Blogs can provide a useful source of guidance, practical advice and inspiration for growing an innovation business. However, there’s so much content out there that it can be a challenge to sift through and decide what’s worth getting stuck into.
We spoke to Innovate UK EDGE scaleup director Chris Ellis to find out which business growth blogs he’s been following.
Best business growth blogs
From start-up solutions to content marketing strategies, discover a selection of blogs to help you overcome obstacles to business growth...
Seth’s Blog
Author, entrepreneur and educator, Seth Godin publishes a daily blog on a wide range of subjects, all with the aim of teaching people how to level up their business. Most of his blog posts are brief and playful, so this resource is great if you’re short on time.
Popular posts include; How to tell a great story, How to be remarkable and Busy is not the point. This isn’t your average business blog. If you like weird and wonderful insights, it could be for you.
Radio Free Mobile
Radio Free Mobile is a daily blog specialising in the digital and mobile ecosystem. The blog puts a spotlight on big brands and trends in the digital space, helping you to stay on top of the latest innovations.
Richard Windsor writes about what’s going on globally and over many different technologies and angles.
“It really helps me to understand the rationale of where my clients are headed and who in the global market really is winning and losing. It’s also a great base for clients to show to investors they’re keeping a world view on life.” - Chris Ellis
Blogs for business startups
The following blogs could be helpful to startups building a business or small business owners who want to stay ahead of the curve.
Sifted
Sifted is a Financial Times-backed platform for European start-ups. They publish a wide range of journalistic articles, blogs and case studies on the latest business innovations around Europe. Highlights include a (member access only) blog on the most active angel investors in the UK and lists of up and coming start-ups to watch.
Sifted is a helpful resource for discovering who the new players are in a particular sector, as well as finding advice for common start-up challenges.
Tech Nation
Tech Nation is a growth platform for tech companies and leaders, offering learning resources, guides and news from across the business and technology sectors.
Read start-up stories, how-tos and opinion pieces from across the UK landscape. From tips on scaling a business to the best digital tools on the horizon.
Its Digital business academy offers another way to upskill and get business tips from leading experts and tech entrepreneurs. Access online courses on digital skills to help you achieve your business growth goals.
Business marketing blogs
From email marketing to social media marketing and sales - this section is all about business marketing.
Neil Patel
Neil Patel is one of the leading voices in marketing and his blog covers everything from paid advertising to lead conversion.
Patel is a New York Times bestselling author, top 100 entrepreneur under 30 by Obama, and in the top 10 marketers by Forbes.
The blog contains lots of comprehensive articles and guides on improving search engine optimisation and increasing traffic. Top picks include; How to Hack Google: The Ultimate Google Algorithm Cheat Sheet and How to Create Ultimate Guides to Drive Leads, Traffic, and Conversions.
A great place to go if you’re looking for the latest digital marketing strategies to grow awareness for your business.
Blogs for business news
Get the latest news and read insights from thought leaders in your field.
Entrepreneur Europe
Head to The Entrepreneur blog for a quick glance at what’s trending in the business, technology and innovation sectors. Chris suggests using it as a reference library to catch up on the latest developments.
Recent favourites include Refining Lead Generation as European Businesses Embrace the 'New Normal' and How Investing in Strategic Partnerships Can Help Grow Your Business.
Skimmable, engaging and on the pulse.
Wired
Wired is an old favourite of Chris’. Relevant, easy to take in and ideal for making quick connections on LinkedIn by quoting featured articles. Keep track of industry leaders and business owners and where they work to grow your network.
Head straight to the business section for the latest news or browse the science and security pages for more focused insights.
KTN Knowledge Transfer Network
KTN shares the latest news content on how innovation is driving economic, societal and environmental change across the UK and beyond.
Search content by sector (KTN covers a wide range from Agrifood to Investment) to stay ahead of what’s happening in your industry.
KTN works in partnership with UKRI to support businesses in their innovation journey, including identifying strategic goals and innovation pathways and delivering an annual portfolio of activities at regional, national and global levels.
Business Green
With the Government’s Net Zero ambitions, sustainability is becoming more than a buzzword in business. It’s becoming increasingly important for businesses to stay abreast of key updates, regulations and innovations in Net Zero.
Business Green covers green business news and analysis from across the UK. From energy policy to technology investment, get up to speed on sustainability.
Business blogs for women
Find blogs focused on women in business.
Prowess
Prowess describes itself as ‘the online hub for women-friendly business support, inspiration and information.' It offers guides, articles and case studies from successful women in business.
Popular pieces include; How to Start a Business with No Money, Rags to Riches: the UK’s Top Self-made Female Entrepreneurs and Four skills you need to work in FMCG.
It’s also a great resource for connecting with other women business owners and building your network.
Blogs for business skills
From business planning to productivity - upskill with these blogs.
Life Hack
While Life Hack isn’t strictly business-focused, it does offer tools and strategies for improving motivation, productivity and wellbeing - all important considerations when growing a business.
From understanding your motivation style to the best productivity apps - find a wealth of readable content to improve focus, energy and goal setting.
Duarte
Duarte is a presentations expert and its blog offers plenty of tips and tricks that can help when preparing for pitching an idea to investors.
From crafting stories to avoiding fillers and utilising digital communication tools - their blog has plenty of ideas for improving your pitch or presentation.
For more expert guidance, the Innovate UK EDGE Pitchfest programme helps innovative businesses hone their pitching skills.
The Skills ToolKit
While The Skills Tool Kit isn’t exactly a blog, it is a fantastic resource for businesses looking to upskill. This UK government campaign offers free online courses in maths, IT, business, finance, coding, marketing and professional development to help people expand their CVs and learn new skills for the workplace.
Whether you’re looking to strengthen your own knowledge or for a way to upskill your employees, this is a handy resource to make use of.
If you prefer to listen to your news, check out our selection of the [best business growth podcasts.] (link)
Or head to our [best books for scaling a business] list.
What should you look for in a good business blog?
The sheer amount of business blogs out there can become overwhelming and staying up to date with multiple publications can take up precious thinking time.
The trick, according to Chris, is to ask yourself whether the blog is informative, interesting and relevant. If it ticks all three boxes, it’s likely to be of some use. Chris also suggests looking for resources that highlight the commercial realities of business rather than only consuming theory-based content.
Stories that focus on the real world and provide actionable tips are more likely to inspire, inform and arm you with practical tools to take with you into your business ventures.
And finally, the Innovate UK EDGE news section features real-life business case studies, blogs on accelerating business growth and updates from across the innovation ecosystem.
