Keeping the entrepreneurial spirit January 27, 2011 COFFEE Republic is back. It may have faded away for a few years, but it has returned with vengeance. And Sahar Hashemi, the woman originally behind the brand, is back too, but not with Coffee Republic. Hashemi sold the company in 2001 to write the bestselling book Anyone Can Do It to encourage other people [...]
Five ways to prepare yourself for the Bribery Act January 27, 2011 THE Bribery Act comes into force in April. And it has been causing a stir: while it is replacing the outdated law we currently have, it has been criticised by small and medium-sized businesses (SME) for creating extra layers of bureaucracy and leaving directors potentially liable for the actions of suppliers and service providers – [...]
Graduates start to look East January 26, 2011 Always do what you are afraid to do”. American poet Ralph Waldo Emerson believed this was the best advice to give to youngsters. With increasing competition for highly paid graduate jobs and the hyperbolic reputation of the City, it is understandable why starting your career in the Square Mile might be a fearful prospect. I [...]
New Year, new job opportunities, but be prepared January 26, 2011 January is often a time for those considering a new job, whether it’s for a fresh start or the result of a less than desirable bonus. Yet what is commonly presented to employers is an old CV with recent experiences tacked on – this is not a positive start. I’ve seen thousands of CVs that [...]
Four ways to better decisions January 26, 2011 MAKING decisions is one of the most important parts of any job. In a new book called The Decision Book, two Swiss academics have outlined 50 models to help sharpen up your strategic thinking. Here are four tools for making better decisions. 1. The Eisenhower Matrix. US president Dwight D Eisenhower said that “the most [...]
Property’s mixed prospects in 2011 January 26, 2011 PROPERTY price indices suggest house prices are falling again, but what are the prospects for home owners and property investors? UK house prices fell 0.9 per cent in the final three months of 2010 and were down 1.3 per cent between November and December, the Halifax index shows. Some analysts expect them to fall further, [...]
Cheery US data helps fuel a rebound for British markets January 26, 2011 BRITAIN’S top share index bounced back yesterday on hopes for stronger global growth after an upbeat speech overnight by US President Barack Obama and positive US housing data. The FTSE 100 closed up 51.50 points, or 0.9 per cent, at 5,969.21, after falling 0.4 per cent on Tuesday following news Britain’s economy shrank 0.5 per [...]
S&P hits highest level for 29 months January 26, 2011 THE S&P 500 closed at a 29-month high yesterday led by gains in tech and commodity shares, as investors largely ignored the US Federal Reserve’s lukewarm economic assessment. The stock market had little reaction to the Fed, which said high unemployment still justifies a $600bn bond-buying programme that has helped equities rally in the last [...]
Keep your loan on track January 26, 2011 IT’S a question playing on many homeowners’ minds: with interest rates expected to rise this year, should they fix their mortgage? The Bank of England left the official rate of borrowing unchanged for the 22nd consecutive month recently, but faces a dilemma given slowing economic growth and rising inflation. This week’s disappointing GDP data has [...]
The emerging market debt boom is about to fall apart January 26, 2011 THESE are fairly tragic times for investors in developed world sovereign debt. Thanks to the combination of quantitative easing and a flight to (perceived) safety, bond yields have been pushed down to historic lows. Two year US Treasury notes issued on Monday yielded 0.63 per cent. Even 30-year notes are hardly doing much better, yielding 4.59 [...]