Anger over Presidents Club clothing range at House of Fraser January 27, 2020 A clothing range that appears to recall the Presidents Club, a charity that closed down following a scandal over the behaviour of guests at its male-only dinners, has come under widespread criticism from female entrepreneurs. The Presidents Club’s annual dinner hit the headlines in 2018 after it emerged that waitresses at the event were told [...]
Sky launches new factual channels amid production push January 27, 2020 Sky today said it will launch two new factual TV channels as the media firm ramps up its investment in original productions. Sky Documentaries and Sky Nature will launch in the spring, offering subscribers original programmes as well as new series from networks such as HBO and Showtime. New original documentaries will include Tiger Woods: [...]
Mattress startup Casper slashes valuation ahead of IPO January 27, 2020 Casper Sleep has said it expects its initial public offering (IPO) valuation to be well below the $1.1bn (£842m) the online mattress retailer had commanded in a recent funding round. In a regulatory filing in New York today, Casper said it expects its offering of 9.6 million shares to be priced between $17 and $19 [...]
12 steps to turn your brilliant idea into a business January 27, 2020 Most of us have probably had a great business idea at some point in our lives. A lightbulb moment in the pub, a problem solved in the shower or brief thought whilst waiting for the bus. But so rarely do these ideas ever progress beyond a fleeting thought. And setting up a business can be daunting, [...]
Secret Cinema signs deal with Disney for immersive film productions January 27, 2020 Secret Cinema today said it has signed a multi-title agreement with Disney to bring some of the entertainment giant’s biggest hits to life in London. The immersive cinema company said the first shows will premiere in the capital this year, with plans to expand the events to Los Angeles and New York. Secret Cinema was [...]
Labour leadership: Corbyn backs Long-Bailey as ‘our candidate’ January 27, 2020 Outgoing Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has appeared to back Rebecca Long-Bailey in the race to succeed him, describing the business secretary as “our candidate for leader”. Corbyn, who has so far avoided endorsing any candidate in the leadership contest, made the remark at a dinner to mark the retirement of former left-wing MP Ronnie Campbell, [...]
Downing Street unveils Taskforce Europe for EU trade talks January 27, 2020 The Prime Minister’s sherpa David Frost will head up trade talks with the EU following the UK’s exit this Friday, Downing Street has confirmed. Frost, who secured the 11th hour withdrawal agreement with Brussels that paved the way for Commons approval for a final deal, will head up a “small and agile” team of around [...]
Number of UK firms in ‘significant financial distress’ hits record high January 27, 2020 The number of UK businesses in significant financial distress has risen to almost 500,000, hitting the highest level since records began 16 years ago. The latest research showed that the number of firms facing significant difficulties has soared 81 per cent since 2016, reaching 494,000 in the fourth quarter of last year. Recently formed companies [...]
Government rolls out new cybersecurity laws for smart devices January 27, 2020 The government today unveiled new laws to help protect millions of internet-connected household devices from the threat of cyber attacks. The measures mean all consumer smart devices sold in the UK will have to adhere to three security requirements. Under the new legislation, all internet-connected device passwords must be unique, with users unable to reset [...]
Flybe: Ministers draft in restructuring advisers on rescue loan talks amid ‘state aid’ row January 27, 2020 Ministers have brought in advisers to help negotiate a government loan to struggling regional airline Flybe, despite insisting the rescue deal will not constitute state aid. Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) has been tasked with advising the Department for Transport (DfT) in assessing the basis for a commercial loan, according to Sky News. The company, a [...]