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News
Reduce red tape for self-employed, Julie Deane tells David Cameron
CityAM: The self-employed should have the burden of red tape reduced, according to Cambridge Satchel Company founder Julie Deane, who launched her report on self-employment today. Read more. Read the report (pdf)
UK government hands out £1bn in ‘digital marketplace’ IT deals
Mail Online: The government’s ‘digital marketplace’, which helps the public sector buy IT services from a wider range of suppliers, has reached £1bn in contracts, and the Cabinet Office boasts the majority (£521m) have gone to small businesses. Read more
- Procurement elsewhere in the news: Red Arrows pilots fighting defence giants: The small firms founded by former RAF flyers landing big government contracts (Mail Online)
Games Workshop founder and entrepreneur to open two new free schools
gov.uk: One of the founders of Games Workshop, who helped revamp the computing curriculum is to open two new free schools specialising in computer science, technology and the arts. Ian Livingstone will open the Livingstone Academies in Tower Hamlets (East London) and Bournemouth. Read more
UK digital tech industry rockets
Economia: The UK’s digital tech industries grew 32% faster than the rest of the UK economy, according to analysis by Tech City UK and innovation charity Nesta. Read more. Read Tech Nation 2016 report
The top ten UK cities to launch a startup
UCL: A UCL School of Management review of the country’s most highly populated towns and cities has revealed the best places to start a business in 2016 – with Bristol coming in first and London and Birmingham rounding out the top three. Read more
Fintech firms want to open accounts at the Bank of England
Telegraph: Payments and technology firms want the right to open bank accounts at the Bank of England, a right traditionally only given to banks and one which gives them access to the payments systems. Read more
- Related FinTech news: 62% of people ‘would switch their bank account to a FinTech provider’ (TechcityNews)
Opinion
Hey, Adair Turner: It may be the new kid on the block, but peer-to-peer lending is more transparent than other financial products
Christine Farnish (chair, Peer-to-Peer Finance Association) defends the industry after Lord Adair Turner (former director general of the Financial Services Authority and non-executive of new challenger bank, OakNorth) declared P2P losses “will make the bankers look like lending geniuses” Read more
Stop working in isolation and support your fellow entrepreneurs
SME owners need to become more connected with each other to thrive, writes Charlie Mullins (founder, Pimlico Plumbers). Read more
UK exports are struggling – but Britain can set a new course
To turn around the slump in exports the government must create a National Exports Commission, writes Ben Digby (head of international, CBI). Read more
Banks should do more to advise growth-stage businesses on risk
A good bank helps business owners to rigorously interrogate their balance sheets, make tough calls about costs, and take calculated risks on investment and expansion, writes Gerard O’Keefe (head of Allied Irish Bank UK). Read more
Features
SwiftKey investor of UK tech firm’s journey from seed funding to Microsoft’s $250m buyout
Real Business: Octopus’ investment director, Jo Oliver shares SwiftKey’s journey from startup to global operation. Read more
Entrepreneurial couples: ‘For us, all this madness is romantic’
Guardian: Couples who are business partners reveal how they keep their relationships on track and how they will be celebrating this Valentine’s Day. Read more
‘Like ships in the night’: What’s it really like to run a business with your spouse?
Telegraph: Successful couples will say it’s made their relationship better, but there are many pressures that come with running a business. Read more