Small is beautiful: Why the age of big business and big government is over October 29, 2014 THE CORPORATION has never been less fashionable. Politicians are falling over themselves to tell voters how they will constrain, bully and regulate large companies. It makes sense. The polls tell them that trust in the corporate world is at derisory levels. A recent Populus survey found 61 per cent wanted the government to be tougher [...]
Restaurant review: Tredwell’s – Marcus Wareing’s new venture in St Martin’s Lane October 29, 2014 Upper St Martin’s Lane, which neatly bisects the tourist wastelands of Leicester Square and Covent Garden, seems like the last place Marcus Wareing would pick for his third UK restaurant. His flagship venture “Marcus” – formerly Marcus Wareing at the Berkeley – is a two Michelin-starred love-letter to formal dining (and home to one of [...]
London’s top tech advocate October 27, 2014 Universities are not producing the graduates needed for London’s booming tech sector. While that’s not a new problem, it is the number one issue affecting businesses in the capital, according to a private sector-led group of 1,000 so-called Tech London Advocates – including BT boss Gavin Patterson, Facebook’s EMEA vice president Nicola Mendelsohn and Lastminute.com [...]
Outside the box: SpaceWays founder David Fuchs talks unwanted cars, Mexico and sexiness October 26, 2014 Budding entrepreneurs will frequently tell you that it’s heartfelt passion driving them to set up a business. But the substance of many highly-successful companies isn’t all that exciting – think chipmakers, paper shredders, kebab boxes. “It’s not that I always dreamt of owning a storage business. Nobody does that. It’s not sexy to go [...]
From cut-price gym fees to stop-smoking programmes: The dark side of staff health schemes October 22, 2014 Remember the look of successful businessmen of the past? With a self-satisfied grin and a greasy face, they’d sit down to enjoy a fine meal, with a swollen gut testing the strength of their belt. To no one’s dismay, these rounded figures have largely disappeared from the corporate scene. Still, we shouldn’t be overenthusiastic about [...]
Index expecting $10bn EU startup October 21, 2014 LONDON’S top venture capitalists expect the European startup scene to continue turning out hit tech firms, with a partner at Index Ventures predicting Europe will produce a $10bn (£6.2bn) firm within three years. “We will likely see a couple of European $10bn exits in the next two or three years. The pipeline of European companies [...]
Is the City giving you sleeping problems? Forget tablets – here are seven proven ways to help you get a good night’s sleep October 21, 2014 The City is not a place conducive to regular, high-quality sleep. Long hours and late nights spent staring at a computer screen mean even when we do get to bed, it can be difficult to switch off. It is often a vicious cycle, too – the less sleep we get, the more we worry [...]
Dealing in happiness: Chris Gardner talks Wall Street, Miles Davis and subway revelations October 19, 2014 If you love London, you’ll get on with Chris Gardner like a house on fire. “I absolutely love it. It’s a clean New York. London is cool.” But then you can’t help but feel that Gardner is one of those people who would get on with everybody. You might already know some of his [...]
How to make Blanchette’s perfect beef fillet October 15, 2014 Tom Storrar, head chef at Soho's Blanchette, on his beef fillet with courgettes, sarladaise potatoes and green peppercorn sauce I’ve been at Blanchette since the restaurant opened late last year. The beef in this recipe is a new dish on the menu; a restaurant version of steak and chips. I chose it because many [...]
Car review: The Lexus NX 300h is an eco-friendly drive that doesn’t skimp on gadgets October 13, 2014 Pulling away in a car on a wave of silence still doesn’t make sense in my brain. I’ve driven plenty of electric and hybrid cars, but every time I gently move off from a standstill on a peacefully eerie surge of current-fed calm, it still gets me. I’m experiencing this soothing yet unsettling [...]