We at SBREC see change every day. The economy zigs, technology zags, a new regulation drops from on high and suddenly, your perfectly good business plan has all the relevance of a fax machine. Let’s break down what adaptation looks like for your business. … More Adapting to Change: A Business Survival Guide
Within the past three years, advancement of large language models and artificial intelligence have revolutionised how we engage with the world. However, despite the rapid integration of this technology into business practices and the increase in AI-based start-ups it is essential that business owners do not become too reliant on its ‘promised’ utility. I believe it would be useful to highlight some of the drawbacks that AI can have on founders, entrepreneurs or anyone within our SME community. … More The risks of AI as a business owner
Being an entrepreneur is like being the lead actor, director, scriptwriter and janitor of a movie that’s being filmed live, with no budget and the plot keeps changing. Here are some realistic, slightly ridiculous but genuinely helpful time management tips that helped me and I am hoping it will help you stay sane, productive and maybe even get a full night’s sleep (but no promises) … More Time Management Tips for Entrepreneurs: How to Tame the Chaos Without Crying in a Cupboard
As your business grows, bringing on your first employee is an exciting milestone. However, it comes with significant responsibilities and legal obligations. This guide will walk you through the essential steps to ensure smooth transition into your new role as an employer. … More Your First Hire: Essential Steps to Hire Compliantly and Successfully
Coffee Snobs is a co founded business run by two best friends who met at university. After consuming copious amounts of bad coffee to fuel late night studying they decided to do something about the whole coffee industry and start the business that they had dreamed of. … More Meet Coffee Snobs: From craving great coffee to crafting it for all
At Creare Capital, a lot of time is spent thinking about how creative businesses grow, and, crucially, why so many promising ideas struggle to get off the ground. The government’s new Creative Industries Sector Plan offers a refreshed plan for tackling the challenges facing the sector but if you are launching your creative business now what can you do to overcome these funding barriers? Here are some practical steps that early-stage creative founders can take. … More Funding your creative business: Navigating challenges and building confidence
In today’s hyper-competitive digital world, having a social media presence isn’t enough. Start-ups and SMEs that succeed aren’t the ones posting randomly, they are the ones that build a strategy with purpose, creativity, and data-driven insights. … More Why start-ups and SMEs need a social media strategy in 2025
Embarking on the entrepreneurial journey is an exciting experience with potential opportunities and pitfalls. However, most entrepreneurs are confronted with traps that can ruin their success and threaten the sustainability of their business. At the Small Business Research and Enterprise Centre, we have seen the errors entrepreneurs commit and we have provided guidance in how they can be avoided. … More Common mistakes entrepreneurs make – and how you can avoid them!
On 20 February 2025, we hosted the City of London Corporation’s first ever conference for SMEs (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises), themed around Access to Finance. Finding funding is one of the biggest challenges many business owners face as they try to start and grow their business, so we wanted to bring together industry experts, businesses, and organisations to share knowledge and make connections that would make it easier for the SMEs in the room to access the finance they need. … More Access to Finance for Early-Stage SMEs: What we learnt at the conference
Starting a business is like embarking on a thrilling adventure. You’re the captain, the crew, and the treasure hunter all rolled into one. But just like any great adventure, a little planning can go a long way. Learn how SWOT and the BMC can help you create a solid business plan. … More Business Blueprint, part 3: Plan to Win – Why Business Planning Tools Are Your Secret Weapon
Prepare your business financials with cashflow and sales forecast planning. Understand what you need to think about when looking at your financials and learn about the tools to help you with these. … More Business Blueprint, part 2: Building your financial model
The article discusses the importance of having a concrete plan to start a business and the key areas that every startup should explore. It emphasizes understanding logistics such as legal status, suppliers, and customers, and the need for thorough market research. The article also provides resources for accessing business data and other places to get information and advice. … More Business Blueprint, Part 1: The practicalities of going from idea to launch
Small Business Research and Enterprise 