In September’s issue we’ll be looking at cost consultants and project managers, the unsung heroes of commercial property – because if they can’t make a project stack up, trouble ensues.
Six fund managers have been appointed to manage the long-awaited £184.8m North West Fund, formerly known as the Venture Capital and Loan Fund. The fund will be one of the largest public sector funds of its kind in Europe and is expected to create or safeguard almost 14,000 jobs in the region over the next five years.
Mobile communications are now so mainstream as to be vital to the running of almost any business – most companies of a certain size have come to rely on the Blackberry or the iPhone as a vital part of what keeps their workers up to speed and able to function at maximum efficiency.
As companies develop overseas trade links the need to travel becomes imperative. While technology can facilitate meetings without the need to sit in the same room, face-to-face relationships need to be built in order to get contracts off the ground.
Investment from the Middle East into Manchester reflects the region’s growing appetite for international linkages. Abu Dhabi’s ongoing support of Manchester City FC and the surrounding area comes as our civic chiefs continue to forge links between the two cities.
Education, education, education, but how well does it link into the world of work? Insider’s second trip into the world of independent education will explore how schools are preparing their talent for business and industry. We’ll look at enterprise initiatives across the North West and how schools are linking in with businesses to understand employability and entrepreneurship.
Investment strategies have changed. Where money was once safe in high interest accounts, now cash is trash and the need to be clever is now paramount. In this feature, which accompanies our annual feature on the region’s richest business people, we will explore where people are now putting their money.
The recent Centre for Cities report highlighted what successful cities are doing better and leisure is one of the key areas. So in this regional review, we’ll be looking at the Manchester leisure scene – what are the success stories in restaurants, bars and niche retail and what is the secret of their success? More importantly, what are their future plans?
Insider’s annual feature on wealth in the North West looks at those who have made their money through hard work and are reaping the rewards in a challenging world. Through a series of in-depth profiles compiled by the Insider editorial team and Philip Beresford – compiler of the Sunday Times Rich List – we will attempt to analyse the new map of wealth across the region and how the rich have been crunched.
