Leadership lessons from Pope Francis: Avoid stagnation by seeking advice and hiring pragmatically September 25, 2015 When Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected Pope in 2013, he inherited a Church marred by financial scandal and child abuse. Like any new boss trying to turn around the fortunes of a large organisation, he has made some big changes. But his liberal stance on homsexuality, divorce and politically charged statements have drawn criticism [...]
What MBAs offer entrepreneurs and does it offer the skills needed to start a business? September 24, 2015 The MBA has traditionally been viewed as a gateway into lucrative careers in investment banks, consulting firms or large corporations. But there’s been a shift in recent years: students are demanding the skills needed to start their own businesses. They want access to local startup ecosystems, to investors, and to professors with experience in entrepreneurship. [...]
The etiquette secrets for doing business in Asia-Pacific: Think twice before belittling a colleague or waving your card around September 23, 2015 Are you thinking about taking your business to other markets and expanding beyond Europe into Asia- Pacific? Taking the leap into Asian markets can be daunting – especially given the challenge of operating across very different cultures with specific rules and etiquette. Having acquired a Tokyo-based business, here are a few lessons I’ve [...]
The UK is superbly placed for the scaleup challenge September 23, 2015 UK entrepreneurs have never had it so good. We have a favourable tax regime, stable political system and a culture of innovation. And we’ve come a long way in 30 years, with a litany of success stories inspiring this enterprising generation of young entrepreneurs. There will always be risks on the horizon – as the [...]
Tooting property prices: A fun, if a little pricey, area to buy a house on the Northern Line September 23, 2015 Not only does Tooting bear one of the most charming names out of all of London’s precincts, the Zone Three area has pretty good connections to the central London thanks to the Northern Line. A largely residential area, the rows of terraced housing have recently proven popular with the hordes of young professionals that [...]
Night Tube series: Top six areas in London to buy a house along the Northern Line September 23, 2015 Stretching out from the very north of London to the very south, the Northern Line is one of the Tube's most comprehensive – and oldest – on the Underground. The track between Stockwell and Borough opened in 1890, making it the longest-surviving deep-level Tube line on the network. In addition to the Night Tube, it [...]
Smooth move: The right way to expand and quickly integrate a second office September 23, 2015 With success comes the potential – and often the necessity – of expanding your business, sometimes by adding satellite offices elsewhere in the country or abroad. Each new office brings with it new challenges, but it is the second which usually presents the biggest learning curve for most businesses. That said, opening a second [...]
The future of the FTSE 100: What next? The quarterly reshuffle has changed the complexion of the leading index September 23, 2015 The Bloodbath continued yesterday as mining shares plummeted further and the FTSE dipped below 6,000 points. Glencore, whose shares fell by 10.63 per cent yesterday, only graduated to the elite index in 2011, but the commodities supercycle has come to a juddering halt, depressing the internationally exposed FTSE. This week also saw one [...]
Are you a victim of the Confidence Con? Most of us cannot gauge accurately how nervous others really are September 22, 2015 Think about the stereotype of someone who works in the City. Most people come up with a person who is clever, ambitious and confident – perhaps to the point of cockiness. So would you be surprised if I told you that a large proportion of your colleagues may actually be a good deal less [...]
The end of cheap oil: Have prices troughed? September 22, 2015 Having fallen by more than 50 per cent since last summer to under $50 per barrel, Opec has said that it expects oil prices to rise to $80 per barrel by the end of the decade. The oil cartel, which decides on the collective production policy of countries like Saudi Arabia and the Gulf [...]