May 2010
HOT 100 2010: How to build a new industry – and defend growth in an established one. We have 100 masterclasses.
Who wants to be appointed recession minister?
Despite the hung parliament – and all the uncertainty that surrounds it – calls for the appointment of a “recession minister” in the next government are growing.
The Hot 100 2010 rankings list
Our ranking of this year's fastest growing private companies, based on financial data supplied by Jordans. Size does matter here.
Election apathy
For the first time I can remember, I really couldn’t be bothered to watch the election results last night and have done little more than glance at the hung parliament result this morning.
Should I vote for the unctuous Etonian?
Wake at unearthly hour. Wish I could blame dog, neighbours or even avid excitement over election, but no – yet again the incompetence of my work force causes me to stagger from my bed, pulling hair out prior to actually brushing it.
The analysis
Since Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy at the tail end of 2008, the economy has been teetering on the edge of a cliff. A woeful 24,368 companies had to shut up shop last year. Public debt soared to £844.5bn – the equivalent of 60.2 per cent of GDP. And the financial crisis threw every region of the UK back to the jobless levels of 1999, with 1.6 million people claiming job seeker’s allowance.
Birthdays, computers and office swaps
Passed birthday in a non celebratory haze of exhaustion, having spent an exciting bank holiday weekend cleaning up computer systems, which were filled with unnecessary mess and chaos. Only one major error: accidentally disposed of rather large file belonging to Second-in-Charge, which meant he didn’t start the week in the sunniest of moods even though the file was rescued by techies.
UK plc reacts to hung parliament
It’s official. We have a hung parliament. David Cameron’s Conservatives win the most seats in the general election – but not enough to secure an overall majority. Here are the initial reactions from entrepreneurs and business pundits.
Meet Britain’s fastest-growing private companies: 2-10
Check out who does what, and who you have to beat to make it into next year's ranking of the UK's fastest-growing firms.
Meet Britain’s fastest-growing private companies: 11-20
Check out the UK's fastest-growing firms, 11 through 20.
Meet Britain’s fastest-growing private companies: 21-30
Check out the UK's fastest-growing firms, 21 through 30.