BusinessCloud is set to mark its 10th anniversary with its busiest year yet.
July saw a 16 per cent increase in website traffic and the launch of our Founder 250 list after six months of work.
Our two podcasts – The Naked Founder and Northern Spin – have also been riding high in Apple’s charts.
We’re also preparing to launch our third Northern Leaders list, which shines a light on the 200 leaders who have made – and continue to make – the biggest positive difference to the North.
BusinessCloud’s co-owners, Jonathan Symcox and Chris Maguire, presented a £250 cheque to Springhill Hospice in Rochdale from our recent five-a-side football tournament.
Symcox said: “We’re now more than halfway through 2026 and it looks like our 10th anniversary year will be a record-breaker.
“Our website had 67.5k unique users in July – up from 58.1k in 2025. That’s a 16 per cent increase and it’s set against falling audiences in the media industry.”
Symcox said July was dominated by the launch of our inaugural Founder 250 list, which identified the UK’s best founder-led and founder-influenced businesses.
He said: “The list was six months in the making and we’re indebted to our sponsors, RSM UK, CG, OBI and Mercia Ventures.
“The reaction was amazing and we’re now busy organising founder roundtables across the UK.”
July also saw Maguire host the GM Skills Awards 2026 at The Sheridan Suite in Manchester.
As well as presenting £250 to Springhill Hospice after our recent five-a-side football tournament, we also made a £100 donation to a fundraising campaign in memory of former tech boss Neil Muller, who was found fatally stabbed at his home in Claverdon, Warwickshire, on June 7.
Neil Muller: Family launches fundraising appeal in his memory
Symcox said: “August has started as July finished and we can’t wait to share more announcements with our readers.
“New Prime Minister Andy Burnham famously spoke at our first Northern Leaders awards dinner and we’re about to launch the 2026 Northern Leaders.”