Daily Archives: November 15, 2024

Award-winning chief executive pens practical resource for creative business thinking

Andy Begley, an award-winning leader with a diverse career in both the public and private sectors, shares his insights and strategies in his debut book, ‘I Didn’t Row the Atlantic #sowhat.’

Andy Begley

In the book, which was written during Andy’s spare time away from Shropshire Council, he shares the tools and strategies that have helped him on his own career journey – and explores lessons learned from some of the simple, hard truths he’s faced along the way.

It’s a frank, honest and practical resource for creative business thinking which is already gaining rave reviews.
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How a pair of broken glasses created £5m business

Sid Sethi remembers the day that changed his life.The entrepreneur from Delhi, India, had come to The University of Manchester to complete his Masters and was busy revising for a key exam when disaster struck.
Three days before his corporate accounting exam his glasses broke.
“I’m as blind as a bat without my glasses,” he admitted.

However, when he went out to find replacement glasses, he was quoted prices between £150-£600 and realised the industry was dominated by a small monopoly of companies.
Sethi, who has spent the last week at Web Summit, in Lisbon, decided to do launch his tech-backed Specscart.
He started the business in 2018 with a focus on fashionable, low-priced eyewear, sustainably-made in its in-house Bury HQ and delivered within 24 hours.
Today Specscart is on track for a 2024 turnover of £5m and has resulted in Sethi being included in BusinessCloud’s Northern Leaders Futures list and Forbes 30 Under 30.
Businesses must think green – or go bust

He said Specscart still offered quality products but at ‘sensible and affordable prices’.
“We’re moving the industry forward,” he said. “Our industry hasn’t moved with the times. We’ve done a lot of things to make the industry simple and bring the price down but make the high quality products.”
The startup has three stores in Manchester, offering free eye tests and 24-hour delivery.
“If you have a prescription and you need a pair of glasses you can go online, select the frame and combination of lens you’d like, upload a prescription,” said Sethi. “It’s as easy as WhatsApp and our team will do the rest.”
Specscart has been completely bootstrapped and has grown to 26 staff and a turnover of £5m.

Although it’s underpinned by tech, its founder said its secret sauce was its staff and community-focus.
“Yes we’ve got tech,” he said. “You can come into our stores and we can take your orders in two minutes but the human element is really important.  We want the team to talk to people and build those relationships.”
Kind-hearted Specscart customers have recently donated a whopping 50,000 pairs of their old glasses for a charity recycling project.
Each of Manchester’s three Specscart stores has a Bury Lions Club recycling bin where broken, out-of-date or unloved spectacles are dropped off by customers – who have recently passed the 50,000 milestone.
Northern Leaders Futures 2024

Lions Club International’s Recycle for Sight campaign has been recycling unwanted spectacles and hearing aids for almost 50 years and donating them to people in need from 25 countries worldwide.
Sethi said: “This 50,000 donation milestone is a fantastic achievement – that’s a pair of glasses for every fan at a sell-out match at the Etihad Stadium – and something we’re immensely proud of.”

Kanye West Once Left A Business Meeting For This Horrifying Reason: Ex-Staffer

Federal court documents filed Thursday reveal shocking allegations from a former employee of Kanye West, who described working for the controversial rapper as a “nightmare” in a new lawsuit. The lawsuit accuses West of fostering a hostile work environment, unpaid labor, and disturbing personal conduct.

Murphy Aficionado, who served as a project manager for the Yeezy founder beginning in October 2022, detailed troubling incidents, including West’s antisemitic outbursts and unprofessional behavior during supposed business meetings. In one instance, Aficionado alleged that West held a meeting at the Beverly Hills Waldorf Astoria but left midway to engage in “loud” sexual activity with his wife, Bianca Censori, in an adjoining room.

Aficionado claimed the rapper displayed inappropriate behavior, arriving at the meeting with his pants unbuttoned while Censori stood topless, barely covering herself. Despite his discomfort, Aficionado said West forced him to stay in the room. Shortly after, West allegedly left without explanation, leaving the door partially open as noises from the adjoining room made the situation “unbearable.”
When West returned, Aficionado alleges he was wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with a swastika and showing off nude photos of his ex-wife, Kim Kardashian. Similar scenarios reportedly unfolded during another meeting at the same hotel, this time involving a masseuse instead of Censori.
In addition to detailing these incidents, Aficionado described West’s alleged daily antisemitic tirades, which often included conspiracies blaming Jews for his financial and personal troubles. The suit claims West made offensive comments such as, “The Jews are out to get me,” and frequently blamed them for controlling his ex-wife and freezing his bank accounts.
The lawsuit also accuses West of severe labor violations. Aficionado claims he worked up to 70 hours per week without pay during his nine-month tenure, despite an agreement to be compensated $125 per hour. The situation escalated when West allegedly demanded Aficionado start construction on Donda Academy without proper permits, a move the plaintiff argued could endanger children and lead to significant fines. Aficionado says his resistance led to his termination.

The former employee is suing for discrimination, retaliation, a hostile work environment, and unpaid wages. Representatives for West have not responded to requests for comment.

Meghan Markle breaks cover alone at pal’s party as another new business venture emerges

Meghan Markle has been spotted letting her hair down at a glamorous party as news of yet another new business venture emerges. The Duchess of Sussex was spotted celebrating the launch of a new haircare line by the brand Highbrow Hippie, which is co-founded by her close pal and Hollywood hair colourist, Kadi Lee. In…

Government sets out legislation to permanently cut business rates for the high street

The Government says the introduction of legislation in Parliament this week ‘begins the delivery of its promise to reform business rates’, as set out in Labour’s manifesto.The tax cut will be funded by a tax rise for the top one percent of high-value properties, such as large warehouses used by online giants.“For too long the business rates system has been working against our high streets,” says James Murray, Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury.“[This] is a major step towards our new system that will support retail, hospitality and leisure businesses on our high streets to succeed.“This Bill paves the way for a permanent cut to their tax rate, helping to level the playing field between them and online and out-of-town businesses.”In last month’s Budget​​, Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed that business rates support for the hospitality sector would be extended for a further a year to plug the gap until the new system is unveiled.However, the level of support will be slashed from 75% to 40%, capped at £110,000.Figures supplied by commercial real estate intelligence firm Altus Group show that the reduction in rates support will mean an average 140% rise in business rates bills for more than 250,000 high street premises in England next year.Restaurants will see their average bill rising from £5,051 to £12,122, according to the group, while the average bill for pubs will increase from £3,938 to £9,451.Speaking to MCA​​​, Restaurant​’s sister site, this week, Simon Dodd, chief executive of Young’s, said his one ask of the Government is ‘to really sort business rate reform out’.He said: “They (the Government) are consulting now but if we could have certainty of what rate reform looks like and the impact on the whole sector, not just people that have one pub […] that will help us balance the books and that will help the sector immensely.“Our business rates bill is a large number. Bricks and mortar have carried a lot of the burden on business rate for many years […] we just want fairness. So, if we can get clarity on exactly what the business rate reform looks like for hospitality and the legislation, that would be a real help.”