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neotherbusiness is a business blog where you can share views and opinions about business news and developments in Newcastle and the North-East.

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Blog Authors

James MillsJames Mills is a web developer in the North East of England and founder of Refresh Teesside »

Mike HughesMike Hughes is the Head of Business for the Evening Gazette. He will be blogging on all matters of importance to Teesside businesses - and some that are just worth knowing »

Jez DavisonJez Davison, business writer at the Evening Gazette, is a regular blogger on all things business - particularly finance, entrepreneurship and the state of the Teesside economy »

Karen McLauchlanKaren McLauchlan is the Evening Gazette's deputy business and features editor - with special interest in all things industry, property and arts related »

Jeremy MiddletonJeremy Middleton is a venture capitalist and the co-founder of FTSE-200 company HomeServe »

DeloitteDeloitte, which has 23 offices across the UK including Newcastle, is among the country's leading professional services firms »

ClimateNEClimateNE & Climate Change Schools Project support the move to a low-carbon, resilient economy and help businesses avoid risk and realise commercial opportunities. Posts by Jen Atkinson, Krista McKinzey and Harriet Thew »

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Jez Davison


Jez Davison

Mired in stagflation - the road to nowhere

Posted by Jez Davison on July 27, 2011 8:14 AM


Yesterday's disappointing GDP figures have heaped more pressure on the Government to scale back its deficit-busting austerity programme.

The 0.2% second quarter rise in output follows six months of stagnation, with the economy effectively flat-lining in the half-year to March.

Continue reading "Mired in stagflation - the road to nowhere" »


Jez Davison

Enterprise plans need answers

Posted by Jez Davison on June 13, 2011 10:08 AM


The grand masterplan for a £4bn enterprise zone network has raised a series of intriguing questions.

On the face of it, the vast scale of the plan, which aims to create 43,000 jobs over the next 25 years, is one of the most ambitious Teesside has ever seen.

The burning question is whether it will be achievable.

Continue reading "Enterprise plans need answers" »


Jez Davison

Lending freeze shows no sign of thawing

Posted by Jez Davison on May 31, 2011 1:27 PM


Britain's biggest banks have missed their lending targets for the cross-section of businesses tasked with getting the economy moving again.

Continue reading "Lending freeze shows no sign of thawing" »


Jez Davison

Green firms plot path to recovery

Posted by Jez Davison on May 12, 2011 4:38 PM


Twelve months ago Teesside industry was on its knees.

Britain had officially escaped from recession but it didn't feel like it.

Continue reading "Green firms plot path to recovery" »


A question of balance

Posted by on August 10, 2010 11:34 AM

The banking sector was thrust firmly into the spotlight last week as the 'big four' announced bumper profits in a return to health after the financial crisis.

The encouraging news from HSBC, Royal Bank of Scotland, Lloyds and Barclays has boosted hopes that the pain of 2008 is over and that the taxpayer could make a profitable exit from the Government's bank bail-outs.

Continue reading "A question of balance" »


Great expectations, an even bigger disappointment

Posted by on August 10, 2010 11:29 AM

The visit of Business Secretary Vince Cable to Teesside last week sparked hope that he would announce a much-publicised tie-up between Corus and Thai steel giant Sahaviriya Steel Industries (SSI).

The two companies are thought to be in advanced negotiations to strike a deal that will see SSI buy the mothballed Teesside Cast Products (TCP) plant in Redcar. But although due diligence is ongoing, Dr Cable confirmed that a sale has not yet been agreed.

Continue reading "Great expectations, an even bigger disappointment" »


Stress tests won't calm lending nerves

Posted by on August 3, 2010 9:30 AM

Cash-strapped Teesside firms won't be celebrating the dubious 'achievement' of Britain's big four banks passing Europe's much-hyped stress-tests.

Designed to reassure investors over the health of Europe's financial sectors, the exercise was a box-ticking formality for RBS, Lloyds, HSBC and Barclays, which had already faced much tougher scrutiny from the Financial Services Authority (FSA).

Continue reading "Stress tests won't calm lending nerves" »


Teesside economy at a crossroads

Posted by on July 27, 2010 8:49 AM

Last December, with the country just out of the deepest recession in post-war history, an unusual thing happened on Teesside.

Hartlepool manufacturer Exwold Technology announced it was poised to open its fourth North-east plant as it looked to double sales over the next few years.

At a time when the vast majority of firms were scaling back on capital investment, it was quite a story.

Now, though, expansion tales are becoming commonplace in the local news as revenue generation replaces cost-cutting as firms' main modus operandi.

Continue reading "Teesside economy at a crossroads" »


Tees Valley identity crisis is a threat to local business

Posted by on July 20, 2010 10:44 AM

The Evening Gazette identity crisis campaign has sparked fierce debate among business leaders, politicians and the public.

A range of responses have flooded in since the campaign launched, with more than half of respondents opting for the name Teesside to describe the region in which they lived.

Continue reading "Tees Valley identity crisis is a threat to local business" »


Boy George's first song hits the right note

Posted by on July 2, 2010 11:41 AM

George Osborne's inaugural Budget has been given the thumbs-up by business despite tax rises and deep spending cuts which could tip the country back into recession.

The Chancellor was praised for putting entrepreneurial activity and private sector growth at the heart of his grand master-plan, while outlining a credible blueprint for reducing Britain's £156bn budget deficit.

Continue reading "Boy George's first song hits the right note" »


BP chief's job untenable after PR disaster

Posted by on June 23, 2010 8:06 AM

He has presided over one of the worst oil slicks in drilling history but slick he isn't.

BP chief Tony Hayward's handling of the crisis in the Gulf of Mexico has lurched from one PR disaster to another.

Continue reading "BP chief's job untenable after PR disaster" »


Consumer tax is the lesser of two evils

Posted by on May 25, 2010 11:45 AM

As the new Tory-Lib Dem coalition prepares to deliver its first budget next month, businesses will be bracing themselves for inevitable tax hikes.

The question is, where will these increases hit and how painful will they be?

Continue reading "Consumer tax is the lesser of two evils" »


Staff protest underlines fall-out from banking crisis

Posted by on May 20, 2010 10:49 AM

The Baked Snacks Company is yet again under fire for failing to pay its staff on time.

Workers have staged another blockade at the biscuit maker's premises at South Bank in attempt to force management into action.

Continue reading "Staff protest underlines fall-out from banking crisis" »


Don't get hung up on hung parliament

Posted by on May 11, 2010 10:06 AM

The situation that businesses dreaded has become reality.

The Tories' failure to win the 326 seats needed for an outright election victory has resulted in a hung parliament and sparked a furious round of wheeler-dealing in an attempt to create a workable coalition.

Continue reading "Don't get hung up on hung parliament" »


Budget bore provides little clarity for business

Posted by on March 30, 2010 9:28 AM

Alistair Darling's eagerly awaited Budget was significant more for its omissions than its headlines.

The dreary set of statements were reeled off with the enthusiasm of a condemned man who knows his time on Threadneedle Street could be up.

Continue reading "Budget bore provides little clarity for business" »


Employers want quality, not quantity

Posted by on March 23, 2010 10:20 AM

The Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR) has taken fearful stick for urging the Government to end its 50% target for participation in higher education.

But why the furore when raising standards rather than numbers should have been ministers' primary aim from day one?

Continue reading "Employers want quality, not quantity" »


Don't rule out foreign investment

Posted by on March 16, 2010 11:05 AM

The recent mothballing of the Teesside Cast Products plant in Redcar told a wistful tale of the state of British industry.

The decision, which has left 1,600 people out of work, was taken thousands of miles away at the HQ of TCP's Indian owner, Tata.

The long drawn-out episode left people questioning the wisdom of foreign ownership on the grounds that Teesside could no longer control its own destiny.

Continue reading "Don't rule out foreign investment" »


Why Tees Valley should worry about Greece

Posted by on March 11, 2010 11:53 AM

Tees Valley and Greece may lie about 1,500 miles apart but tales of their economic suffering are eerily similar.

Both have been caught up in a much wider problem that will be hard for them to escape.

Continue reading "Why Tees Valley should worry about Greece" »


Businesses enter new age of austerity

Posted by on March 11, 2010 11:48 AM

The plight of the UK plc has been highlighted in booming bold, letters by news that dividend payments from UK companies fell by a whopping £10bn last year.

UK companies paid out £56.9bn in dividends in 2009 - 15% less than in 2008 - with investors in the banking sector the worst impacted as the financial crisis wrought havoc.

Continue reading "Businesses enter new age of austerity" »


The end or a new beginning?

Posted by on February 23, 2010 8:00 AM

Last week's mothballing of the Corus steel-making plant in Redcar drew the curtain down on a proud tradition stretching back 150 years on Teesside.

The official line is that 1,600 jobs will be lost, but hundreds more will go as the pain of last week's action reverberates through the North-east supply chain.

Continue reading "The end or a new beginning?" »


Apprenticeships need more employer buy-in

Posted by on February 9, 2010 9:05 AM

The rising tide of young people out of work is a sobering reminder of the trail of destruction left by the recession.

Official figures show that the North-east has more NEETs - 16-24-year-olds not in education, employment or training - as a percentage of its young population than anywhere else in the UK.

Continue reading "Apprenticeships need more employer buy-in" »


Which way now for Durham Tees Valley Airport?

Posted by on January 19, 2010 9:20 AM

The sharp slump in passenger numbers at Durham Tees Valley Airport (DTVA) has highlighted in bold the monumental challenge facing Britain's aviation industry.

On Friday it emerged that just 300,000 had passed through the gates last year - less than half of the number in 2008.

Continue reading "Which way now for Durham Tees Valley Airport?" »


Austerity or aspiration for business?

Posted by on January 12, 2010 8:11 AM

May 6, the expected date for this year's general election, could be a defining day in the history of Teesside business.

It will mark the epiphanic moment when company owners decide whether they will be better off in David Cameron's Age of Austerity or Gordon Brown's racier Age of Aspiration.

Amid the political spin and subterfuge, it's a tough one to call.

Continue reading "Austerity or aspiration for business?" »


Make more and consume less

Posted by on January 5, 2010 9:32 AM

The roller-coaster ride that was the first decade of the twenty-first century has brought Teesside and the rest of Britain down to earth with an almighty bump.

First there was the dot.com busted flush that saw entrepreneurs make - then lose - millions overnight. Next came the construction boom and bust, where houses, hotels and offices were built on the rocky foundations of sky-high debt that ultimately couldn't be repaid.

And finally, the Northern Rock meltdown and subsequent implosion of financial systems around the world have left many questioning whether life will ever be the same again.

Continue reading "Make more and consume less" »


Annus horribilis for Tees Valley - but reasons to be cheerful

Posted by on December 22, 2009 8:22 AM

The hulking Corus steelmaking plant that has lit up Redcar's skyline for decades is now casting a huge shadow over the local landscape.

A symbol of Tees Valley's working class graft and manufacturing excellence, it will soon become a poignant reminder of former glories unless there is an eleventh hour rescue act to save it from closure.

Continue reading "Annus horribilis for Tees Valley - but reasons to be cheerful" »


Darling puts City status under threat

Posted by on December 15, 2009 9:17 AM

London's status as one of the world's most influential financial hubs has been thrown into jeopardy by the Chancellor's latest attempts to curb bankers' excesses.

Alistair Darling's windfall tax on bank bonuses, announced in last week's Pre-Budget Report, was showcased as a clampdown on the reckless risk-taking that came so close to blowing up the UK financial system last year.

Continue reading "Darling puts City status under threat " »


Innovation will spark recovery from recession

Posted by on December 8, 2009 10:05 AM

The sad demise of the Corus steelmaking plant in Redcar has highlighted - in big, bold letters - the mammoth task facing Britain's manufacturers.

With the country still rooted in the bowels of recession, the message is clear: widget-makers have to innovate to survive.

Continue reading "Innovation will spark recovery from recession" »


Cloud computing: the next IT revolution

Posted by on December 1, 2009 10:18 AM

Another technological revolution is quietly brewing on Teesside.

Cloud computing is the next big thing to hit these shores and it's allowing savvy techie gurus to make big bucks from helping firms slash their IT budgets.

Continue reading "Cloud computing: the next IT revolution" »


Infrastructure to pave way for construction revival

Posted by on November 27, 2009 11:26 AM

Just don't mention the idea of an economic recovery to those beleaguered souls in the construction industry.

Builders, surveyors, estate agents and property investors are united under a suffocating gloom caused by one of the worst slumps in living memory.

Continue reading "Infrastructure to pave way for construction revival" »


Private equity can fill funding gap

Posted by on November 18, 2009 10:52 AM

THE banking crisis has been disastrous for just about everyone - apart from the banks, it seems.


Propped up by multi-million pound loans from the taxpayer, the big three of Royal Bank of Scotland, Lloyds and HSBC now own vast swathes of British industry due to deals done in the credit boom of 2004-2007.

Continue reading "Private equity can fill funding gap" »


Car parking shake-up may mean price to pay

Posted by on November 18, 2009 10:50 AM

MIDDLESBROUGH Council's bold initiative to protect local residents could backfire big style if it deters would-be commuters from spending their hard-earned cash in the town's shops and restaurants.


The residents-only parking/pay and display zone, which covers vast swathes of the town centre, is designed to protect local residents by giving them better car-parking access near their homes.

Continue reading "Car parking shake-up may mean price to pay" »


Here is the news - but not for free

Posted by on November 18, 2009 10:45 AM

THE recession may have sounded the death knell for some businesses but it has screamed opportunity for many others.


Those that haven't drowned in these turbulent economic seas will emerge stronger, although they are having to do things differently in this brave new world heralded by last year's financial crash.

Continue reading "Here is the news - but not for free " »


High speed rail would put us on right lines

Posted by on September 28, 2009 3:23 PM

The recent news that a high speed rail link will not becoming via the North-east was a bitter blow to local industry.

A 200mph service that could cut journey times to London and Scotland would have enhanced the attractiveness of doing business on Teesside.

Continue reading "High speed rail would put us on right lines " »


Curbing bonuses will lead to talent brain-drain

Posted by on September 28, 2009 3:20 PM

DESPITE the worst financial crash the world has seen in decades, City bankers are still being paid top brass to play Russian roulette with investors' hard-earned cash.

Continue reading "Curbing bonuses will lead to talent brain-drain" »


Easing pressure on banks - or businesses

Posted by on August 25, 2009 9:59 AM

THE Bank of England's recent decision to pump another £50bn into Britain's ailing economy has cast doubt on the healing ability of so-called Quantitative Easing (QE).


The policy - where the Bank buys up gilts from investors with newly created funds - has boosted money supply by £175bn since January in a bid to get credit flowing into the wider economy.


But there's little evidence that local businesses are seeing the benefit yet.

Continue reading "Easing pressure on banks - or businesses " »


New airline could help Tees Valley take off

Posted by on August 17, 2009 2:50 PM

ON the face of it, news that a new airline has flown into Tees Valley is a shot in the arm for local business.


Darlington-based Excelsis Airways has big plans to rev up the number of regional flights in and out of Durham Tees Valley Airport (DTVA) - starting with a business-targeted, Teesside-London City service later this year.

Continue reading "New airline could help Tees Valley take off " »


Damned if they do, damned if they don't

Posted by on August 17, 2009 2:47 PM

IN this post-apocalyptic era following the Great Financial Crash of 2008, bank-bashing has become a favourite pastime.

For months, companies and lobby groups have slammed major high street banks for their reticence to release the purse strings to businesses.

Continue reading "Damned if they do, damned if they don't " »


Cash backing in classroom vital for manufacturing

Posted by on August 17, 2009 2:44 PM

ONCE again, politicians give with one hand and take away with the other.


On the face of it, the Government's announcement that it will fund student loans for 10,000 extra university places in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM subjects) was great news for Britain's beleaguered manufacturers - but read the small print.

Continue reading "Cash backing in classroom vital for manufacturing " »


Sun is ready to rise on a new wave of process

Posted by on July 27, 2009 9:36 AM

TEESSIDE'S process industry has gone from hero to zero in the space of six months - but it's still one of the region's best long-term assets.


Until January, the sector had stood out as a beacon of stability while the recession blew away the foundations of retailers, housebuilders and car-makers across the country.


Six months on, Teesside's Rock of Gibraltar is crumbling into a sea of job losses, plant closures and economic uncertainty.

Continue reading "Sun is ready to rise on a new wave of process " »


Why Tees steel still has a bright future

Posted by on July 10, 2009 9:31 AM

ANOTHER shaft of Teesside's steelmaking industry melted away recently with the news that Corus is shedding 428 local jobs.


With the steel crisis showing no sign of ending - year-on-year global output dipped 21% in May - nobody can be certain that further redundancies won't follow.

Continue reading "Why Tees steel still has a bright future " »


Keep it simple to take pain out of pensions

Posted by on June 23, 2009 1:22 PM

THE pensions crisis is a huge millstone around the neck of public finances - and the private sector will be next to feel the pain.


From 2012 the Government's new Pensions Bill comes into force and will require employers to make a 3% financial contribution to pension schemes for staff earning between £5,035 and £33,540.

Continue reading "Keep it simple to take pain out of pensions " »


Outlook's bright - but recession is still here

Posted by on June 23, 2009 1:22 PM

FORGET the feel-good stories, the recession is not yet over for businesses.

A raft of positive data has lifted some of the gloom surrounding the economy - but try telling that to Corus and other firms still mired in the fog.

Continue reading "Outlook's bright - but recession is still here " »


Strike now for a head start in race to succeed

Posted by on June 9, 2009 12:04 PM

OUT OF the darkest hour comes the dawn. At least, that's what those responsible for Tees Valley's economic prosperity will be hoping as the recession burns itself out.

Continue reading "Strike now for a head start in race to succeed " »


Let's fly at the double

Posted by on June 9, 2009 12:04 PM

THE reinstatement of the Teesside to Heathrow route is essential to the economic recovery of this region.


That's why it was good news to learn that Durham Tees Valley Airport bosses are in discussions over a Public Service Obligation, which would effectively ring-fence landing slots for its flights to the London hub.

Continue reading "Let's fly at the double " »


Time for action to save our steel

Posted by on June 9, 2009 12:04 PM

IF GORDON Brown is serious about helping business, now is the time for him to show his mettle.


With the future of Tees Valley's proud steelmaking industry hanging by a thread, the Government should follow the lead of other states in helping key industries in distress.

Continue reading "Time for action to save our steel " »


The Budget: a raw deal for business

Posted by on May 13, 2009 7:56 AM

The Chancellor cocked his gun towards an expectant audience and pulled the trigger. But businesses were showered with hot air - and not a magic bullet in sight.

Continue reading "The Budget: a raw deal for business" »


Time now to focus on a brighter future

Posted by on May 12, 2009 9:41 AM

SeaDragon has gone... now the Tees Valley must move on.

While there is understandable anger over the decision to shift construction of two giant drilling rigs to Singapore, it makes little sense to dwell on it.

Continue reading "Time now to focus on a brighter future " »


Budget must back business - not the banks

Posted by on April 20, 2009 8:06 AM

A FEW months ago Peter Mandelson pledged to get tough on banks that turned off the lending tap to businesses. But the drought shows little sign of ending.


The Business Secretary's 'no more Mr Nice Guy' (was he ever?) image is cutting little ice with banks and many Tees Valley firms have been unable to access vital funds to expand or ease cashflow problems.

Continue reading "Budget must back business - not the banks " »


Cheers! That's Tim's good time message

Posted by on April 20, 2009 8:06 AM

The advent of cut-price supermarket booze, the addictive Wii and the growing popularity of house parties, has made the 21st century British pub a shadow of its former self.

Bars that were turning customers away a few of years ago are struggling to make ends meet.

Continue reading "Cheers! That's Tim's good time message " »


Taking the NI bull by the horns will help us all

Posted by on April 8, 2009 9:35 AM

BUSINESSES hoping for a second major fiscal rescue package in this month's Budget are likely to be disappointed.

THE Bank of England Governor, Mervyn King, was spot on when he said that Britain's creaking public finances would be unable to take the strain of another fiscal stimulus.

Continue reading "Taking the NI bull by the horns will help us all " »


Social networking exposes job-hunters

Posted by on March 26, 2009 8:06 AM

THE moral issue of how much companies need to know about their staff reared its head following revelations that construction firms were paying a private investigator to run the rule over prospective recruits.
More the 40 alleged offenders, including three firms with interests on Teesside, have been named and shamed by the Information Commissioner's Office for indulging in a practice described as "deplorable" and "outrageous" by union leaders.

Continue reading "Social networking exposes job-hunters" »


New media is the way forward

Posted by on March 26, 2009 8:06 AM

Fearless defenders of the fourth estate we may be, but journalists wouldn't often associate a publication's demise with the loss of a loved one.

Daily Mail and General Trust chairman Lord Rothermere reportedly said coming to terms with the pending sale of his beloved Evening Standard - to Russian oligarch and former KGB agent Alexander Lebedev for £1 - was as difficult as dealing with his parents' death.

Continue reading "New media is the way forward" »


New insurance scheme is a double-edged sword

Posted by on March 6, 2009 12:14 PM

THE banking bail-out system has moved into its second - and most crucial - stage.


Phase one has seen the Government underwrite huge amounts of money for banks in a bid to kick-start the lending market.


But with a few exceptions, the plan has failed big style.

Continue reading "New insurance scheme is a double-edged sword" »


Online portals open new doors for media

Posted by on February 24, 2009 9:57 AM

Fearless defenders of the fourth estate we may be, but journalists wouldn't often associate a publication's demise with the loss of a loved one.

Daily Mail and General Trust chairman Lord Rothermere reportedly said coming to terms with the pending sale of his beloved Evening Standard - to Russian oligarch and former KGB agent Alexander Lebedev for £1 - was as difficult as dealing with his parents' death.

Continue reading "Online portals open new doors for media" »


Political intervention won't curb bankers' greed

Posted by on February 17, 2009 12:56 PM

THE old chestnut of fat cat pay rolled into the limelight again last week, when some of the country's disgraced banking chiefs were called on to explain horrendous decisions that helped bring the UK financial system to its knees.

Continue reading "Political intervention won't curb bankers' greed" »


Workers' no-show is not the way to go

Posted by on February 10, 2009 12:49 PM

THE recent wildcat strikes at Wilton were a reminder that old scars run deep.


In a throw-back to the sad old days of the 1980s - when pickets and protests became part of British industry folklore - hundreds of local workers downed tools at SABIC's LDPE (low-density polyethylene) plant as part of a national protest against construction jobs being given to foreign contractors.

Continue reading "Workers' no-show is not the way to go" »


The thin divide between boom and bust

Posted by on February 3, 2009 11:56 AM

WHAT distinguishes a good entrepreneur from a bad one?

The one who makes the most money might look the safer bet on paper. But at what price?

Continue reading "The thin divide between boom and bust " »


Teesside manufacturing still alive and well

Posted by on January 27, 2009 10:00 AM

It's been a turbulent week on Teesside.

The news that the SeaDragon project is to be aborted means millions of pounds of lost revenue for the local supply chain. On top of that, steelmaker Corus' decision to make annual cost savings of around £200m will lead to several loyal workers receiving their P45s.

Continue reading "Teesside manufacturing still alive and well" »


Affluent minority keeps retail industry afloat

Posted by on January 15, 2009 11:33 AM

WHY do expensive goods sell better than cheaper ones in a recession? Bargain-hunters flocked to the high street during the traditional Christmas frenzy, yet high-end retailers generally fared better than those operating in the mass market.

Continue reading "Affluent minority keeps retail industry afloat" »


2009: Fightback or Failure?

Posted by 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.

Continue reading "2009: Fightback or Failure? " »


Transport infrastructure upgrade needed now

Posted by 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.

Continue reading "Transport infrastructure upgrade needed now" »


Local banks for local needs

Posted by 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.

Continue reading "Local banks for local needs" »


Is VAT cut just a pricey policy?

Posted by 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.

Continue reading "Is VAT cut just a pricey policy?" »


Festive buyers rule the markets

Posted by 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.

Continue reading "Festive buyers rule the markets " »


Cut that will still leave scars...

Posted by 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.

Continue reading "Cut that will still leave scars... " »


We can't blame recession on media

Posted by on November 10, 2008 10:00 AM

IS the media really responsible for talking the economy into recession?


Would any of this have happened without Robert Peston?


Business journalists are often condemned for stoking up the fires that are leading the country into possibly the worst downturn in post-war history.

Continue reading "We can't blame recession on media " »


Should we penalise firms that price-fix?

Posted by on July 24, 2008 9:43 AM

IN TODAY'S so-called free trade market, JEZ DAVISON questions the wisdom of punishing firms for price-fixing....

Continue reading "Should we penalise firms that price-fix?" »


Why cash is king in any economic environment

Posted by on June 10, 2008 6:18 PM

THE City is screaming blue murder.

Chaos reigns in financial markets. Confidence among the business community is shot to bits. And chiefs at the Bank of England and the European Central Bank have warned us that the worst storm may be yet to come.

It’s enough to make business owners question their sanity and head for the hills. But is the above an accurate assessment of the markets or an overreaction to hyperbolic media coverage?

Continue reading "Why cash is king in any economic environment" »


Fat cats' fury

Posted by on June 9, 2008 6:17 PM

WHY is it that this country is so quick to criticise people for being successful?

The news that five directors at banking giant HSBC are set to share a £120m windfall during the next three years has been met with incredulity by the business world.

How can this be so, the critics cried, when the UK’s largest bank announced write-downs of around £8.7bn only three months ago?

Continue reading "Fat cats' fury" »


The drinks industry isn't to blame for society's ills

Posted by on June 5, 2008 6:15 PM

EVERY year we hear stories about the evils of alcohol, particularly its effect on young people. And, every time, the drinks industry is expected to shoulder the blame.

As Children’s Secretary Ed Balls revealed new plans that could see parents prosecuted if their kids drink in public, critics waded in to denounce retailers for encouraging binge drinking by selling cheap alcohol and advertising their products.

Why not just ban alcohol altogether and put the drinks industry - already wounded by soaring fuel costs and alcohol duties - out of its misery?

Continue reading "The drinks industry isn't to blame for society's ills" »

This page contains an archive of all entries posted to nebusiness by Jez Davison. They are listed from newest to oldest.