A MORI poll has shown that around 6 million people in Britain are currently planning, or researching, how to build a home for themselves and, with a disparity between those who want to build and those who are enabled National Self Build Week (NSBW) is taking place 4-12 May, in an attempt to bridge the gap.
A recent RICS survey shows the average annual pub rent for new leases in England and Wales (4th quarter 2012) as being nearly £27,000 with the highest rental value (average pub lessee) just of £33,500 in East of England and £32,730 for London. The average expected turnover (next two years) is an expected £300,000 with the calculated 9% (percentage of turnover taken by rent) indicating stability in the sector. The survey is in response to the Government’s Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee, to help improve pub rental transparency.
Interesting to read that the US cupcake craze might be shrinking quicker than a sponge with no raising agent… and the reason? Gourmet-cupcake burnout or…. saturation point as (no pun intended) demand is flat. Crumbs, a US Company, says The decreases in business is in the metro markets where the stores have existed for quite a while, and will be turning to Malls. Meanwhile, Tesco took a £1.2 billion hit from their US foray. Planning to exit the US and put their land-banking days behind them and focus on multi-channel. The financial arm, Tesco Bank, also increased its bill for PPI compensation claims (£30m to £115m)
Launched September 2012, a first phase investment programme of £300 million for the Business Bank has been announced. The bank ‘will not directly lend to, or invest in businesses ….to prop-up businesses with little chance of success. It will work with the private sector to support and increase the capacity of current channels of finance, rather than simply replace private sector provision’. Between April and June 2013 the objective is for an expansion to Business Angel Co-investment of £50m, extension of commitments to Venture Capital Programme of £25m and extension of Loan Guarantee Programme in two pilots – with the first transactions from the £300m programmed for July to September 2013 phase. The business bank is expected to be established as a new entity in spring 2014 with an expectation that responsibility for all finance solutions is transferred from BIS to the business bank in Autumn 2014. Will this be another trough of water to take the horses to?