Innovation Diary: British entrepreneurs aren’t lazy – but life could be getting easier for part-time small businesses September 8, 2013 NEW RESEARCH from Hiscox, the insurer, has turned some heads. Its fifth annual study into the entrepreneurial DNA has found that UK small business owners work an average of only 37.6 hours a week – down from 38.5 in 2012. Based on a relatively small sample of 3,000 business owners across six countries, the UK [...]
A new breed of super-entrepreneurs could leave HS2 looking antiquated September 8, 2013 FOR A mode of transport that first arrived in the nineteenth century, railways have been remarkably resilient. All three major political parties currently support the creation of a new high speed rail network, High Speed 2 (HS2), a £43bn plan to connect London Euston, Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, Sheffield, and the East Midlands in two phases. [...]
What the other papers say this morning December 20, 2012 FINANCIAL TIMES Trafigura earns $1bn twice in a row Trafigura, the commodities trader, earned about $1bn for the second year running in 2012, indicating that the profitability of the world’s top houses that dominate raw materials has remained high in spite of slower economic growth in China. The privately held company, based in Geneva and [...]
The economics and culture of Murray’s Wimbledon triumph July 12, 2013 HE DID it, he did it – and a euphoric nation roared with delight, celebrating a moment many of us feared would never happen and a new, 26-year old national hero. A Brit is Wimbledon champion, and this is real life, not a Hollywood rom-com. Needless to say, Andy Murray’s triumph is about much more [...]
Simplify planning laws and Garden Cities could solve our housing crisis June 19, 2013 BRITAIN’s planning regulations are a lawyers’ banquet. A tangled web of 118 Acts of Parliament govern them and, while the legal profession and a new breed of lobbyists known as “planning consultants” may prosper from this quagmire, the economy suffers. This is the theme of a new policy report on Britain’s antiquated planning regime I [...]
Alternative Orlando is blooming August 18, 2013 There is more to the Sunshine State’s theme-park capital than Disney Land I WAS in Orlando for the Florida Film Festival. A film I had produced called The North London Book of the Dead was in the British Shorts Now! programme. Great, right? Except… Orlando? Seriously? It’s hardly renowned for its thriving arts scene. But [...]
What the other papers say this morning November 14, 2012 FINANCIAL TIMES Government to delay welfare reform The government is prepared to delay its flagship welfare reform amid fears the complex changes may need to be more thoroughly tested before being extended to all benefit claimants. Universal credit, under which six benefits will be incorporated into a single payment, lies at the heart of a [...]
The changing skyline of Aldgate June 4, 2013 Aldgate is fast becoming a hub for mixed-use developments offering the best in modern living. Naomi Mdudu investigates. The east end isn’t the only area under major regeneration. Aldgate, which lies within the City Fringe, a transitional area between the financial district and east London proper, is quickly becoming a prime residential spot and is [...]
A retailer with a view: Long term partners in London’s 2012 Games July 10, 2012 COUNTDOWN TO THE LONDON 2012 OLYMPIC GAMES 16 DAYS TO GO Q What are your reasons for being involved with the Games? A The history of our involvement goes back years. We signed up to opening our new shop in Stratford before we even knew that London was successful. That decision was generated by our [...]
British Land in £143m bet on Ealing shoppers February 11, 2013 BRITISH LAND has snapped up a portfolio of London properties from Dutch investment firm Wereldhave for £183.8m, the property giant confirmed yesterday. The biggest asset in the portfolio is Ealing Broadway shopping centre in west London, which is anchored by retailers including Marks & Spencer and Primark and attracts 15m visitors each year. British Land [...]