TALENT FOR BUSINESS IS INSTINCTIVE December 16, 2010 PROFESSOR OF MANAGEMENT, LONDON BUSINESS SCHOOL We ALL remember the kid who sold sweets to his friends in the school playground (though my sons tell me it’s now more likely to be mobile phones). Although it’s difficult to generalise, entrepreneurs do seem to share some traits. Harvard Business School professor W. A. Sahlman defined entrepreneurship [...]
Retailers facing ill wind as weather threatens to scupper Christmas sales December 16, 2010 THE headache for retailers caused by the cold snap may get worse as a forecast return to freezing conditions threatens to keep shoppers away in the crucial run-up to Christmas. Weather experts predict a return of icy conditions this week following a brief thaw, which could force consumers to postpone festive purchases and retailers could [...]
Geronimo pair pocket £8m December 16, 2010 A COUPLE who opened their first London gastropub 15 years ago have sold their Geronimo Inns chain to Young’s for £60m. Rupert and Jo Clevely are expected to pocket around £8m in cash as part of the deal. Rupert Clevely will also join the Young’s board. Geronimo manages 22 pubs in central London, three at [...]
Shares at Laura Ashley jump as revenues grow December 16, 2010 FASHION and home wares retailer Laura Ashley Holdings said yesterday it was confident that full-year trading would be ahead of its expectations, despite heavy snowfall in the UK and uncertain economic conditions. The company’s shares, which have gained 30 per cent in the past year, closed 14.7 per cent higher at 19.5p after yesterday’s trading [...]
Over a quarter of SMEs hiring in 2011 December 16, 2010 Over a quarter of small and medium businesses (SME) plan to hire more staff next year, found an Orange SME research. The survey also found that 76 per cent of businesses predict a more prosperous year or the same level of success for their business in 2011. Three-quarters (74 per cent) of SMEs were considering [...]
Goals Soccer full-year outlook hit by big freeze December 16, 2010 GOALS Soccer Centres warned yesterday that its full-year pre-tax profit would be £700,000 lower than its earlier expectations, hurt by heavy snowfall across the UK. The operator of five-a-side soccer centres also said its Liverpool South centre opening had been delayed until early January. The company, however, added that each of its centres under construction [...]
Bringing business to the bedroom December 16, 2010 Research by T-Mobile shows that over half of small business owners are most likely to turn to their husband or wife for business advice. Partners are trusted over accountants, trade bodies, other small businesses and bank managers as a source of straight talking advice. Behavioral expert Judi James explains that this is because: “Psychologically, talking [...]
ANALYST VIEWS: HAS SPORTS DIRECT TURNED THE CORNER? December 16, 2010 KATHARINE WYNNE| INVESTEC We place our forecasts and our price target under review, but continue to view a valuation which is more expensive than both Next [hold] and Debenhams [buy] on a lease adjusted basis as unjustified given the continuing concerns over corporate governance and the unresolved future financing arrangements. JONATHAN PRITCHARD| ORIEL SECURITIES The [...]
Free business funding clinic December 16, 2010 The British Library IP Business Centre is offering a free workshop on how to generate capital for your business. The workshop offers the opportunity to receive a one-to-one 30-minute consultation with an expert from the centre’s “angels den” of venture capitalists drawn from Europe’s largest business angels network. The workshop runs on 22 December, 6, [...]
A glossy sci-fi sequel with few thrills December 16, 2010 Film TRON: LEGACY Cert: 12A ALMOST three decades after he first got sucked inside a luminescent software programme to do battle with some evil artificial intelligence, Jeff Bridges is back – and this time there’s three of him. His character from the 1982 original film, genius hacker Flynn, has been trapped inside the computer programme [...]
