China’s economy surprises with growth of 6.9 per cent in year Xi cemented power January 18, 2018 China grew faster than expected during 2017, surprising analysts who had expected the gradual slowing of the world’s second-largest economy to continue. GDP grew by 6.9 per cent over the course of the last year, the first increase in the country’s growth rate since 2010, according to government data published today. The economy grew by [...]
Social media’s fake secret: can online influencers be trusted? June 25, 2018 FACEBOOK, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, and myriad other social media platforms have enabled clever and entrepreneurial creators to make a living by producing content for internet users to enjoy, whether that’s a makeup tutorials, video diaries, or simply cracking jokes while playing video games. It’s why YouTube stars such as Zoella and PewDiePie have become household [...]
Influencer marketing, fake followers, and sponsored content. Can brands and consumers trust online creatives? June 25, 2018 FACEBOOK, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, and myriad other social media platforms have enabled clever and entrepreneurial creators to make a living by producing content for internet users to enjoy, whether that’s a makeup tutorials, video diaries, or simply cracking jokes while playing video games. It’s why YouTube stars such as Zoella and PewDiePie have become household [...]
The highest penthouse in Europe is at Zlotta 44 in Warsaw, Poland March 24, 2018 The sweeping shape of Daniel Libeskind’s Zlota 44 glass skyscraper in Warsaw evokes an eagle in flight, or – as the locals would have it – a sail. Those images of freedom are no accident; the locally-born architect was a child of Holocaust survivors determined to bring a new feeling of liberation to a city [...]
Apple posted second quarter results on May 1 but have smartphone sales peaked and what impact will this have on iPhone X? April 24, 2018 Apple releases its latest set of quarterly results next Tuesday and Wall Street is fretting about the figures. People are hanging onto their smartphones for longer, prompting concerns about growth. Second-quarter results from US technology major Apple, which will be released on Tuesday 1 May, are arguably one of the most important set of results [...]
Why pockets of retailers are thriving in London July 10, 2018 The obituary of high street retail, according to the press, has been written. Physical stores are closing at a rapid rate. We don’t think this tells the whole story. The daily announcements of retailer bankruptcies points to an ever-decreasing pool of occupiers. However, we argue that the pendulum of pessimism in investment markets often swings [...]
Learning Technologies shares are flying as it becomes the only Aim-listed company to grab Goldman Sachs as a corporate broker February 16, 2018 The weight of investment banking giant Goldman Sachs is a force to be reckoned with, and Learning Technologies Group has found itself on the right side of that power today. The e-learning business, which is listed on London’s junior market Aim, saw its share price rise as much as 6.7 per cent in morning trading [...]
Let GRG be a cautionary tale for finance providers that fail to understand SMEs February 27, 2018 Small businesses just want to be understood by their finance provider. And distressed businesses are those most in need of an understanding partner. In light of this, it’s startling to have the systematic mistreatment of small business customers by RBS’s Global Restructuring Group (GRG) confirmed. While RBS wasn’t shown to have targeted otherwise viable [...]
Restaurant sector faces risk of thousands of insolvencies as Brexit bites October 30, 2017 A fifth of Britain’s restaurants are showing signs they could go bust, according to research released today. Almost 15,000 eateries are facing a real insolvency threat as rising staff costs and the fall out of Brexit put a strain on the sector. Over half of all food is imported, with three-quarters coming from the EU. [...]
The UK Space Agency kicks off search for young entrepreneurs to share their ideas on uses for satellites January 2, 2018 The government’s UK Space Agency has kicked off a search for budding space entrepreneurs to provide innovative ideas on how satellites can improve life on earth. It will offer expert advice for young people’s satellite ideas, and a share of a £50,000 prize. The SatelLife Challenge, which is in its second year, is on the [...]