Q&A: The challenges faced by SME exporters November 3, 2016 Encouraging small British firms to sell their goods and services overseas is a key plank of government policy, and there is now a range of organisations devoted to helping them do just that. Official figures, however, show that only 5 to 10 per cent of UK SMEs are currently engaged in export. We spoke with Allan [...]
Making millennials happy is good for business November 2, 2016 I know what you’re thinking: another column about millennials. This one, I hope, strikes more of a chord because it’s about their impact on your business and how to respond. This generation is shaking up the workforce in a way not seen for decades. Our research suggests that three quarters of managers see the challenge [...]
Workers with mental health issues contribute £226bn to UK GDP November 2, 2016 There's still a way to go in destigmatising mental health issues, so a new report has quantified the economic contribution those who do have mental health issues make to the UK, while pointing out it could be even higher. UK workers with mental health issues contributed £226bn to UK GDP in 2015. That contribution made up 12 per cent of [...]
Feeling slow? Sharpen up your brain with a cognitive fitness regime November 2, 2016 The benefits of physical fitness have been known for some time, yet cognitive fitness has been a stone left unturned – until now. Clinical research shows that our brains are not the static organs once thought, and modern day advances in neuroscience have enabled us to assess and analyse the underlying cognitive behaviours that make us, [...]
Success from above: How to run your business like a Red Arrows pilot November 1, 2016 Fighter pilots may have an unusual office, sitting strapped to an ejection seat breathing oxygen through a tube, but they actually work in matrix teams in an environment characterised by ambiguity, imperfect information and time pressure. Many variables are outside their control; failure is not an option and mistakes have real consequences. Much of the [...]
Power 100: TSB’s Helen Rose on how she became one of the most senior women in UK retail banking October 31, 2016 The chief operating officer of TSB, Helen Rose is one of the most senior women in the UK's retail banking sector. Here, she talks overcoming impostor syndrome, gender parities, and which qualities helped her reach the top. Power 100: These are the Square Mile's most inspiring women What went through your head when you accepted your job? [...]
Home is where the smart is: City PM meets Krystian Zajac October 31, 2016 When I first came to the UK, I was living in a tiny flat with five other people. I was educated, but washing dishes for a living. I did not care, the money was still better than what I got in Poland,” says Krystian Zajac, founder of Andrew Lucas. As far as rags to riches [...]
The golden rules of venture capital funding October 31, 2016 Venture capital (VC) accounted for $3.6bn (£2.95bn) of investment in the UK tech sector last year – a 70 per cent increase on the previous year. On a per capita basis, the country is now the second biggest destination for VC money in the world. But while it’s a valuable option, it’s not necessarily the [...]
Fifth of workers paid less than recommended living wage October 30, 2016 A fifth (22 per cent) of workers in Britain earn less than the amount deemed to be a living wage, according to research out today. The study, carried out by Markit on behalf of KPMG, discovered that some 5.6m workers are paid less than the £8.25 per hour, or the £9.40 per hour in London, recommended by the [...]
