Getting investor ready: what to include in your pitch deck
When it comes to putting together an investment deck for an early stage company, the proverb ‘less is more’ applies. Angel investors and early-stage venture capital funds receive scores of decks per week. It is important to just present succinct and relevant information. If you don’t grab their attention within the first couple of slides, […]
How jewelry subscription startup Glitzbox’s improved its pricing strategy
Glitzbox‘s unique subscription service delivers designer jewellery for subscribers to try out every month. Subscribers can choose to buy items from the collection or simply return them. Founder Tamsin Ivy was a finalist in The Pitch 2017. We spoke to her about being a solo founder, and how her pricing and marketing strategy has improved. Testing […]
The community marketing that got Loot Crate 650k subscribers
Loot Crate started out with a simple offering in mid-2012; a mystery box subscription service of epic games and gear – aka ‘Comic-Con in a Box’. And it worked, 15m crates later, more than 650,000 subscribers in 34 different countries and we’re shedding our youthful startup bravado and adopting a more mature and measured approach to marketing. But […]
Propel’s technology lead joins The Pitch judging panel
The cloud-based SaaS revolution is levelling the playing field between startups and bigger businesses. A rapidly scaling business can now leverage marketing, finance and communication tools that are incredibly powerful. Propel by Deloitte helps fast-growing businesses use these tools more effectively, providing the advice and financial expertise they need to grow. We’re really excited to […]
There’s no shame in second-time entrepreneurship
If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again. Well, sort of. Most startups – and by most I mean 55% – fail in their first few years. And not many more live long enough to actually turn a profit; it’s a teeny tiny portion of the half-million enterprises that are founded each year. Unfortunately, […]
Trunki’s founder on coping with adversity and pitching
Starting a business is tough. Building a business to 80 employees, £10m in turnover and an international distribution network requires overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Rob Law has faced copyright infringement, the difficulty of being a solo founder and that infamous strap breaking incident on Dragons’ Den during his journey building ride-on suitcase brand Trunki. It’s […]
Creative England’s CFO talks fundraising and where to find government support
Ever wondered what investors are thinking when they hear you talk about your business? What gets them excited? How important is your team and how should you talk about your market? Creative England CFO Mehjabeen Patrick has heard hundreds of founders pitch for funding for their startup and early-stage businesses. We’re really proud to announce she’ll […]
Three tactics we’ve used to reduce long B2B sales cycles
When you are a small startup it’s easy to become fearful of long sales cycles. You need that traction now, not in 12 months’ time when you don’t even know if you’ll still be doing what. We’ve had sales meeting after sales meeting to answer the question of; ‘how do we get our clients to […]
What it’s really like to run a part-time business
Many businesses are started part-time. These entrepreneurs present a positive outlook on the surface, often making it look easy. However, hustling to launch something while holding down a full-time job – and their stress levels – is really difficult. The topic came up when mapping the entrepreneurial journey of YENA founder Ash Phillips. We drew a timeline, […]
What piano tuners and the art of estimating have to do with job interviews
One of the problems with job interviews is that they tend to select for the person who is best at interviews, rather than the person who is best for the job. Imaginative employers are now leaning towards job ‘auditions’. An actor or musician applying for a new role doesn’t answer questions about their acting or […]
