The startup scene is growing throughout the UK, including clusters in Newcastle and London where deeper technical expertise is being sought to fuel the economic benefits that startups have produced in other countries. Numerous tech startups have paved the way in areas, such as cyber security, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence. Some startups have even garnered the attention of Google, companies like DeepMind and Dark Blue Labs.

With plenty of interest being generated and room for great opportunity, this is the time for entrepreneurs to push forward and build on this momentum by taking advantage of these 10 tools that are now available to London startups:

1. UP London is part of a global organization of volunteers that provides support to the London entrepreneurial community. It takes a two-pronged approach to assistance through events, meet-ups, and networking opportunities, as well as through community programs. This is a place for those whom are looking to begin or build their own startups to get information, funding, support, and mentoring –  to build their businesses.
2. Startups.co.uk is an online platform that delivers a plethora of tools and resources to help the entrepreneur looking to move from the great idea stage to a viable business. The site has a business information centre and finance centre as well as business plan and document templates, guides on building websites and marketing strategies, and information specifically for tech startups around funding, intellectual property, and talent.
3. Due provides a dashboard where to track time on projects, create professional invoices, and manage cash flow in an easy-to-use format. There are 1000’s of freelancers in London and every one of them needs a way to invoice the companies they work for. A startup may be working with outsourced talent to maximize spend or the customer base could be building in all corners of the globe, so it helps to use and offer a free solution for creating and accepting invoices that works with all types of currencies and tax systems.
4. The Startup Donut is another online resource where an entrepreneur can dig deep into a wealth of information that can help make smart decisions about developing and launching a startup in London. The site provides guidance about topics like financing, tax and national insurance, business law and planning, and sales and marketing. It also has tools which offer access to experts who can serve as mentors, connectors, or outsourced talent. The expert section is divided up by region with a special section devoted to experts in the London area.
5. Incubators are located throughout England, including London, and offer assistance with turning an idea into a viable business. Entrepreneur Handbook offers a directory listing of business and university incubator centres throughout the UK. Just to name a few in London: Google Campus, Innovation Warehouse, Central Working, and Tech Hub all of which provide a range of services, such as office space, workshops, and direct access to VCs and angel investors.
6. CamScanner is a free app that provides startups with a way to digitize all documents no matter where they are working in the world, reducing paper and providing an organised system for managing all work and projects. The app also has a cloud-based feature that allows access to information from any device, helping to facilitate workflow and productivity.
7. The London Small Business Centre delivers everything a startup in London would need, including face-to-face mentoring with advisers and business experts, workshops and master classes, events and meet-ups, space rental, research, lending and financing options, and business templates. Those startups outside of London can also tap into these resources through online partnerships.
8. Smarta is an entrepreneur’s source for startup loans and business advice to UK businesses and entrepreneurs, including assistance with obtaining UK Government-backed loans with good terms and low interest rates. They also provide a business builder tool kit of tools that provides ways to create business plans and marketing strategies, locate premises and insurance, and run the daily aspects of the startup.
9. Hostt is a free and flexible web hosting company that is offering all startups in the UK the ability to host their websites for life for free. They work with thousands of startups to provide them with top tier hosting at a rate that every startup can afford, free.
10. Startup Britain was developed,and continues to be headed, by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs in conjunction with the Prime Minister and the full support of the HM Government. Funded by private-sector sponsors, the Centre for Entrepreneurs operates the daily aspects of the organisation and works toward communicating how Government can make better policies for entrepreneurs that stimulate small business development. Entrepreneur receive access to events, meet-ups, workshops, discounts from sponsor companies, curated resources, and experts and mentors for sound advice for establishing, launching, and managing a startup.

This list of online and offline tools can assist a London entrepreneur with turning an idea into a viable business through access to knowledge, experience, contacts, financing, and free resources and applications. The London startup’s success is then up to the entrepreneur’s level of passion, commitment, and focus.