Business Bulletin

The electronic cigarette

May 08 issue
 
They say there’s no smoke without fire, but that was before the electronic cigarette. The SuperSmoker uses a microchip and a harmless liquid made up of food products that, when the user inhales, turns into a virtually odourless vapour that looks just like smoke and provides the hit of nicotine.
 

Rising star: Glassesdirect.co.uk

May 08 issue
 
James Murray Wells started online spectacles retailer Glassesdirect.co.uk with the last £1,000 of his student loan. With the help of VCs he is now aiming to turn it into a £1 billion company.
 

Downturn hits half of businesses

May 08 issue
 
Roughly half of small and medium-sized enterprises are feeling the effects of the economic downturn, according to a survey from Business XL’s sister title GrowthBusiness.co.uk.
 

What I’m reading now

May 08 issue
 
The Balancing Act: Work-life solutions for busy people by Fiona Parashar - reviewed by Kerry Glazer, chief executive, AAR Group
 

Corporate manslaughter law comes into force

May 08 issue
 
Companies that ignore new corporate manslaughter laws could be ‘courting disaster’, according to security specialist red24.
 

Business intelligence maps

May 08 issue
 
Google and Information Builders have released the first so-called business intelligence “mash-up”, a mix and match software giving users a visual representation of sales figures and stock movements in different geographies via an interactive Google Map.
 

Economic insight: 2008 budget

May 08 issue
 
As the storm of protest against chancellor Alistair Darling’s changes to capital gains tax dies down, Mike Truman, editor of Taxation Magazine, looks at the implications for growing companies.
 

Rising star: Pharmacy 2U

Apr 08 issue
 
Daniel Lee is the MD of Pharmacy 2U, the first mail-order and online pharmacy retailer in the UK. With £12 million turnover, the company is seeking greater heights in the year ahead.
 

What I’m reading now

Apr 08 issue
 
Private Label Strategy: How to Meet the Store Brand Challenge, by Nirmalya Kumar and Jan-Benedict EM Steenkamp - reviewed by Andrea Davis, president of Fellowes Europe
 

Economic insight: de-leveraging

Apr 08 issue
 
Hank Calenti, director of European credit research at RBC Capital Markets, reveals why he thinks we’re at a pivotal moment in the current financial downturn.
 

My best business decision

Apr 08 issue
 
Ian Gotts, CEO of business process management specialist Nimbus, reveals how appointing a COO helped him refocus his attention from running the company to driving it forward.
 

Next big thing: multi-sourcing

Apr 08 issue
 
Dissatisfaction with traditional outsourcing relationships is changing the way enterprises and their service providers do business. It’s become more common to treat functions such as IT as a portfolio of activities, some of which can be outsourced to a variety of providers while others are brought in-house.
 

Vodafone’s 7.2 USB Stick

Apr 08 issue
 
If you are looking to reduce downtime when travelling between meetings, but haven’t got your fingers around using a Blackberry keyboard yet, this could be the answer.
 

A rich vein of finance

Apr 08 issue
 
Companies from the Middle East and North Africa raised a total of £1.37 billion in AIM initial public offerings (IPOs), according to a report from Business XL’s sister title, Growth Company Investor.
 

Banks turn the screw

Apr 08 issue
 
Nearly 4,800 UK companies went bust in the first quarter of 2008, an increase of 8.5 per cent on the same period last year, according to data from information services group Experian.
 

What I’m reading now

Mar 08 issue
 
Subway Art, by Henry Chalfant and Martha Cooper, reviewed by Marc Ecko, CEO and chairman of Marc Ecko Enterprises
 

Rising star: Ethical Superstore

Mar 08 issue
 
Ethical Superstore, an online retailer of fair trade, organic and eco-friendly goods, is forecasting turnover of £2.2 million this year (up from £800,000 last year). We talk to co-founder Andy Redfern
 

Blackberry Pearl 8110 Smartphone

Mar 08 issue
 
While the new Blackberry Pearl 8110 Smartphone doesn’t boast WiFi like the similar 8120 Pearl, it does have built-in GPS with Blackberry Maps software, so you can happily wander the city and not get lost in the process.
 

Thought-controlled computing

Mar 08 issue
 
US technology company Emotiv Systems has developed a headset that allows a user to manipulate elements on a computer screen with only the power of thoughts, expressions and emotions.
 

My best business decision

Mar 08 issue
 
Transparency is key to a successful public listing, as Rob Cotton, CEO of NCC Group, attests
 

Economic insight

Mar 08 issue
 
Marc Sidwell, author of the Unfair Trade report from the Adam Smith Institute, speculates on how sustainable ethical buying patterns are in the long term
 

AIM companies ripe for acquisition

Mar 08 issue
 
Over half of the businesses listed on AIM are valued under £20 million, making them perfect targets for acquisitive companies.
 

Object of desire: the robot guitar

Feb 08 issue
 
For all you failed musicians turned entrepreneurs out there, the Les Paul Robot Guitar can finally help you rock out like you dreamed you could in your salad days.
 

Rising star: Everyclick.com

Feb 08 issue
 
Polly Gowers is CEO and co-founder of search engine Everyclick.com, a “social business” that gives 50 per cent of its revenue to charity. She founded the company in mid-2005 and it now generates turnover of over £1 million.
 

What I'm reading now

Feb 08 issue
 
The Global Business Leader, INSEAD Business Press, by J Frank Brown, reviewed by Robert Gogel, CEO, Liberata
 

Cloud computing

Feb 08 issue
 
The desktop and laptop computers that we currently use carry with them a certain amount of local processing power. However, through “cloud computing” we could see this change as we move towards a different way of working.
 

Economic insight: trouble ahead

Feb 08 issue
 
Diana Choyleva, an economist at Lombard Street Research, says that developing economic trends bode ill for the beleaguered UK economy.
 

My best business decision

Feb 08 issue
 
For Simon Rigby, CEO of Spice, the secret to sustainable expansion lies in sticking to what you know.
 

Good Month: Majestic Wine

Feb 08 issue
 
The UK has a reputation for excessive drinking and it’s easy to see why. While we stoically cut down on clothes and electrical appliances over Christmas, reducing our intake of booze was generally deemed a step too far.
 

Bad Month: Société Générale

Feb 08 issue
 
It’s been a rough few months for banks, with dodgy debts laid bare and share prices tumbling. For France’s second-largest bank, Société Générale, fraud was added to these woes as arbitrage trader Jerome Kerviel was implicated in events that have led to €4.9 billion (£3.7 billion) of losses, not to mention further falls in the bank’s share price and an incalculable loss of reputation.
 

Economic insight: 2008 outlook

Dec 07/Jan 08 issue
 
Are the economic good times well and truly over? Trevor Williams, chief economist for Lloyds TSB, argues that next year won’t be as bad as some fear
 

Good year: Oxford Metrics

Dec 07/Jan 08 issue
 
Led by chief executive Nick Bolton, Oxford Metrics consists of three technology ventures developing motion and image capture products for the entertainment, defence, life science and engineering industries.
 

Bad year: Northern Rock

Dec 07/Jan 08 issue
 
The resignation of CEO Adam Applegarth and confirmation of the company’s demotion from the FTSE 100 have set the seal on a punishing year for Northern Rock.
 

Object of desire: the iTeddy

Dec 07/Jan 08 issue
 
With Christmas upon us, it’s the stated mission of many parents to find their young offspring a gift that is fun and educational, and will hold their interest beyond Boxing Day.
 

Rising Star: Adam Price

Dec 07/Jan 08 issue
 
Adam Price is the MD of Wales-based outfit SEOsitebuilder.com, which he established in 2004. He recently won Newport Business School’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
 

Digital cash 2.0

Dec 07/Jan 08 issue
 
Before contactless credit cards have even entered our wallets, it looks as though they may have been superseded. O2 has linked up with Transport for London, Barclaycard, Visa Europe and Nokia for a trial of its new initiative, the O2 Wallet.
 

What I’m reading now

Dec 07/Jan 08 issue
 
A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose, by Eckhart Tolle - reviewed by Clive Wilson, managing director, Primeast
 

My best business decision

Dec 07/Jan 08 issue
 
Nick Craven, chief executive of Weatherbys Ventures, says his best business decision was to widen the company's offerings from its traditional remit of horseracing while using skills it already had in-house.
 

The economics of email

Nov 07 issue
 
In 2006, the average email user received 126 messages per day, an increase of 55 per cent since 2003, according to research by The Radicati Group. So how do we sort the vital information from the dross?
 

Economic insight: $100 oil

Nov 07 issue
 
With oil nudging $100 a barrel, Tony Shephard, investment analyst at Charles Stanley, considers the consequences of rising energy prices for British business
 

My best business decision

Nov 07 issue
 
Kevin Scullion, MD of homecare provider Independent Living Services, says that taking on private equity has transformed his business.
 

The Specialized Sirrus

Nov 07 issue
 
It’s environmentally friendly and beats Jeremy Clarkson. That’s right, it’s a bike
 

Good Month: Ultrasis

Nov 07 issue
 
Healthcare specialist Ultrasis saw a glimmer of hope this month despite posting losses of £769,000 in October, up 70 per cent on the year before.
 

Bad Month: Worthington Nicholls

Nov 07 issue
 
Heating and air-conditioning installer Worthington Nicholls has announced that it will hold an EGM in early December with the intention of removing certain key members from its board.
 

Rising Star: Apatech

Nov 07 issue
 
Apatech, a manufacturer of artificial bone-graft material, has grown sales to £3.1 million from £270,000 in 2005. We talk to CEO Simon Cartmell
 

What I’m reading now

Nov 07 issue
 
How to Turn Your Business into the Next Global Brand: Creating and Managing a Franchised Network, by Brian Duckett and Paul Monaghan - reviewed by Derek Lowe, Chief Executive Officer, Storm Communications
 

Economic insight: credit worries

Oct 07 issue
 
Simon Longfield, restructuring partner at accountancy firm Grant Thornton, believes the correction in the credit markets will have less impact on growing businesses than many have assumed.
 

Wireless charging

Oct 07 issue
 
Everyone who owns a mobile phone, a PDA or an iPod has had its battery die on them at one time or another and, inevitably, it tends to be when there’s no charger in sight. If there is one, you can bet that it’s not the right fit anyway.
 

Rising Star: Natalie Perillo

Oct 07 issue
 
Natalie Perillo and her husband, Andy, set up their third business, ‘virtual PA’ service MyRuby last spring. They are expecting sales of £800,000 for their first year.
 

The Mercedes-Benz E-Class

Oct 07 issue
 
If you’re successful and want to look the part without appearing to be on the brink of a mid-life crisis, this could be the set of wheels for you.
 

My best business decision

Oct 07 issue
 
Matthew Crook, CEO of software developer SalesCentric explains how partnership, especially with powerful players in your sector, can pay dividends when it comes to sales.
 

What I’m reading now

Oct 07 issue
 
Go Put Your Strengths To Work by Marcus Buckingham (published by Free Press) - reviewed by Bernadette Wightman, director of small and medium businesses, Cisco UK & Ireland
 

Good Month: Carpetright

Oct 07 issue
 
Carpetright chairman and CEO Lord Harris has certainly done something right and, according to Ernst & Young, it’s business.
 

Bad Month: Zara

Oct 07 issue
 
Fashion retailer Zara caused a stir this month when a UK customer pointed out to staff that a handbag on sale in the store featured a swastika.
 

What I'm reading now

Sep 07 issue
 
Perfect Pitch: The Art of Selling Ideas and Winning New Business by Jon Steel (published by Adweek Books)
 

Economic Insight: Funding gap

Sep 07 issue
 
George Whitehead, business development director at the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA), says that there is still a shortage of funding for worthy growing concerns
 

Good Month: Falkland Oil & Gas

Sep 07 issue
 
Resource prospector Falkland Oil & Gas (FOGL) is in ‘advanced discussions’ about bringing a ‘major resources company’ into its projects
 

Bad Month: Equity

Sep 07 issue
 
Billions of pounds were wiped off British equities as the US subprime lending crisis hit investor confidence
 

Contactless cash cards

Sep 07 issue
 
For coins and notes, it could be the beginning of the end. This autumn, high street banks will issue credit and debit cards with a new contactless payment facility, allowing cardholders to pay for items under £10 by simply swiping the cards over a reader.
 

The Loc8tor

Sep 07 issue
 
Losing your keys and other important items will be a thing of the past with this personal homing device
 

Economic insight: dotcom growth

Jul/Aug 07 issue
 
Darren Harper, head of analysis and editorial at Library House, argues that fears of a second dotcom bubble are unfounded.
 

Rising Star: Matt Riley

Jul/Aug 07 issue
 
Matt Riley was named Young Entrepreneur of the Year for the North Region in this year’s Ernst & Young awards. He has started four companies, most recently B2B telecoms provider Daisy Communications.
 

Good Month: Hamworthy

Jul/Aug 07 issue
 
Marine fluid-handling specialist Hamworthy has won an order worth more than £17 million.
 

Bad Month: Conrad Black

Jul/Aug 07 issue
 
Conrad Black, the Canadian-born media tycoon, has been convicted of fraud and obstructing justice after a three-month trial in Chicago.
 

The cordless air mouse

Jul/Aug 07 issue
 
Now you can escape from your desk without having to leave your mouse behind
 

What I’m reading now

Jul/Aug 07 issue
 
The Rules of Entrepreneurship, by Rob Yeung (published by Cyan Communications) - reviewed by David Thompson, VP of people and organisational development, ABN Amro
 

Good Month: Sir Tim Berners-Lee

Jun 07 issue
 
Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the British physicist who created the World Wide Web, has been awarded the Order of Merit, one of the UK’s most prestigious honours.
 

Bad Month: Take-Two Interactive

Jun 07 issue
 
Take-Two Interactive Software, developer of the controversial Grand Theft Auto series, has announced that it will be undertaking significant job cuts in an effort to return to profit.
 

Rising Star: Ian Merricks

Jun 07 issue
 
Ian Merricks began his career as a record promoter in 1996. In 2007, he raised private equity for the MBO of Itchy Media, and since then has overseen five acquisitions.
 

My best business decision

Jun 07 issue
 
Ewan MacLeod, CEO of datacentre services provider DCMI, says his best business decision was to target the biggest clients first.
 

Pesticides you can eat

Jun 07 issue
 
The quest for effective pesticides free of chemical nasties has been going for years. Now TyraTech, an American research company which floated on AIM this month, believes it has the answer.
 

The Toshiba Portégé R400-100

Jun 07 issue
 
If you appreciate the beautiful things in life and go weak at the knees over sleek design, this should get your heart racing.
 

What I’m reading now

Jun 07 issue
 
Great Brand Stories: Innocent: Building a brand from nothing but fruit, by John Simmons (published by Cyan Books) - reviewed by Richard Warmsley, head of internet on the move, T-Mobile UK
 

Tax the big PE deals

Jun 07 issue
 
The executive chairman of NVM Private Equity, Michael Denny, sets out his solution to the vexed question of how to tax private equity
 

The egg & muffin toaster

May 07 issue
 
Breakfast sets you up for the day. However, when you’re running a business, you may struggle to find time for such a luxury.
 

Eye tracking... the next big thing?

May 07 issue
 
Gauging the effectiveness of an advertising campaign is a serious business. What seemed like a neat device for science fiction films a few years ago is becoming a reality through eye tracking.
 

My best business decision

May 07 issue
 
'Believing that people are basically good was my best decision,' says Frank Hannigan, co-founder and managing director of Yougetitback.com.
 

Economic insight: interest rates

May 07 issue
 
Jon Lindsay, managing director at credit management firm Coface, considers the likely impact of recent interest rate rises.
 

Rising star: Streetcar

May 07 issue
 
Car share company Streetcar has 10,000 members, a number it anticipates will rise to 150,000 by 2012. We catch up with co-founder Andrew Valentine.
 

Economic Insight - Howard Archer

Dec 06/Jan 07 issue
 
Howard Archer, UK and Eurozone chief economist for Global Insight, shares his thoughts on the current wage climate, interest rates and inflation
 

Techwatch - Uncontrolled print costs

Dec 06/Jan 07 issue
 
More than two thirds of businesses have no idea how much they spend on printers and printing...
 

Next Big Thing? In-flight mobile calls

Dec 06/Jan 07 issue
 
If you can’t stand being out of contact when you’re on a plane, rejoice that from early 2007 you’ll be able to make in-flight calls from your mobile...
 

My Best Business Decision

Dec 06/Jan 07 issue
 
John Kearon, Chief Juicer/CEO of online research company Brainjuicer, says his best business decision was ‘getting off the corporate ladder’...
 

What I'm Reading Now...

Dec 06/Jan 07 issue
 
The book: Scoring Points – How Tesco is Winning Customer Loyalty, by Clive Humby, Terry Hunt and Tim Phillips
Review by: Olly Raeburn, managing partner at Liquid Communications
 

Object of desire... The Synch

Dec 06/Jan 07 issue
 
If you’re fed up carting around handfuls of chargers for your gadgets, this gizmo could be the best Christmas present you’ll ever receive...

 

Good month for UK innovators

Dec 06/Jan 07 issue
 
Two British companies are awarded for humanitarian work alongside Bill Gates and other global technology innovators...
 

Bad month for seafood chain

Dec 06/Jan 07 issue
 
Restaurant operator Fishworks rocks the boat by admitting profits will be lower than it publicly predicted just one month ago...
 

Economic Insight - Geoff Foster

Nov 06 issue
 
We ask Geoff Foster, market reporter at the Daily Mail, what currently concerns him about the UK economy...
 

Techwatch - When viruses attack!

Nov 06 issue
 
Computers used by businesses are attacked every 15 minutes by some form of malicious internet software...
 

The Next Big Thing? Wearable computers

Nov 06 issue
 
It’s finally here, the integration of man and machine... OK, not quite, but there are a number of products about to hit the market that should revolutionise the way we use computers and personal devices...
 

My Best Business Decision

Nov 06 issue
 
Roger Wilson, chairman of AdEPT Telecom, says his best business decision was 'buying a business after the boom'...
 

What I'm Reading Now

Nov 06 issue
 
The book: The Dalai Lama’s Book of Wisdom, by His Holiness The Dalai Lama
Reviewed by: Dr Anthony Lovat, founder and managing director, O-Pro Mouthguards...
 

Good month for language entrepreneur

Nov 06 issue
 
An entrepreneur who started his language venture from his bedroom has silenced the competition by scooping a cash prize..
 

Object of desire... Microbe-free keyboard

Nov 06 issue
 
Fancy a cordless keyboard that protects you from germs? Get your grubby mitts on this little black number...
 

Bad month for technology venture

Nov 06 issue
 
Beleaguered coatings specialist Micap has been forced into an emergency fundraising to stop it becoming insolvent...
 

Economic Insight - John Kay

Oct 06 issue
 
John Kay, economist and columnist for the FT, predicts that the next big influence on the UK economy will be an overhaul of intellectual property rights...
 

Object of desire... Blackberry Pearl

Oct 06 issue
 
In common with other manufacturers, Research In Motion (RIM), the maker of the new Blackberry Pearl 8100, intends it to negate the need for business folk to carry both a mobile phone and a personal digital assistant...
 

What I'm Reading Now...

Oct 06 issue
 
The book: My Big Idea, by Rachel Bridge
Review by: Glyn Heald, CEO, Shirlaws Business Coaching
 

Economic Insight - Tim Moss

Sep 06 issue
 
We ask Tim Moss, director of corporate strategy at Companies House, to predict the impact of an imminent overhaul of company law...
 

Good month for beer brand...

Sep 06 issue
 
This month, we raise a pint to Cobra Beer founder and chief executive Karan Bilimoria, who’s raised £27.5 million cash funding...
 

Object of desire... Portable keyboard

Sep 06 issue
 
Weighing less than a couple of chocolate bars and rolling up to fit neatly into a briefcase, portable keyboards certainly live up to their name...
 

Economic Insight – Robert Cole

Jul/Aug 06 issue
 
We ask Robert Cole, acting business editor at The Times, to predict the next big economic influence on UK business...
 

Techwatch - Domain names evolve

Jul/Aug 06 issue
 
Paul Mockapetris, the inventor of the Domain Name System (DNS), says he expects it to be superseded as new technology emerges that is designed to unite telephone numbers and email addresses to find you wherever you are.
 

The Next Big Thing? Silicon-germanium chips

Jul/Aug 06 issue
 
Computer chip technology usually only excites electrical engineers and geeks, but this is one development that could soon be speeding up some of the everyday products you rely on most for business...
 

My Best Business Decision

Jul/Aug 06 issue
 
Simon Seward, MD of Touchdown Brand Affinity Marketing, explains the sacrifices that had to be made to invest in vital new IT equipment...
 

Object of desire... Watch phone

Jul/Aug 06 issue
 
It sounds like a gadget you’d find on Captain Kirk’s Christmas list, but due to go on sale soon is a wristwatch that can also be used to make calls and send texts – it won’t beam you up, though...
 

Object of desire... Solarroll

Jun 06 issue
 
Mobile phones and laptops enable us to work anywhere, but when the battery dies we’re left with no choice but to trudge back to the office. Fortunately, however, there is now a solution – and it’ll cut your energy bills as well...