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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

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

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

‘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

Half gen alpha, half millennial

From Millennials to Gen Alpha: Lessons in workplace evolution and leadership

Generation Alpha are the first generation to be categorised entirely in the new millennium. Born between 2010 and 2025, this generation is widely defined by the birth – and use – of the iPad. Often the offspring of Millennial parents, there’s current discourse on Gen Alpha surrounding their behaviour, inattentive nature, and technology obsession. But...

Alice Cumming

Thatcher illustration

The remarkable legacy of the Enterprise Allowance Scheme and the case to bring it back

During the 1980s, in the midst of surging unemployment, Margaret Thatcher’s government rolled out the Enterprise Allowance Scheme (EAS), an initiative which provided a weekly allowance for unemployed people of working age with entrepreneurial ambitions. Although it had its critics, the ESA left a remarkable legacy. Rolled out nationwide in 1983, the Enterprise Allowance Scheme...

James Cook

Collection of images showing the history of an ice cream

How the history of ice cream highlights the importance of IP protection

The year is 1920, in a small sweetshop in Iowa, a young boy stares at a shelf with a frustrated look. He asks the store’s owner for an ice cream, then changes his mind and asks for a chocolate bar instead. The owner asked the boy why he didn’t buy both. The boy exclaims, “I...

Josh Dornbrack

Disrupting the disruptors

Disrupting the disruptors: Lessons from 5 businesses that failed to adapt to change

“Learning and innovation go hand in hand. The arrogance of success is to think that what you did yesterday will be sufficient for tomorrow.” – William Pollard It’s not easy being a business leader. No matter the size of your business, disruption is the goal but it’s around every corner. What separates Blockbuster from Netflix,...

Josh Dornbrack

Booths self service

Has Booths signalled the beginning of the end for self-service checkouts?

Booths, the supermarket chain described as the “northern Waitrose”, has axed nearly all its self-service, becoming the first in the UK to return to fully staffed checkouts. The firm said that of its 28 stores, just two (Keswick and Windermere in Cumbria) will see staff return to checkouts. Booths said they took the decision because...

James Cook

Girl math

Girl math: Economic genius or generational fad?

Do you ever find yourself justifying a coffee purchase at lunch or spending a bit extra on your online order to get free delivery? If you have, you may be guilty of partaking in the social media trend of “girl math.” Spearheaded by female creators and originally from New Zealand, girl math is a set...

Alice Cumming

Apprenticeships

Concerns grow about apprenticeship levy 

The number of apprentices starting in small businesses has plummeted 49% since the introduction of the apprenticeship levy in 2017. That stark figure from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development was included in a new report that also revealed a fall in employer investment in training and apprenticeships, despite labour shortages in many UK...

Josh Dornbrack

Unlocking the potential of the silver workforce 

More than half of the UK workforce will be 50 years old or above by 2035. That compares to just over a third in 2019. This demographic shift poses significant challenges for the labour market and businesses. Currently 1.3 million workers between 50 and 64 years old cannot work because of chronic illness according to...

Patricia Cullen

South Africa's team celebrates from a bus with supporters during the Springboks Champions trophy tour in Cape Town on November 3, 2023

What leaders can learn from the 2023 Rugby World Cup champions

Led by Siya Kolisi and shaped by Rassie Erasmus, the Springbok squad defied quotas once seen as obstacles to success, instead showcasing a powerful model of leadership, resilience and unity

Josh Dornbrack

Time over money? The ultimate guide to managing your most valuable asset

In a world where time is often undervalued and underutilised, businesses face a critical challenge: maximising the potential of their most invaluable asset, prompting a profound re-evaluation of traditional approaches and a quest for innovative strategies to harness the essence of time in the pursuit of productivity and success. “Some things money can’t buy, for...

Patricia Cullen

A factory with two people working machinery and the BrewDog logo on the floor

From toxic workplace to best employer: BrewDog’s astonishing turnaround

A crisis is a sliding doors moment for any business. A reputation built up over decades can be destroyed in hours by a botched response to a major issue. Controversy is nothing new to BrewDog. Since its establishment in 2007, the self-described ‘Punk’ of beer brewers have intentionally stirred the pot with shock strategies and...

Patricia Cullen

UK-China trade: Is security paranoia preventing a lucrative partnership?

Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden recently told the BBC that China represents the “largest state-based threat” to Britain’s economic security. This type of sentiment has been present throughout UK politics in recent years, with the UK Government blocking numerous attempts to buy UK firms by Chinese companies due to security fears. But is the UK’s...

James Cook

A view of a modern city with it's former look in glasses

From the 1950s to today: How innovation can revive the UK economy

Innovation is the lifeblood of business. The UK has a long history of world-leading and world-changing innovation. From the Industrial Revolution onwards, British innovators have driven forward the engine of global progress. Some believe the global economy today resembles that of the late 1950s. It begs the question then: how did the economy recover after...

Patricia Cullen

A man with a briefcase hopping from a sinking paper boat to another one

Is the London Stock Exchange toxic?

The UK is a powerful country. Placed fifth in the world in terms of GDP, it recorded £2.23trn in 2022 and with more than 30 million adults in the labour market, it boasts the second-largest talent pool in all of Europe. However, it also has an Index losing out to its US counterparts and an...

Patricia Cullen

Autumn in Warsaw, top view of the Palace of Culture in Poland

The rise of an underdog: How this European nation is quietly dominating the global stage

Poland is on the verge of becoming a great global power. The Polish economy has proven resilient to multiple global shocks, including the 2020 recession, the war in Ukraine, the energy crisis and tighter global financing conditions. What insights can this remarkable success story offer to other countries, and what can UK businesses do to...

Patricia Cullen

A person is plugging in a block between two blocks

The rise of the chief of staff

The role of a chief of staff is often misunderstood as a glorified executive assistant, but it offers far more strategic value

Josh Dornbrack