Kilo Health is not an ordinary company, and nor are its HR practices – the company has a Chief Vibe Officer! It’s all about values as skills can be acquired, but talent and emotional intellect are much harder to come by. 

With Big Tech and startups growing at a rapid pace, there is an ever-greater shortage of programmers and other IT-related staff all over the world, especially in the U.S. and Europe. Some companies however are dealing with it better than others. “We simply love our people and it’s all about them.

This is the reason why there are almost no employees who have left voluntarily”, says Tadas Burgaila, co-founder and CEO of Kilo Health, one of the world’s leading digital health and wellness companies, boasting more than 500 employees. Kilo Health has grown from 7 to 500 bright talents in just three years. In fact, if employees refuse an offer from another company, they get a T-shirt with “I said no” written on it. And in Kilo Health’s office, there are quite a few people proudly wearing those T-shirts. 

Speaking about the success of the company, Kilo Health’s CEO emphasizes that “team” is key, and this has been the focus from the outset. The company’s HR philosophy comes from its founders and it’s pretty simple but effective: “it is not a new employee who should be glad that we accepted them, it is us who should be happy that we have found another talent with values in line with ours, and who has come to work with us.” 

Legend of San DiegoTadas recounts a story of how Kilo Health’s Personnel Manager, later becoming the Experience Manager, joined the company.In its first expansion phase, when Kilo Health’s team reached almost 60 people, the company still did not have a Personnel Manager.

The CEO himself had done most of the screening and hiring. But with every new employee, it was getting harder and harder to juggle HR duties with CEO’s day-to-day business operations. “At the time, I had about 30 job interviews for the Personnel Manager position. But I failed to find a staff manager with an attitude that matched ours or was at least close to it.

Then, one day we were chilling in the café with colleagues, and I noticed a bartender who was able to take care of everyone, topping up cups, telling jokes, and chatting casually with strangers. I thought – that’s the kind of HR person I want. We talked and set up a meeting, and when he said goodbye, he showed us a T-shirt that had “San Diego” written on it.

Coincidentally, colleagues flew there the next day for a marketing conference. On Monday morning we shook hands and Artūras Pronicevas became our Personnel Manager. Somehow his nickname “San Diego” stuck”, smiles Tadas. Soon enough Artūras got a new title and job description – Experience Manager, tasked with making the staff happy. “So that’s that. I’m the Experience Manager or “Chief Vibe Officer” at Kilo Health. My job is to create a good atmosphere – a sort of vibe – at work and make sure everyone has everything they need. Plus I organize awesome events, and make sure that everyone feels welcome at our office”, says Artūras. Chief Vibe Officer also has a lot to do with HR. The company accepts around 50 newcomers every month.

Most companies send a newcomer package (if they have one) through a courier. Arturas delivers it to everyone in person and dedicates at least an hour of conversation to allay fears, clarify expectations, etc. “Our company is our people and this is the key rule that makes us who we are,” adds Tadas. 

A second chance for juniors Kilo Health, of course, has all the perks modern startups offer, like football tables, gaming consoles, and a hot tub. But the company also offers free courses, which, according to Justė Vižinytė, Kilo Health’s Chief People Officer, attracts a lot of talent for junior positions.  “For people who don’t pass our job interview process or just have too little experience for the position, we suggest applying to Kilo Health’s Academy, which we started last winter. We have a few different courses.

This time around it’s IT and online marketing. We prepare influencers and performance specialists for Facebook and Google ecosystems”,  Justė explains. She adds that there are more candidates than places. It’s probably because, after training, the best are offered a position. So for many, it’s like a second shot at the job. Although around 98% of Kilo Health’s staff are vaccinated, the company is embracing a hybrid work model.”

COVID taught us how to work remotely. All of our employees can now choose to work in the office and mingle with teammates. But if you are better off working from home – go ahead, work from home”, says Kilo Health’s Chief People Officer. The bottom line is it’s best to keep an open mind when hiring because skills can be acquired. Talent and emotional intellect are much harder to come by.

Kilo Health GroupKilo Health is one of the leading digital health and wellness companies globally, that not only attracts talent to join its fast-growing team but also co-founds and accelerates start-ups in a rapidly growing digital health industry. With 4+ million paying users worldwide (the majority in the United States), as well as strong technology and a digital marketing platform, Kilo Health provides unparalleled opportunities for entrepreneurial talents and visionaries to build the digital health products of the future. Kilo Health was founded to design the most engaging and effective digital lifestyle interventions that lead to a healthier life by preventing, managing, or treating various health conditions. By continuously seeking new opportunities, co-founding, and accelerating prospective next-gen products, Kilo Health has grown from 7 to 500 bright talents in three years and aims to become the most-loved digital health and wellness product suite globally.

Efficiency and simplicity in buying and sending items to clients are essential factors for wholesale buyers when looking for business owners to work with. That is why it is critical to consider the advantages of dropshipping. Dropshipping wholesale customers will provide you with an edge over competitors who do not.

“Dropshipping is a service given by some Wholesalers,” according to Worldwide brands. You don’t have to bother about stocking or shipping items when you utilize a Drop Shipping Wholesaler. Instead, when you get a client order, you contact your wholesaler, who will send it to your customer on your behalf. As a merchant, this means you may sell a wide range of items without ever having to stock any inventory.

Benefits of Dropshipping

1. Increase the number of consumers

Wholesale customers can sell your items directly to their consumers by displaying them in their physical or online storefronts. You will be able to indirectly extend your market and reach more clients as an internet company owner; otherwise, you would not be able to if you had not connected with wholesale purchasers.

2. You will save money, effort and time.

Working with wholesalers that have a solid customer base saves you money, effort, and time.

“Most people who begin their first online company via auctions or online stores don’t have a lot of money or the room to warehouse and store the items they wish to sell online,” Oceantailer emphasizes. Working with a real Dropshipper will save you a lot of money in this area. When consumers buy your items, merchants display them in their online shop and send you an invoice. You send the items from the warehouse to the customer’s address when the merchant confirms the orders. Both you and the wholesale customer saved time by completing this order fulfillment process.

Dropshipping with eCommerce saves wholesale purchasers money since they only pay for items that have already been sold. For producers, this implies more significant sales, product movement, and orders fulfilled. It’s a win-win situation for you if you work with trustworthy wholesale buyers who are also trying to enhance their earnings. Having additional wholesale buyers will improve your sales and profits in this way.

3. Adaptability

The dropshipping concept allows for flexibility that would otherwise be impossible. Wholesalers may do business from anywhere and anytime as long as they have access to the Internet.

Buyers can connect directly with manufacturers or business owners while also communicating with customers over the Internet.

It allows merchants to work with various wholesale suppliers and sell more items to their consumers, giving them greater freedom. Because there is greater product mobility, manufacturers have more freedom.

4. Use of leverage

The ability to multiply your money, time, and effort is leverage in the business. You’ll be able to focus on building connections with wholesale clients if you provide dropshipping to them.

The load between the merchant and the supplier is balanced by having reputable and dependable dropship wholesalers that will perform the shipment for you.

Food of Thought

For sure, starting up a dropshipping business is not very difficult as many people may perceive it; you only need your computer or even a mobile and very little capital to start this kind of business. Due to the positive trends in technology, most people tend to migrate to online business; mobile online casinos are also following the trend. This could be because most people spend their time online, and reaching your target is very easy. 

·       Manchester and Leeds are the best Northern cities to start a new business 

·  The research finds 64 per cent of British businesses started outside of London  

Manchester, 23rd August 2021.

Are you thinking about starting a business in the UK? Research from Bruntwood Group, the office space property providers, has found that the North West and Yorkshire & The Humber are just as lucrative as the capital for new business launches. 

https://bruntwood.co.uk/blog/british-business-titans-where-did-they-start-their-companies/  

Researching the launchpads of 100 of the most well-known companies in the UK, Bruntwood Group have found over 6 in 10 new British businesses (64 per cent) were founded outside London, despite the capital’s reputation for being the country’s main business hub. 

A large proportion of the dataset (14 per cent) began life in the North West, with 30 per cent of those getting their start in metropolitan Manchester. Rolls Royce, PG Tips and Vimto are just a handful of Mancunian business behemoths. 

The research also finds Leeds is the best city in the Yorkshire region for new British businesses, with 33 per cent of Yorkshire-based businesses starting their journey here. These include ASDA, Morrison’s, Marks & Spencer and Next. 

A Bruntwood spokesperson commented: 

“The spread across the North of England is definitely helping to create a better start-up foundation for business people all over the country. “While London is still the number one destination for many new British businesses, it is reassuring to know that other areas of the country, even the small towns and cities, have just as much of a shot at making it big as the stalwarts that soak up the economic growth of the capital”. 

For further insights about Bruntwood Group’s research, visit the Bruntwood blog. 

-ENDS- 

For further press information, please contact: Carly.trigg@mediacom.com 

About Bruntwood Group  

Over 40 years ago, Bruntwood started out with the vision of transforming unloved buildings for commercial use, whilst retaining the original character and value that once made them special. This core vision still remains true to this day, having evolved to create vibrant communities and campuses that help businesses to reach their full potential.

A pioneering aid to Google Chromebook adoption launches today. Business Change Management specialists, Simplify Change, and Mobinergy, the leading European consulting company for Unified Endpoint and Identity Management, have announced a partnership to launch From Home to Chrome to enterprises who wish to adopt Google Chrome OS.

Based on best practices in business change management detailed in the BEE Methodology© it has been designed and developed by Simplify Change’s team of experts in business change, communication, and training in collaboration with Mobinergy, an EMEA specialist helping companies adopting and managing their fleet of Google Chrome OS devices. The launch marks the continuing relationship between the two companies to bring innovative, fun, useful products to market to aid their clients and partners.

Working with various UK and international companies, Simplify Change have leaned on their change management expertise, by developing personalised gamified experiences, across several high impact products, including Microsoft Teams, for their customers to use. Based on the BEE Methodology© (a simplified change methodology for all to follow) these experiences form part of the BEE: Interact arm of the company, which focuses on scalable solutions that engage people to deliver change effectively.

Seeing an opportunity in the market to help companies adopt Chromebooks, Simplify Change and Mobinergy have customised a gamified learning experience: From Home to Chrome.

They have created this application that motivates people to learn about Google Chrome OS by solving this problem from a business change viewpoint, rather than a learning and development viewpoint. This unique approach means that people are motivated to learn in a fun, informative way, that meets their needs through bite-sized persona-based learning all the while focusing on what’s in it for individuals, to motivate people to want to learn about this new technology and understand how it will benefit them. 

Today, business change managers, CIOs, project managers, and people-focused companies globally can benefit from solutions focused on smoothing the adoption journey. Simplify Change and Mobinergy are proud to join this group, encouraging
people and companies to focus on change adoption to ensure ROI (return on investment) is delivered for Chromebook migrations and getting the most out of Google Chrome OS.

Managing Director, Nicola Graham, of Simplify Change commented:
“Following on from our successes last year in gamification and adoption which saw us successfully develop remote strategies for engaging and exciting People in new technologies we’ve developed From Home to Chrome to excite and inform people in a fun way about the benefits and key features of Google Chrome OS.
Now into its second version, we are excited to bring this tried and tested application to market to aid in awareness of Google Chrome OS and showing the world how it can make people’s everyday experience using computers more efficient and straightforward.”

Charles Hirel, CEO of Mobinergy says:
“Chrome OS fast adoption in the Enterprise space requires a new focus on customer experience. Delivering a great IT project isn’t enough, companies choosing to move to Chrome OS must support their team and help them adopting new devices and tools. Home to Chrome was born to ease the adoption of Chrome OS in an easy to deploy, scalable and truly engaging manner.”

Some of the features of From Home to Chrome, include:
– A fun, informative learning experience that covers the core functionality in 45 minutes. Alignment to Google’s key messages about Google Chrome OS.
– Persona-based, bite-sized learning for all to digest.
– Quizes and analytics to both reinforce and provide additional learning support.
– Gamified reward & recognition to create excitement.
– Ongoing updates to changes as Google Chrome OS evolves.
– Straightforward cost-effective deployment for delivery at scale.

VIDEO LINK

Simplify Change and Mobinergy invite you to a free trial of From Home to Chrome, to see its benefits and show how it can benefit your company. Interested people can sign up at https://www.simplifychange.co.uk/.

Simplify Change – Established in 2019 and based in Central London, England, Simplify Change is a business change management consultancy who are specialists in business change and project management. Helping companies and their people adopt change successfully, using their BEE Methodology© by providing consultancy services and products that are focused on enabling companies to foster change adoption at scale. Investors, resellers, and prospective enterprises can find additional information about Simplify Change at https://www.simplifychange.co.uk.

Mobinergy – Founded in 2016, by former Apple and VMWare managers, Mobinergy is a Digital Workplace specialist delivering Modern Device Management solutions. Based in Paris, London, Munich and Montreal Canada, Mobinergy has helped hundreds and companies across EMEA and Northern America to deliver secure access to any application on any device using VMWare, Microsoft, Apple, Lookout, OKTA and Google technologies. Find additional information about Mobinergy at http://www.mobinergy.com

What makes a winning business?

When it comes to awards and entering them, a question we regularly get asked is – what makes a winning business, what do the judges look for?

MSDUK’s Innovation Challenge competition is challenging, with nearly 100 entries across four categories received overall. So, what do the prestigious panel of judges look for?

Mayank Shah, CEO and founder at MSDUK, says, “We have a high volume of entries, which is brilliant and shows the entrepreneurial spirit that the UK is known for worldwide.  I loved the judging process because of the exceptionally high standard and the innovation of the entries this year.

To reach the finals, entries were not only a robust application but also the entrepreneurs showed an absolute determination to change the world through innovation, the judges and I had a tough job this year.” 

From LatchAid, a device created to help mothers with breastfeeding, to Factmata, which easily helps companies identify harmful content such as racism and sexism earlier than a human can, both much-needed products across the globe.  Then looking at another area needing urgent action, The Environment, first we have Unitrove, whose mission is to create a virtuous world powered entirely by clean, reliable, and affordable energy. We also have CAMBOND® who have invented a low carbon, plant-based bio adhesive to replace oil-based formaldehyde resin in the wood panel industry.  The entries really were mind-blowing this year.

Karolina Jagodzinska, Interim Innovation Challenge Manager added “We are also pleased to report that 16 semi-finalists have raised an investment of over £15M. It is fantastic to see that 12 finalists are made up of multiple award winners from Forbes 30 under 30, Web Summit Finalists to Top 100 Asian Stars in UK tech.  They are the UK’s finest.”

MSDUK would like to thank the headline sponsor Accenture and category sponsors Cummins, Digital Catapult, EY and GSK for supporting this year’s competition. The growth and popularity of the MSDUK Innovation Challenge would not have been possible without your continuous support.

In this year’s Innovation Challenge, ‘Better Ideas for a Better World’ (aligned to UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), ethnic minority owned start-ups and entrepreneurs competed for prizes worth over £150K.  The Innovation Challenge aims to spotlight the best innovators across various sectors and technologies, including AI & Machine Learning, Sustainable Cities and Consumer Health.  If you would like to know more, please get in touch with us at Karolina@MSDUK.org.uk

A summary of our finalists is below, but you can also find out more about their innovations by clicking the link below.

https://www.msduk.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/MSDUK-Innovation-Challenge-Finalists-Profiles.pdf

 

Introducing our Innovation Challenge 2021 Finalists 

Advanced Digital Solutions 

·         10BE5 – John Kwan, Co-founder 10BE5 builds tech products that reduce to a few clicks the costly and lengthy manual drafting and review processes in capital markets transactions and periodic reporting. ·         BreatheHappy – Shiti Rastogi, CEOBreathe Happy uses Computer Vision and Machine Learning to quantify human movement for personalized at-home fitness and longevity solutions.·         Factmata – Dhruv Ghulati, Founder, Chairman & President Factmata helps companies identify harmful content such as racism and sexism earlier than a human can, enabling faster, smarter responses before toxic narratives become mainstream.

Healthcare & Wellbeing 

·         Fertifa – Tony Chen, Founder & CEOFertifa is the UK’s leading fertility and reproductive healthcare benefits provider for employers, offering solutions designed to improve employee wellbeing and inclusivity whilst breaking the fertility taboo.·         LatchAid – Dr Chen Mao, Founder & CEOLatchAid is an award-winning Femtech start-up using cutting-edge 3D technology & Artificial Intelligence to help mothers learn breastfeeding skills intuitively and access credible, personalised motherhood support 24/7.·         TechSixtyFOur – Colleen Wong, Founder & CEO Techsixtyfour specialises in communications wearables for the children and older market. 

Smart Buildings, Energy & Net Zero Carbon

·         Amphibio – Jun Kamei, CEO & Founder Amphibio is developing Amphitex™, a sustainable, 100% recyclable and PFC-free alternative to traditional Waterproof Breathable Textile.·         Cambond – Xiaobin Zhao, Founder & CEOCAMBOND® has invented a low carbon, plant based bioadhesive to replace oil-based formaldehyde resin in wood panel industry.·         Unitrove – Steven Lua, CEOUnitrove provides nano-scale, transportable, self-contained zero-emission fuelling infrastructure as-a-service that can be rapidly-deployed or relocated within minutes. The company is currently working to build the world’s first liquid hydrogen bunkering facility.

Social Innovation 
 
 

·         Matchable- Foong Wai Ng, Founder Matchable is a B2B platform matching companies and their employees with innovative skilled volunteering projects at non-profits (charities & social enterprises) and impact start-ups.·         Tuck. – Neel Thakrar and Dhruv Ranpura, Co-Founder & CEO tuck. is a mobile app that allows people to find local businesses in their area and earn cashback when they shop with them.·         Znotes – Zubair Junjunia, Founder ZNotes is a community-led online learning platform allowing students to maximise their potential by having free access to high-quality educational resources; revision notes, live videos, podcasts, and a peer-to-peer learning space – all built for students, by students.

SOURCE

Cash flow refers to how cash ‘moves’ into and out of your enterprise, and it’s not the same as turnover or profit. Turnover is the overall revenue amount you produce, whilst profit is the revenue of your business minus your total costs. On the other hand, cash flow is about how much money or funds you have on-hand and available for spending. Your cash flow will include the money from various sources, be it sales, investments, and even loans. But whilst you may already know what cash flow is, the bigger question is: are you managing it well? It may be a surprise to many how cash flow proves vital for a business’s success. Still, if you are not financially prepared for unexpected expenses or emergencies or just the simple running of your business operations, your business could be seriously affected. So how can you handle it properly, and what are the common errors you should avoid? Here’s a look at some of the most common issues with cash flow – and how you can prevent them.

A tight profit margin

 When you profit from your services or products, these may not be enough to cover the total expenses of delivering your products or services. It is one of the most common errors made by business startups, especially since they haven’t fully figured out their key business plan and model. Once you price a service or product, make sure you factor in all the related expenses of getting your product or service into the market. If your margin is too tight, you may want to drop a particular service or product.

Having a high overhead

Any business will have overhead expenses, but this can hurt your cash flow if your overhead costs are too high. Your overhead expenses can include everything from the rental fee of your office space to your IT equipment, electricity and heating bills, maintenance staff, and the like. These are all expenses that are not directly related to your business. However, it is often possible for businesses to find some savings in their overheads, and a good accountant such as from the central London accountants of GSM & Co can help you find the savings you need.

Having too much inventory or stock

If you regularly buy raw materials or stock for your business, it will not do to have too much for what you require. You may have too much in your stockpile within a specific period, and unless you are waiting for a big order, it’s best to keep just as much stock as you may likely require prior to the next batch of deliveries. This is precisely what is explained in the principle of JIT or just in time manufacturing, so try not to tie up your money in stock that you don’t use or need.

Dealing with late payments or non-payments

Another problem that can affect your cash flow is late payments or even non-payment from clients. Bear in mind that most clients tend to delay their payments, but it can strain your cash flow. You can try avoiding this issue by negotiating an early payment and providing a discount. You can also prevent the problem of non-payment by checking the credit records of potential clients.