City A.M. Unregulated podcast: How I Made.com it – Julien Callede, the man behind the internet’s hippest furniture brand November 16, 2016 When Julien Callede was standing on the platform at Gare du Nord in February 2010 with a one-way ticket to London in his hand, he had no idea he was about to launch one of the internet's best-known furniture brands. Five years and several new markets later, he explains why he chose the UK to [...]
Face-to-face VC contact adds genuine value to startups November 16, 2016 For the uninitiated, it can be easy to assume that venture capital firms select the startups they invest in in the same way stock market investors pick companies – by looking for a promising opportunity to grow their capital, based on historical trends, business plans, and other rational decision factors. The truth is that venture capital investment [...]
Google just promised everyone in the UK free digital skills training November 15, 2016 The boss of Google has promised every single person in the UK free digital skills training. In a speech in London today, Sundar Pichai will say: “No matter where you live, no matter where you’re from, no matter what your job is – you deserve access to all the information, education, and opportunity the web has [...]
Evelyn Wallace of AXA advises on respectfully managing an employee with cancer November 15, 2016 With an estimated 2.5m people living with cancer in the UK there’s a strong chance that you, or someone you know, has personal experience of the disease. Perhaps you’ve managed an employee who’s been diagnosed with cancer? With the number of people in the UK affected by cancer set to rise to 4m by 2030, there [...]
Two-thirds of women go into lower-paid or lower-skilled jobs when returning from a career break November 14, 2016 Two-thirds of professional women return to work after a career break in lower-paid or lower-skilled roles, or working fewer hours than they'd like. According to new research from PwC, in conjunction with Women Returners and 30% Club, 427,000 UK female workers are currently estimated to be on a career break and are likely to return [...]
Success by design: City A.M. meets ePorta founder Aneeqa Khan November 14, 2016 For a business traversing the worlds of interior design and technology, you might expect the office of Eporta to be plush with elegant textiles, walnut coffee tables, and moody pendant lamps. But presently, it’s not. “I am someone who cares about my surroundings,” says Aneeqa Khan, founder of Eporta. “This office really isn’t nice enough [...]
Debrett’s Ask the Expert: How can I sell more effectively? November 14, 2016 Q: I work for a professional services company and my role involves tendering for new business. Despite going out with several pitches recently, my team has failed to win any new work this quarter. While we could blame Brexit fears, I worry our sales approach is letting us down. How can I ensure we sell [...]
Most fintech employees don’t value diversity in the workplace November 14, 2016 Fintech might be shaking up the financial industry with disruptive innovation, but new research suggests it hasn’t been so ahead of the crowd on diversity in the workplace. In fact fintech employees place the lowest value on diversity in the workplace of all financial services workers, according to recruitment firm Astbury Marsden. The survey of [...]
British entrepreneurs enjoyed a five-year high in opportunities ahead of the EU referendum November 14, 2016 Britain enjoyed a five-year high in opportunities for entrepreneurs leading up to the EU referendum in June, but that progress is at risk of being set back by current uncertainty. According to Barclays' Entrepreneurs Index, overall UK entrepreneurial performance is at an all-time high – up 10 per cent since 2011 and showing strong progress [...]
Cutting the cost of stressed employees November 11, 2016 Workplace absence caused by stress and mental health conditions continues to increase in the UK. Analysis from FirstCare reveals the number of days lost per employee to these issues has risen year-on-year since 2009. A recent survey from MetLife has lifted the lid on the extent of the problem in the City, revealing that 40 [...]