#RedTapeConsulting

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Proud participant (or should that be 'non-participant'?!) in the social media boycott Fri 30 Apr to Mon 3 May 2021 

pic: stephenPedersen

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COLLAPSE Which firms will collapse first?  Zombie enterprises propped up by repeat loans won't stagger on through the pandemic.  Nor will their main clients & key suppliers.  Despite government rescue packages, it will be corporate undertakers & wind-up merchants who stand & deliver

Guess the Word?               Series 56 (3/8)                 pic: firmino Gennarino

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SCOTCH EGG

The humble Scotch egg lays out features of successful products: Simple components, well planned & properly executed (hard or soft boiled egg, enclosed in sausagemeat, rolled in breadcrumbs & fried).  Many claims to invention (Scotland, England, India, Algeria).  Enduring (from pre-18thC).  Convenient (portable snack).  Good anywhere (indoor meal, outdoor picnic).  Popular (versions worldwide).  A thoroughly good egg

Guess the Word?        Series 54 (8/8)          pic: christina’s cucina

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GALWAY OYSTERS

A fixture on any Valentine's Day menu: oysters. Savoured in Britain since Roman times.  Protein & mineral-rich, oysters were plentiful until 1800s over-fishing & polluted waters depleted stocks.  Since 1954, the world's longest-running Oyster Festival in Galway, Ireland is on the last weekend in Sep.  From "poor man's food" to luxury prices - aw shucks

Guess the Word?               Series 54 (7/8)                pic: DK Connemara Oysters

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IRISH STEW

The epitome of comfort food: Irish stew.  Few ingredients - mutton, onions, potatoes, maybe carrots, parsley or thyme.  Dates back to at least 1800s, when it was made slowly over an open fire. Still enjoyed heartily today.  The economic importance of sheep for wool/milk meant only old animals ended up in the cooking pot.  Then & now - good food, good business - waste not, want not

Guess the Word?                     Series 54 (5/8)                    pic: NYtimes    

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WELSH RAREBIT

Posh cheese on toast, Welsh rarebit dates back to 1500s when poor families couldn't afford meat like rabbit.  Cheese sauce, enriched with milk, ale or egg, spiked with mustard/ Worcester sauce & nutritious seaweed laverbread ('Welshman's caviar').  3 Sep is Welsh Rarebit Day.  Products can hop a long way from humble beginnings

Guess the Word?          Series 54 (4/8)           pic: visitWales

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TRAINS COMING

Transport outlook 2020: a train renaissance.  3 drivers - flight shame, climate change concern, EU railways opening to competition.  Expect smart trains, easy online booking, frequent services to city centres, perks (free coffee, newspapers).  Passenger numbers, esp. tourists, business & night travellers, will rise & fares will fall.  Midnight train to Georgia & beyond

Guessed the Word?                 Series 53 (3/7)                pic: darksouls1

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OPEN Data troves held by tech giants will be forced open, to benefit consumers & level the playing field for rivals.  Further crackdowns likely: ban on sharing data across their businesses, unwinding of mergers, new rules/fines for use of personal data.  The pain will fall mainly on their reign over internet search, digital advertising, e-commerce & Apps. Nowhere to hide

Guess the Word?      Series 53 (5/7)          pic: military material

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LONGEST

Longest & calmest ever US bull market turns 11 years old in June 2020. Will it last?  Probably, as American consumers are in great shape.  Their debt relative to income is lowest in 40 years, their savings rate is high, real incomes are rising & unemployment is at a 50-year low.   No sign of the bear

Guess the Word?       Series 53 (4/7)         pic: danielsfotowelt

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GUESS the WORD  and Contact Us for Prizes!  Series 53 starts soon.....

1st letter of each Post Title (in a Series) spells a business word - spelt correctly or jumbled up.  Series 52  answer was  R-O-B-B-I-N   (RIBBON)

pic: zdenek machace

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NEW YEAR 2020

What will come up this year?  A survivor mindset always helps: improvise, adapt & overcome.  The only wrong thing we can do is to lose hope. The best & brightest feel part of something larger than just making money, & help to make the world a better place.  Happy New Year!

Guess the Word?       Series 52 (6/6)          pic: MichaelVines

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INN

No room at the inn this Christmas?  Raise a glass - UK pubs report c.12% higher festive season sales, compared to 2018. The sector is facing drinking habit changes - young people socialise online rather than go to a pub.  476 pubs, mostly small independents, closed between Jan - Jun 2019.  But good booking systems & serving food helped savvy inn-keepers maximise revenue & gain market share.  Cheers!

Guess the Word?            Series 52 (2/6)            pic: Finmiki

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BAH HUMBUG!

Cost of Christmas dinner was up again!

Erratic weather & African swine fever affected food prices around the world. Higher turkey (up 6% due to hot summer), pork & Brussels sprouts prices increased wholesale cost of UK Christmas dinner by 3% from 2018. Vegetables were affected by rain in recent months. Chilled snowmen? No, we were turkeys this Christmas 

Guess the Word?                  Series 52 (4/6)                  pic: Nathan Wolfe

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GUESS the WORD  and Contact Us for Prizes!  Series 52 starts soon...

1st letter of each Post Title (in a Series) spells a business word - spelt correctly or jumbled up.  Series 51  spelt  P-A-W-W-I-S-H = WHIPSAW [pic: mircia ploscar]

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SAVING

Germans squirrel away 10% of disposable income regardless of economic crises or interest rates, double that of the average European or American.  Only Swedes & Swiss save more.  In contrast, Britons save about 3%.  In 2016, their savings rate was actually negative. 1778: world's 1st savings bank founded in Hamburg.  Most Germans view the stock market as a casino

Guess the Word?                Series 51 (5/7)             pic: oldiefan

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INTERNAL RATE OF RETURN

How do private equity funds juice the internal rate of return (IRR)?  IRR is calculated once clients' money comes in.  The shorter the period their money is put to work, the higher the annual IRR.  So, funds borrow money for the initial investment, & ask for client money later, to make it look as if profits multiplied rapidly.  Rabbit, rabbit

Guess the Word?             Series 51 (1/7)                pic: couleur