First to market advantage: its a winner, right?

April 12, 2023

Is being first to market always an advantage? History tells us that whilst being the first mover CAN have some advantages, there are disadvantages too. In fact many first movers have been overtaken by late comers who offered a better, cheaper product or service. Think Motorola, IBM and some of the early search engines that have been eclipsed by Google. The message is clear - you don't always have to be the first to be successful.

Writing a business book? Six tips to help you

March 1, 2023

The average self-published business book sells only 250 copies. So how can you ensure that your effort in writing a book is worth while? Firstly, you need to be clear on WHY you want to write a book? These six tips can help you succeed.

Are you concerned about someone stealing your idea? How real is the threat?

February 8, 2023

Many innovators and creative people are concerned that their ideas for new products, designs, services or technologies will be stolen by others. But how real is the threat? There are some examples of ideas allegedly "stolen" by others, including famous inventors such as Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell. Even Mark Zuckerberg comes under suspicion. But, by definition all innovations, build on the work of others. So what can YOU do to protect your ideas?

Angel investors: the upsides and downsides

December 6, 2022

Many start-ups looking to grow and develop their businesses turn to angel investors as a source of finance. Who are they? Typically angels are high net worth individuals or a group of investors that invest their own money in early stage ventures. Early stage is considered high risk, so angels will invest when banks and others will not. There are certainly upsides of getting an angel investors involved in your company, but there may also be some downsides.

How to license your innovation

October 31, 2022

If you have an innovative new product but don't have the time and resources to bring it to market, licensing the rights to your intellectual property may be a relevant option. But there are some things you need to know in order to be successful. You need to be clear on exactly why a potential licensee should take on your product. What's in it for them?

So, what should you include in your pitch deck?

September 27, 2022

Pitch decks can come in different forms, but the general objective is to provide a succinct, compelling overview of your project and outline the great opportunity it presents to potential investors. You use your pitch deck to get interest and get to the next meeting with investors.

Creating an app? Three key tech concepts you need to know

August 2, 2022

If you are creating an app there are many decisions you will need to make. These decisions will effect what you do now, and what you do in the future. There are three key tech concepts that you need to understand to enable you to make good decisions. These relate to your choice of which cloud service to use; the technology design and functionality of your app and the use of existing components. Find out more.

Protecting your creations: design rights or copyright?

July 5, 2022

Creators work across many fields from designing industrial products to clothes, homewares, shoes and handicrafts. Creators also develop music, films, podcasts, software and more. So how do you protect your creations and stop others from copying them?