Elevate - for business leaders

My Big Decision: Guy Kawasaki on seeing a Mac for the first time

Friday, August 12, 2011 | Posted by: Fiona Cullinan
Categories: My big decision | Tags: business, success, podcasts, My Big Decision, Apple, Guy Kawasaki, decision

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The final interview in Grant Thornton’s My Big Decision series of life-changing business decisions is with tech entrepreneur and former Apple chief evangelist Guy Kawasaki, who talks about the moment he ‘wimped out’ of law college and went into the computer business instead.

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National Business Awards: the 10 mid-cap finalists

Thursday, August 04, 2011 | Posted by: Fiona Cullinan
Categories: Thought Leadership | Tags: business, Grant Thornton, UK, awards, National Business Awards, shortlist, Scott Barnes, mid-cap, NBA, finalists, ceremony

This week, our CEO Scott Barnes announced the shortlist for the Grant Thornton sponsored Mid-Cap category of the prestigious National Business Awards. So who are the top 10 mid-market players? Here’s a preview…

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Jon Herbert of Lloyds Banking Group talks to us about the financing challenges for the mid-market.

Friday, July 29, 2011 | Posted by: Grant Thornton
Categories: Business advice, Financing , Thought Leadership | Tags: finance, research, survey, report, strategy, growth, data, CEO, FD, CFO, analysis, funding, banking, financing, financial crisis, mid-market, refinancing, David Ascott, Jon Herbert

We spoke with Jon Herbert who is the Head of Acquisitions Finance at Lloyds Banking Group about the current financing environment. He shares his views from the banking perspective

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Stephen Welton of the Business Growth Fund talks to us about the current financing environment

Friday, July 29, 2011 | Posted by: Grant Thornton
Categories: Business advice, Financing , Thought Leadership | Tags: finance, research, survey, report, strategy, growth, data, CEO, FD, CFO, analysis, funding, banking, financing, FDs, financial crisis, mid-market, refinancing, David Ascott, Stephen Welton

We spoke with Stephen Welton who is the Chief Executive of the Business Growth Fund about the role of Business Growth Fund and the current financing environment.

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David Ascott, Corporate Finance partner discusses the financing challenges for the mid-market

Friday, July 29, 2011 | Posted by: Grant Thornton
Categories: Business advice, Financing , Thought Leadership | Tags: finance, research, survey, report, strategy, growth, data, CEO, FD, CFO, analysis, funding, banking, financing, FDs, financial crisis, mid-market, refinancing, David Ascott

David Ascott discusses our latest research into the

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Will the money start moving in 2011? Industry experts share their thoughts on our findings.

Friday, July 29, 2011 | Posted by: Grant Thornton
Categories: Business advice, Financing , Thought Leadership | Tags: finance, research, survey, report, strategy, growth, data, CEO, FD, CFO, analysis, funding, banking, financing, FDs, financial crisis, mid-market, refinancing, David Ascott

Our latest survey looked at the

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R&D tax credits webcast: join the discussion

Tuesday, July 26, 2011 | Posted by: Grant Thornton
Categories: Business advice, Tax, Technology sector | Tags: innovation, business, tax, research, Francesca Lagerberg, technology, report, advice, relief, analysis, incentives, consultation, development, webinar, review, R&D, Dyson, Samantha Vanags

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Find out about the upcoming changes to Research and Development (R&D) tax credits in our FREE webcast taking place tomorrow, Wednesday 27 July at 3pm BST. Read on for details and how to register.

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Get inspired with Elevate magazine – new issue out now

Thursday, July 07, 2011 | Posted by: Grant Thornton
Categories: Thought Leadership | Tags: entrepreneurs, Grant Thornton, magazine, advice, insight, comment, subscribe, business leaders, Elevate, publications, interviews, Elevate magazine

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You’ve read the blog, now read the magazine. Grant Thornton’s summer issue of Elevate magazine for UK business leaders is here at last, featuring stories on empire building and succession, finance flow and China, as well as interviews with leading, innovative business thinkers. For a full preview of what’s inside and details of how to get hold of a copy, read on…

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De-risking defined pension fund liabilities - What are the options for private equity buyers?

Wednesday, July 06, 2011 | Posted by: Grant Thornton
Categories: Business advice, Economy | Tags: Pension scheme buy-out, Pension scheme buy-in, Defined Benefit pension scheme de-risking, Longevity swap, LDI, Longevity hedging, Liability Driven investment, Index-based swaps, Indemnity-based swaps

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Kelvin Wilson, Associate Director in Grant Thornton’s Pension Advisory team sat down with Emanuel Eftimiu, the head of research at Unquote.com. 

They discuss some of the options currently available to firms looking to de-risk their defined benefit pension schemes, and in particular some of the issues facing private equity owners with portfolio companies with DB schemes with significant liabilities.

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Is finance starting to flow in support services?

Thursday, June 30, 2011 | Posted by: Grant Thornton
Categories: Financing , Thought Leadership | Tags: report, recruitment, funding, banking, public sector, financing, outsourcing, mid-market, Private Equity, refinancing, support services, David Ascott, facilities management, Alex Worters

Sentiment in the support services sector is slowly and cautiously turning positive, led by some strongly performing niches, but there are areas within support services that are still feeling the pinch.

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Three entrepreneurs reveal their business drivers

Wednesday, June 15, 2011 | Posted by: Fiona Cullinan
Categories: Thought Leadership | Tags: innovation, business, entrepreneurs, women in business, business models, magazine, management, car industry, franchise, marketing, advertising, automotive, elevate, Elevate magazine, psychology, business drivers

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Elevate magazine interviewed three business leaders who are using fresh approaches to drive their business forward – from measuring emotions and optimising serendipity to implementing a return to human switchboards.

Our next issue of Elevate, Grant Thornton’s magazine for business leaders is out shortly. Read on to register for your free copy.

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What can showbiz teach real biz?

Wednesday, June 08, 2011 | Posted by: Alex Connock
Categories: Business advice, Media sector | Tags: business, Alex Connock, media, CEO, tips, advice, management, PowerPoint, entertainment, showbusiness, rules, lessons

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Showbusiness faces the same issues as real business, but with products you’ve heard of and characters you couldn’t make up. Alex Connock, CEO of TV and education producer Ten Alps, says that makes it a good place to learn universal business lessons, and picks out some rules to rule by.

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Sustainable cities: how business can help ‘green’ the public sector

Tuesday, May 31, 2011 | Posted by: Grant Thornton
Categories: Environment, Property & Construction | Tags: investment, survey, report, energy, sustainability, climate change, green, sustainable cities, sustainable development, environment, green living, green cities, eco city, city planning, sustainable

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UK cities are at a crossroads in their development as they come under pressure to grow in a sustainable way and use resources more efficiently. Business, too, is having to address climate change and its impact on the environment. How can a growing ecosystem of private, public and third sector best work together on sustainability and what will our future cities look like? Grant Thornton’s in-depth report reviews the sustainability and business landscape.

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Financing improves but mid-market remains frustrated

Wednesday, May 25, 2011 | Posted by: Fiona Cullinan
Categories: Business advice, Financing , Thought Leadership | Tags: finance, research, survey, report, strategy, growth, data, CEO, FD, CFO, analysis, funding, banking, financing, FDs, financial crisis, mid-market, refinancing, David Ascott

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The engine room of the UK economy is gearing up to pump again with more than half of our surveyed CEOs and FDs expecting it to become easier to finance their business activities in the next 12 months. But with the funding taps mostly being turned on for larger, blue-chip companies, many are facing another year of frustration and/or creative growth strategies. Grant Thornton’s latest survey maps the financing needs and wants of the UK mid-market.

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Green Investment Bank needs to win hearts and minds

Friday, May 20, 2011 | Posted by: Grant Thornton
Categories: Financing , Environment, Technology sector | Tags: investment, survey, report, Edinburgh, energy, renewable energy, green, Nathan Goode, Charles Yates, low carbon, Green Investment Bank, Wigley Report, solar energy, green energy, biomass, GIB, wind farms, cleantech

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Why we are campaigning for Edinburgh to be HQ of the new Green Investment Bank, or GIB, and why funding for small-scale renewable energy projects will bring not just swifter financial gains but a much-needed PR win for the low carbon economy.

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HMRC Officers to eat into restaurant tax evasion

Thursday, May 12, 2011 | Posted by: Dave Jennings
Categories: Business advice, Tax | Tags: HMRC restaurant taskforce, Liechtenstein Disclosure Facility,, Tax Amnesty,, Plumbers Tax Safe Plan,, Tax Investigations,, HMRC Taskforce,

As the drive to restore the public finances to health continues, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has announced the introduction of new trade-specific taskforces which will target those who seek to evade tax, starting with the restaurant trade.

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Big tax changes for small businesses

Wednesday, May 11, 2011 | Posted by: Francesca Lagerberg
Categories: Business advice | Tags: tax, income tax, budget, NIC, Office for Tax Simplification, OTS, National Insurance, allowances, policy, IR35, contractors, integration, intermediaries, small business review, merging income tax and NIC, SME

Small business taxation is facing major reform with the potential merging of income tax and national insurance contributions, new approaches to taxing very small, unincorporated businesses, and a review of IR35 rules, says Francesca Lagerberg, Head of Tax at Grant Thornton.

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Compare the tax reliefs.com as the new OTS completes its review

Tuesday, April 12, 2011 | Posted by: Francesca Lagerberg
Categories: Business advice, Tax | Tags: tax, income tax, budget, NIC, tax policy, legislation, exemptions, OTS, tax reliefs, budget2011, national insurance contributions, venture capital trusts, allowances, enterprise investment schemes, Office of Tax Simplification, entrepreneurs’ relief

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In his 2011 budget speech, Chancellor George Osborne announced several changes to the UK tax regime following the advice and recommendation of the Office of Tax Simplification (OTS). This is the first view we have of the new department’s effectiveness – has it made tax simpler?

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Far East ‘very keen’ to buy UK property

Friday, April 08, 2011 | Posted by: Fiona Cullinan
Categories: Property & Construction | Tags: property, Clare Hartnell, Nicholas Cowell, MIPIM, Property Week

London in particular is a booming market for inward property investment as buyers from Hong Kong and the Far East are snapping up prime retail and residential properties. The weak pound is making UK property especially attractive at the moment, as Clare Hartnell, Head of Property and Construction for Grant Thornton, reports in her recent interview at real estate conference, MIPIM.

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Game layers, sharing, e-marketing – entrepreneur links

Thursday, April 07, 2011 | Posted by: Fiona Cullinan
Categories: Technology sector | Tags: entrepreneurs, technology, women in business, marketing, presentations, tech, negotiation, e-marketing, gamification, SXSW, games, links, games, gamification, SXSW, entrepreneurs, tech, women in business, e-marketing, marketing, negotiation, presentation

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What are the new trends that could benefit your business? We’ve picked up on a few on our internet travels and added them into our regular mix of business and entrepreneur-related must-reads.

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