The Challenge of Linear - Heads Together
One of the key challenges that teachers face when moving to a linear specification is re-capping and revisiting topics that have previously been taught.It is impossible to ‘revise’ two years of...
The Decline of Night Clubs in the UK
Bad news for night clubbers, but new data on the substantial decline of the UK night club market is packed with classic business concepts, not the least the product life cycle.
Task Rabbit - Outsourcing Household Chores
On Saturday I was listening to Radio 4 (compulsory when you turn 40) and a piece on self-employment when they discussed a website called Task Rabbit.A man in his late 30’s had just been made...
Product Trial at McDonald's - Table Service
In another attempt to arrest a persistent decline in global sales, McDonald's is rolling out a change to the way customers are served - table service! Already used in some countries, table service...
Business Location: Creative Co-Working on the Rise
The working environment for many is changing rapidly. Mobile technology is changing where and when we work, how we collaborate, who we work for. The days of the traditional office seem numbered.
The Cost of Poor Quality - Alton Towers Struggles to Recover
Given the horrific injuries experienced by Leah Washington, Vicky Balch and their friends, it is hard to feel much sympathy for shareholders of Merlin Entertainment.However, the business and...
Supply and Demand: Bad News for Chocolate Lovers
What a great example to use with students who want to explore a topical and relevant example of the forces of supply and demand!
A fascinating short video here from the FT Business and Automotive team which considers how modern cars have become highly sophisticated pieces of technology - and how further technological change...
Teenage Traders at the Teenage Market
A great story here from the Guardian explaining the rise of street-trading markets designed specifically for teenage entrepreneurs!
New GCSE Business - Back to Basics?
The DfE has published the draft proposed subject content for the new GCSE in Business for first teaching from September 2017.The draft teaching content is now open to consultation and responses are...
The costs of operating an airline are largely fixed. It broadly costs the same to fly whether a plane is packed with passengers or half-empty. All of which means that capacity utilisation is a key...
Uber and the Unions - Are Drivers Employees?
A UK trade union is taking legal action against Uber claiming that Uber's drivers in the UK are not provided with key employment protection, including the payment of minimum wages and health &...
Getting to grips with Marketing Strategy for the new specs
The new A level specifications have taken the opportunity to update the range of promotional activities in the marketing mix, and to highlight the use of social media, which means that the range of...
Starbucks Failed $100m Takeover - Was It Really a Failure?
Three years ago, back in the summer of 2012, Starbucks announced a takeover of a small bakery chain based in San Francisco - La Boulange.
Niche v Mass Market: UK Burger Wars
Is there a layer missing in a Big Mac? No, not another layer of cheese or salad. A layer of authenticity or customisation that helps differentiate the burger product, adding more value for the...
On average each household in the UK spends £1,200 each year on energy. For the poorest households energy costs are around 10% of total spending. So it might come as an unpleasant surprise for...
Financial Motivation: Tesco's Turnaround Bonus
How important are financial methods of motivation when it comes to encouraging staff to work together to achieve strategic and organisational change?Dave Lewis, the CEO of Tesco, believes that they...
The recent strike on the London Underground perhaps inevitably caused a spike in market demand for taxis. The tubes were closed, the busses full (including the Thames river boats too). Hundreds of...
Apple - Is Tim Cook's Span of Control Getting Too Wide?
How wide should a CEO's span of control be? How many senior managers should report directly to Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple. This recent article suggests that Tim's span of control is growing and...
If your business plan requires operations to supply up to 100 million units for an important product launch, then effective capacity management is pretty vital.That's the case for Apple which is...