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Adam McCann
Founder And Chief Executive Officer at Claimer
Founder @ClaimerApp, fixing R&D Tax Credits with tech → http://claimer.com
Highlights
What’s the worst designed product you’ve ever encountered?
The Magic Mouse that you have to flip upside down to charge (rendering it totally useless whilst charging) has to be the absolute classic - from Apple of all people, and it’s STILL not fixed.
But this flush sensor tickled me today.
This retroactively added sticker speaks volumes to the product design (or lack of).
They clearly launched this without talking to enough users, so naturally a high proportion of people thought it was a push-button.
Not only did this end up breaking the sensor / pushing it through its housing, but people mashing it trying to get the toilet to flush is totally opposite to the whole reason it exists - to be more hygienic. 😂
You can imagine the panicked members of the company board scrambling as their margins erode with all the returns & complaints mounting up.
What’s the solution? A bloody sticky label of course! 😂
😱 Is the future of UK R&D tax relief about to change... again?
I was fortunate enough to meet some senior Labour ministers before the election, and they were willing to listen to the core issues facing SMEs and claimant businesses. They committed to ensuring they would continue to listen.
But here's the burning question: What can we expect from Labour in relation to R&D tax relief in the coming years? 🤔
While it's disappointing we didn't see more clarity in their manifesto, I'm cautiously optimistic. Here's why:
• Labour has indicated they intend to maintain and stabilise R&D credits • There's a focus on UK-based innovation • Their industrial strategy emphasises innovation incentives • There's potential for targeted incentives in areas like green tech • They have indicated a desire to continue efforts on simplifying the schemes • SME support has traditionally been a Labour priority
But with all promises, the proof is always in the pudding, and the chancellor has inherited an incredibly tough economic situation: stagnant growth, hefty debt interest payments, and stretched public services.
At Claimer, in conjunction with other industry bodies and lobbyists, we're working to:
• Make ministers acutely aware of the current acute issues surrounding the schemes • Ensure R&D tax relief improvement remains a key agenda point • Improve communication between HMRC/Treasury and R&D tax agents • Encourage practical and realistic steps that can improve the operation of the scheme • Provide a mechanism by which policy decisions that affect R&D tax relief are more data driven and informed
Watch this space for more on that.
But in the mean time, what's your take? Will the R&D landscape improve under the new government, or are we in for more turbulence?
#RandD #RnDTaxCredits #UKInnovation #LabourPolicy
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Mesh makes it much easier to stay in touch with the people you care about. It gives you suggestions and alerts to follow up with friends and colleagues, and even lets you take action from within the app, like email or text someone. Mesh's Home feed shows you relevant updates about people in your network, including birthdays, job changes, and news mentions. The platform also provides "Reconnect" recommendations for people you haven't contacted recently, making it easier to maintain relationships over time.
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Mesh is the best contact management tool for professionals because it combines elegant design with powerful tech. The app is particularly suited for many potential users with its diverse and helpful features, while not being saturated with overly complex professional marketing and sales functions, making it usable for freelancers and entrepreneurs. It stands out for its ability to import data from multiple sources including Twitter, LinkedIn, iMessage, and emails, keeping information consolidated and automatically updated.
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Mesh is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Mesh beneficial.
Mesh offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Mesh offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Mesh's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Mesh offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Mesh focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Mesh also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
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