The British aversion to foreign languages isn’t charming – it’s a diplomatic travesty May 7, 2019 Avez-VOUS bien fermé votre porte à clé ce matin? How many Londoners would immediately understand this sentence on their morning commutes? I would wager not many. Certainly, if the English equivalent were written in Der Spiegel, la Repubblica, or Aftonbladet, the majority of German, Italian, or Swedish readers would have no problem telling you what [...]
DEBATE: Could Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook omnipotence be coming to an end? May 7, 2019 Could Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook omnipotence be coming to an end? Greg Consiglio, chief operating officer at Connectt, says YES. Facebook was originally set up to connect friends who share interests, primarily through a news feed that users controlled. Now, algorithms dictate the user experience, and with feeds more crammed than ever, what once was fun and informative [...]
The green rush? The UK’s cannabis industry is reaching dizzying new highs May 7, 2019 Predicting the emergence of the UK’s next billion-pound industry is the dream of any investor. Yet what if, unbeknown to many of its citizens, the UK were already competing as a global leader in that market? When it comes to the burgeoning legal cannabis market, this is already the reality. According to the UN’s International Narcotics [...]
Royal Bank of Scotland undone by Brexit May 6, 2019 | City Talk By Graeme Evans from interactive investor. These were a 'noisy' set of Q1 results from RBS, but probably look 'worse than the reality'. Back in the dividend-paying ranks and with shares up by as much as 25 per cent in 2019, The Royal Bank of Scotland (LSE:RBS) provided investors with a reality check as the state-backed lender [...]
Time to ditch the tech bros? Women-led fintechs are better investments, says KPMG May 4, 2019 A new report from KPMG has found that fintechs founded by women are more likely to be successful when compared with the industry average. The study, which looked at 91 fintech companies across the UK, found those that were founded or co-founded by a female achieved 113 per cent higher returns for investors. Read more: Banking [...]
Is your boss a narcissistic sociopath? Here’s the five different types of office culture from conflict to collaboration May 3, 2019 Is your workplace chronically chaotic, ferocious, and riven with conflict? Is it a command-and-control environment that you and your colleagues find threatening due to coercion and Machiavellian-esque collusion? Are you in a defeated culture, where everyone is looking at compromise – a sad race to the bottom? Or is it a workplace powered by collaboration [...]
The Lloyd’s of London drinking ban isn’t the answer to alcohol-fuelled work culture May 3, 2019 Lloyd's of London has banned alcohol during work hours, and anyone found to be under the influence is now barred from the premises. Read more: Kirkland & Ellis could get stuck with 'frat' label after boozy grad event It’s an extreme measure – but one that Lloyd’s clearly feels is necessary to curb excessive drinking [...]
Lloyds Bank: The must-know numbers ahead of Q1 results May 3, 2019 | City Talk By Alistair Strang from interactive investor. Lloyds shares remain in a static state. Our chartist runs the numbers again hoping for a catalyst. When we last reviewed Lloyds Banking Group (LSE:LLOY), we admitted considerable discomfort in projecting the share's future potentials. Instead, we opted for the coward's route, suggesting it was probably going to be [...]
An honest guide to meeting props: here’s what your clicky pen, leather notebook and water bottle are really trying to say May 3, 2019 In the theatre of the commedia dell’arte, the character of Arlecchino can be recognised by two props – his mask and his slapstick. The commedia was built on archetypes, quickly establishing who a character was and how they would behave – and with that recognised, everyone could get on with the story. If someone had [...]
Penny pincher? Treasury saves 1p and 2p coins after threat to loose change May 3, 2019 The Treasury has decided the UK will retain copper coins for “years to come” after their future had been in question. Read more: DEBATE: Is biometric technology the future for digital payments? In the Spring Statement in 2018 chancellor Philip Hammond had called for a consultation on the mix of coins and banknotes in circulation. However, [...]