Although the Investment Property Databank monthly index showed that returns from industrial property weakened in summer 2010, the market in the North West has performed steadily. There have been big deals at Rochdale’s Kingsway, at Heywood Distribution Park and at Revolution Park in Chorley, where Kimberly-Clark signed for a major centre, as well as at other established locations.
As corporate financiers report more instructions for new business, vendors appear to be ready to take the next step. In conjunction with Insider’s new online guide we will take you through, step by step, how to sell your business. From the types of sale, to grooming, valuing and marketing your business we’ll take you right through the process to completing the sale and reinvesting the proceeds.
Cloud computing, where network access and services can be gained from a shared pool of computing resources, is expected to be one of the fastest-growing sectors of the technology industry this year with revenues set to increase by 20 per cent.
Emerging markets have been an area of focus for Insider in the past year, but more established trade destinations still hold a great deal of interest. In this month’s feature we embark on a journey Down Under to see what British companies are doing in Australia and New Zealand.
Following our sector report on business tourism in November 2009, Insider returns to find how the region’s hotels, events and conferences are faring. We chart the trends and market opportunities as companies begin to embrace spend once more and look at new products and ventures in the North West.
The ‘big society’ was a phrase used a lot in Prime Minister David Cameron’s election campaign. As the state becomes smaller, so the role of individuals, communities and even businesses increases.
‘Being asked to do more for less’ seem to be the adage for this age of austerity we live in. But while some employers have toned down perks for their workers, does this story play out across the board?
The abolition of regional development agencies is redrawing the map of business support across the North West. Business network and lobbying group Professional Liverpool is thought to have lost around 80 per cent of its annual funding due to the Northwest Regional Development Agency’s (NWDA) budget restrictions; Liverpool Vision’s funding from the NWDA will end in March and The Mersey Partnership will have funds for its Mersey Waterfront project management cut, but its inward investment cash has been guaranteed until March 2012.
As part of Insider’s ongoing analysis of the North West, we are publishing our annual report of the region in November. As a new dawn in the public sector begins to take shape, we’ll report on what to expect from Local Enterprise Partnerships, who the go-to people are for regeneration and development, and how the business world is reacting to the decline of the Northwest Regional Development Agency. It will be a chance for us to consider what has been achieved under the auspices of regional business support and what the future holds with a ‘localism’ agenda.
