In a digital age, the bookshop is still a land of discovery
THERE are books everywhere – piled on shelves to the ceiling - arranged on top of the filing cabinets – there’s even a glass-topped desk supported on a towering pile of worn-out paperbacks.Inside the...
View ArticleNorth Sea oilfield disruption ‘is worse than Nigeria’ claim critics
ANGRY oil traders branded chronic output disruption at Britain’s biggest oilfield, Buzzard, as “worse than Nigeria” yesterday after production problems flared up again.Buzzard is the biggest of the...
View ArticleStobart plans £25m retail bond
Haulage firm Stobart Group has unveiled plans to raise £25 million by launching a bond aimed at retail investors – the first in the sector.The group said the bond, offered through brokers, will pay a...
View ArticleOfcom deadline for £1.3bn 4G bidders
Regulator Ofcom has given operators four weeks to register for the sale of “fourth generation” mobile airwaves next year.It expects to raise a minimum £1.3 billion by auctioning the 4G spectrum, which...
View ArticleScots experts to drive new centre for entrepreneurs
The University of Strathclyde is to help set up a £2.9 million centre aimed at becoming a focal point for UK research and policy on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).The Enterprise Research...
View ArticleCutty Sark sales ahead in US
STRONG growth in emerging markets for spirits group Edrington – behind brands including Famous Grouse, The Macallan and Highland Park – is continuing to offset weakness in southern Europe.Edrington...
View ArticleCormie poached for green bank
Former Quayle Munro director Rob Cormie has been lured from his own advisory firm to become group operations director for the new Green Investment Bank (GIB).Cormie left Quayle Munro as it pulled out...
View ArticleHelp for small firms should be better targeted
Scotland’s army of more than 320,000 micro businesses could create more jobs and boost the economy if the government provided advice better suited to their needs, a study claims.In a survey of 650...
View ArticleFury as right to buy back on agenda
A DECADE after a furious row over whether tenants should have a right to purchase their properties, the issue is back on the agenda with a policy group set up by the Scottish Government looking at...
View ArticleBusiness briefs: Carr’s grinds out 11.5% divi hike
Agricultural supplies group Carr’s Milling Industries, which is investing £17 million in a new flour mill in Kirkcaldy, has proposed an 11.5 per cent increase in its final dividend to 14.5p after...
View ArticleWatchdog denies MP’s claims of ‘cosy’ links with Network Rail
Rail regulators last night denied MPs’ suggestion that they were “cosy” with Network Rail over the need for cost savings.The claim, made by the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee, was raised as...
View ArticleBusiness briefs: Microsoft tablet sales are modest
Microsoft’S recently launched Surface tablet, a rival to Apple’s iPad, has had a “modest” start to sales because of limited availability, the group’s chief executive said yesterday.In an interview,...
View ArticleComment: Inflationary pressure begins to mount on King
IF SIR Mervyn King was hoping to see out the rest of his term as governor of the Bank of England with inflation finally settling at its 2 per cent target he will not want to see the official figures...
View ArticleFirst sells Cheshire bus operation to Stagecoach
Transport giant FirstGroup has agreed to sell its bus operations in Birkenhead and Chester to Perth-based rival Stagecoach for £4.5 million.The deal is the second in as many weeks between the two...
View ArticleMarkets: Broker updates give banks a boost
Banks were on the front foot yesterday as brokers nudged up their target prices for state-backed duo Lloyds and RBS.Shares in Lloyds added 3.5 per cent to 45.1p after UBS nudged up its target price by...
View ArticlePrincess Diana memorabilia to be sold as royal dresser’s sons go to auction
A SILVER apple commissioned by Princess Diana to mark her first solo visit to New York after separating from Prince Charles is expected to fetch more than £3,000 at auction.She brought the city to a...
View ArticleJohnston Press upbeat despite ‘challenging’ conditions
Local newspaper group Johnston Press today said trading conditions had become “more challenging” during the second half of the year, but it was beginning to see signs of improvement.The firm, which...
View ArticleWilliam Hill granted extra time for Sportingbet bid
William Hill, the UK’s largest bookmaker, has been given until next month to submit a formal bid for online gaming company Sportingbet following its £530 million takeover approach.The Takeover Panel,...
View ArticleVodafone hit by Eurozone woes
Mobile phone giant Vodafone has reported a first-half loss after its revenues were hit by tough market conditions in southern Europe, although it said full-year profits should be at the top end of...
View ArticleScottish Business Briefing - Tuesday 13 November, 2012
WELCOME to scotsman.com’s Scottish Business Briefing. Every morning we bring you a comprehensive round-up of all news affecting business in Scotland today. ECONOMICSHelp for small firms should be...
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