Cream of the crop: Gu founder James Averdieck talks Australia and rural fantasy September 28, 2014 It's the kind of story you wouldn’t necessarily believe: someone cooked up the idea of a chocolatey pudding company while sitting in a coffee shop in Belgium, eating brioche. But for James Averdieck, founder of Gu, that’s exactly what happened. Back in 2003, he was a marketer for dairy company St Ivel, working in Belgium [...]
George Osborne to abolish 55pc inheritance “death tax” on pensions September 28, 2014 A so-called “death tax” on pensions will be scrapped from next April, George Osborne is set to announce at the Tory party conference. The 55 per cent rate applied to inheritances of defined contribution pensions will be abolished at a cost of £150m a year the Treasury predicts. The policy, first floated in July, was [...]
Get more for your money when buying overseas September 23, 2014 An expert foreign exchange service can help make your money go further on the overseas property market With summer at an end and autumn closing in you might understandably be dreaming of owning your own place in the sun. And now could be the time to buy. With the pound’s strength against the euro and [...]
Florida: the key to a valuable holiday home investment September 23, 2014 Although recent weeks have seen sterling weaken against the dollar there is still potential for great returns when searching for a holiday home in the Sunshine State. Kelly Cutchin, Moneycorp U.S. country manager, shares an insight into the property market and tips for those considering property investment in Florida: “The most popular locations for British [...]
UK consumers have the 10th most valuable pensions, bank deposits and securities in the world September 23, 2014 Global debt has been growing again since the crisis while financial assets have reached a new high of €118tn. According to the Allianz Global Wealth Report, the world has seen the biggest asset growth since 2003, with the UK sitting pretty as the fifth-fastest growing country listed. The newly-preserved union comes in at 10th on the [...]
Gimme 5: Startups crowdfunding this month September 22, 2014 Rollasole Target: £150,000 for 7.5 per cent equity If you’ve seen a pair of bendy pumps someone’s shoved in their handbag, you’ll know how useful Rollasole shoes are. Raised: £130,210 via Crowdcube 42 days left Line-Up Target: £200,000 for 9.09 per cent equity Line-Up’s technology collects and collates “what’s on” information from newspapers, radio [...]
The elder statesman: Lord Young talks motorways and tear gas September 21, 2014 If the Conservatives win next year’s general election, Lord Young will be the oldest person to work in Number 10 ever, beating William Gladstone, who was Prime Minister until he was 83. “Margaret Thatcher asked me to go into Cabinet 30 years ago. Now David Cameron tells everybody that he and I are the only [...]
Marketing to millennials: Is Generation Y really all that different? September 21, 2014 Talking to advertising and media executives these days, you’d be forgiven for thinking that there’s an alien group lurking among UK consumers. Millennials, we are told, are different. Born between 1980 and 1995, they split their summers between south-east Asia and Bestival, often sporting torn jeans, face paint and/or a pair of Google Glasses. When [...]
London’s tech boom is more than just hype – and the City is at its heart September 18, 2014 WHILE London Technology Week may not yet rival London Fashion Week for glamour, there is real substance to the capital’s tech boom. This is why, for the first time, TechCrunch is bringing its Silicon Valley conference to London this October. A number of things are driving this tech boom. London has long acted as a [...]
Gimme 5: New books for entrepreneurs September 15, 2014 Big Bang Disruption Larry Downes and Paul Nunes Disruption and innovation can now happen overnight. This book explores how companies can best protect themselves – but also how to be a part of it. From £5.00 Remote: Office not Required Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson Why do so many people work from home? [...]