A high-speed slice of pure heaven October 25, 2011 THE Porsche I’m driving has no air conditioning and no audio system. The last time I drove a car without HVAC and an audio system was in 1987, and it was a Mini built 15 years earlier. It didn’t usually manage to go very far and certainly not anywhere fast. Which isn’t the case with [...]
Sports Direct profits up as it eyes 2012 boost October 20, 2011 SPORTS Direct, Britain’s biggest sporting goods retailer, said revenues rose in recent weeks and added it is looking to events such as next year’s London Olympics to keep sales rolling in 2012. The firm, controlled by Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley, said total sales rose 11.5 per cent for the nine weeks to 25 September [...]
THE TIPSTER October 16, 2011 WEDNESDAY will see Sports Direct kick-off its figures with a trading statement, and it seems that expectations are good. Despite the retail slump, its projected earnings growth is 20 per cent a year for the next two years. Broker Panmure Gordon recently put a 300p price target on it. Capital Spreads quotes 230.6p-232.8p. Xstrata gives [...]
England’s World Cup mistakes mirrored by Twickenham chaos October 13, 2011 I WOULD like to see Martin Johnson keep his job and I think he will be asked to stay on, despite England’s disappointing World Cup campaign. But I also think he’ll be expected to make changes within the coaching staff and I’m not sure he’ll be happy to do that. One change I’d welcome would [...]
How to get the answers right at interview September 28, 2011 THE vast majority of interviews are “competency-based” these days. This means they use a method of questioning that aims to find out whether or not you can do the job. It also means that the same questions come up time and time again. This is great news for interviewees because it’s easy to prepare when [...]
You don’t need stacks of cash for marketing September 25, 2011 GUERRILLA marketing techniques used to be the only option for cash-strapped startups. Indeed, tales of startup business owners donning fancy dress, handing out flyers and doing stunts are not uncommon. Thankfully, the internet has changed the game a bit. The guerrilla spirit is still required, but nowhere near as much as a healthy dose of [...]
This year’s hot sectors: risk and compliance September 21, 2011 WE’VE been told that the boom years are over. The fast-growth sectors of City employment have ground to a halt. New job opportunities will be fewer and far between. Well, that is unless you work in risk and compliance: the fallout from the credit crunch has given a new lease of life to these sticklers [...]
Top retailers lose out on £500m in online market September 18, 2011 SOME of the UK’s retail giants are missing out on millions in online sales as they fail to grasp the potential of new technology, a survey shows today. The UK’s best known brands were found to have squandered a potential £500m in sales between 2007 and 2010. According to research from Oxford Economics, supermarket giant [...]
History lives on in the City of Angels September 18, 2011 WELCOME to LA. Embrace the pain!” jokes leading man Scoot McNairy in the touching 2007 indie flick In Search Of A Midnight Kiss. McNairy’s character is a failed, lonely screenwriter trying to woo a failed, lonely actress (Sarah Simmonds) on a New Year’s Eve date. His poignant words echo around the famous Orpheum Theatre, a [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING September 12, 2011 FINANCIAL TIMES UNICREDIT CHIEF SIGNALS RIGHTS ISSUE TO INCREASE CAPITAL LEVELS UniCredit has given its clearest signal yet that it will seek to raise its capital buffers as market turmoil continues to hit European bank shares. In his first big interview since becoming chief a year ago Federico Ghizzoni told the Financial Times that details [...]