en-gbCopyright 2012, BusinessLifenotifications@businesslife.co (BusinessLife)notifications@businesslife.co (BusinessLife)http://businesslife.co/http://www.businesslife.co/Thu, 10 May 2012 12:56:16 +0100Thu, 10 May 2012 12:56:16 +0100http://www.businesslife.co/Features.aspx?id=rating-the-agencieshttp://www.businesslife.co/Features.aspx?id=rating-the-agenciesThu, 10 May 2012 12:56:16 +0100Blamed by many for causing the financial crisis, credit ratings agencies are in the spotlight again over European downgrades. But are they really the villains they are made out to be? Christian Doherty investigates. To some, they are central protagonists in the biggest crime in recent years. To others, they are simply bystanders, unfairly held responsible for the avarice and wrongdoing of others. Whatever your view, credit ratings agencies (CRAs) have enjoyed more coverage in the last five y...http://www.businesslife.co/Features.aspx?id=the-final-frontierhttp://www.businesslife.co/Features.aspx?id=the-final-frontierThu, 19 Apr 2012 11:49:50 +0100The Channel Islands have generally focused their attention on the East, but could this lead to missed opportunities in Latin America? Dave Waller investigates. Offshore Jurasdictions are like hardy Elizabethan explorers, constantly looking beyond the horizon for potential riches. True to form, Jersey and Guernsey have both been busy sailing uncharted waters to seek out new !nancial adventures – opening offices in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Dubai, and fostering relations with India an...http://www.businesslife.co/Features.aspx?id=rock-rolling-in-ithttp://www.businesslife.co/Features.aspx?id=rock-rolling-in-itThu, 29 Mar 2012 10:01:31 +0100Have you ever fancied doing the wild thing by trying to make money from the worlds of rock and pop? Kirsten Morel plunges into the nostalgic, heady world of music memorabilia. As interest rates stagnate and stock markets flip-flop erratically, active investors get frustrated at the lack of any consequential return on their investments. Then the investment equivalent of ‘itchy feet’ kicks in, and profit hounds start sniffing around for a better deal on their money. The land of alternative i...http://www.businesslife.co/Features.aspx?id=tough-at-the-tophttp://www.businesslife.co/Features.aspx?id=tough-at-the-topWed, 28 Mar 2012 13:25:46 +0100Being a CEO might bring certain financial rewards, but it can also be fraught with problems. So just what qualities do you need to do the job? Dave Waller gets the view from the Channel Islands. When Portugal’s António Horta- Osório became CEO of Lloyds Banking Group in March last year, he was seen as the great hope for retail banking. Joining the statebacked company with a package worth a cool £8.3 million, he certainly looked the part – he was charming, politically astute and made a hobby...http://www.businesslife.co/Features.aspx?id=its-all-about-the-brandhttp://www.businesslife.co/Features.aspx?id=its-all-about-the-brandTue, 27 Mar 2012 09:13:35 +0100In a congested marketplace, a strong brand presence can be the difference between success and failure. Christian Doherty get to grips with how branding actually works. Defining what a brand does and why it matters is one of the more pressing questions for modern companies. But ask anyone in the industry what a brand actually is, and you’ll get any number of different answers. Emma Anderson is a Senior Consultant at Guernsey-based Orchard PR – in her view, the brand is the public face of the...http://www.businesslife.co/Features.aspx?id=the-business-of-looking-goodhttp://www.businesslife.co/Features.aspx?id=the-business-of-looking-goodMon, 26 Mar 2012 14:01:57 +0100More men than ever are going under the knife – and it’s not just simple vanity. Thom O’Dwyer pokes his perfectly formed nose into the world of male cosmetic surgery. I blame David Beckham. The world-famous and rather aesthetically pleasing footballer has made it perfectly acceptable for men to look after themselves. As the poster boy for metrosexuality, he inspired a whole generation of men who have become increasingly beauty-conscious and hooked on looking their absolute best whatever the c...http://www.businesslife.co/Features.aspx?id=do-financial-literacy-and-business-go-hand-in-handhttp://www.businesslife.co/Features.aspx?id=do-financial-literacy-and-business-go-hand-in-handFri, 23 Mar 2012 09:05:26 GMTWhile we are seeing a distinct lack of basic financial education in schools, business initiatives seem to be moving ahead in great strides, but is this a dangerous disparity? Are we becoming a nation of financial illiterates? Given the disturbing level of consumer debt in the UK and general ignorance about money, the answer would seem to be a resounding ‘yes’. TV programmes like Spendaholics and The Bank of Mum and Dad would indicate that the younger generation like to spend rather than sav...http://www.businesslife.co/Features.aspx?id=prepare-for-launchhttp://www.businesslife.co/Features.aspx?id=prepare-for-launchTue, 20 Mar 2012 11:15:38 GMTThe global IPO market may be in the doldrums, but the Channel Islands are ideally placed to profit when confidence returns, as Christian Doherty explains. There are many ways for private businesses to raise capital. They can ask the bank; they can try to attract an investor; or they can look to the public markets and list on an exchange. Until the financial crisis, this last route was a viable option for most healthy businesses. The number of initial public offerings (IPOs) on the world’s e...http://www.businesslife.co/Features.aspx?id=mauritius-the-island-thats-no-dodohttp://www.businesslife.co/Features.aspx?id=mauritius-the-island-thats-no-dodoWed, 29 Feb 2012 09:03:15 GMTWith its proximity to booming markets in the east, Mauritius looks set to capture a serious chunk of offshore business. But is it a threat to the Channel Islands? Dave Waller investigates. Mauritius’s most famous inhabitant also has the unfortunate distinction of being the world’s greatest byword for failure. The last dodo died in 1681, fewer than 80 years after the island became home to the colonial Dutch. It’s downfall? Being too sluggish and unable to fly. At least the Mauritian economy s...http://www.businesslife.co/Features.aspx?id=the-vickers-effecthttp://www.businesslife.co/Features.aspx?id=the-vickers-effectFri, 17 Feb 2012 11:31:06 GMTIn the wake of the financial crisis, the UK Government plans to reform British banks by separating retail and investment arms. Liz Salecka weighs up the implications for the Channel Islands’ banking sector. In December last year, the UK Government revealed the results of an Independent Banking Commission (ICB) inquiry, headed by Sir John Vickers, which was tasked with finding ways of strengthening UK banks, curbing excessive risk-taking, and protecting UK taxpayers against having to shoulder...