Silicon Valley Comes to the UK

I was delighted to receive an invite to attend SVC2UK 2012 – Silicon Valley Comes to the UK 2012– and last week travelled to Cambridge to take part in this annual meet up of UK business leaders, Cambridge University students and the cream of Silicon Valley.

The event brings together digital entrepreneurs, investors, thought leaders and the brightest students of Cambridge University to debate, discuss, create and fund the technology of tomorrow.

As the sector under the spotlight this year was Education Technology, the event was of particular value to me. My main focus was the ‘Scale Up’ theme of the event – examining how to transition growing tech companies into internationally operating concerns with turnovers in the hundreds of millions.

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Webanywhere are certainly ‘scaling up’ as we broaden our horizons internationally, and so I was invited to join the CEO workshop event comprising of leaders of companies on track for rapid growth, who are looking to accelerate that growth.

I was inspired to speak with some of those who have been there and done it on the grandest scale, including Megan Smith, VP, Google [x], Rahul Vohra, Founder and CEO of Rapportive and Angela Lin, Head of YouTube Education. As you may imagine, I came away with plenty of food for thought. Something that struck a chord with me was that the best companies empower their staff to act like the CEO – to own their issues, to take control of their projects and to be proactive. If you have talented people, provide the space to be creative and you will be richly rewarded.

I also got chance to sit in on a very lively debate: The Future of Learning – What will students’ lives look like in 10 years time?, covering topics such as the flipped classroom, learning platforms and social and mobile learning.

The main thought left stuck in my head when leaving Cambridge was the need to stay dissatisfied. There are always opportunities to improve your offering, there is always a new challenge to stretch your ability, and always another horizon to aim for.

MADE: The Entrepreneur Festival

Last week I paid a visit to a fantastic event in Sheffield, the MADE Entrepreneur Festival.

I am always seeking to improve the way we do business, the way we manage and inspire colleagues, and love nothing more than exchanging ideas with other entrepreneurs. As you may imagine, this meant I enjoyed the event immensely!

MADE brought together business owners, inventors, designers and investors at a variety of venues across Sheffield for the free exchange of ideas and opinions. Speakers this year included The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, Dr Vince Cable MP, Peter Jones and many, many more.

So what did I learn?

Delegreat
Delegate to great people and you will not go far wrong. We have built an incredible team here at Webanywhere, and as we continue to grow at a rapid pace there are more and more projects for staff to really take ownership of. There is certainly the opportunity for people to shine here!

Over deliver
Our motto at Webanywhere is ‘Stretch Beyond’, and that is what we do, every single day. We work longer, we work harder, and we care a great deal about what we are doing, where we are going, and what we deliver to our customers.

MADEreinforced thatto be great is not some unattainable quality that a chosen few are born with. By always seeking to over deliver, you make yourself great. When facing a new project or task, do it with that little bit extra, be creative, add a bit more value and go the extra mile. This is what makes someone great day to day, and when multiplied across the organisation adds up to something special, something great.

Roll on next year!

The Spellanywhere mobile app

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e-Learning resources are increasingly accessed via mobile devices, and it was with this in mind that we developed the new Spellanywhere app for Android devices, available now from the Google Play store for just 89p.

The app is based around our popular spelling test software. Schools in the UK and abroad use Spellanywhere to create fun, self marking spelling tests that can be embedded on school websites or learning platforms. The app develops the concept, offering a bright, fun and easy to use spelling game designed to engage younger children, helping develop their spelling, vocabulary and even typing skills!

The app provides multiple levels of increasing difficulty, providing audio recordings of he most commonly used words encountered in primary education for the user to spell. Custom tests can be created by parents or educators to pose new challenges, and the user can have the words they spell incorrectly repeated back letter by letter, or practise writing out the word on their device. Test scores are automatically recorded, and saved for future sessions

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We also offer Spellanywhere Lite, a free version of the game, offering the same basic functionality without the most advanced levels and the ability to create your own tests.

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Spellanywhere engages all three learning styles: auditory, visual and kinesthetic, making it a fun and effective way to sharpen literacy skills. Why not give it a try? Be sure to let us know what you think of it by writing a review on the Play store.

The reason we come to work each day

Webanywhere has come a long way in a short time. I am so proud that the company I started from my bedroom has developed into an organisation with a multimillion pound turnover and thousands of customers, both in the UK and abroad. We now have a staff of over 100 worldwide, with 80 based at the Keighley headquarters.

But this is just the start of the journey; our higher purpose is to create jobs – this is a key driving force for our company and it is why we come to work each day. This year Webanywhere plan to take on 60 more staff in key roles to drive ambitious international expansion plans, as well as to maintain and develop the high standard of customer service and product innovation for which we are known.

Webanywhere are on a recruitment drive, seeking the best and brightest to help fill these new positions in the near future. Current job opportunities span just about every department of the business, with openings in web development, sales, marketing, HR and customer support.

In such a fast growing organisation, the chance for progression is great. We make a great effort to nurture talent, and new management positions are often filled from within the company. We maintain strong ties to Keighley, and are always keen to recruit and develop local talent as part of a commitment to job creation in the town.

If you think you have what it takes, check out the careers section of our website

School Updates – the New Android App from Webanywhere

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Webanywhere are pleased to offer a great new App for Android mobile devices, available to download free.

School Updates allows parents to keep up to date on the latest news from schools in their area with School Jotter 2 websites.

As soon as a website update is made, such as a new event or a school closure, parents can access the information on demand whilst on the move. Users are able to choose the type and frequency of their notifications so only the most relevant information is provided.

Download the App for free at the Google Play store.

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School Updates is another offering from the Webanywhere innovation lab, constantly working to stretch the potential of educational technology and provide products to enhance learning for students, teachers and parents.

The requirements of the end user are key to all we do, and our products are designed around the specific needs and requests of our customers. So we want to hear from you: how could technology improve your pupils learning experience? How could technology help improve collaboration between home and school? What extra functionality would you like Webanywhere’s products to offer? We’d love to hear your thoughts!

No pain no gain