Debrett’s Ask the Expert: How can I get over my fear of public speaking? March 14, 2016 Q: Help! I have risen to a senior position within my field, but every time I speak publicly I feel as nervous as a schoolboy. I don’t want my managers or colleagues to see how nervous I am, and I feel my fear is holding me back from progressing in my career. How can I [...]
Making a success of succession planning March 14, 2016 Premier Support Services is a facilities management company founded 20 years ago by entrepreneur Paul Taylor. Originally based in Birmingham, over the last two decades it has grown to have six branches across the UK. Then five years ago, Taylor’s thoughts turned to succession planning. In founder-owned companies, succession planning typically involves planning for the [...]
UK pension changes: Savers could shun pension pots in favour of bricks and mortar if chancellor George Osborne cuts lifetime allowance in his Budget on 16 March March 14, 2016 Middle and high income earners could turn their backs on pensions in favour of investing in property should chancellor George Osborne make further changes to the lifetime allowance at the Budget later this week, research out today has found. The study by Zurich found that a quarter (25 per cent) of all Britons would funnel their savings [...]
Larger companies are opting to borrow against their invoices March 14, 2016 More large businesses are borrowing against payments they are owed, according to data released this morning. The number of companies with a turnover above £50m that were borrowing against invoices climbed 25 per cent last year to 893. The figures from the Asset Based Finance Association (ABFA) also show the amount of cash borrowed by [...]
Student lender Future Finance announces fintech investments totalling £119m as it reports rocketing demand for loans March 14, 2016 Student lender Future Finance has raised £119m from fintech investors. Investors in Future Finance Loan Corporation – which has loaned nearly £25m to students since May 2014 – include QED Investors, Blackstone Strategic Opportunity Fund and Colchis Capital. The new investment takes the company's total funds to £185m. Read more: The future of education finance is here [...]
UK pensions and Budget 2016: Higher earners benefit from chancellor George Osborne’s decision to delay any pensions reform but the majority miss out March 13, 2016 Higher earners have likely benefited from chancellor George Osborne's decision last week to push back any pension tax changes, but the majority of earners are now missing out, a report released today argues. According to the research by the Resolution Foundation, if Osborne had unveiled a flat rate of relief of 30 per cent at next [...]
EU referendum: With the referendum on UK membership of the EU set for 23 June 2016, and the potential for a so-called Brexit looms, this is how UK pensions law could be affected March 13, 2016 Crystal-ball gazing regarding a potential Brexit is notoriously tricky business and must be caveated with an appropriately large health warning. How a Brexit might look in reality is currently unclear, as the terms of such a departure are up for negotiation. If the UK opted to remain part of the single market, it is likely [...]
Dragons’ Den’s youngest entrepreneur Jordan Daykin on how you can successfully manage your elders at work March 11, 2016 Young entrepreneurs may give the impression that it’s all smooth sailing, but with youth comes certain challenges – not least the task of managing and delegating to those older than you. Young leaders often have their authority questioned, as well as their competence or ultimate ability to lead – and often by those who feel threatened [...]
UK financial services risks a mis-buying scandal unless we urgently tackle the advice gap March 11, 2016 It's well known that Britain has a financial advice gap, but until now few ideas have been put forward to tackle it. The government’s Financial Advice Market Review is a golden opportunity to solve this issue and deliver real solutions that help consumers access financial advice when they need it most. The initial recommendations are [...]
Here’s the outlook of UK tech startups right now – and how they feel about Brexit, business confidence and hiring talent March 10, 2016 More UK tech startups are now worried that Brexit will be bad for business as the referendum on Britain's membership of Europe inches ever closer. In a comprehensive new survey of startups in the UK by Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), 70 per cent believe Brexit will have a negative impact on their businesses, a rise on the 64 per cent [...]
