It’s a crucial part of the manufacturing process, but one might be surprised at the sheer number of mistakes that companies make when it comes to prototyping. Instead of seeing this as a crucial part of your product development, a lot of businesses instead view it as something they need to get out of the […] 
The world we live in is forever changing. That is the case when it comes to our everyday life, including our working careers. Nowadays, employees simply aren’t as loyal as they once were. With the average UK worker spending five years in one role — compared to the 50 years by older generations — companies […] 
When businesses look at improving their profits by increasing efficiency, they’re often looking at reducing costs and speeding up logistics to reduce the friction that each movement facilitates. It’s a strategy that makes sense, but it’s also incredibly naïve. That’s because your human capital – the people you employee – are the most important resource […] 
If you’re in the Christmas tree business, it’s best to be prepared for the long haul. Forestry workers, such as Graham Webb at the 22,500-acre Elveden Estate in Newmarket, Suffolk, have been working up to 90 hours a week since the start of last month to meet demand. The estate’s fir trees, cut between five […] 
State-of-the-art heavy engineering in the North East, traditional manufacturing processes in the Midlands and on Merseyside, and one of Wales’s greatest export stories have all been celebrated in this year’s Made in Britain Photography Awards 2013. The awards organised by the EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation, and supported by The Times were handed out in a ceremony today […] 
The pressure on Tesco to trigger a price war intensified yesterday when it was accused of falling into the “impossible position” of being uncompetitive on both value and quality. Bruno Monteyne, a senior analyst at Bernstein Research who worked at Tesco for a decade, said that it had “made some bad decisions” and had raised […] 
A billionaire metals magnate with links to Tony Blair and Lord Mandelson was acquitted of bribery charges yesterday after Britain’s white-collar crime-fighting agency pulled the plug on a landmark prosecution. Victor Dahdaleh, 70, walked free from court after it emerged that key witnesses for the Serious Fraud Office had a potential conflict of interest. The […] 
Brian Henderson, head of PwC’s fast growth companies programme and private business specialist, answers your questions on strategies and investment. • Q: What more innovative funding options are available to me to grow my business? Over the course of the last few years it’s true that many SMEs have struggled to get access to the […] 
Shares in Royal Bank of Scotland fell 2 per cent this morning in reaction to the surprise resignation of its finance director after only ten weeks in the job. Analysts questioned whether the sudden departure of Nathan Bostock would hamper RBS’s restructuring plan, under which it is trying to sell its US division, shrink its […] 
Tesco will launch a current account next year, posing what may be the biggest challenge yet to traditional banks. The account from Tesco Bank will join only a handful of current accounts offered by companies that are not banks, including M&S Bank. Other challengers, such as Virgin Money and Sainsbury’s Bank, do not provide current […] 
