Management lessons in kindness from TV icon Mister Rogers August 27, 2019 Say the name Mister Rogers to a certain generation of Americans, and they will likely go misty-eyed and start humming the same tune. Fred Rogers hosted a US children’s television programme called Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood that ran from 1968 all the way to 2001. The show was revered for its host’s gentle nature and the [...]
Female founders, here’s my advice for starting a business July 30, 2019 To any female founders reading this: your existence is statistically remarkable. Female tech founders are, simply put, unlikely. A report from the venture capital firm Atomico found that 93 per cent of money invested in European tech startups in 2018 went to all-male founding teams. Only seven per cent went to startups with a single [...]
Daydreams are the key to creativity and business success July 9, 2019 I believe that there’s a reason why people phase out and daydream at work: it’s that their work is utterly tedious and offers them little reward besides the paycheck. If their work doesn’t require any personal input or even rudimentary thought, it’s no wonder that employees become disengaged from it. But dreaming – either daydreaming [...]
Experience success: what’s the value of experiential advertising? June 17, 2019 A few weeks ago, commuters passing through Waterloo train station were greeted with the site of a miniature Garden of Eden, where they could stop to chat with angels and demons, pick up a toffee apple, and take a picture with a live snake. This event was designed by marketing agency Experience12 to promote the [...]
Britain’s small businesses deserve a simpler, fairer tax system May 21, 2019 “When you look after small business,” Sajid Javid said last week, “you look after Britain”. But too often, he admitted, the government has focused its attention elsewhere – big government finding it easier to talk to big business than small. Britain has an enviable record of company creation. Indeed, alongside our stellar job creation rates, [...]
Two-thirds of small businesses say government is not on their side, new poll reveals May 16, 2019 Two-thirds of small businesses do not feel the government is on their side, a new survey has revealed in a report calling for a radical shake-up of the tax system. A YouGov poll for the Centre of Policy Studies think-tank shows 62 per cent of small business owners and managers don’t believe those in power [...]
Nationwide scoops £50m prize for small business lending May 14, 2019 Nationwide has won the latest round of funding from a high-profile grant designed to boost small business lending in the UK, pocketing the top £50m prize. Read more: Nationwide invests in ex-Barclays CEO's firm to boost business banking Investec and the Co-operative Bank were also named as winners, taking home £15m each. The awards, handed [...]
MPs push for law change to give shareholders and business owners more power to sue May 8, 2019 Shareholders and small business owners could be able to take direct legal action against parties they blame for causing them losses when their companies fall into insolvency, after a group of MPs called for radical changes to the law. The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on fair business banking took to the Supreme Court yesterday in a [...]
Natwest increases small business loan programme amid Brexit uncertainty April 23, 2019 Natwest will double its growth funding programme for small and medium-sized British businesses, citing the need to help them navigate Brexit disruption. Read more: Government provides £200m for small firms as Brexit threatens EU funding The UK bank’s growth funding loan pot, which was started in May 2018, will be immediately doubled to £6bn in [...]
Government provides £200m for small firms as Brexit threatens EU funding April 17, 2019 The UK government has handed over £200m to help support smaller businesses in the 2019-20 financial year as the future of European Union funding remains uncertain. Read more: No-deal planning programme extended due to later Brexit date The Treasury announced today that it has made the cash available to the British Business Bank, which provides [...]