Matt James runs fingerprint-recognition technology firm UKB Security »
James Mills is a web developer in the North East of England and founder of Refresh Teesside »
Phil Renton is managing director of North East IT empire Croft »
Matthew Rippon is an IP lawyer for BHP Law »
Accessibilty Champion Steve Wilkinson on the importance of inclusion »
Shared Interest Staff at Newcastle's fair trade firm blog on their latest international missions »
PR man David Honeywell on raising your profile in the right places »
Marion Bernard is from NorthStar Equity Investors »
Caroline Theobald is the Managing Director of Bridge Club Ltd »
John Barton of Renew, on the region's low carbon and sustainable energy agenda »
Paul Williamson is Senior Partner at Deloitte »
Stephen Hall is Tax Partner at Deloitte »December 2008 Archives
Cut that will still leave scars...
- Tags:
- Northern Rock
Posted by Jez Davison on December 1, 2008 9:26 AM
REMEMBER, remember, the seventh of November? That was the date on which the Bank of England announced a 1.5% interest rate cut designed to put a rocket up a burnt-out economy.
The unexpected move brought the base rate to 3% - the lowest for 50 years - but whether it puts the sparkle back into business depends on banks' willingness to lend more to homeowners and businesses at cheaper rates.
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Festive buyers rule the markets
Posted by Jez Davison on December 1, 2008 9:26 AM
Credit crunch lunches for £3.95, buyers naming their price for unwanted properties, crazy cashback deals on mobile phones and cars, and an interest rate which could drop to as low as zero.
In this post-apocalyptic era of the great crash of 2008, the consumer is king.
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RBS move puts pressure on Rock
- Tags:
- banks
- Gary Hoffman
- Northern Rock
- RBS
Posted by Andrew Hebden on December 1, 2008 10:29 AM
Last night's surprise move by RBS to give a six-month grace period to homeowners falling in to arrears on their mortgage repayments puts pressure on other lenders to follow suit.
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Is VAT cut just a pricey policy?
- Tags:
- pre-Budget report
- VAT
Posted by Jez Davison on December 5, 2008 3:28 PM
Profligacy has become the new prudence. Labour's radical spend and tax policy, outlined in the pre-Budget report, is an expensive gamble to stimulate the economy and get families and businesses through the most turbulent economic period in recent history.
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Festivities and Fitness: combining the impossible!
Posted by Andrea Wilkinson on December 8, 2008 4:28 PM
Well it has to be said that the start of the festive period is not the best time to throw yourself into a fitness regime - but thanks to my fundraising efforts for Shared Interest Foundation it has to be done, so I have settled for combining the two!
I started with a Saturday Christmas shopping expedition, which by lunchtime left me thinking it must be loads harder than climbing Kilimanjaro!
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Concern surrounds speed of Nissan move
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- Nissan
Posted by Andrew Hebden on December 9, 2008 7:08 PM
The biggest surprise about Nissan's announcement tonight that it is cutting production at its Sunderland plant in the run up to Christmas is the timing.
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Blood, Sweat and Tears (Well definitely the second two!)
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- fitness
Posted by Andrea Wilkinson on December 10, 2008 3:54 PM
Well I have certainly upped the stakes - every muscle in my body aches after a double gym and circuit training session last night.
I thought after being a little lax at the weekend I should try a little harder with my fitness regime and what better way than to join a circuit training class and be shouted at for an hour?
I got to the gym a little early and instead of waiting around I thought I should use my time effectively so decided to jump on the cross trainer. Big mistake....
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Kilimanjaro: The New Angel of the South?
Posted by Andrea Wilkinson on December 11, 2008 2:51 PM
Well after the hell that was circuit training I very much enjoyed the variation on my training regime last night, which involved a 10 mile walk to the Angel of the North and back.
So today I am feeling refreshed rather than achy and ready for a productive day at work followed by a session at the gym tonight.
At the moment, anything about Kilimanjaro immediately catches my attention, so I was intrigued by an article in Fairtrade Foundation's Fair Comment e-zine today. It made me think about all the huge personal achievements that have been realised on the slopes of Kilimanjaro and how some stories are not even connected to climbing.
This particular piece was a truly moving story about a week-long celebration of the oldest Cooperative in all of Africa. KNCU (Kilimanjaro Native Cooperative Union) was officially incorporated in 1933, and to celebrate 75 years of empowerment, a host of organisations and individuals held a series of events to mark the occasion.
As I read further I discovered that members of KNCU voluntarily contribute to an education fund that is used to build and operate schools for farmers' children for whom they also provide scholarships.
Mathew Matoli, Member, KNCU Member is quoted as saying on the Coffee Club Network: "Without our cooperative and selling to the fair trade market, our lives would have been very terrible. Our cooperative and the fair trade buyers give us hope and courage, for we are able to earn a higher wage and better provide for our families."
In climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, Neil and I will be raising thousands of pounds to help fair trade producers in Swaziland benefit in the same way: to work their way out of poverty. It seems that the mountain has become a keystone in the fair trade movement, overlooking the farmers and craft makers clustered amongst the foothills and helping to promote and raise money for their cause.
Could this be the new Angel of the South?
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Local banks for local needs
Posted by Jez Davison on December 11, 2008 4:49 PM
WILL we ever see the day when the Bank of Tees Valley flies to the rescue of local businesses?
Perhaps we will, if local authorities follow the pioneering lead of Essex County Council to create its own bank.
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Water, water ,everywhere, Nor any drop to drink
Posted by Ian Brown on December 13, 2008 4:34 PM
Bottled water is an icon of the modern world. On a wet December day in Northumberland the idea that water is a precious resource is perhaps a hard sell but believe me pure water will be depleted all around the world and become an even more precious resource. At a personal level I'm lucky, at Lee Moor we have a spring supply, a borehole which produces Natural Mineral Water to EU standards and mains fresh from Northumbrian Water.
The sale of Abbey Well to Coca-Cola has me thinking that maybe I should implement my first ever non-farming business idea some 16 ago!!
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Transport infrastructure upgrade needed now
Posted by Jez Davison on December 15, 2008 10:48 AM
It would attract inward investment, create jobs and generate millions of pounds for the local economy. It would fast-track the growth of indigenous businesses and provide vital support for Teesport and Durham Tees Valley Airport. And it's the talk of the town on Teesside.
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Happy Christmas from HSBC
Posted by Andrew Mernin on December 17, 2008 6:05 PM
THE award for the biggest corporate scrooge on the high street goes to HSBC.
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Escaping the crunch
- Tags:
- credit crunch
Posted by Andrew Mernin on December 18, 2008 10:16 AM
IF SOMEONE asked me to describe 2008 in two words, I'd say "credit crunch".
And hopefully that would be the last time I'd have to use that awful phrase for a while at least.
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A sad, but predictable, end to the year
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- recession
Posted by Andrew Hebden on December 23, 2008 3:07 PM
The apparent fire-sale of the stores belonging to The Officers Club represents a sad end to 2008 for North East business.
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2009: Fightback or Failure?
Posted by Jez Davison on December 29, 2008 10:10 AM
House prices will fall by a further 15%, unemployment will spiral to more than two million, the FTSE will plunge below 3,500 and business failures will reach record levels.
Or... shares will rally sharply, banks and commercial property will spark a sustained economic fightback and cheap bargains will send consumers flooding back to the high street.
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