Fulfilment For Fearless Founders

Happy Friday! We’re back with your Fearless fix for all things funding and founder-related.?

This week we’re discussing what’s powering the powerhouse, new entrepreneurship statistics, our new venture, the podcasts we’ve been listening to, and, of course, our small business highlight of the week.?

As always, we hope we’re able to add a little value to your venture.?

Business Updates, Benefits & Resources

33,000 new loans for small businesses as ￡900 million government scheme widened

The government has announced an ￡884 million loan scheme to provide much-needed support for the UK’s innovators and entrepreneurs. There are 33,000 new loans up for grabs, with eligibility expanded to support:

• Businesses trading for up to 3 years, up from 2 years.?
• Businesses looking for ‘second loans’ that have been trading for up to 5 years

Businesses can apply immediately under the new criteria. [Read More]?

What’s Powering the Powerhouse??

A few weeks ago, Praetura Ventures launched their first-ever research paper, telling the story of the Northern scale-up landscape, told by those who built it.

They surveyed and interviewed over 300 founders and stakeholders in the North (including our very own Dominic McGregor ) to understand what founders really want and to offer expert advice from those who’ve been there before.

It’s an incredible effort from the Praetura team and well worth your time! [Read More]

Latest Global Entrepreneurship Monitor shows UK entrepreneurship is bouncing back

A recent report by the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) in partnership with NatWest has uncovered some encouraging insights into entrepreneurship in the UK:

• The ratio of female-to-male entrepreneurship in England has risen to 73%, up from 69% in 2020.
• Early-stage entrepreneurial activity among 55 – 64 year-olds has nearly doubled in the UK, going from 3.2% in 2020 to 7.4% in 2021.
• Entrepreneurial activity among the UK’s non-white population stood at 20.4% in 2021. Among the ethnic white population, this rate was 10.1%.
• 55.5% of potential entrepreneurs in Wales say fear of failure prevented them from starting a business. [Read More]

Fearless Adventures launch new fulfilment venture

And last but by no means least, just in case you missed it, last week we launched Fearless Fulfilment .?

We wanted to support struggling founders who spend too much time and resource on in-house fulfilment. To do this, we’re offering a fantastic, stress-free fulfilment service for business owners of all sizes.

Our brand new end-to-end fulfilment solution includes:

• Clear pricing structure
• Flexible contracts
• No hidden charges
• Warehousing and tech-based fulfilment, integrating with Shipster

Get in touch with Matty Donaldson to find out how our new venture could help your business. [Read More]

Content Highlights

The TalkSafe Safe Podcast

Founder of WalkSafe Emma Kay chats with an inspiring guest list of women, from female founders, activists, and thought leaders in the safety space.?

These incredible women are actively trying to change the world for the better, definitely worth a listen. [Listen Here]

The WARC Podcast

A firm favourite within the marketing team, the WARC podcast provides the insights, stories and lessons behind great marketing, with conversations hosted by the world’s leading authority on marketing effectiveness.

If you haven’t listened to it before, we recommend “WARC Talks: What does 'brand' actually mean?” with Claire Strickett , brand strategy director at Jellyfish, & Paul Bailey , brand strategy director at Halo.?

Small Business Spotlight?

This week, the small business that has caught our eye is Ocushield? .?

Ocushield provides medically (FDA & MHRA) rated screen protectors that filter out harmful blue light to protect your eyes and skin and help you sleep better.

Founder Dhruvin developed Ocushield as part of a university competition. Since then, Dhruvin has qualified as an optometrist and won over 150,000 customers who now benefit from healthier, happier, better-sleeping eyes. [Read More]

One More Thing

Due to the high demand and the limited spaces available, we have closed applications to our first cohort at Basecamp Skills .?

But don’t worry, applications are now open for the next cohort starting on 16th November.?

For more information, visit the website: https://www.fearlessacademy.co.uk/?