women hold a mere 5-10% of accelerator programmes, there’s a huge need to address the industry’s gender imbalance, writes Maura LcAdam (senior lecturer, Queen’s University Belfast). Read more.
Features
The multi-million pound business started as a laugh
The BBC profile the growth of Morphsuits (now MorphCostumes) from an idea over a few beers to a business turning over £10m a year. Read more.
Small business lending: Where it’s due
Economist: Britain’s small firms are not as credit-starved as they may seem. Read more.