Crowdfunding and the third age of finance: Why banks are now seriously taking note September 17, 2015 Crowdfunding has titillated a lot of people. Armchair investors can pile into funding rounds alongside VCs, lending to or taking stakes in promising businesses. People can raise money for unwell relatives and community projects nearby – or across the globe. And SMEs turned away by banks can borrow from the crowd, issue equity, or [...]
UK pensions advice: Improve awareness, know what you’re saving and whether it’s enough September 16, 2015 Pensions awareness is a real concern for the UK and the statistics are worrying. Only 27 per cent of people say they feel “very informed” about pensions, for example, according to new research by Towers Watson. And last year, a government report discovered that 11.9m people in the UK are “saving too little”. [...]
Crowdsourcing doesn’t need to be risky: Here’s how to manage it September 15, 2015 In his article Wisdom of the crowd? Here are six reasons crowdsourcing is riskier than you think, Ian Fergusson points out the risks brands face when they think about involving the crowd in an initiative. It was an interesting read, but actually, what he describes is not “because of crowdsourcing”, but symptomatic of bad planning [...]
London Fintech Week 2015 events: Who, what, where & when September 13, 2015 Trading apps at the ready; London Fintech Week starts today! With the capital being the biggest force for innovation in financial technology right now, this week of talks, conferences and startup demos will be the world’s biggest business geek-out. The events start at 8:30am each day and finishes late, so try to make [...]
Elvis & Kresse’s Kresse Wesling on belts, brands and acid rain September 13, 2015 "Love at first sight”. That’s how Kresse Wesling, one half of Elvis & Kresse, describes the first time she saw old fire hoses – the product that underpins her company. The MBE recipient was on a “very dull” environment management course back in 2005. Two fellow course participants were from the London Fire Brigade. [...]
The entrepreneurial landscape of power – Investec Comment September 13, 2015 The British power and electricity landscape is changing, and the business of power is changing too. Partly this is down to the growth of renewables. Renewable energy generation had a record quarter this year, accounting for 22.3 per cent of total electricity generation. We’ve seen the emergence of a new wave of independent suppliers – [...]
Crowdfunding 101: Six points each startup should consider before launching their next round of fundraising September 10, 2015 Crowdfunding is revolutionising startup investment in the UK, but don't expect an easy ride Crowdfunding is in vogue. In the UK alone, about £1.5bn is raised through it each year. It’s been used to raise equity for everything from drones to smartwatches and even giant Ferris wheels. But just because it’s hip don’t for [...]
The rise of reward crowdfunding in Europe September 10, 2015 Harriet Green asks Indiegogo’s Anastasia Emmanuel about the platform’s experience in new markets WHAT does the rewards and donation-based crowdfunding sector look like today? Despite having a longer history than equity and debt crowdfunding, the fast-growth of platforms which offer perks and non-monetary rewards in return for investment doesn’t get so much media time. Indiegogo, [...]
Alternative lending boom: Credit experts warn banks that P2P poses a threat to traditional banking September 9, 2015 Is peer-to-peer (P2P) lending a threat to traditional banking? Some 75 per cent of credit analysts say yes, as alternative lenders continue to shake up the finance world. Experts are now warning traditional banks of the challenges new lenders like Zopa will pose, with three in four calling alternative lending a “threat” to banks, a [...]
How will Generation Z shop? This age group has even higher demands than Millennials September 9, 2015 Forget Millennials. The current 18 to 34 age group is already old news – Generation Z is the new thing, as they begin taking their first steps into the workforce. But how will they shop? A new study suggests the young new cohort has got seriously high demands on their online shopping. People born in [...]
