University of Life December 5th, 2011

I was asked recently to be on a panel for a great event organised by the 6th formers at William Hulme School, in Manchester. I had not been there since the old days when I used to kick goals through the posts on their front field for Ruthin School. As someone who failed dismally as an academic it was nice to be asked to contribute so I jumped at the chance. The line up consisted of 3 politicians, myself and another business person. One of the big topics concentrated around university fees and whether or not the £9,000 is fair. There seems to have been a massive cultural change over the last 10 or 15 years. Blair popularised the idea that everyone should go to… Read the Rest »

Posted in Business advice, Business motivation, Entrepreneurs and Entrepreneurial Spirit, Lawrence Jones, Manchester, People development, UKFast | 5 Comments »

UKFast & Sale Sharks sponsorship deal May 18th, 2009

Well it’s out! For a few months we have been sitting on the news that UKFast are officially the main sponsors of Sale Sharks Premier rugby club. So why a sport sponsorship deal? It was not an easy decision spending millions of pounds of a hard earned marketing budget in one go, with the recession still firmly gripping society however I felt it important to take the opportunity and be decisive. Its a 3 year deal and when an opportunity as large as this comes up, in my opinion you grab it with both hands. It is also important to look beyond the economic downturn. The credit crunch will not last forever and it is important to stand by what you believe in. For those fans who… Read the Rest »

Posted in Business advice, Business motivation, Lawrence Jones, SaleSharks, UKFast | 2 Comments »

“Wake” Up & Start Dreaming April 18th, 2009

So here I am lying on my back looking at a blue sky, watching the clouds change shape. An airplane appears and disappears leaving nothing but a trace in it’s wake. And the question is “what do I do next?” Mid recession, with no clear understanding of how long is the tunnel or how dark it might get, I am drawn back to the hypnotic clouds. There are some things in life you can’t predict or influence, “weather” you want to or not. But do these unpredictable elements stop you from going about your normal business or day to day lives. Of course not. Only in extreme cases, but even these are “blips” and they cannot halt progress. I am reminded of Earl Nightingale and… Read the Rest »

Posted in Business advice, Business motivation, Entrepreneurs and Entrepreneurial Spirit, Lawrence Jones, People development | 3 Comments »

Panic sacking erodes your long term business success November 12th, 2008

Four major British employers including Yell and Virgin Media have announced plans to axe over 5,000 jobs this week, as businesses fear the recession. I have found myself contemplating the implications of panic sacking. Will companies actually benefit from this move? Personally, I think not. Companies that make their employees redundant to save money over the period of recession may be able to balance their books but they don’t think of the long term consequences. The downturn isn’t going to last forever and when in a year or so the economy regains its strength, these companies will have whittled down their pool of talent. Apart from this, companies that have grown and been successful until this period of economic slowdown also face losing valued members… Read the Rest »

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Save adspend in the credit crunch – go online October 8th, 2008

Marketing and advertising spend is often the first thing to be cut in times of economic downturn. And businesses who haven’t decreased traditional advertising budgets in a bid to save costs are positioning themselves to speak directly to those affected. Look at Tesco’s new television campaign – their brand of low-cost foodstuff caters directly for those feeling the pinch. But even whilst the advertising sector as a whole shows a decline of 0.7%, online adspend has increased by 21% in the last year. So why has online advertising increased this much despite the credit crunch? It stems from the fact that the medium offers a relatively low-cost approach to brand building. And it works. At UKFast we operated an “online only” advertising policy for many… Read the Rest »

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