Andrew Mernin

Going down the garden...

Posted by Andrew Mernin on July 23, 2008 3:35 PM

WHEN I was knee-high to a grasshopper the boredom of Sunday afternoons was not complete without a seemingly endless episode of The Waltons.

Time almost stood still as the trials and tribulations of Jim Bob, John Boy and Mary Ellen played out on the small screen - although at least it prolonged Monday morning and the school work that came with it.

Continue reading "Going down the garden..." »

add or read comments (0)

Rules of engagement

Tags:
ebay

Posted by Andrew Mernin on July 14, 2008 5:28 PM

LAST month I set about creating my own retail empire.

After rummaging under my bed for old football programmes, vinyls and even a t-shirt I won many years ago on a kids TV game show I launched my ebay kingdom.

However, my dreams of becoming the next Mike Ashley - minus the pressure of shareholders and the Alan Smith shirt - were short lived.

As the ten-day selling period drew to a close, I was left with virtually nothing. No late bids came in for the footy merchandise and even the Frank Sinatra record couldn't tempt the online masses into parting with their cash.

In fact I was actually left 90p in the red due to ebay charges, and in a matter of days my online shopping empire had collapsed like a pack of cards.

But apparently I am not alone in my ebay woes. And for some online businesses where the stakes are higher than my tin-pot operation, ebay is becoming an increasingly difficult place to do business.

Last week I spoke to a number of North East entrepreneurs who have built their companies around the internet auction site and the common consensus has been one of frustration.

The main gripe is the fact that buyers can leave negative feedback for sellers but sellers can't do the same in return. According to ebay this rule was introduced to stop people abusing the feedback system and to thwart so-called 'feedback bribery'. For some, however, the new rule puts sellers at a disadvantage.

Other complaints include the increasing difficulty that some dealers are finding in getting their goods on display in other overseas market - mainly the lucrative US territory.

According to ebay this problem is being addressed although it may take a while to persuade some disgruntled punters that the US market has been completely unlocked.

There's no doubt that ebay remains a fantastic online trading tool, especially in these tough economic times when money for old rope can help pay for increasingly expensive fuel and food.

But, for those building a business around the site, the changing rules mean the game may have become that little bit harder.

add or read comments (1)

Game over?

Posted by Andrew Mernin on June 20, 2008 5:04 PM

In Canada it's 40%, in France it's 20% and in the UK it's precisely 0%. What am I talking about I hear you ask.

Well, as those who visited this week's GameHorizon conference will know, I am of course referring to Government subsidies for video games companies.

Over the last 25 years, through organic growth from several major firms, the UK has slowly but surely established itself at the top of the video games ladder.

Our companies, including a number of North East success stories, have created a reputation that Britain is best when it comes to pixelated fun - a fact which was reaffirmed this year with the release of British-made global phenomenon Grand Theft Auto 4.

However, all these years of hard work could be undone thanks to the UK Government's inability to support one of the country's most lucrative industries.

Continue reading "Game over?" »

add or read comments (1)

Inner Space

Posted by Andrew Mernin on May 29, 2008 10:14 AM

Anyone who attended the Thinking Digital conference in Gateshead last week no doubt came away with their heads full of the mind-boggling technological ideas that await us in the future.

There were holographic presentations - like something from a Star Wars film - and even one scientist who predicted that we will one-day live to the age of 1,000.

Another tech expert hailed the end of face-to-face meetings thanks to 'telepresence' while the audience was wowed by a futurologist who believes video games will one day be played in the real world in real time.

But for me the most impressive piece of future technology on display reminded me of the 1980s family film Inner Space.

Continue reading "Inner Space" »

add or read comments (1)

Big brother is watching

Posted by Andrew Mernin on May 9, 2008 9:35 AM

With every year that passes, our working lives seem to creep closer and closer to the pages of 1984.

From the monitoring of email and internet usage to the recording of phone calls "for training purposes" an increasing number of bosses seem more focused on the surveillance of their staff than watching what their customers are doing.

But now a piece of legislation is about to come in that is so Orwellian it would make even the thought police proud - welcome to the regime of the National Staff Dismissal Register.

Continue reading "Big brother is watching" »

add or read comments (1)

The revolution

Posted by Andrew Mernin on May 1, 2008 9:29 AM

When I was in short trousers I remember watching a sketch on The Two Ronnies called the worm has turned. The skit was set in a world in complete parallel to 1970s Britain where women ruled supreme and a small band of men tried desperately to cling on to their rights.

What does this have to do with business? I hear you ask.

Well it seems to me that, just as the worm turned on men in The Two Ronnies sketch, the worm is beginning to turn on the corporate giants, as the customer launches its fight back.

Last week a High Court judge confirmed what bank customers have been arguing for years - that bank charges are unfair and we no longer deserve to be hit in the pocket for going over our overdraft limit.

It is still up to the Office of Fair Trading to assess the situation, but it looks as though last week's ruling will pave the way for customers to win back the fees they have paid.

Meanwhile, as two oil giants posted record-breaking profits this week, truck drivers staged a protest in London's Park Lane, blaring their horns to protest a 30% climb in the price of diesel over the past year.

Shell and BP may have shrugged off any criticism they received, but at least the customer is finding its voice and it could only be a matter of time before the fuel firms are forced to listen.

Anyone looking to join the customer revolution, but needs inspiration on where to start, need look no further than comedian Dom Joly's new TV show The Complainers.

The show consists of various big businesses and institutions getting it in the neck by Mr Joly and friends largely by giving them a taste of their own medicine.

One campaign involves the traffic warden’s warden – armed with an in-depth parking rule book he stops wardens in their tracks by uncovering illegally marked parking spots which, by law, can not be used to enforce fines.

Train operators and call centre companies are also among Joly’s other numerous targets.

To join the revolution watch Channel Five, Monday night at 10pm.

add or read comments (0)

The secret's out

Posted by Andrew Mernin on April 17, 2008 9:48 AM

It's official. Women can't keep secrets. And what's more, they are prepared to give away private information with the lure of nothing more than a chocolate bar. But don't shoot the messenger. This isn't me being sexist, this is according to the latest survey by a top research body with too much time on its hands.

A survey by Infosecurity Europe found that women are far more likely to give away their computer passwords to total strangers than men.

Apparently 45% of women versus 10% of men were prepared to give away their password to strangers masquerading as market researchers with the lure of a chocolate bar as an incentive for filling in the survey.

The research also asked for workers names and telephone numbers so that they could be entered into a draw to go to Paris, with this incentive 60% of men and 62% of women gave up their contact information.

So there it is - proof if it were needed - that men are more trustworthy than women.

Admittedly the survey should be taken with a pinch of salt as only 576 people were questioned but it also highlighted the dangers of internet security, or lack of it.

To read the full report click on the link below.

Continue reading "The secret's out" »

add or read comments (1)

The future's bright

Posted by Andrew Mernin on March 19, 2008 9:24 AM

AS news that 2,000 Northern Rock workers will lose their jobs broke, almost every member of the region's business support network threw its name into the 'we can help' hat.

The announcement, which we've been fearing since last autumn, had barely hit the newsstands before One NorthEast launched its rapid response unit aimed at putting the Rock's redundant into work.

At the same time, the CBI revealed it had been meeting with a number of regional stakeholders to "find the best response" for the region.

Meanwhile various other pillars of business society came forward and gave their two cents on what's to be done to find work for the unlucky third of the Rock's North East team.

It looks as though the response team will tout former Rock employees to finance and other admistrative companies in and around Newcastle and there will certainly be no shortage of takers.

Apparently there are currently 1,100 jobs openings in our finance sector and this looks set to rise thanks to Newcastle Building Society, which will create 500 new jobs in the next few years.

But what I wonder is where does this leave the many recruitment agencies in the region? With the weight of government and business leaders focusing on absorbing 2,000 people into the job market, the middle man will effectively be cut out and agencies will be redundant as job openings which may have been on their books, are filled.

For Northern Rock employees - who have been exemplary in keeping their heads while all around them have lost theirs - the future may be uncertain.

But given the help at hand and our buoyant job market, there are positive signs and there could be a feeding frenzy among finance businesses looking to snap up the Rock's experienced, loyal staff.

add or read comments (0)

Well-baked success

Posted by Andrew Mernin on March 12, 2008 9:21 AM

Last year, as one Geordie institution spiralled into crisis, another rose from the ashes to report record-breaking profits.

As vultures from the nation's press descended on the North East to pick over the bones of the Northern Rock crisis, snack giant Greggs was continuing its rapid recovery from a poor 2006, and yesterday the baker delivered a 27.1% increase in profits for 2007.

Last year I was lucky enough to go on a guided tour of the Greggs factory in Gosforth, which for a steak bake-addict like me was exciting to say the least.

Ok, so it wasn't exactly a savoury snack version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory inhabited by little orange men and sausage roll trees, but it certainly was an eye-opener.

One thing that quickly became apparent from our guide was that the factory had changed very little over the years and the baking process remained similar to how it has always been. Stotties are still made the same way they have been for generations and cakes are still iced by hand.

But one thing that worries a pasty lover like me is for how long Greggs' well-baked success story can continue.

As the Government strives to nanny us into a healthy state by tackling obesity, alcohol problems and smoking-related diseases, how long before cakes and pasties are on the hit list?

Prices are already set to rise because of the growing cost of ingredients but within a few years, we could see pasties and cakes follow fuel and alcohol as goods that are taxed because they are bad for us or our environment.

add or read comments (0)

One lump or two?

Posted by Andrew Mernin on March 6, 2008 1:06 PM

According to a radio phone-in I heard this morning, detectives make the best cup of tea. Apparently finding the perfect blend between tea, milk and sugar is a vital tool in coaxing a suspect into a confession and tea-making goes alongside clue-spotting as one of the key skills of the real life Dalziels (and Pascoes). But in other professions perhaps the importance of a hot milky brew is often overlooked. Take the example from Teesside we reported on this morning.
Up to 300 construction workers walked off site at Sabic after an alleged row over tea-making.
Staff downed tools after freezing conditions meant there was no water to boil a kettle. Perhaps this a lesson to bosses everywhere - never underestimate what a cuppa, or the lack of one, can do for staff morale.

add or read comments (0)

Awards season

Posted by Andrew Mernin on March 4, 2008 10:10 AM

It may not have been as incident-filled as the Brit Awards - with Sharon Osborne berating a far-from-sober Vic Reeves and Amy Winehouse making her comeback from rehab - but last week's North East business awards were certainly entertaining.

Ok, so host Wendy Gibson may not have caused as much controversy as Ozzie's missus but her slick presenting skills coupled with hilarious gags from funnyman Nick Davies made for a cracking night all round.

One observation made by the Mancunian comic was how divided the North East is geographically. "The Tyne is hardly the Orinocco" he said to express his confusion at why Newcastle and Gateshead are separate cities.

He also brought up the true story of the Geordie granny who woke up with a Jamaican accent - remember her?

But away from the stage, down among the sea of tuxedos and black dresses, one thing that struck me was the sheer diversity of businesses on show - and this was just the Tyneside and Northumberland heat of the awards.

Alongside international industrial giants like Wellstream, there were drug discovery companies, a firm which makes hi-tech sensors and various nanotechnology groups.

We've certainly come a long way since the demise of our great industries under the Iron Lady's reign.

add or read comments (2)

The nutty professor

Posted by Andrew Mernin on February 28, 2008 1:31 PM

Are you a budding Edison or Einstein with an idea that will change the world? Good news. One of Britain's most brilliant inventors is coming your way.

Yesterday I met Trevor Baylis, inventor of the clockwork radio, over a plate of mince and dumplings at a science and technology conference.

And the man who told me "inventors are not anoraks or lunatics" wants to bring his empire to the North East.

He runs a company dedicated to helping inventors bring their brainchilds to market and is hoping to unearth the next big thing on our patch.

A video of Trevor at yesterday's event is available by clicking on the link below:

http://www.nebusiness.co.uk/interactive-business/videos-and-pictures/

add or read comments (1)

A Mars a day...

Posted by Andrew Mernin on February 28, 2008 11:13 AM

After 13 years, the slogan 'A Mars a day helps you work, rest and play' is making a comeback. But surely under the Trade Descriptions Act, a product which contains caffeine and is loaded with sugar, helps you do anything but rest.

Anyway, this got me thinking of other advertising slogans which don't match the products they are trying to sell.

In my personal experience, HSBC's "It doesn't matter where you are but who you are" takes the biscuit. Try accessing your HSBC account at your 'local' HSBC branch in Dubai and you'll see what I mean.

I prefer more honest slogans, like a poster I once saw at an airport: "Visit New Zealand - it's better than Australia."

add or read comments (0)

Power to the people

Posted by Andrew Mernin on February 25, 2008 11:31 AM

Good news for anyone thinking of taking on the might of the high street banks. Apparently the winds of change are in our favour.

Over the last couple of years websites like moneysavingexpert.com have helped thousands of out-of-pocket customers win back bank charges on the grounds that they were disproportionately high. In fact the customer revolution even spurned a pop song with the catchy lyric "I fought the Lloyds and the Lloyds lost".

However the brakes were soon put on the money-back bandwagon once the Government froze all claims until a test case was examined.

The case is still pending but my sources (the bloke who tried to sell me an 'upgraded' but strangely more expensive account at my local branch last week) can reveal that the mood among the bankers is that they are almost certain the test case will decree that the punters deserve their charges back. Roll on the revolution.

add or read comments (0)

Less red tape please

Posted by Andrew Mernin on February 18, 2008 11:11 AM

There was outcry yesterday after the Chamber of Commerce revealed the cost of new regulations to British business since Labour came to power a decade ago has risen to almost £66bn.

To me this seems a phenomenal amount of money and would suggest that the Government has failed in its drive for better regulation.

Surely, 'better regulation' should mean less burden and time-consuming red tape for businesses to deal with, not over-regulation and the introduction of more and more hoops to jump through when setting up a company.

Clearly we don't want to do business in a country where corruption reigns supreme and transparency is non-existent, but by the same token we don't want a situation where, in tough international conditions, we are held back because of rules for rules sake.

add or read comments (0)

Sharia compliance

Posted by Andrew Mernin on February 8, 2008 9:34 AM

It may be some time before Islamic laws become widely accepted by British society as requested by the Archbishop of Canterbury. However, Sharia law is already alive and kicking on these shores in the finance sector.

As the Muslim population of Britain grows, so too does the demand for Sharia-compliant finance packages. The basic characteristics of Islamic insurance and banking services are that you can't earn or pay interest on loans. Also, money can only be invested in worthy causes - this is similar to the western concept of socially responsible investing.

But these finance packages are not purely reserved for specialist Islamic banks. They are fast becoming a lucrative business for global banking giants.

I spent some time working in the Middle East where the major trend was that more and more Western institutions such as Axa Insurance and Barclays were turning their attention towards the rewards of Islamic finance.

There's no doubt this trend has already reached Britain and it may only be a matter of time before every bank on the high street has realised the benefit of catering for Muslim customers.

add or read comments (2)

The fear factor

Posted by Andrew Mernin on February 6, 2008 9:21 AM

New England football boss Fabio Capello took charge of his first game this week and apparently he has already laid down the law to his players.

The Italian, who has a won a treasure trove of trophies on the continent, reportedly leads with an iron fist and has made it clear that he doesn't want to be best friends with any of the players.

He looks set to instill a climate of fear among his squad and has already issued players with a list of rules as long as Peter Crouch's lanky frame.

But I wonder whether the idea of motivating people through fear works in the daily grind of the business world.

Many moons ago I had a job in the hospitality sector (Ok..I was a waiter), with a head chef so fearsome

Search the site

About this site

Recent comments

Recent Posts

Sponsored links

Feeds

Blog Authors

Archives

Links

Sponsored links

Andrew Mernin

Going down the garden...

Rules of engagement

Game over?

Inner Space

Big brother is watching

The revolution

The secret's out

The future's bright

Well-baked success

One lump or two?

Awards season

The nutty professor

A Mars a day...

Power to the people

Less red tape please

Sharia compliance

The fear factor

Search the site

About this site

Recent comments

Recent Posts

Tag cloud...

Sponsored links

Feeds

Blog Authors

Archives

Links

Sponsored links

Andrew Mernin