Setting up a mini-bond can raise funding for business growth, but the process has its perils

The trends and potential threats for the year ahead

British company produced the title sequences for Casino Royale, Skyfall and Spectre

The co-founder of Timewise says part-time directors are ‘the shape of things to come’

Companies can run up huge costs by not following regulations, but smaller firms can avoid trouble with a compliance programme

Virgin Money’s Sophie Chandauka is ranked on the Power List of 100 most influential black Britons and co-founded the Black British Business Awards. As nominations for this year’s honours open, she talks about mergers, stockmarket flotations and board diversity
Sophie Chandauka has a lot to thank her school friend Andrea for. Chandauka was 15 and growing […]

In the wake of the Swiss decision to decouple its franc from the euro, Jonathan Pryor of Investec Corporate and Institutional Treasury provides key pointers on how not to be caught with a big foreign exchange loss.
1 Develop reliable cashflow forecasts
Pryor says: “Managing foreign exchange (FX) risk starts with the basic business practice of developing […]

Recent criminal investigations in the UK have found that honest British businesses have unwittingly been caught up in the fraudulent activities of money launderers. Here, experts tell Director how you can avoid the scams…
When the National Crime Agency announced late last year that it was investigating a £13bn money-laundering scam involving Russian criminals, Moldovan courts […]

It’s a potentially profitable exit strategy for owners of small or medium-sized companies. But, as Guy Davies of WestBridge Capital explains, private equity (PE) firms are shrewd buyers. Follow his five-point plan to make sure you get your approach right…
1. Understand how private equity works
Davies says: “Private equity investors are looking to make healthy returns. […]

Politicians want more public-sector contracts to go to small businesses. But small businesses are often reluctant to submit tenders. What’s the solution to the great public sector procurement problem?