Gannons Employment Law expert Alex Kennedy delves into the world of the gig economy and highlights some of the big issues that employers often face. 

Nick Berry from BB Strategy reflects on the acceleration and acceptance of remote working as a legacy of Covid but considers the possibility of new Government legislation on hybrid working with caution in the hope it will help and not hinder start-ups and early stage businesses.

It is almost 20 years since the new framework for angel investment was enshrined in the Companies Act.  Combined with the FCA’s rules on Financial Promotions, the industry has had a working solution to putting investors in touch with entrepreneurs.  Within this framework equity crowdfunding has emerged as a meaningful force in providing capital to companies that want it. 

However, various recent stories I have come across have caused me to pause. The recent news that the Financial Ombudsman has ordered CrowdCube to repay an investor his entire original investment (less EIS tax relief already claimed) was the first warning bell.  Then I heard about an entrepreneur pestering an elderly person to invest by making repeated phone calls.  The elderly person could not be considered High Net Worth, let alone Sophisticated.  Most recently I have heard about a wealthy elderly person having been, in the view of their family, “groomed” to make several £10k EIS investments across a portfolio of companies.  In that case the elderly person parted with their cash, got their first income tax claim in and then the companies and the promoter disappeared.

George Pennock, partner at Four Seasons Ventures, suggests that how an SME business responded to the Covid downturn, might provide you with the clues to your next investment.

Commenting ahead of World Environment day, Alessa Berg, founder and CEO of Top Tier Impact, comments on why we must encourage worldwide awareness and action from businesses now to protect our environment for the future:

The 2021 Mayday Bank Holiday saw Great Britain’s windfarms set a new clean energy record as the blowy bank holiday weather helped onshore and offshore wind turbines make up almost half of the electricity grid across England, Scotland and Wales.

Limitations on wind turbine design lifetimes are hampering efforts to manage costs in asset lifecycles, reducing the effectiveness of long-term decision making and disrupting the effectiveness of offshore wind energy in low carbon power generation. 

Oliver Woolley of Envestors shares his thoughts on the impact that Covid pandemic has had on investment.

Ivan Hoo, Co-founder of Inverse, shares his golden rules for entrepreneurs thinking about launching into a fund raising campaign.

John Deane, Partner in charge of the commercial contracts team at Gannons, looks at the importance of understanding the difference between the Equity and Entreprise value of a business.

As we begin to open up the UK, it’s a time look forward, but perhaps you will allow me a few words on the past year and what it has taught the angel and other related private company investment markets.  Reflection is useful because it would be surprising if we did not see a tidal wave of  entrepreneurship coated in angel and VC investment money as the economy recovers. What has gone wrong, but perhaps more about what has gone right, will give clues to creating a better investment environment for investors and entrepreneurs alike in the future. And of course, how we can make better returns, faster.

Matt Dickens, Senior Business Development Director at Ingenious discusses why investors should act sooner rather than later in setting their long term investment strategy.