Need for business training to boost economy

Strathclyde University have just published a report which says that enterprise education in universities and colleges can double the rate of business start-ups.

However, only Yorkshire and Humberside did worse than Scotland in business start-ups and although many Scots think they could go into business for themselves, few actually take the risk of being an entrepreneur. One explanation put forward is that few Scots actually know anyone who has started their own business in the last 2 years (20% compared with 30% in London and 43% in similar European countries). In Europe, people are 3 times more likely to invest in a friend or family members business.

The Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship at Strathclyde found that business training was a key factor in encouraging business start-up. Professor Sara Carter, head of the Hunter Centre, said "Entrepreneurship education gives students a more competitive edge in the graduate labour market as well as presenting new venture creation as a realistic and, in some cases, essential career option".

One positive from the current economic climate is that the recession may help the start-up rate as skilled people, facing redundancy, may have to look at new options.

No longer proud to be Scottish?

A company who make Harris Tweed have denied "de-Scottishifying" to appeal to the American market who are angry at the release of the Lockerbie bomber, Abdelbaset al-Megrahi. The creative director of the company said it was no longer promoting itself as Scottish. The chief executive has since said that the creative director did not speak on behalf of the company and there had been no reaction from the US market

Product placement ban lifted

Independent broadcasters such as ITV and Channel 4 were given a big boost today with the announcement that the ban on product placement is likely to be lifted soon. This will allow them to take payments for displaying commercial products during shows and it is believed could bring in £100m a year. The ban would remain in place for the BBC and all children's programmes across all networks.

The lifting of the ban will bring the UK into line with the rest of Europe and will be a huge help to broadcasters who have been hit hard by the recession. Currently, any products on programmes like Coronation Street or Big Brother have to cover up labels or ensure they are carefully obscured.

Business news of the week.....

Some interesting business news from the last week:

T-Mobile (owned by Deutsche Telecom) and Orange (owned by France Telecom) are planning to merge their UK businesses which would become the UK's largest mobile phone provider, with about 37% of the market. It would push O2, owned by Telefonica, into second plance and create a firm with sales of £8.2 billion.

In the UK, Orange employes 12,500 people and T-Mobile 6,500 and there is the possibility that staff may be made redundant. It is also likely that competition authorities in the UK and EU would want to look at the deal before agreeing it can go ahead.

T-Mobile and Orange merge

Cadbury rejected a £10.2 billion takeover bid from Kraft, saying it greatly undervalued the firm.

Kraft attempt to takeover Cadbury

The new owners of Tennent's, C&G Group who own Magners cider, refused to take on Tennent's Super because they felt it didn't fit with their more sophisticated portfolio. One national newspaper said that they didn't think it's "Rab C Nesbitt" image would suit the company's bill and the main goal was to secure Tennent's Lager, which has 55% of the Scottish market and would complement the Magners range.

And finally....the fast-food giant McDonald's has lost an EIGHT YEAR legal battle to stop a Malaysian restaurant calling itself McCurry. They claimed that the "Mc" infringed on their trademark but a court in Malaysia said there was no evidence the restaurant was pretending to be any part of McDonald's.

Business Studies teacher wanted.......

My S4 Business Management class are currently working through the Human Resource Management unit and having prepared a job analysis, job description and person specification for a Business Studies teacher at St Ninian's, they then had to use MS Publisher to prepare a small job advert for the Herald or Scotsman. They used the internet, job papers, myself and the Business Studies Principal Teacher to come up with an advert that would attract the right candidate to apply for the job. I was particularly attracted to the advert which highlighted the "13 week holiday every year!".