Business and Economics

By Mark Somers, Technical Director at 4most Europe  The economic risks of a more fragmented banking system… Big banks are in decline. That’s what many politicians are trying to achieve and what some experts are predicting will happen in the near future; whether that speculation will ring true, only time will tell. But for the UK, a more fragmented banking system brings with it many implications both positive and negative in terms of the economy and of course, the consumer....

By Tim Furdui, Senior Research Analyst at Atomik Research Market research is a fundamental prerequisite of international expansion for business. Without it, businesses expanding into overseas markets risk marketing their products and services blindfolded and to an unresponsive audience. As global trade becomes more important, insight will become paramount. According to annual investment figures from UK Trade and Investment for 2013 to 2014 the UK is becoming a truly global economy attracting the most inward investment projects since records began...

By Ikràn.M.Omar @IkranM Confronted with e-commerce and evolving shopping habits the future of the British high street has never been so clouded. Today the high street is no longer the only destination. Both e-commerce and the allure of behemoth out-of-town shopping centres have irreparably altered consumer habits placing high streets across the country in an empty grey void, ghosts of their former selves. First hit hard by the recession then by the austerity which hit the poor harder than the rich, Britain's...

By Chris Brown @vivabrownie Chris argues why you should give the often maligned sport a chance this season If you switch the television on and catch the beginning of an opening NFL game, just stop what you’re doing and allow yourself to absorb the scene for a moment. Notice the colour, the fireworks, the cheerleaders, the smoke, the razzmatazz - this is big time spectacle sport, this is the NFL. Some people will watch the NFL and be unperturbed by...

By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor SMEs are the first businesses hit by a recession but also the first to see improvement after the hard times. The BBC today (2/9/14) ran a news piece on the growth of the SME sector and their findings are supported by Bibby Financial services research. They found the majority of small and medium sized enterprises in Greater London expect to invest in their businesses this quarter. The independent funder surveyed 1,000 businesses with a turnover of up...

British foreign direct investment (FDI) into Lithuania has doubled ahead of the country’s entry into the Eurozone, which is set to be completed in just over four months. According to the latest figures from Statistics Lithuania, the official agency responsible for compiling investment data, British FDI in Lithuania has gone from £95 million in 2010 to £175 million in 2013. This makes the UK the second-largest investor in the country with heavyweights such as Barclays, which established its Technology Centre...

By Ikràn M.Omar @IkranM Despite Africa's long prophesied ascension as the next economic powerhouse there are still questions to be answered on whether this could ever materialise. The main question is whether it is a safe and solid investment. To invest in anything there needs to be a prospect of a strong return. You can never to be too cautious when entering any market let alone an emerging one. As Africa ascends she is showing exciting growth that is attracting many investors....

By Rohan Chatterjee @RohanChatterje1 China’s exponential growth has brought it to the doorsteps of geographically separated and historically disconnected, Latin America and is fast on way to becoming a key trade partner and surpassing the United States as the continent’s most important economic partner. The key driver behind China’s expansion into Latin America is relatively simple: its growing demand for raw materials. Latin America not only offers the desired resources but also a potential market of 500 million people to...

By Robert Sun America is in danger of becoming the world’s first “derivative economy.” Once renowned around the world for our prodigious ability to manufacture, invent, and revolutionize, the U.S. is becoming a place where pastimes take precedence, image is king, and quick money is the goal. Eighty years ago, banking profits accounted for less than 5% of all U.S. corporate profit. In recent years they peaked at around 40%. College graduates are lured with the promise of making big...