Competition regulator blocks Friends Reunited sale

A good example of competition regulation in the news today.  The OFT has referred ITV’s proposed disposal of Friends Reunited to the Competition Commission on the grounds that, post sale, there will be just two main competitors in the market for researching ancestry.

Q&A - What are the main causes of unemployment?

The causes of unemployment can be described under four main categories:
- Seasonal unemployment
- Frictional unemployment
- Structural unemployment
- Cyclical unemployment

Napster - Trying to compete, or getting desperate?

It was the music download site that first caused major headaches for record company bosses when it was first launched as an illegal download site.  Ten years on, Napster is now a legitimate music site (and has been since 2002), but is facing a battle of it’s own.

Meet the Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2009

Terrific news from the O2 X Awards last night.  Rajeeb Dey was named as the winner of the O2 X Young Entrepreneur of the Year in the prestigious annual national small business competition, the O2 X Awards. The award recognises the new generation of young entrepreneurs who are making an impact in today’s challenging economic climate.

A good friend and supporter of tutor2u, Raj is a fantastic entrepreneurial role model with a bright future.  And you can meet Raj in person at the Business Teacher National Conference in London on 18 June 2010 when he provides us with insights into his business strategy and style.

Plastic car is a blast from the past

One of my favourite stories from the Business News this month has been the possible relaunch of the original plastic car – the Trabant.

BA cuts out the cost of short-haul meals

It will take more than this to reduce its enormous losses, but British Airways has decided that meals on short-haul flights after 10.00am are for the chop…

Microsoft and Google compete head-to-head

A dramatic shake-up for the information-technology (IT) industry is coming.  Google is promising to release an operating system (like XP or Vista) for personal computers.  This represents a direct attack on Microsoft, the world’s biggest software firm. 

Coffee Republic struggles with the daily grind

This will be a story that is worth following over the Summer.  Leading coffee shop chain Coffee Republic is on the bring of going into administration according to the papers yesterday.  A story of over-ambitious expansion, unprofitable growth through franchises, the impact of the credit crunch and a struggle to handle intense competition from from better-resourced rivals such as Starbucks and Costa Coffee.  So far as I’m aware, Coffee Republic has never made a profit - though it has long been feted as an entrepreneurial success story…

What makes a profitable menu?

Here’s a challenge you could set your students…

Q&A - Explain the role of corporate objectives in business strategy

Corporate strategies are essentially about what the business wants to achieve.  Business strategy is the gameplan for how those corporate objectives are to be achieved.

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