Global brand leaders have rushed to praise ‘Rule the World’ – which reveals the true impact of the power of storytelling in business  

There’s nothing more powerful in business than the ability to tell a compelling story. That’s the cornerstone of the widely-lauded new work titled: Rule The World: Master the Power of Storytelling to Inspire, Influence and Succeed.  

Written by award-winning producer and seminar leader Paul Furlong, the book illustrates that the most inspirational leaders, most influential marketers, and the greatest salespeople all thrive due to their use of fascinating stories.  

Containing memorable anecdotes, relatable examples, and step-by-step advice, Rule the World functions as a comprehensive guide for individuals and businesses to develop passion and skills for storytelling that can lead to true success.  

Furlong, who has shared insights on storytelling via seminars, training programs, podcasts and publications (including Entrepreneur), has drawn on his own diverse career experiences to create the book – having worked in film and TV, sales and marketing, and in a corporate role as Creative Director at Opus Media.  

A Royal Television Society (RTS) award holder, Furlong has collaborated with broadcasters including the BBC, ITV and Channel 4. He is a member of Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television (PACT) and founder/board member at the Producer’s Collective, having also worked with a wide array of world-renowned corporate clients such as Subway, Formula1, Cadent, LFC and The National Lottery.  

Furlong’s latest venture, Rule the World, is already receiving reviews from global business leaders.  

Graham Weihmiller, Chairman & CEO of BNI said: “Rule the World is a brilliant revelation for business leaders and communicators. Most people and organisations struggle to fully connect with their audience. But with great examples and brilliant advice, Paul shows how to resonate, engage and connect with your audience by crafting well told stories.  

“Your messaging, and ultimately your results, will improve many times over by reading this book.” 

Robert Skrob, CEO of Be Unleavable, added: “Storytelling is the most effective way to persuade anyone. Rule the World is filled with storytelling insights with prompts that invite you to think and communicate using effective stories.  

“The detailed analysis of the many story aspects is unique to this work and would be helpful to anyone growing a vibrant tribe of customers.”  

Roger S. H. Schulman, BAFTA-winning and Oscar-nominated screenwriter of Shrek, also praised the work, stating: “Paul understands the power of storytelling and how to use it to maximise business messaging.”  

Rule the World, published by Fisher King Publishing, is available through Amazon, Kindle, W.H. Smith, Waterstones and all other good bookstores.  

Copies can be purchased online in print and digital versions. 

A British tech entrepreneur has issued a warning to global online shopping giants Amazon and eBay as he launches a site that threatens to transform sales opportunities for small businesses. 

Tej Randeva has warned the ‘big boys’ of the e-commerce industry that he plans to shake things up with the launch of Add to Cart, a revolutionary new shopping platform that throws a lifeline to independent businesses in their time of need. 

Tej, who is based in Cardiff, believes in his business so much that he has committed £250,000 of his own money into setting up the site and all of the online marketing support that will be provided. 

“Add to Cart is going to disrupt the e-commerce industry and I want the likes of Amazon and eBay to watch out. It is time for us to look out for small businesses after so many were hit so badly by COVID over the last couple of years, including my own online hire services site. 

“Independent online business owners struggle to generate orders online in such a competitive, vast and fast-moving industry. Many are experts at their trade, but don’t know how to manage their own online marketing and drive traffic to their sites. Or, they don’t have the hundreds and thousands of pounds needed to plough into online marketing, SEO and pay-per-click campaigns to generate orders. 

“I decided to use my tech background and my online software development team to create something that would help these small businesses to thrive without having the crippling upfront costs associated with online marketing campaigns or any other barriers to their success,” he added. 

www.addtocart.co.uk allows small business owners to register on their site for free and even sync their current online shops with existing platforms like Shopify with the Add to Cart system. Then, all they have to do is sit back and allow the Add to Cart team to work their magic. 

Anyone who registers will benefit from Add to Cart’s online presence and social media marketing campaigning free of charge and they will be ranking on major search engines such as Google and Bing within 24 hours. Add to Cart will charge 10% of every sale, so business owners are only paying when they are getting successful orders. The company already has more than 100 businesses registered and 80,000 products listed on its site. 

Tej Randeva, who also runs the UK’s leading price comparison site for hire services, anythingforhire.com, added: “Not only are our members getting all of their online marketing support up front and free of charge, we also make sure they have access to the data from their customers, so they can grow their own marketing campaigns and continue to communicate with customers in the long term.”

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Browsing hub rolls out new features inspired by – and designed for – content creators  Leading OnlyFans search engine Hubite is evolving into a multifaceted platform – with the website undergoing a big redesign in a bid to support content creators.  

Starting life as a browsing hub for OnlyFans accounts, Hubite is now shifting focus towards interactivity and community; with the new platform emulating social media channels such as Instagram.   

Hubite says the revamp coincides with a momentous shift within the sector. Bigger content creation budgets are now being made available on a wider, more regular basis – enticing and enabling people to produce new material in different ways on advanced platforms.  

Co-founder of Hubite Sergio explains: “As the creator economy grows, our product has evolved constantly in order to attend to the needs of this community.  

“It’s amazing to see how willing they are to collaborate to create a safe space, because they are usually rejected by the mainstream media, banks and even worker’s regulations.” 

Thousands of content creators sought refuge on Hubite after OnlyFans announced a ban on explicit content in September, followed by a drastic u-turn. The changing climate has inspired Hubite to push into new territory – expanding from a leading OnlyFans search engine into an all-encompassing platform designed for the content creator community.  

View the new-look Hubite platform online. 

Read more about what’s happening across the content creator community via the Hubite blog.  

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The firm decided to relocate the Secondary Investment Division for a broader market access

Samuel Freshfields, a next generation investment company that aims to give its clients access to a broad range of financial instruments, promoting the highest standards of integrity, responsibility, and competence to produce a highly personalized counseling process, is pleased to announce that the recently created Secondary Investment Division will be relocated inside mainland China. The move is designed to simplify bureaucracy and enhance access potential to Asia’s biggest market opportunities.

Samuel Freshfields has recently restructured its team of private equity secondary investment experts into a fully developed department and has even appointed one of the Members of the Board, Mr. Charles Chan, to spearhead the Secondary Investment Division. The department is already operational and the firm has adopted the idea of enlarging its physical infrastructure in Asia by appointing a new office location in which the new division can reside and function from.

“Currently, as we have already engaged in 3 separate new projects within China’s huge market, we are located in the company’s Head Quarters. Due to our hand-on approach and round-the-clock analysis of industry data, we have considered that a physical expansion of office infrastructure into mainland China will address some of our most important needs when conducting our activity,” stated Mr. Chan, Member of the Board of Directors and Head of the Secondary Investment Division.

Samuel Freshfields considers Shanghai as the most suitable location, due to the city’s status of one of the world’s financial hubs and the internationally inclined policies that govern its markets.

Mr. Gordon Suen, Executive Vice President and Portfolio Manager for Real Return Strategies, says: “We will most likely decide that we want Shanghai to host one of our offices, however, as we all have come to realize, particularly within the last decade, China is developing at an incredible rate and we want to make sure we consider all probable scenarios regarding future developments that we might be able to capitalize on, for our international database of clients, before we officially decide.”

The new office location will be announced officially by the firm within the next short space of time.

About Samuel Freshfields Samuel Freshfields is a next generation investment company that aims to give its clients access to a broad range of financial instruments and markets as well as professional advice to maximize returns. Samuel Freshfields’ investment advisory and brokerage services are multidisciplinary, allowing the company to devise custom strategies and deliver exceptional results for our clients. The company’s major goal has been to work hand-in-hand with clients to meet their investment needs. While many financial firms push one-size-fits-all products, Samuel Freshfields strives to coordinate the fundamental disciplines of the company’s dividend-growth philosophy with the unique needs of our clients regarding the growth, use and preservation of their wealth.

The latest diversity report from FinTech recruitment company Storm2, has found that female representation in Nordic FinTech engineering teams stands at 11%, below the global average of 17%. 

With a focus on FinTech companies in the Nordics, Storm2 examined the current state of gender diversity in engineering. The report highlights that there is still work to be done and aims to “educate, spark discussion, and inspire change.”

Angela Ward, VP of Europe at Storm2, said: “The Nordics are world leaders when it comes to gender parity in many areas of society, but this has not filtered through to the FinTech sector. We hope that by sharing our research on why this is still a problem, in even the most progressive of regions, and offering actionable advice on how to turn the dial on the problem, we can create a more diverse, inclusive and more profitable FinTech ecosystem.”

Storm2 is a specialist FinTech recruitment firm that focuses solely on finding candidates with the skills needed to build and scale a successful FinTech company. 

The safe, secure and simple key storage company has appointed a new CEO after fresh round of investor funding 

Redkey.app – the 24/7 key safekeeping service – is set for international expansion after securing further funding. 
The Barcelona-based app – which allows users to anonymously store emergency keys in a secure place and request drop-off 24/7 – has received another thumbs-up from investors. 

An injection of €300,000 is now being used to diversify the brand into new cities and accelerate app performance. 

Redkey.app is described as an “innovative key safe logistics solution”, operating the first specialised technology platform of its kind. Designed for domestic and personal use (homes, vehicles, business premises), the app has already proven a huge success in Catalonia – with plans to roll out the service domestically and further abroad. 

New CEO to lead key management service through 2021 

With Redkey.app, emergency keys are stored in security cabinets under permanent surveillance. Whenever keys are needed, users simply tap the app and a driver will deliver them at any time, day or night. 
Users are assigned a unique and encrypted security code for each key (the app never asks for names) and subscriptions are completely free. 

Encrypted code technology means owners can also authorise keys to be sent to anyone they may want to access the property or vehicle – such as friends or family members. 

Astrid Camprubí has been appointed to the board of directors to lead the company into the next chapter, equipping the company with the skills it needs in business development, devising strategies and the design of scalable models. 

Camprubí stated: “Redkey.app lets you control your house/space, without the need to be physically present, so we provide you with confidence and a personal service. 

“This new capital injection will be used to develop and optimise the service, the integration and the UX and will enable us to begin our expansion into new capitals.”

Redkey.app: A visionary idea for changing times 
Redkey.app was founded in 2021 by five visionaries in Javier Durán, Joan Castells, Ernest Quingles, Eduardo Conde and Ramón Barguñó. 

Since launch, the company has made a strong commitment to in-house talent, enabling it to have control over security and foster the engagement of that talent. 

The unique and pioneering nature of this project has enticed investors specialising in Technology and Smart Cities – with more money now being dedicated to the platform for further development.

 
Learn more about Redkey.app by visiting the official website. 

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UK food and drink industry experts Wriggle are proud to announce their new venture, the Wriggle hamper collection. Wriggle’s unique gift box selection combines show-stopping craft products with on-trend design to create a hamper offering for a whole new generation of gift givers.

Alongside their expertly-curated selection of food and drink hampers designed for birthdays, anniversaries, housewarmings and Christmas, Wriggle has launched a bespoke corporate gifting service, inspired by a growing awareness to improve wellbeing in the workplace. Companies can browse through a number of gift box options to send to employees and clients, each made with different budgets, dietary requirements and occasions in mind, and can be customised with personalised messages and inserts when required.

 
“Over the last 18 months, we’ve found gifting an invaluable way to thank our employees and reward them for their hard work during difficult and turbulent times. Corporate gifts have proven to be a vital way of easing stress, promoting positivity , and strengthening teams, especially when the majority of workforces are working remotely.”

Wriggle have designed their corporate gifting service to make it as hands-on as possible for inquiring companies. With an easy to browse selection of hampers and a rapid nationwide delivery service, there couldn’t be an easier way to reward employees. They’ve also ensured that their packaging, from their gift boxes to their bespoke labels, is made from 100% recyclable materials, so you can rest assured that these gifts are as good for the planet as they are for your team. 

If the ease of ordering and conscious packaging doesn’t seal the deal, then the handpicked specialty products included in each of the hampers surely will. With a focus on choosing food and drink from craft producers that make high-quality products that you’ll be pushed to find elsewhere, their offering is unique, eye-catching and on-trend. From natural wines to award-winning UK made chocolates and biscuits, their one of a kind offering is guaranteed to leave a lasting impression.

“We love hampers, but we think there are a lot of stuffy, traditional options on the market. By bringing together incredible food and drink gifts from up-and-coming producers, we’re striving to create a whole new gifting experience. Our experience working alongside chefs and producers since 2014 has put us in the perfect position to discover showstopping products from UK producers.”

Wriggle’s everyday gifting hampers and bespoke corporate options are now live on their website. For more information and to view the full range: https://getawriggleon.com/pages/for-businesses

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IF YOU’RE EVER IN THE RAT BUSINESS…‘Come in!’’ — the Mayor cried, looking biggerAnd in did come the strangest figure!His queer long coat from heel to headWas half of yellow and half of redAnd he himself was tall and thin,With sharp blue eyes, each like a pin

These days, the one thing that large and small businesses have in common is their desire to be successful.  If “success” is not your core strategy, big or small, you’re in the wrong business (no matter the size!)

Where large companies differ somewhat to the start-up or the SME in “scale-up” is the luxuries they have; and yes, a huge budget is one of those luxuries!  They inevitably have an enterprising board too, willing to bring onboard strategically focused outsiders [Non-Executive Directors] into its heart.   These “outside” directors often provide advice based on special knowledge and more often than not, an enviable list of contacts who bring ever-expanding opportunities for development.

On the other hand, the smaller and medium sized companies tend to be more circumspect in their approach to inviting these same exceptionally talented and well-connected non-executives. There is no single reason for this but rather a plethora of potential reasons which usually involve cost, of course, but also a reluctance to make a shift from being a relatively small and tight knit group of founders or board members.

Now this is all good and well but as we know, the issue with wearing something tightly knit, though, is that it has a tendency to constrict the breathing.  The same is true in business and is especially true in the SME landscape.

By expanding the stitching, you may let in some air! Now doesn’t that feel better? This is what a non-executive director does, especially for SMEs, where sometimes the board may consist of family members and who knows, even the odd friend or two! Bringing in new members to the board will breathe a breath of fresh air into the business.

Developing a new perspective, gaining a deeper knowledge of the marketplace and crafting a more innovative way of thinking, can really open your business up to new opportunities for development and growth; these are key ingredients for greater success in anyone’s book!

SMEs can’t Ironically, and using a monetary analogy, SME’s are precisely the kind of businesses that cannot afford to miss out on what a non-executive brings to the table. And as long as he or she is welcomed and valued for their advice and contributions, your SME will grow from strength to strength. But heed this caution, though! It’s advisable to give some thought to the qualities you’re looking for in your non-executive director, before you make your approach.

Remember the lesson learned by the Town Council of Hamelin, who brought in a non-executive to help them with their infestation problem. Once he had helped their enterprise to flourish – by utilising his musical expertise in pest control – they refused to appreciate the full contribution he’d made to their town’s development and withheld his payment. The consequences were disastrous! Refusing to pay him was actually the second mistake they made.

The first?

Well, even back in the fourteenth century, the members of the Town Council should have done their candidate due diligence a little better. They were approached by the Pied Piper, not the other way round.  As a result, they knew nothing about him. Now, if there had existed back then a website that could bring to their attention a large number of prospective candidates, where their background, expertise and personal qualities were on open display, well then…But sadly, the internet was almost 700 years away. And as a consequence, such a website did not exist in the year 1376.

Perhaps if it had done, they would have called it Non-Executive Pied Pipers.com!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ian Wright is the Founder and CEO of Virtualnonexecs.com, a global platform and the UK’s largest Boardroom advisory community with 11,000+ non-executive director members.

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Boguslavsky & Co, a Digital Strategy Agency aimed at growing tech startups, is pivoting its focus on the UK market from ​this month onwards​. Founded by Marianna Boguslavsky & previously operating in UAE & South Africa, the focus is on scaling tech startups by solving the issue of access to international markets.

Marianna​, who is now based in the UK, has​ assembled a small team that is agile, intelligent, and resilient enough to accommodate growing arrays of emerging tools and approaches that can enable tech startups to grow & scale. Their background of marketing (both domestic and international) and technological innovation skills is how the agency aims to help the startup community in the UK.

‘’Large proportion of tech companies fail to achieve their full potential because they do not have the marketing skills to engage with and sell to their target market. Plus knowledge/experience of how to launch in international markets. Customer acquisition and access to markets is key for startup success” – Marianna Boguslavsky, founder of Boguslavsky & Co, commented.

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