UK web entrepreneurs launch $60m fund

Founding fathers of the digital media scene in Britain have teamed up to launch a new fund to invest in fledgling dotcom start-ups.

Bebo founder Michael Birch and Brent Hoberman, co-founder of Lastminute.com and Mydeco, have joined forces Peter Dubens and Jonathan Goodwin, two venture capital big guns, to create the fund.

UK web entrepreneurs launch $60m fund

How to make money from swine flu

And the award for cynical use of swine flu as a way to generate media interest in your company goes to…Abbey Business Centres! :: Rapturous applause ::

No doubt, swine flu is a nasty little pandemic and is responsible for deaths around the world.

But it is also proven no more potent than its much more established compadre ‘flu’ flu, which has claimed millions of scalps over the years.

Read the full article at LaunchLab.co.uk:

Make money from swine flu

Redundancy fears turn to start-up dreams

New research has uncovered the extent of Britain’s entrepreneurial ambition, with a large slice of the working population admitting they would love to start a business.

Nearly a third of respondents to a survey by USwitchforBusiness.com said they would start-up if made redundant because of the global economic pinch.

That compares with just one in ten who say they would look for similar work.

Redundancy fears turn to start-up dreams

Twinkle’s business horoscopes – July

Businesses have birthdays too, don’t you know? Whether your baby’s a Junebug or a December child, keep up with the latest astrological news affecting their health and wellbeing with LaunchLab’s very own cosmic star-reader, Twinkle.

Read more by following the link:

Twinkle’s business horoscopes – July

Social media: Over-hyped or under-used?

When Barak Obama made use of social networking in his presidential campaign, it became strikingly clear that social media had left the ranks of tech fad and was widely accepted by the public as a mainstream communications tool.

The rapid growth of social networking sites and their use in high-profile marketing and communications campaigns has been phenomenal.

Read all about it here:

Social media: Over-hyped or under-used?

UK firms summer drama

We Brits are a funny bunch. We moan about our cold, wet climate, but as soon as a spot of good weather comes our way everyone goes berserk.

Experts caution us against venturing outside in case we are blanched by the sun’s cruel rays. There are travel warnings business in the hot weather(always take water with you), hose pipe bans (where did all the rain go?) and crime waves (all those doors and windows left open).

More here:

UK firms summer drama

Recruit using social networks

Harvey Nash offers the following quick-fire tips on how employers can incorporate social networking into their overall recruitment strategies:

• Once you have created a profile for your company on Facebook and Twitter, assign a team or an individual to actonline recruitment as main administrator to post jobs, search for and follow potential candidates expressing interest…

More here:

Recruit using social networks

Woolworths back in business online

Woolworths, the iconic peddler of pick ‘n’ mix, is staging a slight return online. But can it succeed in cyber space with the same product lines that helped it go bust on the high street?

The Woolworths we know and love fell into administration late last year with debts of £385m. Companies waded in to buy Woolworths’ most valuable assets including the brand name, snapped up by Shop Direct Home Shopping for around £5m.

More here:

Woolworths back in business online

ASOS posts latest profits surge

Online fashion retailer ASOS.com posted a 93 per cent increase in year-on-year profits today, reflecting the website’s continued robustness in the face of recession.

The increase came on top of a 52 per cent increase on sales in the 13 weeks to June 26 compared to the same period in 2008. ASOS founder and chief executive Nick Robertson called it “an exceptional performance, given the current economic climate.”

Read the full article here:

ASOS posts latest profits surge

Introduction to business investment

Getting investment for your business is a tough and complex process, but ultimately it could help you achieve your growth ambitions more quickly than other forms of business finance. We take a look at the pros and cons of securing investment for your business.

The business investor offering defined:

In private equity and venture capital an individual, group of individuals or company buys part of a business and makes money when the stake becomes more valuable as the business grows.

Introduction to business investment