The story of JCB is one of innovation, ambition and sheer hard work. From small beginnings building agricultural tipping trailers in 1945, to the global force in manufacturing the company has become today, JCB has constantly pushed the boundaries in their desire to be the best. Today, JCB has 22 plants on four continents and more than 750 dealers around the world. As Lord Bamford explains, “These are exciting times. In just 75 years we have gone from one man in a garage in Ut

Entrepreneurs are more likely to consider property investment rather than a pension to build their wealth, according to research from Brown Shipley, a Quintet private bank. The survey among entrepreneurs and wealthy individuals in the UK found that entrepreneurs are more likely than wealthy individuals overall to have amassed wealth through investment in property, and less likely to have done so through a pension. Almost a third of entrepreneurs (30%) state that property inve

After a tumultuous past two years for businesses, even the smallest increase in supplier or software cost or change in strategy can impact a company’s profitability; every penny counts. Although business owners are familiar with ‘being online’ and tend to dabble with a mix of marketing tactics, experts say businesses should be using digital marketing strategically in order to save costs and raise revenue. Following a 1400% increase in interest for the search term ‘business co

A new report reveals over a fifth (21%) of SME owners are concerned by overseas cyber threats in the midst of heightened cyber security threats from Russian hackers. The annual 2022 business challenges report carried out by card payments specialist takepayments Limited , surveyed SME business owners and decision-makers across the UK to discover the current small business landscape for the year ahead.  Over the past two years, the ICO reports that there has been a steady and s

2020 highlighted the need for digital transformation around the world and in every sector with family businesses that had invested in IT infrastructure being able to keep working when their countries went into lockdown. Companies that hadn’t were left scrambling. Mandatory remote work has proven that digital transformation has very real business benefits. It isn’t a load of buzzwords and IT fads. Companies that hadn’t invested in it in the past are almost certainly doing so r

Organisations have a responsibility towards their staff. The expression "mens sana in corpore sano", usually translated as “a healthy mind in a healthy body,” is truer than ever during this pandemic. In particular, prolonged confinement and reduced socialisation have brought mental health issues to the fore. Manfred Kets de Vries shares his thoughts on mental health in the workplace and some of the signals to look out for amongst staff. Recently, one of my clients told me th

Self-efficacy can be built by developing the emotional flexibility of employees, according to new research from Nyenrode Business University, VU Amsterdam and IE University Madrid. Self-efficacy, or in other words a person’s belief in their ability to succeed, is important to help employees be resilient in a fast changing environment. Developing emotional flexibility helps employees handle changes better and builds stronger mental health. According to Professor Dr. Nick van D

There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach when it comes to protecting family wealth, passing this to future generations in an appropriate way, and at the ‘right time’. Setting up a Family Investment Company (“FIC”) is increasingly a popular choice for successful family business owners as part of their broader succession and tax planning strategy. Planning with trusts has a significant role in protecting family wealth for future generations, however with limitations placed on t

Saxton Bampfylde have recently published their latest thought piece entitled Humanity at the Heart of Digital Prosperity. For this report they have spoken with over 30 executive leaders, in both executive and non-executive roles in some of the UK’s leading businesses, across a range of sectors. They were keen to explore the prominence of digital innovation in organisational priorities. Clearly they couldn’t have foreseen at the end of last year when commissioning this rese

Stories are a great way of connecting with people as good storytelling is emotive. That’s what makes great books and great movies: they tell engaging and emotive stories. Have you ever had feedback that you need to be more motivating or inspiring? If so, storytelling could be the answer. Anne Taylor is an Executive Coach and author of the new book, Soft Skills Hard Results and shares some of the secrets associated with telling a good story. So, what’s the secret of storytell

Internationalising can be difficult for businesses, especially if their products are grounded in domestic cultural traditions and require the possession of some degree of cultural knowledge to be understood, used, and valued by foreign customers. But new research from the UCL School of the Management reveals three different “cultural strategies” available to these companies if they wish to succeed on an international scale. Success may require managers to explore opportunitie

Reputational risk is a key concern for many family firms. Alistair Morgan explains some of the considerations as to how families can manage their reputations. Setting The Scene Many wealthy families “trade” on their reputation, which has often taken years, decades or even centuries to develop. However, thanks to social media and mobile technology, we now live in a world where reputations can be won or lost in a matter of seconds or minutes. Taking the middle ground – maintain

If family enterprise is a mindset, then being more mindful seems fundamental to this effort. Awareness changes everything: You can’t address an issue or work on something until you are aware of it. So if you aren’t cultivating awareness as a leader, in your family, and your enterprises then you are at greater risk. As a family dealing with exponential change and interdependency, Stephanie Kilroy at the Traynor Family Enterprise (an organization that self-identifies as a famil