Private View: On the market in Elephant & Castle this week March 28, 2014 ELEPHANT PARK, SE17 From £380,000 These are the first 360 homes to go on sale in Elephant Park, part of the regeneration scheme in SE17. On sale in early April, the one-to-four-bedroom homes ranging from townhouses to apartments, in a 16-storey tower.It is located near the largest public park to be built in central London [...]
London barometer March 28, 2014 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DOUGLAS & GORDON OFFERS received on properties in February are nearly double the amount recorded this time last year, and they are at the highest levels seen in over 12 months. This is almost certainly because of multiple bidding which is particularly prevalent in emerging prime markets such as Battersea Park and East [...]
The open-plan office debate: Pros and cons March 27, 2014 Man is a social animal, but some think sharing germs is a step too far DEMOCRATIC arenas for the open sharing of ideas, or chaotic workplace jungles brimming with a cacophony of distracting noises? Open-plan offices are divisive. But with square meters at a premium – London last year overtook Hong Kong as the most [...]
How music can boost productivity March 26, 2014 Plug in and watch your work rate come to a crescendo, but don’t fall for the Mozart myth The proliferation of portable music players and streaming sites like Spotify and Grooveshark means more of us are listening to music at work. Not all of us have this luxury, but academics at the University of Sheffield [...]
Corporate leadership: What an EMBA can teach you March 26, 2014 Business schools are finding innovative new ways to respond to growing demand for these skills HARVARD Business School professor John Kotter famously wrote in 1990 that “most US corporations today are over-managed and underled”. He stressed the urgent need for organisations to exercise leadership, to seek out people with leadership potential, and to “expose them [...]
How to get employer support for your Executive MBA studies March 26, 2014 It’s a tough time for getting employer support for an Executive MBA (EMBA). In 2013, more than 41 per cent of students were entirely self-funded according to the EMBA Council (up from 34 per cent in 2009), with just 24 per cent now receiving full sponsorship from their employers. And with a higher bar for [...]
Why open borders should be the West’s peaceful response to Russian aggression March 26, 2014 Western nations have responded to Russia’s annexation of Crimea with moral condemnation and a series of sanctions against individuals with close ties to the Kremlin. On 21 March, the EU extended visa restrictions to a further 12 individuals. Later today Barack Obama will meet with EU leaders to discuss a response to Russia’s actions, after [...]
How the Budget has made Isas even nicer March 25, 2014 The tax wrapper has even greater potential for capital growth, but pension tax relief will still prove decisive Much of the reaction to George Osborne’s “Budget for savers” has focused on the freeing-up of pensions. And while a loosening of drawdown restrictions will no doubt be a boon for retirees, radical Isa reforms have important [...]
Three investment ideas for your 2014 portfolio March 25, 2014 @AnnabelPalmer1 THE ISA deadline is a little over a week away, so now is the time to maximise your allowance (up to £11,520 in a stocks and shares Isa in 2013-14). It is also a good time to review your portfolio and consider new investment opportunities. In the latest in our series on Isa ideas, [...]
Four habits of the highly successful March 25, 2014 Waking up early, sticking to routines, and knowing the business case for family time can all help WHAT sets out the Warren Buffetts of this world from the myriad failed investors, the corporate empire builders from the miserable bankrupts? In 1989, Stephen R Covey published one of the most influential management books ever, The Seven [...]