Business

By Ikràn M.Omar @IkranM Despite Africa's long prophesied ascension as the next economic powerhouse there are still questions to be answered on whether this could ever materialise. The main question is whether it is a safe and solid investment. To invest in anything there needs to be a prospect of a strong return. You can never to be too cautious when entering any market let alone an emerging one. As Africa ascends she is showing exciting growth that is attracting many investors....

By Jamie Viggiano, Head of Marketing at TaskRabbit Britain continues to encourage entrepreneurship. So far this year, 350,000 companies have started up in the UK. This is not surprising. After all, making money and being your own boss is something that appeals to most of us. However, starting a company takes a lot of hard graft. Challenges inevitably arise – concerns around cash flow, staffing, workspace are common. Ultimately, the question is “Is it worth the risk?” That can dishearten...

By Tony Roy, President of CareerBuilder EMEA A career in culture may be a neighbourhood away While it might be enticing to work in the areas of culture, media or sport, these jobs are often difficult to find. Yet according to our new study, a more targeted approach might be needed. The study discovered that certain boroughs of London are experiencing more growth than others when it comes to culture, media and sports positions. Topping the list is Hounslow, which...

By David Dumeresque of executive search specialists, Tyzack Whilst the term “disruptive innovation” entered the business lexicon back in the 1980s, it is probably even more relevant than ever now as companies strive to develop disruptive strategies aimed at achieving sustainable competitive advantage. Having said that, we now have another neologism that has entered the business glossary; “dematurity”. Whereas “disruption” relates to any organisation, “dematurity” relates only to industries and organisations that are “well established” or “mature”. The cycle for...

If the great financial crisis taught us anything it is that there are very few industries that can be considered 'recession proof'. But in a global market, one that weathered the storms better than others is translation services. Reports show that the industry of translation and interpretation services has grown on average by 12 per cent each year since 2008 and with the increase of cross-border trade and business, a recent study projected a large growth between 2010 and 2020,...

By Luke Lang, co-founder Crowdcube For many British businesses, raising finance has become increasingly difficult in more austere times with banks, VCs and other financial institutions reigning in their lending. In fact, raising money is difficult at the best of times, which has led startups and growth businesses to seek alternatives. Crowdfunding is still a relatively new concept, which has seen its popularity grow since around 2011 when the likes of Crowdfunder and Kickstarter first appeared in the headlines. In...

By Seb Dean from Apartment-hotels.com London is known worldwide as an economic powerhouse, with Forbes recently describing it as the most influential city in the world and it is becoming a wealth magnet, with over 100 billionaires choosing to reside in the capital. This is bad news for most, as property prices hit fever pitch and most people are being priced out of buying a house in the City. However, for some, the price of a house doesn’t actually matter...

By Vladimir Remmer The world financial equilibrium was devastated in 2006 when the US housing market bubble finally burst. Real Estate prices plummeted, wiping out securities tied to housing and striking financial institutions globally. The human toll was staggering and manifested in mass evictions, bankruptcies and foreclosures, combined with catastrophic job market contraction and prolonged unemployment. The consumer wealth adjustment, estimated to be trillions of US dollars, inhibited economic activity throughout most of the world and led to the 2008...

By Richard Benson Director of Guide London - @GuideClothing It’s no secret that fashion works in cycles. When flicking through the pages of a glossy magazine or simply walking the streets of London, we often get a sense of déjà vu — a sense that the gorgeous attire on display isn’t completely new and original. Whether it’s the return of tie-dye or the skinny jean, trends never really die. And, while we’d prefer to think the string vest and dodgy...