First published in the Sunday Times on 9th July 2017. A wise friend once told me that the quality of your Sunday is a barometer of how fulfilled you are in life. He was not referring to religious faith — or
It’s time for commercial landlords to pay their fair share of taxes
2nd July 2017
First published in the Sunday Times on 2nd July 2017. Many of Britain’s economic and social challenges arise from how property is taxed, regulated, used and owned. Radical change is needed if the problems are to be properly addressed. At heart,
Old entrepreneurial hands have all had their fingers burnt
25th June 2017
First published in the Sunday Times on 25th June 2017. Every ambitious entrepreneur experiences various baptisms of fire. A new business venture is an unpredictable journey and big challenges are bound to arise. These are the gruelling rites of passage
The young need to know a hard left state will choke prosperity
18th June 2017
First published in the Sunday Times on 18th June 2017. For anyone in business, the election result was a disaster. About 40% of voters supported a hard left leadership, which is instinctively opposed to the private sector. Labour voters believed
Cash matters — but customers and staff make a business
11th June 2017
First published in the Sunday Times on 11th June 2017. A restaurateur said to me last week: “You talk a lot about money”. What he meant was that I focus too much on financial matters in board meetings, to the possible
Why a robot will never pick the superstocks of the future
4th June 2017
First published in the Sunday Times on 4th June 2017. Experience has taught me that what matters in business is the big winners. You can suffer losers and still do well if you have just a few significant successes. I assumed
True and fair? No, annual reports are as clear as mud
28th May 2017
First published in the Sunday Times on 28th May 2017. Modern annual reports are pretty useless documents. Prospectuses are not much better. Public companies publish vast quantities of this type of financial information, but most of it is not fit for
Real entrepreneurs do not get their hands dirty picking up awards
21st May 2017
First published in the Sunday Times on 21st May 2017. I have been involved with start-up businesses for more than 30 years, and certain truths have become apparent on that rollercoaster. I thought it would be worthwhile listing some of the things
The most challenging of the creative arts: building a company
14th May 2017
First published in the Sunday Times on 14th May 2017. All of us have the chance to invent our own lives. We can decide where we live, who — and indeed if — we marry, and what we do for work.
Every board needs a member of the awkward squad
7th May 2017
First published in the Sunday Times on 7th May 2017. For many companies, the greatest threat is not an external competitor, but lies within. All too often, organisations suffer from “insider capture” and groupthink — a clannishness that resists outside influence.
