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Author: James Cook

How to handle layoffs as the recession begins to bite

Redundancies are sometimes necessary but there are ways to conduct the process to make it easier for staff and managers

James Cook

Flat design of two businesswomen facing each others with ideas in their heads, team working or brainstorming illustration concept

Co-CEOs: Are more heads better than one?

After M&S revealed it would bring in co-CEOs, we take a look at whether two bosses can complement or just end up clashing

James Cook

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

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

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

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

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

Terry Venables

Terry Venables: A masterclass in communication, preparation, and flexibility

Terry Venables, the former football manager who led England to the semi-finals of Euro 96, sadly passed away over the weekend. Tributes have poured in for the former Tottenham Hotspur, Crystal Palace, and Barcelona manager, revealing some remarkable lessons from a man who left an indelible mark on the world of football. Recognising individual differences...

James Cook

Autumn Statement 2023: What to expect

With the Autumn Statement taking place tomorrow, Jeremy Hunt will set out the government’s latest plans for tax and public spending. Ahead of tomorrow’s address, the chancellor has said, “I will focus on how we boost business investment and get people back into work to deliver the growth our country needs.” We’ve collated everything that’s...

James Cook

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

Hands holding seedlings

CSR: The role of businesses in the wider community

In this guest article, Lewis Allett, chief executive at Cavell, discusses the role of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and businesses’ support of charities in 2023. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) – what is it? Since the phrase was first coined in the 1950s by American economist Howard Bowen, ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’ has meant different things at...

James Cook

Business confidence in the South West falls more than half

Business confidence in the South West fell 25 points during September to 21%, the lowest level in six months, according to the latest Business Barometer from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking. Companies in the South West reported lower confidence in their own business prospects month-on-month, down 23 points at 26%. When taken alongside their optimism in...

James Cook

Financial backing is the biggest obstacle to the UK’s aspiring entrepreneurs

With almost 20,000 Brits searching ‘how to start a business’ each month, it’s clear we’re a nation full of budding entrepreneurs. However, if so many are considering flying solo, what barriers are potentially stopping their excursion? Online printing company, Solopress, has analysed the reasons currently stopping Brits from taking the leap into starting their dream business,...

James Cook

BMLL builds on Series B with Snowflake Ventures investment

BMLL, the independent provider of harmonised, historical Level 3 data and analytics across global equity and futures markets, today announced that the company has secured investment from Snowflake Ventures and entered into a partnership with Snowflake to deliver granular data and analytics to market participants globally. The news follows the $26m Series B investment from...

James Cook

Andy Mooney, CEO of Fender

Going where the opportunity is but never losing touch – Q&A with Fender CEO, Andy Mooney

In an exclusive interview, we chatted with Andy Mooney, the CEO of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation and creator of the $45bn (£35.2bn) Disney Princess franchise. We met Andy at the Fender Artist Showroom in central London, where he told us how going where the opportunity is has enabled him to enjoy a distinguished career, why...

James Cook

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

What is the difference between B2B and B2C companies?

B2B and B2C are two common but different types of business models. In this article, we take a closer look at B2B and B2C companies to tell you all the information you need to know about them. What is a B2B business? The meaning of B2B is ‘business-to-business’ and B2B companies sell products or services, or...

James Cook

Spring Budget 2023 announced – what does it mean for me?

Jeremy Hunt has announced his first Spring Budget as Chancellor. We’ve broken down exactly what was announced and what implications this could have for you. Energy price guarantee extended for three months The Chancellor confirmed that the energy price guarantee will be extended at its current level for an additional three months, from April to...

James Cook

What are the contemporary business issues you should be aware of?

Entrepreneurs must navigate key business challenges – from economic shifts to digital transformation, ESG, and talent shortages – to stay competitive

James Cook

PerfectTed Matcha Energy Drinks

PerfectTed matcha drink launches in Tesco

PerfectTed is led by entrepreneurs, housemates and best friends, Marisa Poster and brothers Teddie and Levi Levenfiche. Together they have created Europe’s first matcha green tea-powered canned energy drink, which is launching to Tesco on the 27th of February in single cans (included in the Meal Deal) and on the 13th of March in new...

James Cook

UK GDP growth best amongst G7 nations in 2022, but are we now in recession?

According to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics, UK GDP growth was flat in the three months to December 2022, meaning the UK managed to avoid recession last year. GDP fell by 0.5% in December, which followed the growth of 0.1% in November and 0.5% in October. In Q3 2022, GDP dropped...

James Cook

8 successful business stories where entrepreneurs overcame adversity

The economic forecast for 2023 indicates that this year will be a tough one for many. However, there are plenty of entrepreneurs who have gone through adversity and achieved their goals, so here are 8 successful business stories to provide some entrepreneurial inspiration. 1. James Dyson’s 5,126 failed prototypes James Dyson is one of the...

James Cook