Britain’s digital skills crisis is jeopardising our competitiveness July 24, 2014 The digital skills agenda has become a hot topic in Britain. But if we thought adding computer science to the national curriculum would be a silver bullet solution to the UK’s chronic digital skills shortages, we were wrong. A report out this week from the Digital Skills Taskforce confirms just how much still needs to be done [...]
No size fits all: Getting the best out of introverts July 23, 2014 Shyer staff have different needs, so cut down on background noise. There’s a problem with using stereotypes like “introvert” and “extrovert” to inform office policy. Setting aside whether or not these broad terms actually apply to all staff, how many other employee caricatures should be actively catered for? Do alpha males and females require [...]
London Report: Unemployment figures set to show recovery July 14, 2014 UNEMPLOYMENT figures this week are expected to show that the number of people out of work has dropped again, as the UK recovery takes hold. Jobs data is likely to show an unemployment rate of 6.5 per cent in the three months to May, down from 6.9 per cent in the quarter to February. Despite [...]
The workspace, the incubator, and the accelerator: What you need to know June 23, 2014 It's a truism of entrepreneurship that the road to riches is full of at least as many lows as highs. That’s why many entrepreneurs don’t take the leap until they meet the right partner to jump into business with. This isn’t just about co-founders having complementary skills; the support of a business partner can be [...]
Workspace gets boost from UK’s property boom June 4, 2014 SMALL business landlord Workspace smashed forecasts yesterday after reporting a 43 per cent jump in net asset value thanks to rising rents and a jump in the value of its properties. The real estate investment trust (Reit), which provides trendy office space for small to medium-sized creative businesses such as Moonpig, said its net asset [...]
Analyst Views: What did you think of Workspace’s full-year performance? June 4, 2014 KATE RENN | PEEL HUNT Workspace’s vast 43 per cent net asset value growth for the year is around 11 per cent ahead of consensus and 15 per cent ahead of our forecast. There was no doubt this growth would come through, but it was not expected to all fall into this year. We are [...]
The rise of 4G: How faster mobile communications could help smaller businesses drive growth June 4, 2014 TECHNOLOGICAL advances are transforming the modern workplace. But few developments have the potential to disrupt the way we work and behave as consumers as much as 4G. It may sound simple: a “fourth generation” of mobile communication, the next step in wireless broadband that looks set to speed up the 3G signal we’re all familiar [...]
London Report: UK data to show economy is on path to recovery June 2, 2014 ECONOMIC indicators out this week are expected to show the UK recovery continuing at a healthy pace. PMI survey data for services, manufacturing and construction are likely to show strong growth throughout May. Blerina Uruci, of Barclays, expects services PMI to hit 60 in May, up from 58.7 and well above the 50 figure which [...]
The three main working types: Which are you? May 19, 2014 Our quick quiz could boost your efficiency in the workplace, writes Diane Gallacher We’ve all got a colleague who doesn’t know how to use the photocopier, or a manager doing trainee-level work. Failing to work at the right level has a profound impact on your efficiency, and blocks the progression of others. The first step [...]
London’s got a stack of new offices – and they’re old shipping containers May 8, 2014 Ideas and initiatives to help fledgling start-ups are here, there and everywhere in the capital, and nowhere more than in tech-abundant Shoreditch. The area, which already has BoxPark – a row of pop-up shops in old shipping containers – is now home to ContainerVille – 30 converted shipping containers on the south bank of Regent’s [...]