Ready steady go: Time to put your business ideas to the test April 29, 2012 ACCELERATOR ACADEMY www.acceleratoracademy.com The Accelerator Academy works with emerging entrepreneurs to help them to achieve high growth, through intensive training, mentoring from successful tech entrepreneurs and providing them with access to seed capital. Applicants are initially assessed by a Manchester Business School devised eTeamTool assessment process. Delivered over 12 weeks, the part-time programme improves the [...]
A healthy dose of British ingenuity, money, patents and patience April 29, 2012 RICHARD Marsden describes his meeting with University of Southampton scientists in 2003 as one of the most memorable moments of his life. That very meeting, about a potential new medicine, could prove pivotal to the health of millions of people. If Richard hadn’t been there, the idea may never have been developed. The discussion was [...]
Ernst & Young’s UK top entrepreneurs April 29, 2012 THE finalists of the UK Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of The Year are announced today. The leading professional services and accountancy firm has sought out “top UK business leaders who have shown drive and innovation in starting and growing companies in challenging economic conditions.” Following a record number of applications, 150 of the UK’s most [...]
Time for Russia 2.0: Putin’s return promises an economic revolution April 29, 2012 THE Western European view of Russia has not moved with developments in the country since the crash of 1990. To the Western media, Russia remains a kleptocracy run by the mafia. It is seen as secretive, corrupt, plutocratic, hugely unequal and unjust. Yet the challenges that Russia faces are not unique in the world of [...]
Tech City’s free radicals can’t be run by the state April 29, 2012 TODAY, the UK has a huge array of entrepreneurial talent. However, with the latest GDP figures showing the country back in recession, we need more than political spin from Westminster about promoting innovation and entrepreneurship. We need the politicians to get out of the way so we can achieve results. No project has inflamed more [...]
Four challenging years guiding the City through its tumult and turmoil April 29, 2012 WHEN I assumed the position of chairman of policy and resources at the City of London Corporation in 2008, I knew that there would be difficulties. But very few people could have anticipated the scale of the challenges that lay ahead. Over the last four years there have been sequences of events that have defined [...]
Is it time to shake-up the way history is taught to children in Britain’s schools? April 29, 2012 YES Robert Tombs History is a big story. The episodes are connected. They have causes and consequences. They explain each other. Think of watching football on television, entirely made up of snippets from different matches. It might be exciting at first, but soon you would realise that it made no sense. Yet that is how [...]
RAPID responses April 29, 2012 Holiday ending [Re: What course should George Osborne take, Thursday] A temporary VAT cut isn’t the answer. It’ll lead to a temporary surge in consumer spending, before falling back when the rate is restored. Similarly, a temporary cut in NIC isn’t a good enough reason for an employer to take on staff. They need to [...]
Diamonds are the world’s best friend April 29, 2012 FOR obvious reasons, most women don’t look upon their engagement ring as an investment – at least not in monetary terms – but diamonds can, and perhaps should, also be valued for their present and potential future value. A NEAR-PARAGON Diamonds are tangible, portable assets, highly concentrated in value, which offer a great opportunity to [...]
The four key criteria for getting your perfect diamond April 29, 2012 JEWELLERS use the universal four Cs – carat, colour, clarity and cut – to describe a diamond’s characteristics and assess its value. NOT JUST A QUESTION OF SIZE Carat is simply a measure of weight, not size as commonly thought. One carat (1 ct) equals 0.20 grams and is divided into 100 points, half a [...]
