Former banker follows his dream to go it alone January 29, 2012 IN RETROSPECT, Barbecoa – Jamie Oliver’s attempt to introduce the UK to BBQ food – was not the ideal setting to meet Daren Cox, chief executive and founder of Project Brokers. As a committed pescatarian he doesn’t live up to the stereotype businessman portrayed in such shows as Alan Sugar’s The Apprentice. Sadly, combative television [...]
A GLOBAL RACE IN PURSUIT OF TOP ECOSYSTEM January 29, 2012 BRITAIN, a fierce competitor in the global race to develop the best startup ecosystem in the world, will soon host delegations of startup leaders from more than 100 countries in an effort to find the fastest path to the finish line. Entrepreneurship promotion is no longer hopelessly intertwined with the discussion of “small and medium [...]
It’s time to fill your diary to bursting with events for 2012 January 29, 2012 FOLLOWING in the successful footsteps of StartUp America we have StartUp Britain: “A national campaign by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, harnessing the expertise and passion of Britain’s leading businesspeople to celebrate, inspire and accelerate enterprise in the UK.” It has just unveiled StartUp 2012: The Enterprise Calendar (www.startupbritain.org/calendar), which aims to be “a new resource to [...]
How to survive these taxing times January 29, 2012 AS THE dreaded 31 January rolls around for the self-employed – in fact, 1 February this year following planned industrial action – tax is once again top of the agenda. Nick Clegg, the deputy Prime Minister, has upped the ante by calling for the personal allowance to be raised to £10,000. In these taxing times, [...]
Mitigating your bill through pension planning January 29, 2012 THE trick with pension contributions is to understand your tax position. Looking specifically at high earners, there are two specific income thresholds, £100,000 and £150,000 to bear in mind. PASSING £100K Once you hit £100,000 per annum of income from all sources, you gradually lose your tax-free personal allowance, at a rate of £1 for [...]
Try dog sledding, shooting and snowshoeing – all before tea January 29, 2012 WITH the wind flying in my face, I looked ahead to see my pack of dogs, panting and straining at the leash, pulling us through the pristine white landscape of Haute Maurienne Vanoise. With just the teams of huskies in sight as far as the eye could see, and only the sound of barking and [...]
Easy, tiger January 29, 2012 IN the chilly darkness, I climb into the passenger seat of the open-top Tata 4×4, with binoculars, camera, hot-water bottle and blanket, for the dawn game drive. The birds are fully awake as the dry teak forest of Pench National Park emerges in the soft amber-pink light. We hear the single, punctuated note of a [...]
TRAVEL NOTES January 29, 2012 See Ayers Rock by balloon for the first time While Uluru (Ayers Rock) is one of Australia’s best known monuments it has previously only been accessible by guided walk or camel. This is all set to change in March when visitors after a new arrangement has been agreed with the local Aboriginal Anangu people to [...]
The greatest: Djokovic hails best win after slaying Nadal January 29, 2012 World No1 beats Spaniard in longest ever grand slam final to underline status as pre-eminent force ECSTATIC, exhilarated and exhausted, Novak Djokovic hailed his finest hour after he conjured a Herculean effort to defeat Rafael Nadal in a record-breaking Australian Open final and take his extraordinary career to a new pinnacle. Djokovic claimed his third [...]
Van Persie digs Arsenal out of spot of FA Cup bother January 29, 2012 ARSENAL (3) vs ASTON VILLA (2) THE rousing nature of a classic FA Cup comeback should be enough to convince Arsenal’s confidence starved players they are capable of ending a seven-year wait for silverware, according to their manager Arsene Wenger. Booed off at half time having trailed to Richard Dunne’s header and a Darren Bent [...]
