Computer says no: Workers waste millions of hours a year because of mediocre technology August 13, 2019 We have all been there. Waiting impatiently at the start of a meeting for documents and conferencing applications to load; the frustration when your device crashes after working two hours on a document that didn’t auto-save; or having to travel hours to a meeting because it’s just not possible to do it remotely. These are [...]
DEBATE: Is Caroline Lucas’ all-female ‘emergency cabinet’ a good idea for avoiding a no-deal Brexit? August 13, 2019 Is Caroline Lucas’ all-female ‘emergency cabinet’ a good idea for avoiding a no-deal Brexit? Kimberly McIntosh, senior policy officer at Race on the Agenda, says YES. At a time when compromise is absent, good faith gone and solutions scarce, radical proposals to stop a no-deal Brexit are a welcome change of pace. An all-women cabinet [...]
Investment companies’ assets reach record £200bn August 12, 2019 Assets under management by the investment company industry have surpassed £200bn for the first time, and have doubled over the past six and a half years. The industry’s assets hit a record £200.3bn by the end of July, according to data from the Association of Investment Companies (AIC), doubling in size since hitting £100m in [...]
Pension deficits fall among FTSE 350 firms but majority remain in the red August 12, 2019 Defined benefit pension deficits among FTSE 350 companies have dropped by nearly one-third in the last year, but still more than half of firms are operating on a deficit, according to research. The collective pension scheme deficit for the top 350 listed companies in Britain fell 29 per cent to £39bn last year, from £55bn [...]
Value investing will survive Fortnite – and other tech disruptors August 12, 2019 Kyle ‘Bugha’ Giersdorf is 16, lives with his family in Pottsgrove, Pennsylvania and last weekend, by virtue of his extraordinary proficiency at a computer game, he became a millionaire. At the end of the first-ever Fortnite World Cup, which took place at New York’s Arthur Ashe Stadium, Kyle emerged victorious from a field of 100 [...]
Owlet and the appeal of wearable tech for babies August 12, 2019 Wellbeing is a big business. Technology can now closely track our personal health, with apps and devices to monitor how many steps we take, what calories we’ve eaten, our blood pressure, and even how well we sleep. Fitbits and other wearable gadgets have also exploded in popularity with health-conscious consumers. Is there a limit to [...]
It’s fine to fail: Why we need to teach people the good, the bad, and the ugly of building a business August 12, 2019 Every entrepreneur has a story of past failure that they’re not afraid to share. I’m no exception. Back in 2010, when Octopus began investing in film production companies, we turned down the opportunity to invest in a small British film called The King’s Speech, which went on to gross £250m worldwide and win four Oscars. [...]
Chill out, take a breath, and don’t worry about wasting time August 12, 2019 Shrimp salad and a gin and tonic for lunch, then back to bed for a snooze. The relaxed recipe for creative genius, as told by Liccy Dahl at a literary event last week, on the work routine of her late husband, Roald. It got me thinking. In a world focused on the need for speed, [...]
Now that the Treasury has stopped making 1p and 2p coins, should we scrap them completely? August 12, 2019 Now that the Treasury has stopped making 1p and 2p coins, should we scrap them completely? Finn McRedmond, a staff writer at Reaction, says YES. The rising cost of living has eroded the value of pennies, while surveys suggest that now over half of them are left lying around unused. And as cash use falls, [...]
Squashed: Britvic looks to cut final salary pensions August 11, 2019 Drinks producer Britvic is planning to slash the money it pays out to 6,000 members of its final salary pension scheme. The FTSE 250 firm, which produces Robinsons soft drinks, is looking for court approval to stop measuring inflation according to the retail prices index (RPI), and instead switch to the consumer prices index (CPI). [...]
