Opposites don't attract in a good JV
by Catherine Woods - Tuesday, 22nd January 2008 -
Thinking about a joint venture? Stagecoach Group FD Martin Griffiths says you’ve got to be “very comfortable” with your potential partner for it to work.
“You have to have a similar understanding and ethos,” he adds.
Stagecoach, the UK transport company that also has operations in North America, has a few JVs on the go. One of those – Virgin Rail Group – is with Richard Branson’s Virgin Group.
Griffiths says the working relationship between the two companies is good from the top down. “Brian Souter, our CEO, has a good relationship with Richard Branson. It means we all have a high mutual respect for each other.
"These things would typically come unstuck because of people issues. If the people work well together and gel well, you have every chance of success.”
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"Don't let the market be your boss"
By Kate Pritchard - October 06, 2008 5:57pm GMT
Serial entrepreneur and investor Maxwell Packe says private equity-backed firms have an edge over publicly listed companies. “They don’t have to meet targets set by teenage scribblers,” he says.
“Why bother with an IPO?” asks Audio Network founder
By Rebecca Burn-Callander - October 06, 2008 3:20pm GMT
Robert Hurst raised £600,000 of seed funding from 40 music composers, sound designers and angels to get his online sound and music portal off the ground. Having organised his own private IPO, he’s suspicious of the traditional listing process.
Five ways to avoid redundancies
By Real Business - October 06, 2008 12:31pm GMT
You’re in a pickle. You desperately need to cut your employee wage bill but you’re reluctant to make redundancies. Fear not. We’ve come up with some alternatives to swinging the scythe.
“Always accept a dinner invitation from an Asian client!”
By Rebecca Burn-Callander - October 03, 2008 5:29pm GMT
Kamel Hothi arrived in the UK when she was six. As a girl raised in a traditional Indian family, she was never supposed to work, pursue higher education, or even make eye contact with men. Yet now she’s director of Asian Markets at Lloyds TSB, opening up opportunities for hundreds of women just like her.
Good growth for Ted Baker
By Catherine Woods - October 03, 2008 10:43am GMT
Ted Baker founder Ray Kelvin says the clothing retailer remains “understandably cautious” about the second half of the year despite posting a 8.2 per cent increase in revenue to £71.6m.
Follow the brothel's lead
By Catherine Woods - October 03, 2008 3:58pm GMT
If you’re not an Australian, you may not find the following article as amusing as I have.
Economic downturn headlines
By Catherine Woods - October 02, 2008 2:41pm GMT
There’s more doom and gloom in the news today about the economic downturn.
Deal or no deal
By Kate Pritchard - October 01, 2008 3:43pm GMT
Jon Moulton wasn’t exactly exaggerating when he told us the outlook for the private equity industry was gloomy.
Eco-preneurs in the US
By Catherine Woods - September 26, 2008 5:14pm GMT
It’s always interesting to hear what’s happening within the entrepreneurial community across the pond and an article published today has revealed the growing eco-preneurial movement within the travel and hospitality sectors.
