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Reviewing business and industry in British history, Leicester’s own PPL PRS, which is responsible for TheMusicLicence, discusses how start-up businesses can discover their mojo rom Steel City to the Old Smoke, the UK has long been known for its entrepreneurial and startup success. At its peak, there were around 178 independent lace traders recorded in Nottingham alone, with a further 2,741 boot and shoemakers recorded in Leicester and surrounding areas. Unsurprisingly, the UK and indeed the Midlands itself, is still at the forefront of start-up business movement with some of the largest global names including Unidays and Gymshark launching here in recent years. According to Startups, an independent, online resource for anyone starting and growing a business, the trend of new businesses in the UK has risen year on year with an overall increase of 69% between 2000 to 2019, and 2021 is expected to be no exception. Despite numerous lockdowns and uncertainty for many, start-up businesses have continued to grow more than ever, to the extent where 800,000 new UK businesses were created in 2020; Elite Business
One of the main challenges facing start-up businesses is ensuring that they stand out from their competitors
magazine reported this was a rise of 40% in just one year. For some, these new business opportunities may have emerged as a result of having more time at home to develop their ideas and start-up journeys. Others may have tapped into the unique climate that the pandemic has created and found scope to offer their products or services in the world of the ‘new normal’ that we now live in. Regardless of their beginnings, current new businesses have the opportunity to provide a solution for their customers and discover a market that matches the current climate, just as start-ups and entrepreneurial business owners did for decades and even centuries before. Luckily, in today’s world, technology has played a crucial role in the success of many start-ups – particularly during the pandemic – whether it has been facilitating online orders, managing client bookings or providing contactless payment opportunities. But, as with businesses of old, sometimes personability can be just as important to the success of a business than the modern methods or innovative technology. According to research by The Contact Company, 84% of consumers said that customer service was one of the key factors people considered when deciding whether to buy from a company or not, while 75% of consumers said that they preferred human interaction and a genuine feel over an automated, technological approach. Creating a positive impression for your customers and
