Real Business Christmas Countdown: The Best of 2014: 15 December

With our Christmas advent calendar now past half way, today’s offering includes a little bit of naughty and a little bit of nice. 

On the nice side we’ve included an interview with a cracker of a British technology company, while on the naughty side we’ve got the footballer everybody loves to hate – Luis Suarez. Here at Real Business, we reckon the Uruguayan is sure to receive a stocking load of coal.

News: New holiday pay rules could put firms out of business

As we’re examining in our latest monthly focus (What to expect in 2015), the next year is set to feature a number of changes relating to how you’ll run your company. On the employment law front, a European Court of Justice ruling on Working Time Regulations redefined holiday pay to include an allowance for commission, despite the fact that this is paid on the basis of sales – which are unlikely to be made whilst on holiday.

Larger businesses have already begun to set aside capital in case workers make historic claims, and are building in policies for the future. However, for smaller companies, the bill could prove crippling.

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Interview: Blippar leads the charge in British augmented reality tech

We’ve all heard about the rise of UK technology companies, whether from London’s booming Tech City or Cambridge’s Silicon Fen.

Earlier in the year, Real Business featured Blippar – a business which injects virtual elements into real world images. Having set up in 2011, been backed by venture capital and already closed a maiden acquisition, Blippar firmly entered our one to watch list.

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Catch up with previous Christmas Countdown pieces:

• 14 December: Innocent Drinks and refugee entrepreneurs
• 13 December: The most ridiculous venture to get $1m
• 12 December: Top digital media influencers under 30

Opinion: Why a Suarez on the team is always bad for business

The old football in business analogy is a tried and tested on, and was never more relevant than in the aftermath of the 2014 World Cup. After Uruguayan, and then Liverpool, player Luis Suarez bit a chunk out of an opposition player for the third time, contributor Martin Palethorpe had a look at how this type of person can be toxic in a company.

From Suarez as a CEO to having to deal with one as a manager, this kind of person tends to be a punt and ultimate disappointment.

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Surreal Business: The funniest rejection letter ever?

When business letters or emails end up in the public eye they normally make for pretty entertaining reading, and this offering from Cadbury was no different. Using the power of social media to gain exposure, it centred on the inclusion of some rather questionable CV details.

Applying for the role of Global Quality Manager with Cadbury, the jobseeker got a fairly witty response from the confectionary giant.

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