Reading Tom Coates post entitled “Where are all the UK Startups?” got me thinking.

We’re about to launch a new web app here in the UK (set to go live in late September). I won’t reveal what it’s all about, but the idea is that it solves a very basic problem that we were having (and after asking quite a few people, realised that they were having as well).

As an American in the UK, I’ve had to overcome some large obstacles when it comes to starting a business (and more importantly, making it profitable). However, being American has also made it easier to get the business rocking. Let me explain:

The largest hurdle in the UK for entrepreneurs (especially small web-based startups) is the British class system. Yup, that’s right. The castes are still very defined in this fine country. Anyone who wants to leave their 9-to-5 and launch out on their own will receive an unbelievable amount of flack from everyone, from their family, to the bank. It’s almost as if everyone (and I’m painting with a broad brush stroke here, but bear with me) here seems to think “Isn’t your job good enough for you? Why do you need to rise above your station in life?” I believe I can say this authoritatively, as I’ve lived here for over five years, and am now married to a beautiful English woman.

Continue reading How to Build a Successful Web Startup in the UK

Now that I’ve done a basic introduction to How to Build a Successful Web Startup in the UK, I’d like to share some tips that I’ve learned (mostly the hard way) that will hopefully save you pain and cash.

Continue reading Cash Flow

In my previous post in the Building a Successful Startup Series, I discussed how to create a cash flow Excel sheet. This time, I’d like to talk about hiring freelancers.

This is for those of you who’ve made it past the freelancing stage and have now got enough work that you need some help. If you haven’t tried it yet, hiring freelancers is a real minefield. There are just too many people out there who claim they’ve got skills that they just plain don’t have.

Continue reading Hiring Freelancers