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found 72 stories.
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ThePlasticHippo 9 Feb 11
So, a fistful of very wealthy bankers are said to be “livid” at the “surprise” announcement of an increase in bank levy. Move on, no story, nothing to see here, mind how you go. No surprises.
Whatever cloak it is dress in, Project Merlin is a process of “negotiation” in which the banks tell the Treasury what to do. Chancellor Gideon Osborne, whose economic acumen extends only as far as his inherited personal fortune, was clearly excreting bricks into his Calvin Klein’s at the thought of a dispatch box exchange with his new shadow. Desperate to find a fig leaf to cover Balls, he pleaded with his banking chums to provide him with a tool to bash the former Labour leadership hopeful and serial leg bothering Rottwieler member for Morley and Outwood. Balls, it must be remembered, was the minister who threatened schools with legal action should they come to the ridiculous conclusion that SATS test were, in fact, ridiculous…
Business
Advertiser 3 Feb 11
Sally Hares is one of those handful of people who have been able to turn their hobby into their career. Her “do-it-yourself” curry kits are already causing something of a stir in the food industry.
But two years ago, when she was made redundant from her marketing manager role, the possibility of the mother-of-five turning her dream job into a reality must have seemed almost out of reach.
But with a large helping of passion for food, a money-making idea, a dash of ambition and a sprinkling of council grant money designed to help give new businesses the launch-pad they need, she has achieved it…
Comment
The Plastic Hippo 16 Jan 11
The top floor of the Royal Bank of Scotland building in the centre of Walsall offers a magnificent view of the Council House and Walsall Central Library. At the back, however, the vista is less charming.
Overlooking a nondescript loading bay, distracted bank workers will see security guards from the magistrates court sneaking a quick cigarette or drinkers from a garish theme bar forced outside for a fag by the cacophony produced by seven different sports TV channels and a juke box all playing at full volume. Mercifully perhaps, the bar is temporarily closed due to a flood caused by a burst pipe in the court upstairs.
Before the snow, Christmas and the deluge from above, an illuminating scenario could be observed from the smoking area at the back of the RBS building that can be considered as a metaphor for the banking industry. After a hard nights day, a lunchtime pint of the antidote and a couple of coffin nails in the leper colony reserved for nicotine addicts revealed quite why the country is going to the dogs.
Over the wall…
Business
Copestake Ltd 26 Oct 10
A Walsall based enterprise is claiming that their company bank account has been frozen despite being £15,000 in the black following receipt of a loan from the Black Country Reinvestment Society.
Hare’s Moor is a small, Walsall based business providing fresh D.I.Y. curry kits to leading supermarkets. The founder, Sally Hares, claims that the kits make cooking an authentic curry from scratch, simple, cost effective and convenient. They supply to Ocado, Harrods and the Co-operative supermarkets.
Hare’s Moor banks with Lloyds TSB Walsall. The company applied for a loan of £15,000 from Black Country Reinvestment Society (BCRS) to purchase better equipment and working capital, in order to service expanding orders from the Coop and Ocado.
The £15,000 loan from BCRS went into their company bank account on Wednesday 6th October 2010. Sally’s company debit cards were declined on Thursday 21st October….
Business
Duncan Tift BusinessDesk 20 Oct 10
Bank of England Governor Mervyn King has advised Black Country business leaders to ensure they “sell more and buy less” from abroad in order to rebalance the economy after recession.
Speaking to an invited audience at the Black Country Chamber of Commerce in Dudley – on the eve of the Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review, Mr King said: “To achieve a rebalancing we need to sell more to, and buy less from, economies overseas…
Business
Duncan Tift BusinessDesk 19 Oct 10
Bank of England Governor Mervyn King is set to address business leaders in the Black Country tonight with firms in the area eager for an insight on future fiscal policy.
Mr King is guest of honour at an event organised by the Black Country Chamber of Commerce. Many businesses will be hoping for clues on whether the Bank intends reviving its quantitative easing programme…
Business
Real Business 1 Oct 10
Sterling fell to a new record low this morning due to a slump in British manufacturing. The pound hit a four-month low against the euro as export demand fell for the first time in more than a year.
Mark Bolsom, head of the UK trading desk at Travelex Global Business Payments comments: “This adds to the big question mark hanging over the timing and severity of the Coalition’s plans to cut spending and hike taxes…
News
BBC News 23 Sep 10
A new not-for-profit lending scheme is being unveiled aimed at giving manageable loans to financially excluded people.
A pilot scheme has been set up in the West Midlands called My Home Finance, in the hope of diverting people away from borrowing from loan sharks.
However, the interest being charged is higher than the maximum by law that credit unions can charge.
It will charge 29.9% APR in the pilot scheme, rising to 49.9% APR in April.
Some 38 members of staff have been taken on and four branches – in Hereford, Worcester, Walsall and Northfield in Birmingham – are up and running…
Business
B'ham Post 21 Sep 10
The overall cost of credit for manufacturers in the Midlands has remained largely unchanged over the past two months, but there signs that supply problems are starting to moderate for bigger firms.
According to a new survey published by EEF, there has been little in the way of significant change in the lending environment for manufacturers…
Business
Marc Reeves BusinessDesk 22 Sep 10
Birmingham-based Islamic Bank of Britain has reported half-year losses of £4.3m despite a £20m bailout earlier this year.
In June, the bank placed £20m of new shares with Qatar International Islamic Bank after being caught by the economic downturn, which has seen yields in Islamic inter-bank markets reach historic lows. The same conditions continued to bear down on the bank, said chairman Mohsen Moustafa, reporting a reduction in net income from Islamic financing transactions of £0.5m…