Before the bell: What you need to know before the US market open June 9, 2016 South Korea has unexpectedly cut its interest rates, while New Zealand's central bank remains on hold. In China consumer prices rose less than expected, muting economist hopes that the economy is stabilising earlier in the week. Here's what you need to know before the US markets open at 2:30pm London time. US futures are pointing downwards. The S&P is [...]
Why it’s time to put your smartphone down June 9, 2016 A sneaky peaky at a mobile phone screen is a common occurrence for most office employees, but it hasn't gone unnoticed by the boss – and, according to research out today, they think it's the reason you're not getting to the bottom of your to-do list quicker. The research, which was carried out by Harris Poll on [...]
Classic cars are becoming one of the UK’s best investments – but which ones should you be buying? June 9, 2016 With equities currently more volatile than Sarah Wollaston's views on the EU, and gold all over the place, it's no wonder an increasing number of people is turning to classic cars as an investment. New research suggests one in five people are now considering splashing out on a vintage set of wheels. And British marques [...]
Short on your luck? Research finds tall people earn more at work June 9, 2016 Feeling short on your luck at work? You're probably not very tall, then. New research has found that taller people are expected to earn more in the workplace. Researchers from the National Bureau of Economic Research tracked the fortunes of more than 5,000 Indonesian men over seven years. Read more: How to make workers more [...]
Forget Brexit: Borderless working is the future June 9, 2016 The European Union is built on four basic freedoms: the free movement of goods, services, capital and labour. Of the four of these, perhaps none is being discussed more than the free movement of labour. Many on the remain side say that this is essential to plug skills gaps and bolster growth for UK businesses. [...]
Why an England Euro 2016 defeat will wipe billions off stock markets June 9, 2016 After a disappointing 2014 World Cup, the nation is eagerly awaiting the start of Euro 2016. With a 100 per cent record in the qualifiers, and currently priced at 8/1 fourth favourites, England are quietly confident that they can at least emulate their semi-final appearance 20 years ago. But it shouldn’t only be football fanatics [...]
Survival of the fittest: Why clever collaboration with other parts of the market will change the game for platforms and investors June 9, 2016 Demand in the crowdfunding sector has grown on a huge scale in recent years. Total transaction volumes increased by 85 times between 2012 and 2015, from £3.9m to £332m, according to Nesta. But the industry still has a long way to go. How platforms have developed in recent years, in line with increasing demand and [...]
Why growing businesses should have a lead investor when crowdfunding June 9, 2016 As the alternative finance market matures, I am seeing more and more businesses that have raised capital through crowdfunding platforms struggling to fill their funding requirements in follow-on rounds. In the main, these are businesses that are starting to see market traction and are looking to raise capital to help them to scale up. So why [...]
How should you choose your investing partner? June 9, 2016 As every entrepreneur knows, the key to building a successful business is building a great team. And just as important as building a management team is attracting the right “team” of investors. You can and will change management along the way. You probably won’t change investors. Most growth stage companies have multiple investors, joining at [...]
Investing in culture boosts operating profits at FTSE 350 firms June 8, 2016 Over half (55 per cent) of FTSE 350 companies saw their operating profits jump 10 per cent or more after investing in their organisations's culture. In a survey by EY of 100 board members from FTSE 350 companies, 86 per cent respondents said that culture was fundamental to their company’s overall performance and strategy and 92 per cent said that investing in culture had improved [...]
