Saturday 9 March 2013
Thursday 21 June 2012
Monday 12 September 2011
Income inequality
Watch the full episode. See more PBS NewsHour.
Sunday 28 August 2011
Tuesday 16 August 2011
Maximise your chances of getting into Uni...
"We look for applicants with an enthusiasm for scholastic activities in general such as reading, debating, theological interests etc. Participation will be valued but achievement in these areas of interest will also be recognised."
We look for applicants who have participated as fully as possible in school, college or community life, making the most of the opportunities available to them and also those who have demonstrated some experience of society beyond their immediate environment.
We look for applicants who have varied extra-curricular interests and enjoy active participation in areas such as sport, music and the arts in general. Participation will be valued but any achievement in extra-curricular activities will also be recognised.
Although we do not require applicants to have been in paid or voluntary employment, we welcome applications from those with any experience of work within a business setting.
What is considered at interview? Communication skills particularly in analysis and debate.
Monday 20 June 2011
Made In Britain
Made In Britain
Saturday 11 June 2011
The Circular Flow of Income....and David Cameron??
Wednesday 8 June 2011
IMF supports UK economic policies
Stephanie Flanders Video
Tuesday 7 June 2011
Discussion on Chinese economy and culture....over dinner!
Sunday 5 June 2011
The economic cuts aren't working, are they?
George Osborne's plan isn't working
Monday 9 May 2011
UK let down by poor language skills
Read the article
Friday 6 May 2011
Greece to exit the Euro....
Read the article
Thursday 14 April 2011
World Bank in warning on food prices
Scotland's economic recovery threatened by rising costs
BRICS seeking more world influence
One of the items on the agenda is Russia's entry to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) as well as changes to the global financial system. They argue that the current financial crisis illustrates the weakness of the current monetary system with the dollar used as the world's most used currency.
The five countries represent 40% of the world's population and almost a fifth of world growth.
Well worth a read!
BRICS countries meet in China
Monday 11 April 2011
Friday 11 March 2011
Thursday 3 March 2011
Monday 14 February 2011
Economics Quiz of the Week w/c 13 February 2011
Thursday 10 February 2011
Real Madrid richest club in the world
Deloitte Football Money League
1. Real Madrid: 438.6m euros
2. Barcelona: 398.1m euros
3. Man Utd: 349.8m euros
4. Bayern Munich: 323m euros
5. Arsenal: 274.1m euros
6. Chelsea: 255.9m euros
7. AC Milan: 235.8.m euros
8. Liverpool: 225.3m euros
9. Inter Milan 224.8m euros
10. Juventus: 205m euros
Source: Deloitte: 2009/10
Wednesday 9 February 2011
S3 Economics Oil Project
Wednesday 26 January 2011
Graduate unemployment at highest for over a decade
Tuesday 25 January 2011
UK economy suffers shock contraction
Tuesday 18 January 2011
Economics
Pressure mounted on the Bank of England to raise interest rates as inflation in December jumped from 3.3% to 3.7%, fuelled by an increase in the cost of air travel, fuel, utility bills and food costs.
The recent VAT increase from 17.5% to 20% raises the prospect of a further rise.
For further information on economics stories, click on either the Higher Economics or Interemediate Economics pages of the blog.
Wednesday 5 January 2011
The winners and losers on the High Street this Christmas
Thursday 16 December 2010
Wednesday 1 December 2010
Tuesday 12 October 2010
Genuine complaint call...
Wednesday 15 September 2010
Economic news
In the 3 months to July 2010, unemployment fell by 8,000 to 2.47 million. The overall UK unemployment rate remains at 7.8%. The worry amongst economists is that the unemployment rates will rise again later in the year as the effects of the government cuts begin to take effect.
Regional unemployment
Wales - fall from 8.4% to 8.3%
England - fall from 7.9% to 7.7%
Northern Ireland - fall from 7.1% to 6.8%
Scotland - rise from 8.9% to 9.1%
Inflation
The CPI inflation rate remained at 3.1% in August, still well above the Bank of England 2% target and signalled the end of 3 consecutive months of falling inflation. The high rate was boosted by strong rises in air fares, clothing and food although fuel prices fell. RPI fell from 4.8% to 4.7%.
Points of note
- CPI is used for the Bank of England's target
- RPI, which includes housing costs, is important for wage negotiations and certain benefit negotiations.
- A combination of record low interest rates and high rates of inflation mean the real value of savings is being weakened.
Monday 23 August 2010
Climate change activitists invade book festival event!
With the protests against RBS escalating in recent days, perhaps it was just as well that the protest was peaceful and they left with minimum fuss. There didn't appear to be adequate security to deal with the problem and the onus fell on the young, mainly female, staff to deal with a situation surely outwith their remit. There was also a sense of irony that the protesters should invade an event in which the speaker was berating the banks, including the RBS, for their role in the economic downturn and the need to change the way the finance sector works.
Thankfully, it made my second viewing of the event quite interesting!
Saturday 21 August 2010
Economics at the Edinburgh International Book Festival
Farewell.......
Wednesday 18 August 2010
Are Facebook friends really friends?
Scaremongering? Possibly. Cynical? Maybe.
- Stories already exist of employees being caught for insulting employees, benefit cheats defrauding the system, people being sacked for using social networking sites while off sick and even one girl who was sacked for branding work "boring" on her first day at work - forgetting that she had added her new boss as a friend!
- Rumours abound of employers using social networking sites as part of their recruitment process - could an inappropriate picture of you posted on a site affect your employment opportunities in the years to come?
- You may be careful about what you publish - but what about what others put on about you?
- What about the concerns regarding cyber bullying?
- If the information is in the public domain, is it fair game for large businesses to use it to market products and services to you?
As a Business Studies teacher, I need to look at the rise of social networking sites from two sides - the costs and benefits from a business perspective as it changes the way businesses operate, and the impact it has on the young people I teach. With no sign of a downturn in their popularity, their impact on both in the future will be very interesting to monitor.
Fall in rise of inflation - but still well above MPC target!
Tuesday 20 July 2010
£650m bar of chocolate
A hedge fund manager has bought 240,000 tonnes of cocoa beans in a £650m investment which would enable him to make more than 5 billion small chocolate bars. The hedge fund, Armajaro, has taken the unusual step of taking delivery of the cocoa beans and will store them in warehouses in England and the Netherlands.
- The price of cocoa has risen sharply in recent years due to increased demand - a 16% increase in the last year alone due to decreased production of cocoa beans in Africa.
- By having a degree of control over the supply, you can squeeze the market and push the price up. When you feel the price has gone up sufficiently, release the supply and make a massive profit.
Monday 19 July 2010
S@S Kilmarnock Questionnaires
This years Business Challenge at the S@S Summer Academy involves the young people rebranding Kilmarnock. As part of the project, they need your help to answer a short questionnaire , the results of which they will use in their 10 minute presentation to a panel of business people on Friday.
Please click on the links below and complete the simple questionnaires. Your help is greatly appreciated!
Thursday 24 June 2010
Marketing research figures don't add up.....
- Firstly, it seems a very small sample of men to use on which to claim that the product is the best a man could get and.....
- Secondly, when I worked out 85% of 68, the answer was 57.8!! Does this mean that 57 full men and 4/5 of a further man agreed?
Thursday 17 June 2010
Posterous in the classroom!
VAT explained.....
- £700 million for every 1% increase if it decides to charge VAT on food.
- £1 billion if it decided to charge the current rate of 17.5% on clothes and small shoes for children.
- £1.3 billion if it chose to charge the full 17.5% on newspapers, books and magazines.
Friday 11 June 2010
Intermediate Admin - Commnd Word Help
If you have any questions, please post a comment and I will get back to you.
Mr Alexander
Wednesday 9 June 2010
Tesco chief executive to retire in March 2011
When he took over, Tesco was roughly the same size as Sainsbury with just over 20% of the market share - it now has over 30%, making it easily the UK's biggest supermarket chain.
- The number of Tesco stores has risen from 568 in 1997 to 2482 in 2010
- Tesco has stores in China, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Japan, Malaysia, Poland, the Republic of Ireland, Slovakia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey and the US.
- Pre-tax profits have risen from £750 million in 1997 to £3176 million in 2010 - up 10% on the previous year.
- Sales
- It now offers a lot more than just groceries - it now offers insurance, broadband internet, credit cards and even Child Trust funds.
- Tesco's employs approximately 500,000 people worldwide with about 250,000 employed in the UK alone.
- Tesco now has 20 million active members of its Clubcard customer loyalty scheme.
However, Tesco has come under fire from campaign groups who have become increasingly concerned about its dominant position in the UK marketplace. It has been investigated by the Office of Fair Trading on accusations of squeezing suppliers and buying up land to stop rivals building on it. These have on occasions been referred to the Competition Commission. Concern has also been raised about the growth in "Tesco Towns" where in relatively small cities, Tesco has a huge percentage of the market.
Tuesday 1 June 2010
Big business news.......
Tuesday 25 May 2010
Flexible working practices for all?
Thursday 13 May 2010
Best of luck S4 Business Management!
Couple of last minute tips!
- Read the question carefully!
- Remember the command words
- Make your writing readable
- And remember to bring a couple of pens!!!
Monday 3 May 2010
US Airlines & Continental Airlines merge
United Airlines and Continental Airlines have agreed a merger which will create the world's biggest airline. It will be called United Airlines but the new branding will be a combination of both airline's current colours.
Tuesday 27 April 2010
How are taxes raised and spent?
One of the main policy differences between the three big parties in this years election is that of taxation and cuts. All parties agree that cuts need to be made and the chances are that taxes will rise in the coming years.
- In this years Budget, the current Labour Government said that would spend £704 billion during the year up to the end of March 2011.
- The Government expect to raise £541 billion through taxation, with most coming from Income Tax (£146 billion), National Insurance (£97 billion) and VAT (£78 billion).
- They would need to borrow £163 billion to make up the difference between taxes and spending.
- Most money raised will be spent on health (£122 billion), education (£89 billion) and social protection e.g. benefits (£196 billion).
- Other key spending includes Public Order (£36 billion), International Development (£6 billion) and defence, social services, housing, transport, industry etc. (£210 billion).
- Interest on the debts the government has built up will come to £43 billion.
Sunday 25 April 2010
Tuesday 20 April 2010
Tesco announce huge pre-tax profits!
- International sales account fro £17.5bn of its £56.9bn annual revenue.
- It plans to create 16,000 jobs this year, 9,000 in the UK.
- It expects non-food and international sales to grow fastest in the recovery.
- Toy sales were up 25% - helped by the clothes like Woolworths closing down.
- Sales of clothes reached £1bn for the first time.
- Tesco finance profits were up 13% at £250m
Monday 19 April 2010
Eyjafjallajökull - Who wins and who loses?
Airlines - LOSERS!
Friday 2 April 2010
How have supermarkets continued to make profit in the recession?
Monday 29 March 2010
Teaching S3 Business Management using homemade tomato ketchup!
- 1 large red onion
- 1/2 bulb of fennel
- 1 stick of celery
- Ginger
- 1/2 fresh red chilli
- Fresh basil
- 1kg of red tomatoes
- Red wine vinegar