Category: Opinion

The right attitude to work and a strong set of basic skills remain the top two wishes of employers when it comes to hiring new recruits. This is according to a new survey of our members on employment and skills, which revealed 63% of employers rate a positive attitude to work as the key requirement, with around half noting the importance of basic skills.

Much has been said in recent months about Britain’s export situation and the benefit exporting brings to the economy as a whole. Clearly the Eurozone crisis has had a significant dampening effect on the UK economy. Yet leading international payments specialist Smart Currency Business is quick to point out that it has not been without its share of positive side effects, most notably the rebalancing of British exports currently underway.

In the city of gold called Dubai, where size matters, the teams were sent on a scavenger hunt. In the shadow of the Dubai skyline the two teams were sent on a wild goose chase with cash. But through a failure to listen and some suspected chauvinism one team failed and another drank cocktails in relief.

This weeks episode had all the emotion and angst of Kramer vs Kramer only it was Bovine vs Bovine.

A recent RBS study of diversity in business and commercial banking found that a third of women said the type of aggressive business behaviour seen on TV shows such as Dragons’ Den and The Apprentice is putting them off. We asked Vanessa Vallely, author & entrepreneur, to look at this problem.

One of the UKs leading entrepreneurs William Chase has voiced his deep concern over the fact that Huge container ships from Asia arrive at UK ports such as Felixstowe, Suffolk and Southampton loaded with all manner of consumer and industrial goods.Yet the majority return to their home ports empty.

I’ve never been much of a feminist. In fact, I’ve often shunned women’s events with the attitude of “Want to be a success? Then stop moaning and do something about it!” However with the recent re-emergence of women’s issues in the media and the flurry of discussions that have ensued, I too have found myself thinking about it.

So, why is it important to have engaged and satisfied staff? Surely, we should simply be happy to allow our staff to come to work and be grateful that they bother to do any? We’re the ones who need the staff, so should we care if they care?

So this week’s challenge was an example of when is a box not a box? When the girls try and think outside it apparently; and when is a chair not a chair? When the boys fold it into a table? Oh dear me.

Small businesses had an estimated combined turnover of £1,500 billion last year. They truly are the driving force behind the UK economy. With this in mind, it’s no surprise that Lord Young champions them in his ‘Growing Your Business’ Report.

Corporation tax liabilities, and the setting of rates at which they are levied, is a sensitive issue. The public derides firms that are seen not to pay their share of tax, while business advocates and economists regularly decry the inefficiency of increasing the cost burden on SMEs – acting as a drag on both profitability and national economic growth.

It may be counter-intuitive, but here’s why you need to slow down before your next big decision.

So as the container challenge boxed off Jaz Ampaw-Farr in the first episode it was time to see who would drown in the beer challenge.

BBC1’s the Apprentice returned to our screens last night with series 9, fifteen industrious gladiators lined up against each other for a chance of a cold hard lump of Lord Sugar’s investment cash! With lots of shouting into mobile phones, let the back stabbing commence!