NEW PARENTAL LEAVE RULES HARM SMES January 20, 2011 ENTREPRENEUR I AM not anti-parental leave, but as the owner of a successful international business and the mother of three, I feel more entitled than most to say that Nick Clegg’s proposals for shared parental leave are unworkable for small and medium-sized businesses (SME). My view may seem drastic but my business started off small [...]
Diversity on MBA courses means that everyone’s a winner January 19, 2011 DIVERSITY is important for MBAs, not just because a class made up of people from varied backgrounds makes for a better learning experience but because it improves your prospects afterwards. For many MBAs the most valuable thing is a global network of contacts, and the more diverse, the better. Schools have been aware of this [...]
Rankings are not the best way to choose your MBA January 19, 2011 WHICH is the best MBA course in the world? According to the FT’s rankings it’s the one at London Business School, followed by those at Wharton, Harvard and Stanford. Argument over? Not quite. If you had instead chosen the Economist’s list, you would be under the impression that Booth School of Business at the University of [...]
A lack of funds doesn’t have to scupper your business education January 19, 2011 SOME of the most common questions I am asked by prospective students are about how to pay for their post-graduate degrees. With the cost of education coming under scrutiny more than ever, it is entirely reasonable that students are concerned they are getting value for money. What you do need to keep in perspective when [...]
FTSE 100 falls back as bank, mining and retail stocks slide January 19, 2011 BANKING and mining stocks weighed on London’s top share index yesterday as concerns over the global economic recovery resurfaced, while sentiment among retailers was dented after some disappointing updates. The FTSE 100 closed down 79.73 points, or 1.3 per cent lower at 5,976.70, ebbing away from Tuesday’s fresh 31-month high. “The market moved a long [...]
Goldman and Wells Fargo dampen rally January 19, 2011 THE S&P 500 suffered its biggest decline in nearly two months yesterday as disappointing results from Goldman Sachs and Wells Fargo put a damper on the rally. The Nasdaq fell more than one per cent, its biggest daily percentage loss since 16 November, as more disappointment in earnings came from chipmaker Cree. Its stock tumbled [...]
How to rob your bank January 19, 2011 SANTANDER has brought back its switching deal, giving new customers £100 when they move their main current account to its offering which pays 5 per cent interest for the first year. However, the bank has been voted worst for customer service in a string of surveys by organisations including Moneywise, MoneySavingExpert.com and consumer group Which? [...]
Mind the gap (between arrival times) and cash in January 19, 2011 HAS your journey to work been thwarted by delays in the past six months? Well, Tube passengers have failed to claim rebates worth a total of almost £20m, according to a website that is amassing a cult following among disgruntled commuters. Since the start of July, there have been 1,514 severe delays on the Underground [...]
Families need to talk about long term care January 18, 2011 A THIRD of Britons aged over 55 who own their homes expect that they will have to sell their property to meet the costs of long term care for themselves or their partner. That figure comes from new research, commissioned by the wealth management team at solicitors Dickinson Dees. The YouGov survey also finds that [...]
Banks propel FTSE upwards to end three-day losing streak January 18, 2011 BANKS and commodity stocks helped Britain’s top share index break a three-day losing streak yesterday, as upbeat corporate results from Burberry, SAB Miller and Rio Tinto lifted investor sentiment. The FTSE 100 index closed up 70.73 points, or 1.2 per cent, at 6,056.43, eradicating losses sustained over the previous three trading days. Banks were among [...]