External Links

In addition to our live speaker events, we will be building up a wide range of links on the various topics covered.

The links below will make it easier to find the relevant informatin for anyone interested to find out more.

Below are a wide selection of useful links, grouped by topic areas.

    • Business Validation

    • Finding Customers

    • Intellectual Property

      1. European Patent Office – espacenet database to search patents world-wide http://www.epo.org/searching/free/espacenet.html
      2. UK Trademark Applications http://www.ipo.gov.uk/tm.htm
      3. European Trademarks & Registered Designs - click on the Database button on the right hand side of the screen to carry out searches http://oami.europa.eu/ows/rw/pages/RCD/index.en.do

    • Managing Finances & Taxation

      1. Tax rates and allowances: For a comprehensive listing covering VAT, Corporation Tax, PAYE, etc http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/rates/
      2. VAT – Cash Accounting: For startups and small SMEs cash accounting can be particularly advantageous. Using standard VAT accounting, you pay VAT on your sales whether or not your customer has paid you. Using cash accounting, you do not need to pay VAT until your customer has paid you. If your customer never pays you, you never have to pay the VAT. http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/vat/start/schemes/cash.htm
      3. Register as self employed: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/sa/register.htm
      4. Dividend Vs Salary Calculator: http://www.uktaxcalculators.co.uk/dividend-vs-salary.php
      5. EIS guide: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/eis/guidance.pdf
      6. R&D Tax credits: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/ct/forms-rates/claims/randd.htm

    • Sources of funding

      If you are considering the various options available for funding, below is a good overview of what is available with a focus on crowd-sourced funding.

      The summaries are recollections or opinions plus a little supplementary desk research – please check the detail for yourselves rather than relying on this list as definitive! [Source: Pitch & Mix].

      General Points

      * It’s important to understand the full detail of the offer
      * There’s a risk of over-disclosing sensitive information to a large and un-vetted population
      * It’s important to self-impose the kind of diligence that a commercial bank would apply
      * Giving equity to strangers may limit the options for angel investors
      * As UK commercial banking is ‘rebuilding its balance sheet,’ it’s fully plausible that crowdsourcing funding may already be, or may become, a more efficient market for debt finance

      Person to person (P2P) loans

      Typical platforms make some kind of risk assessment, offering private borrowers access to many private individuals prepared to lend money at their own risk, and private lenders syndicated access to many potential loans and the ability to self-manage their risk profile.

      Zopa – Operating for over 5 years, sums up to £15k
      RateSetter – £10M of loans made(?)

      Person to business (P2B) loans

      Similar to P2P, only the borrowers are businesses.

      Funding Circle – Loans £5-100k – credit checks, Directors’ personal guarantees may be required in some cases
      ThinCats – Secured business loans

      Crowdsourced equity funding

      Does what it says on the tin.

      CrowdCube – Based out of Exeter University incubator

      Business angels

      A tool to connect with business angels from beyond known individuals and networks:

      Gust (formerly Angelsoft)

Disclaimer – Startup Masterclass cannot be held responsible for the content of 3rd party sites.