Venture funding from the Business Growth Fund (BGF), Episode1 and Entrepreneur First for biometric recognition company AimBrain could change the face of retail banking June 20, 2017 AimBrain, a biometric recognition business, could be set to change the face of retail banking after receiving £4m of venture capital funding. As banks increasingly look to explore automation and enhance security, devices ranging from mobile phones to ATMs could soon be paying much more attention to how customers look, sound and act. AimBrain’s founders, [...]
British entrepreneurs are bullish on future growth despite economic uncertainty June 19, 2017 British entrepreneurs are looking confidently into the face of uncertainties posed by Brexit negotiations and political upheaval with a bullish sentiment towards future growth, a new report suggests. Entrepreneurs in the UK expect to grow by 62 per cent over the next five years, according to HSBC Private Bank’s second Essence of Enterprise report. The [...]
Focus On Orpington: Developers are starting to show an interest in this well-connected town in Zone 6 June 16, 2017 When house-hunting in London, the sleepy town of Orpington may not be high up your list. But there are many reasons why it should be, not least because its house price growth is among the fastest in outer London. According to estate agent JLL’s London Residential Heat Map, house prices in the BR6 postcode grew [...]
General Election 2017: YouGov figures put young vote at less than 60 per cent June 14, 2017 New figures analysing the ages of voters in last week’s General Electionhave suggested that turnout among those aged 18-24 was less than 60 per cent. Twitter reports in the aftermath of the election claimed that a greater than expected number of young people voted in the General Election last Thursday, with some sources hailing numbers [...]
Focus on Leyton & Leytonstone: First time buyers, cafes and coffee shops take over the high streets of E10 and E11 June 13, 2017 First time buyers have a fight on their hands if they’re planning to buy in Leyton. The E10 neighbourhood, along with its E11 sibling Leytonstone, is one of the most sought-after affordable housing hotspots in the capital. The popularity of nearby Stratford has undoubtedly boosted the good fortunes of this area, as the overspill has [...]
Opinion: Online agents will ultimately lose you money – because they can’t negotiate on your behalf June 12, 2017 The American president and lawyer Abraham Lincoln once stated that ‘a man who represents himself in court has a fool for a client.’ And as any property developer will tell you, other than finding a dishonest estate agent willing to defraud his client, the best way to buy a house for less than it’s worth [...]
Barber Shop Chronicles review: Inua Ellams’ razor sharp play draws profound connections between disparate men June 8, 2017 Set in half a dozen barber shops across two continents, Inua Ellam’s energetic, funny, banter-driven play seeks to join the dots between the experiences and opinions of black men in geographically disparate locations. And there are are plenty of dots to join in a play that ricochets between barber’s chairs as far apart as Johannesburg [...]
General Election 2017: Dear Prime Minister, please listen to British business June 5, 2017 morning I am pleased to support an open letter signed by over 50 entrepreneurs, leaders and experts from across the UK. This letter will be delivered to the successful party elected to government on Thursday evening. The accompanying report, by The Entrepreneurs Network, “A Boost for British Businesses”, includes the ideas and policy proposals of [...]
Focus On Clapham: Commons, good schools and cosy gastropubs means families stay put in SW4 June 2, 2017 Clapham is not a straightforward neighbourhood. Unlike Dalston, it isn’t synonymous with hipsters; it isn’t known for its international wealth like Knightsbridge; and it isn’t the naturalised home of the English gent like Hampstead. It’s best described as a south London suburb that has welcomed wave upon wave of migration from other boroughs. The Georgian [...]
Artificial Intelligence is a threat to society, an EU committee (EESC) has warned June 1, 2017 Artificial intelligence (AI) could pose a threat to the fabric of our society, according to an opinion published last night by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC). The EESC’s Workers’ Group, which is comprised of representatives from national trade unions, found 11 areas in which AI raises societal concerns – ranging from labour to [...]