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The art of business wargaming

Welcome to the world of business wargaming — a powerful tool used by companies to test strategies, foster innovative thinking, and reveal hidden threats

Josh Dornbrack

A pattern with illustration featuring Larry Ellison

Inside the rise of Larry Ellison’s tech empire

Sukhendu Pal spent a decade at the heart of the database giant in its early days. Here he looks back at how a brilliant leader made Oracle an unstoppable force.

Josh Dornbrack

Two pound symbols fight in a street

Price wars: Strategies in the battle against inflation

Fraser Smeaton, CEO at Morph Costumes, is in a pickle. With inflation easing and a cost-plus model in play, he’s facing a tricky balancing act. He’s not on his own as business leaders across Britain are tackling a pricing challenge, deciding between cutting prices to win customers or fattening their profit margins. “Our prices have...

Patricia Cullen

Businessman hand protect chess king figure

Takeover immunity: Can it ever be truly achieved?

For some company owners, an acquisition is the perfect exit strategy. But for the leaders who want to continue growing, a takeover is likely to be the last thing on their minds. With the BBC recently reporting that Danish pharmaceutical giant, Novo Nordisk is “virtually immune to a takeover bid”, we investigated whether it was...

James Cook

Magnifying glass looking over employees

How employee ownership is shaping long-term business strategy

The number of employee-owned businesses in the UK increased by 37% between June 2022 and June 2023, according to the Employee Ownership Association (EOA). With the figure standing at 1,418 and looking set to grow further, we investigated the conduciveness of this ownership model to a successful long-term business strategy. Its rise in UK popularity...

James Cook

Two hands on a desk about to interlock two puzzle pieces

Entrepreneurship through acquisition: On the rise but no cause for concern

“Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA) is a fast-growing trend in M&A and we’re beginning to see the pipeline of work building in this area considerably,” says David Baverstock, corporate partner at law firm Marriott Harrison. With ETA on the rise, we investigated how it could affect the wider M&A market. ETA emerged from Stanford Business School...

James Cook

Two hands with male and female symbols

How close are we to gender parity in 2024?

Imagine Sarah and John, both nearing retirement. Sarah faces a daunting 19-year extension to her career just to reach the same pension savings John has amassed. The Pensions Policy Institute’s recent findings underscore the significant gender gap in pension wealth. Fear not though, the gender gap is on course to close… in 52 years. Analysis...

Patricia Cullen

Two hands on a mouse

The business of love: Managing workplace relationships

Richard and Judy, the duo who co-hosted “This Morning” between October 1988 and July 2001, met while working together at Granada TV in the North West of England. Their professional relationship evolved into something more, leading to 35 years of marriage. This phenomenon is not uncommon as Forbes (2024) reports that over 60% of adults...

Patricia Cullen

Eight people sitting around a table in a meeting

Should UK companies have employees on their boards?

Workers should be placed on company boards to “inject some much-needed common sense into boardrooms,” says Paul Nowak, general secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC). Nowak’s comments were featured in an article by The Guardian reporting that FTSE100 chiefs were paid more in the first three days of this year than the average worker...

James Cook

Understudy Wisdom

Understudy wisdom: Leadership lessons from renowned business duos

For every big name in business, there are understudies that act as sounding boards, confidants, and trusted ears. The world was reminded of the influence that a number two can have in life and business when Charlie Munger passed away just shy of his 100th birthday. We break down a few notable number twos and...

Josh Dornbrack

Chāmpo beauty products

How Chāmpo became the UK’s fastest-growing beauty company

Ranked eighth on The Sunday Times Hundred 2023, making it the UK’s fastest-growing beauty company, Chāmpo has achieved a compound annual growth rate of 217% over the past three years and sold more than one million products since its 2019 launch. The company, which provides clinically proven formulas for a new generation of haircare consumers,...

James Cook

Advertising avenues 2024

Advertising avenues to consider for business growth in 2024

Brand visibility is critical and in a digital age, there are hundreds of ways to choose from to get your message in front of a potential consumer. As we welcome a brand-spanking new year, we highlight some advertising avenues to think about in 2024. Podcast advertising With over 4 million podcast shows available and 53,000...

Josh Dornbrack

The pros and cons of taking venture capital funding for your startup

In 2022, venture capital (VC) firms raised a record-breaking $162.6 billion. Venture capital investment can be an especially attractive way of obtaining significant capital for your startup and taking it to the next level. But what is venture capital? VC is a type of funding that involves private equity financing that is provided by several...

How hotels can reduce their carbon footprint

Hotels play a significant role in the hospitality industry, but their operations often have a substantial environmental impact. Reducing the carbon footprint of hotels is not only beneficial for the environment, but also for the reputation and bottom line of the business. In the context of the UK, where sustainability is gaining increasing importance, hotels...

Introducing The BoxCo: Transforming self-storage with tech

In an era dominated by instant deliveries and digital convenience, The BoxCo. emerges as a game-changer in the self-storage industry. With a vision to revolutionise the way we store our personal items, The BoxCo. is a breath of fresh air in a sector that’s ripe for a tech makeover. Founders’ vision: Streamlining storage The journey...

Navigating economic uncertainty: The role of fractional CFOs in risk management

Economic uncertainty inevitably challenges small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which commonly cannot afford full-time, high-level finance executives. In such turbulent times, a fractional chief financial officer (CFO) plays a vital role, especially in risk management. This article explores how fractional CFO services equip SMEs with essential expertise to effectively steer through economic uncertainties, delivering strategic...

What measures can UK companies take to reduce cyber attacks?

In an increasingly digital world, the threat of cyber attacks looms large over businesses, with UK companies being no exception.  According to recent statistics, cybercrime costs the UK economy billions of pounds each year, with the average cost of a cyber attack for a small or medium-sized enterprise standing at around £8,460 per incident.  In...

How UK landlords can get ahead on their rent

In the complex world of UK property management, landlords often encounter situations where immediate access to cash is necessary to address maintenance issues, cover expenses or pursue investment opportunities. To meet these financial needs, landlords have several options available, including cash advances on rent, landlord finance, factoring and secured loans. Landlords seeking quick access to...

What an accountant can offer the self-employed

As a self-employed individual in the UK, managing your finances can be a daunting task amid the responsibilities of running your own business. This is where an accountant becomes an invaluable asset, providing expert guidance and support to ensure financial stability and compliance with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) regulations. One of the key roles...

How your business can access capital quickly

Despite their importance to the economy, small businesses often have a very difficult time securing the funding they need. This means their owners need to be more resourceful when it comes to financing their businesses and may need to explore alternative sources of funding. Only 20 per cent of small businesses are successful in their...

Five actions that will drive 2024 business growth

As we enter 2024, the spotlight is on key predictions shaping the landscape for SMEs and global growth. With economic instability rife and technology evolving swiftly, SMEs must take proactive steps to manage resources and stay updated on market trends. According to recent research from Three Business, UK SMEs are anticipating an average of 15%...

Patricia Cullen

Five tech scale-ups to watch out for in 2024

With the rise of AI, advancements in cordless technology, and pinching as the new clicking, 2023 has been a great year for technology. It’s hard to sum up how much has changed in the last 12 months, and it’s even harder to predict where the next year will take us, but who are some of...

Alice Cumming

‘Immortalists’: The companies behind anti-ageing

Billionaires have begun to invest in unknown companies with the promise of anti-ageing. The likes of Jeff Bezos, Sam Altman, and Bryan Johnson are reportedly set on living forever. Historically, rich, affluent people have attempted to prevent ageing. From Countess Elizabeth de Ecsed of the Kingdom of Hungary killing and mutilating hundreds of young women...

Alice Cumming

Who are the top 32 serial entrepreneurs?

Many successful businesspeople create one company and spend their lives scaling it, but for others, one just simply isn’t enough. As these entrepreneurs progress through their careers, they spot new industries that are worth branching into, take time to pursue what they’re really passionate about, or sometimes, for whatever reason, they just don’t get it...

James Cook