Take a minute to picture your organisation as a boat navigating across the ocean. The ocean represents the financial world and like the ocean, the financial environment might have dull slow parts, and at times the waves may steer you out of control.

The most important thing you need to understand about sailing is that you don’t have control of the direction you go in, the ocean does. Unfortunately, in this oh-so-complex financial world, the same goes.

The question is do you just sit back let the river take you in any direction, or do you fight the tide? Read more…..

Why is it so hot in Britain this year?

Over recent years, the great British Summer has been getting hotter and longer than many of us have seen if our lifetimes.

The Guardian reported that June 2018 could be “among the warmest, driest and sunniest Junes since records began in 1910.”

This boost in near tropical temperatures is courtesy of our old friend, the jet steam. The jet stream is the group of strong westerly air currents that circle the globe several miles above the Earth’s surface.

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IoD99

It began as a pilot scheme at the end of 2014, with only 99 applications accepted. Due to the success of the initiative, IoD took the decision to accept 99 new members every quarter during 2015. Members benefit from IoD support and advice, as well as free networking events with fellow IoD99 members. Read more…..

The Northern Powerhouse is a phrase which is frequently used amongst northern business leaders and political parties. However a recent study found that nearly half of people in the North of England are unaware of the Northern Powerhouse. The Manchester Evening News reported the most unusual hotel requests in the city during 2015, one of which was ‘Where would I find the Northern Powerhouse?’. Yet the importance of the Northern Powerhouse on the Northern Economy, infrastructure and industry is unprecedented. Our recent Conference explored key themes around the Powerhouse. Read more…..

Party conference season is well under way, so far the Liberal democrats and the Green Party have both taken the stage in Bournemouth. UKIP headed to Doncaster, and the Labour Party hosted in Brighton with their the new Leader addressing his party for the first time. This week is the turn of The Conservative Party, making Manchester their home for the week.

A wide variety of topics have been discussed during this weeks event. With EU membership, Immigration, maternity leave for grandparents, child benefit, Isis and Terror, Prisons, education, Right to buy, social housing, the deficit, and the topic which had social media in a frenzy was the introduction of a 5p tax on supermarket bags.

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Northern Powerhouse On The Agenda 

A major conference on what the future holds for Greater Manchester under the Northern Powerhouse is to be staged in Salford this November.

Speakers at the summit will address the impact on government, transport, arts, science and business.

The conference will take place on Tuesday, November 10.

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The Northern Powerhouse has been on the agenda ever since its conception during the coalition government of 2010. The objective is to develop the economy in the North of England, rebalancing the North-South divide.

The Northern Powerhouse last week received a boost, with a proposed £13billion investment into its transport infrastructure. The investment is much needed with serious overcrowding on localised trains, the closure of bus lanes, together with mounting potholes.

Read more…..