Claire Smith: It pays to break rules for art
ONE of the best things about being a journalist is the way it gets you into places that you wouldn’t normally be invited.You get to knock on some strange doors, ask impertinent questions and to rub...
View ArticleVolunteers help Citizens Advice Scotland march from strength to strength
DURING the first few months in her new job, Margaret Lynch has travelled the length and breadth of Scotland – visiting Citizens Advice Bureaux around the country.As the chief executive of Citizens...
View ArticleTasty arts project aims to put Huntly on food tourism map
A MENU of distinctive dishes that celebrate the history, traditions and agriculture of Huntly has been created with the idea of celebrating the unique flavour of the North-east town.The Huntly...
View ArticleBreaking the cycle of short-term loans
CITIZENS Advice Scotland reports that it has been hearing 50 new cases a day involving pay-day loans companies. However, help is at hand.Q I’m having terrible problems with a pay-day loan company. I...
View ArticleBill Jamieson: No quick key to bypass our debt
The grim state of the UK economy is not all George Osborne’s doing, but he may not be smiling on WednesdayBARELY four days to go to the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement and I have now detected yet another...
View ArticleDirector dealings: Founder of SDL takes long view on growth
SHARES in translation software group SDL fell sharply after the company issued a profits warning last week.The business, whose chief executive left last month, said that “management forecasts for the...
View ArticleTextile firms tackle yarn headache
TEN textile companies have come together to solve a problem that has plagued the industry for years – what to do with their leftover yarn.The firms, mainly from Galashiels and Hawick, hope to save...
View ArticleJeff Salway: David Cameron is bad news for flood cover
JUST when it seemed it couldn’t get any worse for flood-hit homeowners, the Prime Minister has claimed to be personally involved in crucial negotiations over a fund to subsidise flood insurance.This is...
View ArticleBank with a difference aims to give green light to environmental ventures
IN HIS younger days, Shaun Kingsbury wanted to be an airline pilot, but these days he is running a bank, a high-flyer at a new Edinburgh institution that last week finally took off.The official launch...
View ArticleJeff Salway: Equities retain appeal despite investor jitters
Forecast for next 12 months has implications for the IFA of the Year, finds Jeff SalwayTHE final weeks of the year offer an excuse to look ahead to the next 12 months – an opportunity for sweeping...
View ArticlePayfont raises funds to fight bank card fraud
BANK card chip-and-pin pioneer Dr David Lanc claims to have developed a product that will eliminate card fraud. His company, Payfont, has raised £350,000 from private investors to develop a secure...
View ArticleUniversity signs deal over lung treatment
FRENCH medical device maker Mauna Kea Technologies has signed a deal to turn Scottish scientific research into a new way to diagnose lung diseases in seriously ill patients.Edinburgh University has...
View ArticleJeff Salway: George Osborne to take a shot at pension pot
After the pasty tax shambles the Chancellor hopes hitting high earners will deflect from an inevitable raid on benefits, writes Jeff Salway PENSION savers are in the Chancellor’s targets as he prepares...
View ArticleESpark hatches further plan to boost start-ups
AN INCUBATOR scheme for entrepreneurs backed by some of Scotland’s top tycoons is to open a centre in Edinburgh in partnership with Napier University and the city council. Stagecoach co-founder Ann...
View ArticleComment: Crosby and Co must take blame for HBOS downfall
SIR James Crosby should provide us with a few more answers tomorrow as to what went wrong at HBOS. The former chief executive of the bank will appear before MPs to face what will be his first public...
View ArticleIFA case study: Victor and Jean Fleming
Victor Fleming, a 56-year-old engineer with an Edinburgh company, earns £48,000 a year and lives with his wife, Jean, in West Lothian. Jean is a part-time special needs assistant and earns £12,000 a...
View ArticleMarket watch: Stagecoach shrugs off rail row
TRANSPORT firm Stagecoach is expected to shrug off the row over the West Coast rail franchise when it posts its interim results on Wednesday.Analysts believe the uncertainty caused by the UK...
View ArticleScottish Friendly back on acquisition trail
SCOTTISH Friendly Assurance has taken over a small London-based mutual society, signalling an end to a five-year hiatus in acquisitions by the Glasgow-based group.The deal with Royal Standard Friendly...
View Article‘Middle-class’ FSA ignored payday loans companies
THE outgoing Financial Services Authority has been dubbed a “middle-class regulator” by industry official Chris Cummings after it failed to stem the rise of payday lenders charging extortionate...
View ArticleFirms leave £20m unclaimed from bankruptcies
A £20 MILLION cash pile is lying unclaimed by businesses that are owed money after their customers have gone bust.The figure is higher than expected and has surprised insolvency practitioners at a...
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