I Met a Man at a Crossroads………
Whatever happened to Carrefour’s positive outlook? I recently met a man at a crossroads. “Where are you going?” I said. The man looked rather embarrassed and after quite a while…
Springtime in London?
We’ve had the Arab Spring, is it now time for a pay revolution in the City of London? Poor old Stephen Hester: apart from the day job, he has the…
Why Does NED Have So Little To Say?
Do non-executive directors (NEDs) make much of a difference to a company? Or are they just there for show? A non-executive director, like Edward opposite, is a member of a…
Markets Aren’t Efficient After All
What witches, alchemists, fortune tellers and bankers have in common. Well, well, Martin Wheatley, head of the consumer and markets business unit at the Financial Services Authority, has jumped on…
Problems Can Make Your Day
The problems you see in your business are evidence that you understand it. The UK’s largest insurer Aviva carries out a bi-annual survey of small businesses to gauge feelings among…
Founders Need To Know When To Go
Why “doing more marketing” won’t help at Research In Motion, the Canadian maker of the Blackberry smartphone. I have had a Blackberry for many years now. I’m used to it…
A Churchill Moment
Exceptional times require exceptional leaders and there aren’t many of those around these days. Isn’t it ironic that the company that invented the digital camera now needs some breathing room…
An Even Smaller Chef
Merlin, rather than Heston, may have been a better choice of alchemist for Little Chef. Many years ago, I met a senior marketing bod at Little Chef and I pointed…
Building On A Recession
Tough times can be a tonic to a business and an industry. Taylor Wimpey has had a ‘good’ recession. After a fairly big shake-up last year and marginal profitability, it…
Is Your Very Own Virtual High Street Too Farfetched?
One day soon, your personal high street will follow you around, from one electronic device to another, trying to tempt you to buy something. I wonder who the shops’ landlords…