Saturday, 26 January 2013

Riding the Entrepreneurial Dynamo



The onslaught of the recent recession has brought about numerous changes in the global economic climate. Many governments have tried to find solutions to alleviate the effects of the economic downturn but many of their efforts have come to naught. The debate on whether governments should increase spending to bolster failing economies has raged on and off over the years but a sustainable and practical solution is yet to be found.

The Perils of Increasing Government Spending

The temptation to increase government spending may be hard to resist. However, stimulus spending, government bailouts and fund injections have proven to cause more problems than solutions. Obama’s attempts to revitalize the American economy a few years ago with his stimulus package have illustrated that increased government spending is not a cure-all that can solve declining GDPs and floundering economies. If there is a lesson that can be learned from the way America handled the recession, it is clearly the fact that governments cannot simply buy their way out of a messy economic maelstrom. Government spending alone cannot create jobs or increase the income of a nation. In the long run, increasing the productivity of the general populace is a more effective and long-term solution to build a stable and sustainable economy that can weather most economic downturns.

In order for an economy to be stable and profitable, it should be able to earn. Economics is a very complicated subject but the bottom line is that a productive populace builds strong economies. In order for a population to be productive, individuals should have access to lucrative jobs. Large-scale companies are very important providers of both income and jobs. Economies of scale and multi-national corporations are very important, however, the government should also pay more attention to small to medium scale entrepreneurs. While generally smaller in scale in terms of operations and scope, entrepreneurial companies are very important sources of jobs as well as income. They are also often at the forefront of development and more often than not, the "next big thing" may be found in an office of a small entrepreneurial company. Even corporate giants such as Google, Apple and Virgin started as entrepreneurial endeavours spearheaded by visionaries like Steve Jobs and UK’s own Richard Branson.

Riding the Entrepreneurial Dynamo

Given the power and dynamism of entrepreneurs, the UK government should also lend its hand in ensuring that a new crop of highly motivated and driven entrepreneurs can come to the forefront. Keep in mind that a government is meant to “govern” a nation, not provide jobs for all its citizens. This task is best left in the hands of entrepreneurs. The government should focus on laying the foundations for the next generation of intrepid UK entrepreneurs. While there are many ways of doing this, education should be the topmost priority. The government should be able to educate entrepreneurs and equip them with everything they need to start being profitable. While this may seem like a time-consuming and roundabout method of stabilizing an economy, it can help bring more permanent long-term results.

Large-scale companies are very good at what they do. They can provide thousands of jobs and earn billions of Pounds at a scale that the average entrepreneur could hardly hope to match. However, even multi-national corporations have limitations when it comes to the speed at which it can achieve progress. True progress can be seen more clearly at the entrepreneurial level. Take the business mogul Duncan Bannatyne or the cool restaurateur Jamie Oliver for instance. These business savvy entrepreneurs have taken their respective fields by storm. From his humble roots maintaining the ships of the Royal Navy as an Engineering Mechanic, Bannatyne now runs a vast organization with stakes in real estate, television, hotels, health clubs and even transportation. Olivier, on the other hand, has come a long way from growing up at a small English pub in Essex. He is now a successful celebrity chef and TV personality. At the same time, he is also one of the most successful restaurateurs in the country. Sweet as Candy, Olivier’s cleverly named Holding Company has raked in enough profit to garner him the title as “One of the Richest Britons Under Thirty” according to The Sunday Times.

Education as the Key to Success

The UK has no shortage of brilliant and highly capable entrepreneurs that are worthy of emulation. Their examples should be used both to motivate and educate up and coming entrepreneurs who are simply raring for a chance to rise to the world’s stage. In order for these individuals to have a fighting chance, they should be educated for self employment. They should have access to entrepreneurial basics such as knowledge in accountancy and bookkeeping, small to medium scale production and import and export knowhow. While UK colleges and Universities are there to carry the brunt of the burden in terms of educating these future tycoons and moguls, the government should also step forward by providing more educational options and programs.

Other European countries already have a head start in terms of entrepreneurial education and support. Italy for instance, has been busy raising and supporting the next generation of Italian entrepreneurs. The Italian government regularly sponsors educational seminars designed with the budding entrepreneur in mind. They have also started spearheading other avenues of entrepreneurial education both in the real world as well as online. The UK would greatly benefit from applying these measures locally as well.

Online Support for Burgeoning Entrepreneurs

While many UK entrepreneurs are waiting for the government to take the necessary steps in the right direction, there are many online resources that new entrepreneurs can take advantage of. From online educational courses to resource sites specializing in providing information related to entrepreneurship and business in general, you will be able to find a wealth of information online. Sites like Servizio Contabile Italiano and its blog about business can help individuals make heads or tails of the sometimes complex world of entrepreneurship. They offer industry leading accounting services as well as resources and articles that any entrepreneur would find useful.

Wednesday, 15 December 2010

And So It Came To Pass



Sunday, 5 December 2010

Aaron Porter's Message to All Students



"I'm stuck between the rock of never having the political career I dream of, and the hard place of actually having opinion..."

Via

The Third Estate


Friday, 26 November 2010

YBF 7 - TB's Last Speech

It's that time of year again when the Young Britons' Foundation hold their annual conference, this year it's going international with a delegation from the States coming too.

TB will be speaking, probably for the last time under such pseudonym, and the whole weekend is always a good laugh as well as a brilliant chance to hear and learn from the brightest and biggest names on the right.


Get your tickets and find out who else is speaking etc
here
.


Friday, 12 November 2010

Aaron's Warped Reality

Aaron Porter has rambled on once again about the

"tiny minority
" of trouble makers, that included his own NUS committee members. The following were witnessed or photographed at the riot outside Millbank

Mark Bergfeld, NUS NEC
Vicki Baars, NUS LGBT Officer
Sean Rillo Raczka, NUS NEC Mature Students’ Rep
Alan Bailey, NUS LGBT Officer
Kanjay Sesay, NUS Black Students' Officer
Matt Bond, NUS Disabled Ctte

One question Aaron. Does this look like tiny?
The NUS President is clearly delusional if he thinks he is not to blame for what happened. He's clearly been hanging out too much with other delusional "it wasn't me guv" types, like disgraced expenses crook and former Labour MP Shahid Malik who he invited on the march:


Just do the right thing Aaron and man up.

Thursday, 11 November 2010

CF Splits on Porter

A pretty pathetic statement from CF concerning yesterday's riot at CCHQ. Ben Howlett who has boasted before of his closeness to Aaron Porter refused to call from him to go despite the pleas of his executive. The official wet line is:

"As representatives of the Conservative Party's student organisation we
welcome the NUS' comdenation of those individuals who hijacked yesterdays
protest and committed serious acts of violence and mindless vandalism
during yesterday's protests. We now look forward to them taking swift
action against those NUS officers who played their part.

"And we call on the leaders of the NUS to recognise the fact that the vast
majority of students, who did not attend yesterdays’ protest, do believe
that those looking to enter university should share in paying for the cost
of their tuition."
However
Vice Chairman Clare Hilley
has stuck the boot in:
"Hollow sound bites and pathetic excuses from the organisation’s President Aaron Porter speak volumes about just how out of touch the NUS is with it’s members. The only way to draw a line under this tragic state of events is for its current President to do the right thing and step down."
Those officials look set to be named and shamed....


Update: Ben says he want Porter to go, he just didn't seem to have put that bit in the statement.

Pressure Mounts on NUS President Aaron Porter

This letter landed in TB's inbox this morning and he is sure that the ringleader of yesterday's fun and games - the President of the National Union of Students - Aaron Porter a) did not sleep well last night, and b) will face the wrath of those students who wanted to protest peacefully.

Aaron Porter's appalling planning of yesterday's protest has left the already bruised reputation of the NUS in tatters and to suggest that Mr Porter could be allowed to oversee another such demonstration is laughable.

He was in charge, and as soon as it went wrong he did a runner, sending a mere tweet, spinning that it was just a
couple of bad eggs
. The truth is there were thousands of students he could not control.

It was immediately clear that he could not, and had not, properly briefed the police with exactly who he had invited, and in many cases bussed in, to his big day.
Aaron Porter
President of the National Union of Students
4th Floor 184-192
Drummond Street
London NW1 3HP


Andre Walker
████ █, ██ ████████ ██████
London
████ ███


10th November 2010


Dear Mr Porter,


I want to bitterly complain about the behaviour of yourself and your staff. I attended today’s protest as a civil servant and a Birkbeck College student. My efforts to join you were met with abuse and threats of violence. I think the level of violence and intimidation is well known to you so I will not elaborate further.


In my view, you should resign as you failed to properly control your event. I am appalled by the fact that you left the scene and spent time conducting media interviews while you should have been taking responsibility for the violence and hatred you unleashed. It was also sad to see that your cowardice in this matter was followed by your stewards, all of whom had retreated when the risk to the public was greatest.


I think that in this difficult period real leadership is best displayed by having the decency to admit you were wrong and accept the consequences. Can you imagine the NUS limping on with you in charge?


Should you wish to discuss this with me personally my number is 07███ ███ ███.


Yours in sadness,


Andre Walker
Birkbeck College Student
Postgraduate Journalism
TB feels it could be a tricky day for Mr President, he spoke to him briefly yesterday in the Sky News studios and Mr Porter was adamant he was not going to blame the police. If that is the case then who else could possibly be responsible for such a spectacular cock-up? The police say they were not warned. Why not Aaron?


Can Aaron Porter be sure that no NUS hacks were involved in the destruction of Millbank Tower and 30 Millbank?

Tuesday, 9 November 2010

9th November 1989


Freedom baby.


Saturday, 23 October 2010

Defending Nadine

TB swung by BBC Breakfast this morning to discuss the fact that despite being cleared by the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Nadine Dorries is still being subjected to a vitriolic and partisan hounding online, especially from the more scummy, stalkerish elements of the otherwise maturing left-wing blogsphere. Nadine claimed that she changed the names and locations of constituents she discussed in order to protect their privacy and her own. Funnily enough the BBC though this worthy of their airtime.

The quality is appalling, but someone managed to grab a recording of the discussion with lefty, but a nice one, Zoe Margolis:



Take note though Andrew Marr, not a basement dweller in sight. Though it's that sort of blogger keeping the attacks up. To those that say this isn't a left on right attack are wrong. It's precisely because of Nadine's views, that some might regard as controversial, that the left can whip themselves up into such a frenzy about her. But they are running out of attack lines, and funny how quiet they are about the accused fraudsters facing trial from their own side of the political divide. 

Funny though that despite the countless attempts to bring her down, Nadine managed to increase her majority in May. Something that along with her clearing by John Lyons is driving the local Labour Party and freaks many miles away in places like Guildford mad. She remains a popular local MP and would frankly be better ignoring the online nutters...

Wednesday, 20 October 2010

Educaton Educaton Educaton II

There are few things more likely to get TB out of his awful blogging lull than a chance to take the piss out of his old student union. Once again Edinburgh University Student Association, or EUSA to their friends, have excelled themselves in their fightback against the machine.

Those evil ConDems are threatening to raise tuition fees. The comrades are being called to arms to fight these evil education cuts. Put perhaps the hacks should spend more time in the library than stabbing each other in the back for their quest up the greasy poll and attempts to find a safe Labour seat or Green Party candidacy:

If ever there was proof the 50% target was too high. Labour would be proud after their similar mare.

Monday, 18 October 2010

Best Campaign Ad Ever No.145



Sunday, 3 October 2010

Conference Pride Tonight

A message from Conference Pride which is happening tonight. 21.30 - 03.30 at Nightingales Club, 18 Kent St. Tickets available in the ICC lobby or from anyone clad in a rainbow t-shirt...

Wednesday, 29 September 2010

TB on the Fringe

TB is looking forward to hitting up Birmingham especially after missing out on Manchester. His accommodation will make you laugh.

FringeList
 is a service that lets you track who is going to what Fringe events and whats on etc. You can also sign up for text reminders for events.

Checkout 
tory.fringelist.com

for a full range events or

tory.fringelist.com/torybear


for what TB will going to. Sign in with Twitter to do your own calender...

Drop him a line if you fancy a beer. TB will be speaking at the Freedom Zone one morning (details to follow) and don't forget to book your ticket for the TB/YBF conference kick off party on Saturday night
here
.

See you in Brum.

Tuesday, 28 September 2010

Will Ed Descamisado It?

The Labour Party website

thinks so
. As did his campaign launch:
Will Red Ed go jacketless today? TB reckons its the sort of cheap stunt he'd try...

Monday, 27 September 2010

CF Election Results - Howlett Wins

Shocking that only 200 votes were cast. 18k members. Nice. So with an overwhelming mandate the winners are:

Chairman: Ben Howlett (Howlett 113, Cox 60)
Deputy (membership): Clare Hilley (Hilley 73, Cooper 47)
Deputy (political): Alexandra Swann (Swann 139, Khan 33)
Appointed Officer - James Deighton (Deighton 72, Sullivan 70)

Two women and a gay guy at the top. Without quotas. Without enforcement, without special patronising identity officers. Eat your heart out Labour. Gutted about Patrick Sullivan missing out by two votes. Good luck to the new team.

Though the massive drop in turn out needs investigation - someone has cocked up here.


Labour Conference Responds to IMF News

"The International Monetary Fund has said Britain's economy is "on the mend" as it backed budget tightening measures taken by the coalition Government." Wonder what Labour will have to say about this

excellent news
for the UK:

Hmm.

Thursday, 23 September 2010

Conference Kick Off

It's conference time kids and that means its karaoke time. This year TB has teamed up with YBF to kick the Conference off in style in the VIP lounge of Bar Risa next door to the ICC. Full details are here. You can reserve songs when you
buy a ticket
. The list is growing - you've already missed the chance to sing:

“Don’t go breaking my heart”
“Lets stick together”
“Things can only get better”
“My way”
“The look of love” Dusty Springfield
“Same old brand new you” A1
“Knowing me, Knowing you” ABBA
“Take a chance on me” ABBA (Iain Dale?)
“Nothing is gonna stop us now” Starship

Get your tickets
here
. Will be a laugh.

Tuesday, 21 September 2010

The Right People Back Cox

You may have noticed this advert on various political blogs:


Well look out for it if you havent. It's an advert for Craig Cox, a very sound, very ambitious and motivated Conservative. TB is backing Craig to be the next chairman of Conservative Future.

The Tories are in power now, no longer does CF have to be mere leaflet fodder for associations. No longer does it have to be about traipsing up steps and knocking on doors. Now CF has a chance to be a genuine political, ideological and motivational force and it needs a ideologically sound leader.

Ben Howlett is a great guy and TB thinks he will probably win this election. Ben has shown organisational skills that would have been brilliant leading CF in opposition. But now is the time for CF to make some noise, a loyal Cameroon councillor is the last thing the Tory youth wing needs.

They need a leader who is willing to speak out against the government, not a cheerleader. A leader who has learnt the tough lessons of how hard the left will go to smear and lie and distort, a leader who has cut their teeth and isn't afraid to learn from mistakes. For too long CF has been scared of fighting, too scared of breaking party line and too scared to really make a difference. But with the right figurehead all that can change.

Though TB is no longer a member and does not have a vote he would urge you all to take a look at Craig's
manifesto
and
website
and put that cross next to his name. It's time CF had a kick up the ideological backside and Craig is the man to do it.

Coalition Buddies

What was that about no electoral pact at the next election?

It seems the University of Nottingham freshers didn't get the memo...

Monday, 20 September 2010

CF Elects - TB's Endorsements

With just seven days to go, the only contest to be less exciting than the Labour leadership battle will finally draw to a close. Though it turns out TB is no longer a member of the Tories and thus illegible to vote (news to him but hey) he thought he would endorse a couple of candidates in the Conservative Future election. A bit like Sarah Palin without the money or the Jesus lovin'.

Firstly for Appointed Officer 

Patrick Sullivan
is easily the most qualified candidate. TB has known Patrick for years and he really does have the best interests of the Party at heart. A formidable presence on the CF scene, there are few out there who have given up more time and personal contributions to various by-election and local campaigns. This video also tickled TB:



Secondly CF Wales isn't the most exciting of organisations but it is under threat of being taken over by a Tory Reform Group loon who
advocates
an increase in public spending and describes those attempting to save public money as "dicks". The sooner Zahid Raja wakes up and realises he is in the wrong party the better. These quasi-socialist NUS NIMBYs need to be kept as far away from the Tory greasy poll as possible.
Grant Tucker
is your man for Wales. TB met him down at Spring Forum and he's a good guy. Unlike his opponent who has more in common with Ed Balls than any Tory...
Deputy Chairman (Political) is an easy one. Loyal readers will know TB has always had a soft spot for
Alexandra Swann
and who wouldn't want her leading a protest...

As for DC (Membership) TB is somewhat torn. Hampsheir is a top lad, 
Oliver Cooper
is a sound man, very sound, but then
Clare Hilley
has been a member of CF for the best part of a decade and proved time and again her ability at organising London based campaigns. TB doesn't understand why the libertarian ideologue Cooper isn't standing for the Political role which would suit him much better and he would easily win. Clare and TB have had their differences over the last year or so, but there is no doubting she is the best candidate for this particular job, and that slogan was always going to come in useful one day... Don't be silly, vote for Hilley.


And as for Chairman.. well you'll have to wait and see about that one.


A full list of candidates standing can be found
here
.

Wednesday, 8 September 2010

Movement for Strange

Undercover at David Miliband’s eve of voting rally.

I never like answering my phone in my sleep and especially not to a shrill and excited voice, unfathomable for the early hour of a bank holiday Monday. Yes I was definitely coming, yes I knew where it was, and no I didn’t need any help getting there.

This was the third time someone from David Miliband’s hyperbolic Movement for Change had been in touch that weekend. Despite answering with my real name, they would ask to speak to “Alex” every time, but I’d long given up putting the phone on the desk for thirty seconds while I went to “find him”.

The event was meant to be a culmination of training “future leaders”, a “wonk school” if you will. Out of mere curiosity at what the enemy were up to, I signed up on the website with my legal name Alexander for more information back in July. I was now being pestered at alarming rate. The sense of desperation at getting as many people as possible to Miliband’s rally was starting to show. The event was meant to be a congregation of all the activists the campaign have trained over the summer - allegedly over a thousand, but I for one had certainly not achieved my level one community organiser’s badge.

Most normal people wouldn’t choose to give up hours of their bank-holiday weekend to go mingle with Milband’s new model army, but with ten days of stubble and a Che Guevara t-shirt to mask me, what was the worst that could happen?

My mind was made up by a final reminder text, to which I replied “do I need to bring anything?” The reply of “just enthusiasm” made me cringe and yet somehow feel hopeful at the same time. “Enthusiasm” and the Labour leadership race have rarely been seen in a sentence together. I printed out my ticket and was asked to write my own unique ticket number, 505, on it, but a frantic follow up email asked me to change that to 1005. What a masterful piece of spin, curiously first used by another movement for change, the Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (the German Workers' Party who would soon become the Nazis).

Despite being an obvious right-winger, hanging around Westminster enough, you end up meeting hacks and pole-climbers of all parties, so with a last check of my new side-parting, I put my flatmate’s glasses and entered Westminster’s grand Emmanuel Centre and approached the desk. Of course there was no record of ticket 1005. Given I knew the coordinator at one of the desks further down, having to spell out my surname wasn’t particularly helpful. Eventually I was found and ticked and given a little green sticker. No one would give me an answer to what the orange ones were for, but the micro-managing had begun.

I was quickly sent upstairs, guided past a silent brass band, and as a proud member of Lambeth Constituency Labour Party herded into the South London section of the audience. Strangely my constituency comrades hadn’t seen me around before, but that wasn’t to stop a friendly chit-chat ensuing. I was new to the constituency of course, but my neighbour on the left didn’t seem particularly involved either. He hadn’t had any Community Organiser training either, nor had the person next to him, or his mum, or in fact anyone sitting around me.

Scanning around the room there was undoubtedly an impressive turn out, but as even Miliband supporters noted there was a distinct lack of young people. The room was full of “Future Leaders” most of whom were much older than their hopeful messiah. The surroundings could not be more appropriate. For someone trying to escape the title of being heir to “St Tony”, the home to the Emmanuel Evangelical Church, was a interesting choice of venue. Everywhere the eye looked was a combination of Miliband’s elongated slogans and overt new-age Christianity. Bringing Labour together, Leading Labour to... redemption?

The atmosphere had the feel of a church congregation full of anticipation. Jim Murphy gave a panto style warm up, the audience fully embracing the “Are you ready... I can’t hear you” banter while stylish female spinners and handlers looked on from the corner of the stage with awkward, embarrassed smiles.

As the pre-game warm up continued the brass band played, the rainbow flags were waved and various handpicked Miliband supporters were paraded across the stage to cheers. A dire duet by MPs Willie Bain and Stella Creasy who narrated the story of the Labour Party like teachers at a school play was not enough to dampen spirits. The fervour amongst the audience was growing, with a rapturous response every time the word “ConDem” was mentioned. I was beginning to think this could turn into a Mid-West evangelical roof raiser, with people having visions and speaking in tongues, running up and down the aisles at any moment. And then it did.

One man stood up singing, shouting, screaming and began to run toward the stage, suddenly whole rows of black women were singing and clapping and screaming “we want David”. It was a practiced routine and a whole block of the audience knew the words to their song. Suddenly I realised what the orange stickers meant. It seems the Movement for Change has been working rather closely with London Citizens, a grassroots community group that have come under attack from being left-wing extremists but also have had praise heaped upon them by no less than David Cameron and Steve Hilton.

Suddenly the “grassroots” effect began to tarnish, clearly Miliband was taking a leaf out of the Obama book, this was a “movement” not a rally, this was about ordinary people not him, yet he needed the help of a well-funded and well organised group to flood his “movement” with room-meat. The facade had slipped and given the speed at which a glamorous blonde staffer was running around, the team knew this. She ran so fast to the back of the room to work out what to do, that her DM4Leader badges were peeling off her silk dress.

Order was restored and suddenly there was piano playing a ConDem ballard. Sob stories by Assistant Regional Inclusion Managers for unions were told over what sounded uncannily like the “Lonely Man” theme from the end of The Incredible Hulk. One man actually said the ConDem cuts were going to kill him.

And then suddenly there he was, David, the golden child. He actually kissed a baby as he walked in less than three feet from where I was standing. He had the pointing-at-people-you-pretend-to-know-in-the-audience trick down to a tee and I even got to touch the chosen one’s hand. No religious experience for me, though I did feel a little breathless from the unending standing ovations and cheering and wooing during the speech. When in Rome.

We were treated to Miliband’s vision, a vision of the “Good Society” where people, not politicians were in control. Communities were going to be empowered, localism rules the day, but this was not the Big Society. Don’t you dare even think this could possibly be an overlap with the evil ConDems. No this was different, this was Miliband’s Jerry Maguire “help me help you” moment. It was as if Cameron had talked about the Big Society in 2005 when he was standing for leader rather than deploying it as a last minute election grenade that he forgot to pull the pin on.

It was a competent speech, polished, no notes and even attempted a little self-deprecation about the justified mocking he had received for his “how to organise a drinks party” briefing. The joke was on David though, through his desperation to not be seen as a micro-manager and instead an empowerer, he managed to show just what a micro-manager he is.

Impressive at first, the whole Movement for Change is a fraud, a room full of community organisers who weren’t just there because Miliband had empowered them; they were Community Organisers and charity workers while he was still carrying bags for Tony Blair. Where were these thousands personally trained by the Movement for Change? It was telling that he ended his speech begging the audience to join Labour.

It was clear he wanted it to be an Obama style event, swaths of the audience were waiting for an Obama style event but, cometh the hour, the man was nowhere to be seen. In the end it was nothing more than a tacit endorsement for David Cameron’s Big Society which his speechwriters have clearly had a selective browse. The Good Society, the Big Society, whatever you want to call it, if Miliband wins, there is hope that common ground can be found on the reining in of the state. This all could have been said without the charade though.

A hack I knew, had started to make intrigued eye contact, I began to think my game was up, and besides the show was drawing to a close. I made a dash for the exit. As I stood outside reading the confirmation I had been rumbled on Twitter, a man clocked my Che t-shirt. “You don’t see many of those anymore, we’ve all got them though.” A Chinese man next to him, with a green sticker on, said “the best thing my father ever did was sign me up to the Labour Party and the Chinese Communist Party on my 16th Birthday.”

It was no surprise that these old-timers felt more comfortable outside smoking than with the stage-managed intensity inside and conversation quickly turned to great left-wing leaders. It was a deeply surreal experience for me to hear Chairman Mao praised in such lavish term, Castro had to be expected though. Thankfully there wasn’t much expectation that David Miliband would join these greats, a mere shrug when I asked. He could give the Chinese Communist party a run for their money on the organisational front though.

 
.so