For the everygirl who loves labels but can’t take on the price tags, Very Exclusive offers new access to high-end fashion. Democratising designers by offering payment by instalment, Sarah Curran’s start-up caters to the savvy shopper who wants to make a statement.

Everyone's an entrepreneur. Six blog posts are uploaded to WordPress every second, and 10,000 new businesses are registered each week in the UK. But who can afford a pro designer? Canva is democratising design – but can it really let ‘cottage industries’ compete with big business?

In 2013, property prices in the UK increased by over 11%. Living spaces may be getting more expensive (and smaller) but new schemes aim to make houses better connected and personally serviced too. How are people and brands reacting to the changing nature of our homes?

While the past decade has seen the rise of maker culture - from crafting to hacking - DIY retailers seem to have been left out. And yet, despite a shaky housing market, the desire to improve one’s home has never been stronger. So what’s behind this mismatch, and how can brands transform into buzzing hives for a new generation of DIYers?