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News
British business gives a cautious welcome to Labour’s new leader Jeremy Corbyn
Business leaders have given a cautious reaction to the Labour leadership result given Jeremy Corbyn’s well-documented stance on nationalisation and higher taxes. Read more.
IOD: Make it easier for investors to put their money into UK start-ups
The Institute of Directors has called on the government to simplify existing tax relief schemes in order to boost entrepreneurship. In a new report, the IoD argues that the full potential of EIS and SEIS is “not fully being realised”. Read more. Read the report.
A quarter of small business owners lack basic digital skills
98% of UK small firms use the internet for business but many aren’t capitalising on the opportunities open to them – only 64% have a website, according to a new report from the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills. Read more.
Entrepreneurial Internet of Things scheme launches
As part of the government’s £40m investment to support the Internet of Things, a three-year programme called IoTUK has launched to “help business and economic growth”. Read more.
EU VAT win for small businesses
Following the earlier VAT MOSS controversy, the European Commission has proposed an exemption for small companies selling across EU borders. Read more.
Related: 95% of complaints about VAT MOSS are from the UK (via Business Zone)
Opinion
How Britain’s booming start-up scene can be supercharged by empowering smaller investors
Jimmy McLoughlin (deputy head of policy, IOD) writes in City AM to outline the key recommendations of the IOD’s latest report, ‘Opening the Equity Economy’. Read more.
What the first exit means to the future of crowdfunding
Luke Lang (co-founder, Crowdcube) writes about the implications of the sale of E-Car Club to Europcar in July – the first complete exit for crowd investors. Read more.
Time to fire up the great western powerhouse, rather than just the one up north
We should all get behind the “Northern Powerhouse” scheme, but let’s not forget the rest of the UK – such as the struggling south-west, writes David Craik (Real Business). Read more.
Small businesses pay the price for EU court ruling on paid journey time
The European Court of Justice’s recent ruling should set alarm bells ringing for business owners and their customers up and down the country, writes Lee Perkins (managing director, UK & Ireland at Sage). Read more.
Sharing, but not really caring – why the sharing economy is not taking off in Italy
In no other country does tragedy of the commons better demonstrated than in Italy, writes Beatrice Faleri (associate editor of Perspective at King’s College London). Read more.
Features
Mates rates, gaming and all nighters – a graduate guide to start-ups
Use mentors, keep your overheads low and use your friend’s skills to grow your business, says Ben Grist (managing director of Oakdene Designs). Read more.
The IT crowd heads for property investment
FT: Property is the latest area where technology-focused entrepreneurs think they can make it big. Read more.
Equity for Punks: BrewDog FD barks back
Brewdog’s innovative equity crowdfunding approach has raised a few hackles in investment circles. Business Zone finds out more about the nuts and bolts from FD Neil Simpson. Read more.