The chancellor’s fiscal reset is a golden opportunity to slash living costs through tax cuts and planning reform September 5, 2016 Philip Hammond recently said that he may use the Autumn Statement to “reset” fiscal policy. That is a welcome sentiment because it suggests the chancellor sees before him a golden opportunity to transform the tax system. With Parliament returning, we are likely to see the government start to formulate and publicise more detailed economic policy [...]
Start using technology and don’t be afraid to scrap traditional engagement surveys September 14, 2016 Employee engagement is a popular topic for businesses today because of the links between it and better performance. But recent research shows that, while 90 per cent of global organisations go to the trouble of carrying out employee engagement surveys, only 7 per cent rate themselves as excellent at measuring and improving engagement and retention. [...]
Bats Europe exchange mulling new EU base after Brexit vote August 25, 2016 Bats Europe is considering its non-London options after June's referendum result, potentially establishing a new base elsewhere in the EU. The exchange, which was started less than a decade ago, has quickly grown from startup status to the largest stock exchange in Europe and is currently housed in Richard Desmond’s Northern and Shell Building on Lower Thames [...]
Ozwald Boateng’s guide to success and being the best-dressed man in London September 15, 2016 The designer’s rise to the top of the fashion world is a true rags to riches tale, writes Helen Cahill If you measure a man by the cut of his suit, then Ozwald Boateng is the most successful man in London. Boateng started making suits at the age of 16. He was the first black tailor [...]
How business and politics reacted to the government go-ahead for Hinkley C September 15, 2016 The UK government gave the green light to plans to build the controversial Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant in Somerset today, but with a few revised conditions which should help allay its security concerns. The widely-watched decision has so far received a mixed reception across business and politics. While supporters applauded the project's ability to create [...]
Blockchain just expanded even further into the public sector as Credits and Skyscape Cloud Services announce partnership April 28, 2016 Blockchain technology has made another inroad into widespread adoption by public services. Credits, a blockchain infrastructure provider, has partnered with Skyscape Cloud Services, a UK cloud services provider, to deliver "Blockchain-as-a-Service" to UK public sector organisations. Credits' platform enables organisations "to quickly and easily build robust blockchains" that address the challenges of establishing provenance and authentication faced by many [...]
Banks risk a visit from the ghosts of the past August 2, 2016 In the wake of the financial crisis, the public wanted to see banking bosses held to account and a regulatory system introduced which would ensure the banks' near collapse could not happen again. As part of this overhaul, banks have had to bolster their capital buffers and undergo stress tests. Last Friday, the European Banking Authority [...]
Opinion: Why canny investors need only look for co-working spaces to find London’s housing hotspots June 16, 2016 London’s biggest employment story during the last decade is Tech City, surrounding Old Street Roundabout. In recent years Tech City has undergone significant redevelopment, with investment from companies such as Cisco, Facebook, Google, Intel and McKinsey & Co. Now the third largest tech cluster in the world, it generates 27 per cent of London job [...]
British SMEs should focus their attention to America post-Brexit September 29, 2016 Ambitious British small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are taking advantage of the post-Brexit climate by exporting more than ever, according to research from Enterprise Nation. One in five SMEs are now exporting, and out of those who started to do so in the last six months, 91 per cent expect to grow in the next [...]
Paysafe looks to pocket profits by bolstering its digital wallet business August 10, 2016 Payment solutions company Paysafe has revealed it hopes to rake in the cash from its digital wallet business, including launching a new mobile-enabled wallet in September. Joel Leonoff, Paysafe president and chief executive, described the product in the pipeline as being focused on generic goods, including pharmaceutical products, groceries and alcohol. "What we're building and what we're [...]