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Stories of modern business.
The inspiration you need to start what's coming next. In your inbox every Friday.
15 September 2023
Chess is getting a nightlife makeover. Club Chess was inspired by founder Alexander Luke Bahta’s interest in salon culture and 80s club scenes – an evening of games and cocktails can turn into a dance party.
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8 September 2023
Street fishing – or urban fishing – is also catching on with young people who live in cities but want the zen of angling. And so they have to make do with cast into canals and ponds
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1 September 2023
Despite a successful career in hospitality, Danny Dooreck came to realize that ‘I didn't like working for anyone.’ Fair enough. He did like working with pottery, though. So he took his hobby full-time and now runs a ceramics business.
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25 August 2023
Some good news from the world of Courier. Paulana Lamonier, one of our previous Fresh Fund winners (cash grants for black business owners who have great ideas to start or grow a business) is up for two Emmys. The former college swimmer and swim instructor runs Black People Swim, an organization that offers affordable swim lessons geared towards people of color – in the US, around two in three black children have little or no ability to swim.
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18 August 2023
Thanks to collectives like Ethiopia Skate and Ethiopian Girl Skaters, the East African country's skateboarding scene started blowing up a few years ago. And local skate brands are bringing new life to the movement.
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11 August 2023
Wearing the right clothes, whether a white tee or a three-piece suit, can make a big difference to your day. Here's how to dress for confidence.
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4 August 2023
Public service announcement – punk's back! Following the success of businesses like Liquid Death, lots of smaller brands are suddenly leaning into the punk aesthetic.
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28 July 2023
When the pandemic closed many of Manila's clubs, DJ and producer Patrick Casabuena turned his attention to the world of audio engineering. He's one-third of Fatima Sound Practice, ‘which launched with a two-way speaker, designed for home listening with club sensibilities, with a frame made [using a] local rattan-weaving technique called solihiya’, our local contributor Sai Versailles reports.
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14 July 2023
Businesses like hemp cigarette brand Oklahoma Smokes are shaking up the smoking cessation industry by thinking about how branding and behavioral psychology can help put an end to the habit.
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7 July 2023
Luke Boase founded alcohol-free beer brand Lucky Saint and now he has a pub with the same name in London's Marylebone. The idea of the pub is to make no/low drinking less of a novelty. ‘We want it to feel like a great pub, not a branded experience,’ Luke tells us.
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30 June 2023
Devon Turnbull is one of the world's most in-demand custom-built speaker builders – his sound systems have been placed in Supreme stores, acclaimed art galleries and in the home of Tyler, the Creator. Good luck trying to buy them yourself, though, because they sell out fast.
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23 June 2023
‘I'm a chef but I'd also say I'm on my way to becoming an artist,’ Anastasia Finders tells us in an in-depth feature for our latest print issue. ‘I always try to curate spaces in an emotional way, and food is one of my main tools.’
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16 June 2023
The number of all-female hiking clubs ⛰️ is on the up. ‘There's a reclaiming of the outdoors for people who didn't see themselves represented before,’ Tijana Tamburic, founder of creative agency Female Narratives, told us.
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9 June 2023
Over the past five years, the average cost of a roll of camera film has increased by more than 50%. Malcolm Dia – formerly a designer at GQ – saw the gap and started Manual, a film photography brand that sells affordable film equipment. ‘We want to democratize film photography,’ he told us.
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2 June 2023
What does it take to start an upcycling business? We asked this founder to break it down, step by step.
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26 May 2023
Tooth gems are the latest Y2K trend to make a comeback 🦷. But it could stick: the jewels are semi-permanent, which means there's opportunity for repeat business and new trends popping up all the time.
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19 May 2023
A chance meeting at a fashion shoot and a shared love for brightly colored tablescapes inspired Alice Moireau and Caroline Perdrix's company Table. While there's a big focus on quality craftsmanship, they launched it on a shoestring budget, Alice told us.
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12 May 2023
Aaron Fleming-Saheed bought a bike to avoid his frustrating commute to his job as an electrician. But he enjoyed the freedom it gave him so much, he quit his job and built a business around it.
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5 May 2023
Drew Joiner seems to be everywhere in the fashion world – and nowhere, all at once. His down-to-earth approach to covering fashion and sharing playful gorpcore fits hasn't yet landed him in the front row, but it does give him a direct line to hundreds of thousands of loyal podcast listeners and social media followers, he told us 📱.
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28 April 2023
We're talking coffee from Yunnan, upcycled clothing in Ghana and the surprising market for chipboard – not to mention, some AI applications that could actually help creatives. But the biggest news? We just released the latest issue of our magazine and it's better than ever. Read on for a peak inside…
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21 April 2023
You wouldn't describe Ini Archibong as a jack of all trades, because that could imply that he's not exceptional at any of them. This multidisciplinary designer has mastered different elements of design, using whichever practice he feels can help him best express his inspiration.
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14 April 2023
Nikita Dawar has grown her pottery retreat the way that she wants to live her life – at her own pace. She explains how learning to relax created a brand that helps others do the same.
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7 April 2023
Growing up in a British-Pakistani Muslim household, Nazia Kosar didn't necessarily celebrate Christmas, but she loved advent calendars. That led her to create Star x Crescent, a range of Ramadan calendars filled with treats and designed using traditional Islamic art.
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31 March 2023
Tapiwa Guzha left behind a career in molecular biology to start Tapi Tapi, an ice cream shop in Cape Town focused on nostalgic African flavors: one's inspired by spiced pilau rice, while another combines rooibos tea and okra.
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24 March 2023
WAFFLESNCREAM founder Jomi Marcus-Bello is making Lagos one of the hottest skateboarding scenes on the planet, despite the Nigerian city's lack of skateboarding infrastructure.
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17 March 2023
When Yasmeen Mjalli, 26, gets up one morning in early March, the sky above her is still an orangey-blue. She begins a three-hour drive south from her studio in Ramallah, Palestine, to the bottom of the West Bank. She's meeting with craftswomen who are working on a collection of handwoven wool bags for her fashion label, Nöl Collective.
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10 March 2023
The US alone is home to more than 20,000 resale, consignment, thrift and antique shops, where people spend about $15 billion annually – but that's just a fraction of the market. Online resale is the fastest growing sector of secondhand shopping.
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3 March 2023
Policymakers are going after plastic – and grocers are ground zero. With that in mind, retailers are realizing that they need to step up their game – and a new wave of businesses is helping grocers to recycle.
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24 February 2023
Creators don't necessarily need a million followers to make money from mood boards – increasingly, even with a few thousand followers, creators who nail a mood have been able to build up a side hustle to supplement a creative career.
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17 February 2023
Utility-scale solar installations could cover up to 11 million acres of the US by 2050 – projects that are likely to be accelerated due to the recently passed Inflation Reduction Act (which continues tax breaks for clean-energy projects).
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10 February 2023
It hasn't been all sunshine and roses for independent florists lately. With the rise of online floral hubs and supermarkets selling bouquets for pocket change, many traditional retail florist stores have been forced to close. In the UK alone, the annual net change in independent florists fell by more than 80 stores every year between 2015 and 2020.
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3 February 2023
While the thousands of layoffs at major tech companies have dominated this year's headlines, layoffs at small businesses have also been increasing. While tough circumstances may force companies to let workers go, there are some things that business owners can do to make sure layoffs don't derail the employees that remain.
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27 January 2023
Ghostwriters have long been known for being the secret wordsmiths behind juicy celebrity memoirs (see Prince Harry's latest book drama). But the skill of writing on behalf of someone else is expanding out of traditional formats.
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20 January 2023
The opportunity to turn someone else's trash into treasure goes beyond fashion, as nearly every industry struggles with excess. Take the wine industry: it takes 720 liters of water to create one bottle of wine – and, if winemakers can't sell their product, that resource goes down the drain.
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13 January 2023
The new year can be a heady time, full of resolutions and lofty ambitions. To give yourself the best chance of staying on track with this year's goals – without sacrificing your mental wellbeing – it's worth checking in on yourself.
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9 December 2022
An estimated 5 billion people will be tuning into the World Cup this year. That unrivaled audience has typically created great opportunities for businesses, whether it's fully booked bars, selling one-off concept kits or just putting out a football-related ad. But this year's host country, Qatar, has come under scrutiny for its mistreatment of migrant workers and its stance on LGBTQ+ and women's rights.
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2 December 2022
As sales of meat substitutes falter, another sustainable protein option is coming to the table. A lab-grown chicken product was recently approved for human consumption by the Food and Drug Administration, making the US the second country after Singapore where cultivated meat passed regulation – likely paving the way for similar products to get to market.
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25 November 2022
There's been a vibe shift among brands on social media. Verified brands are commenting on viral TikToks like they're chatting with besties. Food bloggers are forgoing curated feeds for lo-fi food photo dumps. Small business CEOs are jumping on trending sounds. Call it the rise of spontaneous social media.
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18 November 2022
Hasna has no problems with people buying fast fashion – but she believes that the onus should be on brands to help people wear clothing more sustainably.
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4 November 2022
Fake meat was supposed to be the big food solution to the greenhouse-gas-belching meat industry, but so far it hasn't been the plant-based savior it was touted to be.
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21 October 2022
Perched behind the reception desk of Bermondsey Boxing Club, clad in a yellow hoodie with the thwacking sound of sparring behind her, Manya Klempner couldn't be further away from the top rungs of the big corporate banks on her CV.
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14 October 2022
It's been a great year for the US dollar – and a really bad year for a lot of other currencies. After decades of globalization, even small businesses have fingers and toes in all corners of the world – that means that somewhere along the line, these currency fluctuations are going to have an impact on the bottom line.
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7 October 2022
Is it realistic and necessary for every brand to aim for next-level devotion from customers?
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30 September 2022
Even if you don't know his name, you've probably seen one of his films. Stacy Peralta was a professional skateboarder for Californian skate pioneers, the Z-Boys, in the seventies. But, these days, he's more commonly known for being the creator and director of a 2001 award-winning cult documentary, Dogtown and Z-Boys. He also directed surf doc Riding Giants and wrote the screenplay for Lords of Dogtown.
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23 September 2022
All small businesses are facing a perfect storm of disruptions right now, but restaurants are getting the shortest end of the stick on pretty much every front. There's rising inflation, labor costs and energy bills; meanwhile, climate change is decimating previously reliable sources of basics such as tomatoes, while the war in Ukraine has limited a vital supply of flour.
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16 September 2022
In a society that rewards grind culture, the idea of doing the bare minimum is revolutionary. It's also very difficult, in over-surveilled workplaces, to set firm professional boundaries. Still, that's what the growing chorus of quiet quitters is trying to do.
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9 September 2022
The past few years upended workers' connections to the physical office and opened up the possibility of remote work to people who may not have considered the option before: 80% of jobseekers now want to live where they want rather than where a company dictates, while 70% of these ‘anywhere workers’ have children. However, these family commitments are a big reason why parents don't take the plunge to work abroad.
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2 September 2022
Instagram was a key part of the marketing strategy for Dinoski, a children's outdoor wear brand, until around February of this year, when co-founder Will Chapman started to notice something odd.
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19 August 2022
The podcast boom has created a familiarity with the medium and listening habits that aren't going away. Now, small business owners are looking to a new corner of the market, focused on premium content for niche customers, rather than amassing huge audiences: private podcasts.
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12 August 2022
Behind every viral meme that's shared on an Instagram story, remixed into a TikTok trend and eventually ruined by corporations trying to capitalize on something cool, there's a robust internet economy humming under the surface. But, unlike other creative industries, making money from memes – or even just getting credit for your work – is getting far more complicated.
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5 August 2022
Cat Jones is the founder of Byway, a flight-free tour operator. Users can either choose from pre-planned itineraries (like ‘vegan Tuscany’) or they can input interests, budget and time to get a bespoke travel package.
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29 July 2022
These days, if your business wants to expand, you've got a lot working against you. The cost-of-living crisis has people rethinking every purchase and rising rents mean a physical location can eat even further into margins. But it's not impossible. Just ask Vinay Menda and Issam Freiha, co-founders of coffee brand Blank Street.
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22 July 2022
For most artists, inspiration changes but the medium generally stays the same – a paintbrush won't grow new bristles and a canvas will stay static. However, for digital creatives like artists Anny Wang and Tim Söderström, who often start their process in software programs, it's a different story – an update provides new tools that can expand their capabilities and, in turn, provide new inspiration for what the medium can offer.
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15 July 2022
How can a brand take responsibility for a product it has manufactured and sold once it's in the hands of a customer? As people continue to put pressure on companies to figure out their environmental sustainability credentials, brands – especially those in the apparel space – are closing the gap between purchase and disposal by buying old products back from consumers.
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1 July 2022
While there have been individual cases of success, the more optimistic predictions suggest that just 3.3% of US online retail sales could be driven by live streaming by 2024, while other forecasters can't even put a number on it because the share is so small.
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24 June 2022
University College London professor Anthony Klotz – who coined the phrase ‘the great resignation’ – says quitting your job is like splitting up with a romantic partner: it's emotional. Here are some steps to avoid a bad breakup.
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17 June 2022
First-time installs of dating apps Bumble, Tinder and Hinge hit 106 million last year, up 17% from 2019. But it's not swiping as usual. The apps that have seen the most success are those iterating on traditional dating, upstarts focused on specific demographics and interests, and those innovating in new formats.
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10 June 2022
With spiraling costs forecast to increase even further due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, here are some ideas for how you can help your people navigate these strong financial headwinds.
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3 June 2022
It's a tough time to own a company. While spending boomed after a tough 18 months of pandemic restrictions and lockdowns, the bigger indicators are flashing red: inflation is hitting double digits, the stock market is dipping, buzzy tech companies are starting layoffs and interest rates are set to rise. A ton of businesses are feeling the pain, whether through rising supplier costs or fewer customers as the cost of living rapidly increases.
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27 May 2022
Typically the phrase ‘gig economy’ conjures up images of Uber drivers and Deliveroo food-delivery couriers, not a CEO running a small business. But in the wake of the pandemic and the widespread adoption of remote-working technologies, a growing number of executives are offering their services on demand to companies that need a quick hit of leadership.
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20 May 2022
Logistics for small businesses is a lot more than just delivering packages. ‘We're not just moving things from A to B,’ he says. ‘We're changing the post-purchase experience, so people will come back.’
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13 May 2022
Regenerative agriculture isn't just a buzzword – it's what is changing our food system one crop at a time. Here are four brands supporting that shift.
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6 May 2022
Forget the metaverse – these days the hottest online real estate is the social media bio. Over the past few years, a roster of ‘link in bio’ businesses have popped up to serve the growing creator economy, which is always on the lookout for easy ways to capture audiences used to chatting, searching, shopping and streaming through a single thumb tap.
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29 April 2022
If you've scrolled social media platforms like Instagram or Pinterest for inspiration lately, you'll have inevitably come across artisan-inspired goods – think signature black zigzags on Beni Ourain rugs originally created by Moroccan Berber weavers, or bright floral fabrics like those from block printers in Rajasthan. But is the money from those homeware sales going to artisan designers?
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22 April 2022
‘It seems radical to build something for women specifically, but we need to realize that most other products have been built by men for men,’ says Margot De Broglie, co-founder of Your Juno, a financial education app for women and non-binary people.
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15 April 2022
From curated wine and bookstore bundles to laundry detergent delivered to your doorstep, these days you can get a subscription for just about anything. For businesses, it makes perfect sense – subscriptions offer a consistent source of revenue, as well as an easily accessible database of customers. Consumers, however, are growing weary of the monthly model.
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8 April 2022
Bar takeovers are a phenomenon that have gained traction in recent years. People are after more memorable experiences, leading to more elaborate bar programs, multi-bar takeovers and more immersive experiences. But there's a lot to consider when it comes to these collaborations.
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1 April 2022
Indie music is surging in popularity. Globally, independent labels and artists' share of the market hit an all-time high of 43.1% in 2021. The previous year, revenue growth for indie labels and artists hit 27% – far better than the market growth of 7%.
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25 March 2022
Mezcal, the smoky cousin of tequila, is one of the fastest growing spirits categories. But in the male-dominated industry, women are typically at the bottom rungs. Yola Jimenez is flipping the script, with women leading at every level of her eponymous spirits company YOLA Mezcal – and she's rewriting what it means to be a female-focused business in the process.
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18 March 2022
Armed with audio tech advancements and awareness of the importance of prevention, businesses are now tackling the problem by focusing on personalization and hearing wellness. They just have to get someone to listen first.
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11 March 2022
With 85% of people worldwide becoming ‘greener’ in their purchasing habits, it's not enough to just say that your company cares about sustainability – you have to back it up. But, given that every industry is different, businesses need to think carefully about the best way to calculate and communicate their impact.
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4 March 2022
Chances are, you've recently raised your prices or you're seriously considering doing so soon. You're not alone - 61% of US small businesses increased their prices in January 2022, the highest percentage increase in 48 years. Raising your prices might not be optional, but how you communicate the increase is up to you.
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25 February 2022
From time to time, you come across someone who leaves a lasting impact. Jamal Edwards, the music entrepreneur and founder of SBTV who sadly passed away this week, was one such person.
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18 February 2022
Two LA-based founders are betting that NFTs could be used to lay the groundwork for brand co-creation with customers. Here's how they hope to make it a lasting business model and not just another hype project.
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11 February 2022
Launched in London earlier this month, DELLI allows users to buy and sell ‘drops’ of food and drink products from local, independent producers. We caught up with Simon to find out his tips for building a successful brand.
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4 February 2022
For any business that sells a physical product, finding a cost-efficient way to make it is pretty key. And until you reach a certain size, most brands wouldn't even dream of opening their own production facility. That's where co-manufacturers (or co-packers) come in.
Read issue28 January 2022
If you've settled into hybrid or remote-only work, chances are you're not seeing as much of your colleagues (or manager) as you used to. And that lack of face-time can have implications. Anand Chopra-McGowan has spent the past 15 years improving professionals' online development at edtech platforms General Assembly and Emeritus. Here he gives some simple, quick-fire tips on how you can be proactive – and remain in the picture.
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21 January 2022
Brands have recently been beefing up their budgets for out-of-home advertising – think billboards, digital screens, posters, pretty much any marketing message that's in a public space – and it seems to be getting more effective, too: a recent survey found that 45% of Americans pay more attention to outdoor advertising now than they did before the pandemic.
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14 January 2022
Thrifting used to be pretty DIY, with shoppers rummaging through bins and racks of secondhand clothing hoping to hit the jackpot. But, these days, you're more likely to find gold via a search bar. Recommerce – the economy around buying secondhand – has exploded in the fashion world in recent years and is set to grow even more; the resale market is growing 11 times faster than traditional retail and is set to be worth $84 billion by 2030 – more than double that of fast fashion.
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7 January 2022
Push your paperwork to one side and take a break. The ZigZag Sunset from design-focused brand Art of Ping Pong can transform any desk into a ping-pong table – plus, it can be hung on your wall so that it isn't in the way during meetings.
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17 December 2021
Completely logging off is a key part of feeling rested over the holidays, particularly when remote working has blurred the lines between work and home. The pandemic has added more than two hours of work to home workers' daily schedules, with many feeling like they're always ’on‘ without a physical office to leave at the end of the day.
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10 December 2021
A bunch of industries are struggling with staffing woes – heavy goods truck drivers and farm workers in particular are under strain – and while it'd be easy to blame the pandemic, it's a combination of factors, from the ‘Great Resignation’ and unfavorable immigration policies to an exodus of people seeking better paid, more stable forms of employment. Whatever the cause, shortages in critical roles are leading to fulfillment delays and even possible price increases for consumers.
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3 December 2021
This time of year, you may find yourself in more social situations than usual, forced to partake in a spot of small talk – a thought that may send a shiver down your spine. ‘We're all probably feeling shyer than we have done in the past,’ says science writer and author David Robson. Here's a step-by-step guide to upping your small-talk game.
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26 November 2021
What exactly is it that makes a piece of packaging environmentally sustainable? Is it biodegradability, compostability or recyclability – or, alternatively, not generating any packaging waste at all?
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19 November 2021
Business books. The right ones would bring value to your work, but where to begin? How do you find the time? Or apply what you read?
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12 November 2021
Way before the pandemic came along, the art industry was already due a shake up. For the new wave of art businesses – and there are now lots of them – the key to success largely comes down to taking advantage of the art market's digital pivot. Or, at least, speeding it up.
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29 October 2021
Traditionally, customers would rely on in-store consultations to collect product samples or to test products before committing to a purchase. But the rise of influencer marketing means that in-person interaction in a physical store has largely been replaced.
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22 October 2021
Whatever your feelings may be about the sales season hype, it’s coming. And, for plenty of businesses, it’s a critical time of year; one made all the more difficult given current global supply chain problems. We spoke to Jon MacDonald, founder of conversion optimization company The Good, and co-host of the Drive and Convert podcast, for his essential dos and don’ts.
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15 October 2021
Tennis is seeing another renaissance. All around the world, more people are playing the game than they were before the pandemic. In the US, recreational participation jumped 22% in 2020, while entry-level racket sales rose nearly 40%. Around 21.5 million people played tennis last year, including 3 million new players (a 44% increase from 2019).
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8 October 2021
If you think virtual assistants (or VAs) are just good for boring admin tasks, think again. You can tap into this under-utilized resource to prime your business. One benefit – they aren't on payroll.
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1 October 2021
Financial inaccessibility is still a huge issue in the higher-education space. MBAs can set people back five or six figures, and they're usually only available to people with some prior knowledge of business or management. That not only excludes creative entrepreneurs, but also widens the knowledge gap between them and other business owners. So, creatives are starting to take matters into their own hands.
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24 September 2021
A recent report puts spending via conversational commerce at $290 billion in 2025, up from $41 billion this year. That’s 590% growth over four years.
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17 September 2021
Ever been 35 minutes into an hour-long Zoom with 12 colleagues when you realize half of you haven’t said a thing and start to question why you were even invited in the first place?
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10 September 2021
There’s more to surf than boring wetsuits and board shorts – these brands are exploring surf culture through fashion, equality and sustainability.
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3 September 2021
When Amorpol Huvanandana and Amm Virodchaiyan started researching textile waste in Thailand, they came across a startling number: ‘50 million tonnes of [textile] waste happens in factories, before we’ve even consumed a product. In comparison, only 27 million tonnes is classified as post-consumer waste.’
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27 August 2021
One in three American adults adopted a pet during the pandemic, bumping pet ownership up to 70% of households. With such growth comes a host of new brands with innovative ways to expand the pet food industry, tipped to be worth $121 billion by 2025. From personalized meals, to environmentally friendly produce and easier delivery options, read more to learn about five brands making noise.
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20 August 2021
Bouldering is booming, thanks to a surge in the number of indoor climbing gyms as well as a rocking debut at the Olympics this summer. Here are a few bouldering brands to know and keep an eye on.
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13 August 2021
If you buy a fridge for $500 and it breaks outside of warranty, how much are you willing to pay to get it fixed before buying a new one? $200? $300? Maybe even $400? And, if you were to choose to repair, would the parts you need even be available to buy?
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6 August 2021
Whether you’re grilling good eats or just in need of some warmth, here are four brands that are bringing the heat.
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30 July 2021
Whether you've returned to a gym or not, the fitness industry is still firing on all cylinders, and personal training is continuing to be an attractive career option for many. But it comes with a few aches and pains – some estimate that 90% of personal trainers leave the industry within a year, partially due to financial instability.
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23 July 2021
No- or low-alcohol beverage brands (let’s call them NOLOs) seem to be launching every day. But is this just a temporary hangover from pandemic times when lots of us became more conscious around our booze consumption, or are they here to stay?
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16 July 2021
The business of content creation is exploding. Influencer marketing is now a $14 billion industry – a 112% increase from 2019. And brands are realizing that it’s no longer just about collaborating with people who have millions of followers – instead, tapping into micro-influencer networks can be just as (if not more) effective.
Read issue9 July 2021
Plenty of people consider themselves to be good listeners – until they find out what active listening is. It’s about more than just hearing – it’s going deep into conversations to understand, process and reflect on what’s being said without judgement, using non-verbal prompts to get the complete message.
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2 July 2021
There’s US$150,000 to be shared among the most talented, black-identifying young business owners in the US and the UK. Have an idea you’ve been sitting on or something you want to take to the next level? Simply fill out the application and you’re through to the first round of judging.
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25 June 2021
Words like ‘diet’ and ‘calories’ have been replaced with ‘wellness’ and ‘self-care’. Even Weight Watchers changed its name back in 2018 to become more aligned with the body positivity movement. But is this meaningful change, or just a marketing trick to convince customers that businesses are looking out for their best interests?
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18 June 2021
After the huge supply-chain disruptions we saw in 2020, brands and retailers are questioning whether they really need wholesalers at all.
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11 June 2021
Product teasers and sneak previews are go-to ways to create hype before a launch. But some businesses are going one step further – taking customers on an in-depth journey into what goes on behind the scenes, into the nitty-gritty of building a brand or of product development.
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4 June 2021
Sure, in the US, milk consumption dropped by 40% between 1975 and 2019. And in the UK, not only has the number of dairy cows declined, but some dairy farmers are also hanging their boots up and retiring from the profession altogether. But, elsewhere, it’s a different story.
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28 May 2021
Starting something new can mean a business or a side hustle – but why not start with a garden? Gardening absolutely boomed over the past year and all signs point to the trend continuing.
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21 May 2021
Here's one way to boost productivity: journaling. Close the laptop, turn off notifications and grab a notebook. Putting pen to paper has been shown to help us focus, visualize our thoughts and even improve how we process (and retain) information.
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14 May 2021
The weather’s getting warmer, lockdown restrictions are slowly coming to an end, and that BBQ, backyard party or dip in the pool with friends is nearly in sight. Check out some outdoor furniture brands to help kit out your yard or garden in style.
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7 May 2021
What happens if you find that your work or creative ideas have been ripped off or co-opted by another business for its commercial gain?
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30 April 2021
Months of lockdown restrictions have slammed South Africa’s economy, but is there a silver lining? Well, the country’s seen a surge in the number of small, grassroots businesses. ‘Side hustles are definitely trending,’ says new business owner Simphiwe Mkhize. ‘Almost everyone I know has one now.’
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23 April 2021
Ramadan Mubarak! Last week saw the beginning of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting for Muslim communities. For the past few years, it’s also coincided with the launch of modest fashion collections.
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16 April 2021
Gardens became our sanctuaries last year – and garden centres and homeware shops saw sales of seeds, outdoor furniture and gazebos go through the roof. With springtime finally here, and pandemic restrictions (mostly) lifting, here’s some inspiration for your garden.
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9 April 2021
In a recent survey of 3,000 people by experience-booking platform Easol, 85% reckoned they would shell out 25% more on experiences in 2021 and 2022 compared with 2019. And when it comes to travel, 56% of people are craving more rural, off-the-beaten-track experiences. We caught up with Easol's founders Lisa and Ben Simpson to hear about the latest experiential travel trends.
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2 April 2021
After suffering skin issues from acne to hyperpigmentation and failing to find products that worked, Hani Hassan tooks matters into her own hands. The result is her brand Hue, a scientifically driven skincare range specifically formulated for skin of colour. ‘Consumer experiences have historically lacked authenticity and have not been based on the skin experiences of all people,’ the Courier Fresh Fund winner says.
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26 March 2021
‘Just seeing the tangible impact that the company is having on people reminds me that, no matter what the challenges are I’m facing with the business, it’s worth it.’ - Courier Fresh Fund winner and Aya Paper Co founder, SaVonne Anderson
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19 March 2021
Until recently, the bathroom cabinets of most men were a sad sight – cheap, generic moisturisers, one or two hair products, the same deodorant they’ve bought for years and little else. But with Gen Z blowing open the market for male beauty products, finally it looks like this could all be changing.
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12 March 2021
Young Authors Publishing is an Atlanta-based not-for-profit that gives young people from under-represented communities a platform and resources to write, market and sell their own books. Through a mentoring programme, which includes a creative writing curriculum and advice on saving and budgeting, authors can earn royalties, which are then put into a savings account to be accessed when they turn 18. See the email to learn more about the Fresh Fund-winning organization and its founder, Leah Hernandez.
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5 March 2021
After spending more and more time at a cemetery following the loss of her father, Jay McGregor was driven to start her own business. Graceful Graves, which is a Courier Fresh Fund iniatitive, officially launched this week. The result is a London-based specialist cleaning and maintenance service that provides regular upkeep and restoration of graves and memorials to give friends and family peace of mind.
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26 February 2021
Anisa Sloan, a 23-year-old web and app developer from Philadelphia, is on a mission to build a community around music discovery. Enter, Souvinear: an app that allows users to connect with fans, artists and venues in real time during live gigs and concert experiences.
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19 February 2021
Kendall Finlay is on a mission to de-stigmatise the subject of mental health. Based in Austin, Texas, Kendall is the founder and CEO of Ohm, a digital wellness platform aiming to make access to mental health resources easy, organised and affordable.
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12 February 2021
‘At the end of the day, it’s lack of opportunity – not lack of potential or drive – that is hurting and failing millions of children globally. And I’d like to provide learning opportunities, for learning while playing.’
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5 February 2021
Whether you call it switching off, winding down, logging off or just chilling the heck out, moving from work mode to leisure mode is a super-important transition for your wellbeing and work engagement – and a subject that's always worth revisiting.
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29 January 2021
Last July we announced the Courier Fresh Fund – a pot of cash grants to support young black founders in their quest to start or supercharge a business. We received close to a thousand (seriously impressive) applications from across the US and the UK, covering a huge range of life experiences, ambitions and businesses. Today, we're excited to announce our seven winners – each of whom will receive funding and mentorship to do awesome things.
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22 January 2021
Online shopping surged last year, so it's incredibly easy to think e-commerce is an unstoppable force ready to gobble up physical stores. But that would be wrong. Here's the deal: only 14.3% of US retail sales in Q3 last year came from online, which is probably a lot less than most of us would have thought. In other words, shops aren't going away anytime soon. This week, we dig into why hardware stores are one area where physical is still super attractive.
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15 January 2021
Gym memberships plummeted back when sites shut their doors last spring – some for good. Now, almost 60% of Americans say they won’t renew their membership when things go back to normal. But all’s not lost for the sector…
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8 January 2021
After a pretty low-key break, we’re back with your first dose of smarts, stuff and skills in 2021. You’ve probably got a billion resolution-related tabs lined up, from productivity hacks to courses (JavaScript or Mandarin this year?) to a shopping cart of self-help books… And while we’re not into making empty promises, we’re definitely about realistic goal-setting and proper planning – for your life and business. Just remember: goals are easy, but the follow-through takes guts.
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18 December 2020
It’s a week 'til Christmas and you've still got a million things to do to cap off the craziest year ever. We get it. The last thing you need is someone telling you to slow down, reflect on the year and try to find a better work-life balance. Except… that's exactly what we're telling you (sorry). This is our last Courier Weekly of the year. We're taking a break and putting on the out of office 'til 2021. A huge thanks for your incredible support this year from everyone here at Courier. We wish you and your loved ones a safe and very happy holiday season!
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11 December 2020
Despite one hell of a year, the vast majority of small business owners are feeling optimistic about 2021. What’s going on? It turns out there are real reasons to be cheerful about the year ahead, which we dig into below. Plus, a director at streetwear and sneaker marketplace StockX gives us his brand recommendations, and we explore how to set – and follow through with – your goals for the coming year.
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4 December 2020
The festive season is officially upon us, and it’s set to be one like never before. One of the major changes over the past year has been the rapid evolution of the food and grocery delivery sector. With so much money pouring in – from stock market listings to million-dollar funding rounds – it won’t take you long these days to find a ghost kitchen if you end up forgetting to defrost the turkey this Christmas. This week we unpack the future of this booming industry and what it means for small businesses, restaurants, food startups and your late-night pizza craving. We also look at the importance of taking time off over the holidays (even when you approve your own timecard) and round up some favourite products to inspire your holiday shopping. Enjoy.
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27 November 2020
How does a company continue to grow with no full-time employees and virtually no meetings? We spoke to one business owner to find out the secrets of their success. Plus, how to find an investor and the rise of hyperlocal neighbourhood grocers.
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20 November 2020
This week, we’ve launched our 10-step guide to starting a business, an interactive book to help you kickstart your dream project. We also talk to a pistachio milk pioneer in New York and a blanket entrepreneur in Sydney about their journeys into business. And, finally, we discover how to embrace a healthy attitude towards conflict.
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13 November 2020
Now that many of us are working remotely, how do you build a company culture at a distance? This week we dig into ways of doing it authentically (and what to avoid). Plus, a growing segment of the children’s care market and why it’s high time that brands realise hiking isn’t just for white people.
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6 November 2020
There’s a misconception that starting a business requires a huge amount of cash. Sometimes that’s true – but more often than not, as investor and founder Nicole Crentsil tells us this week, you don’t need to knock on the door of a venture capitalist to get going. Plus: lessons from a new chocolate brand, a fresh business model for selling art online, and why canned wine might be the next big growth industry.
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30 October 2020
It’s really hard for a new brand to make a difference in an old-school industry. This week, we catch up with small business owners in the fragrance, beauty and homecare sectors inventing totally new ways of doing things. Plus, the struggle of growing a media company in the current climate, and tips on how to leave your career to do something totally new. Read on and enjoy.
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23 October 2020
This week, we share advice on how to switch careers, consider some lessons from launching a company earlier than planned, look at the rise of religious brands for 20-somethings, and find out why sitting down for too long is terrible for our physical health.
Read issue16 October 2020
Courier Weekly celebrates the value of downtime, hits the road with an inclusive running club and turns a cautious eye to the future of events. Plus, we meet the lockdown tech providers having to scale by the hour and give you the lowdown on successful crowdfunding.
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9 October 2020
We give you the inside story on the company that pivoted itself out of failure. We also predict the future of the sleepwear bubble, steal top tips from the culture consultants and even teach you how to speak to Gen Z.
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2 October 2020
Courier Weekly rolls into the burgeoning e-bike market, meets the brand trying to bring sake to your drinks cabinet and shares some game-changing knowledge from successful lockdown launchers. We also look at why you might want to buy ‘micro-influence’ and the unexpected benefits of making your product free.
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25 September 2020
This week, a food entrepreneur who found a white space in the toilet paper industry shares what every e-commerce founder should know (hint: it involves shipping). Plus, how to remotely check the mood of your team, the pros and cons of discounting, and a running brand to keep your eye on.
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18 September 2020
Courier Weekly meets the man bringing mindfulness apps to the masses, focuses on the future of eyewear with Ace & Tate and meets the founders hoping to take rental fashion from rags to riches. We also take a look at the men making vodka more transparent and meet the angel investors hoping to bring business back to Baghdad.
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11 September 2020
Courier Weekly looks at the new opportunities for freelancers and shines the light on a pioneering black-owned gaming studio. We’ll also be chatting to one of the leaders behind the ‘no-code’ movement, seeing how a nutrition drink pivots and will be reassuring you that it’s OK to be away from your desk for five minutes.
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4 September 2020
We check out the booming market for home decoration, meet consultants who want to change the way your company thinks and give you a pep talk on how to beat the back-to-work blues. You’ll also find some hints and tricks for all the freelancers out there and hear about the Swiss bag company hoping to reshape a South Korean island.
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28 August 2020
Courier Weekly takes you to a Covid-friendly tattoo parlour, tells you how to make yourself indispensable at work and gives you magic marketing techniques from the experts. We also take a look at an upstart fruit business and a fashion brand that holds no stock.
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21 August 2020
The art of making your business less efficient and the wine company that pulled its top product. We also visit some culturally diverse kitchens in London, learn about curated shopping and provide some top tips on how to lighten the mood on a Zoom call.
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14 August 2020
If you could work from anywhere and keep the same salary, where would you go? This week we look at one company's bold remote work experiment. Plus, why diversity and inclusion policies belong outside the HR department, lessons from a reopened food hall, and we ask what a metal jacket has in common with haute cuisine. Enjoy.
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7 August 2020
Courier Weekly logs on with the Nordic Zoom alternative, dives into the new generation of corporate merch and looks at a new rural co-working space. You can also check out our take on the secrets of haircare, self-care and overcoming business blind spots.
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31 July 2020
Courier Weekly highlights how local neighbourhoods are great for business, takes lessons from a drinks-brand launch and asks ‘where are the black designers?’ We also look at the rise of carbon accountability and light the fuse on 30 brands about to explode.
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10 July 2020
Wellness and burnout take the lead this week, with our top tips on how to look after yourself in the current crisis. Elsewhere, we look at the controversial rise of snoop-tech, allowing companies to check in on their employees who are working from home.
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3 July 2020
Courier Weekly investigates the ‘no-code’ revolution that is letting normal folk make cool stuff. We also take a look at a whole host of black-owned restaurants and sign up for some ear-based stimulation.
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19 June 2020
Courier charts how the pandemic has given rise to permanent pivots and takes a look at how Danish retail is innovating its way out of the crisis. We also give you the lowdown on a loyalty card for black-owned businesses, some home health tips and get to know a boutique knife manufacturer offering an ‘eternal guarantee’.
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12 June 2020
Courier Weekly looks at whether a surge in interest in black-owned businesses will endure and how brands can initiate change from within. Later, we break down the home-fitness boom, the rise of slow travel and take a timely look at imposter syndrome.
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