Babisil co-founder Matthew Driver profiled on Business Ears podcast
Business Ears show #037 was released on Saturday and features an interview with Matthew Driver, co-founder and Director of Babisil the innovative and award winning baby product business based in Colne, Lancashire.
Now Matthew and his wife Victoria created the business in 2005, when they took a leap of faith and combined his experience as a product designer with hers as a qualified dietitian to create a range of toxin free weaning products.
After two years’ extensive research and development, they officially launched their baby product range in 2007 with the award winning Bisphenol-A free baby bottle – the Silbottle.
In the interview, Matthew talks us through the story of Babisil’s rapid growth to date, he also outlines his ambitious plans for further international expansion and shares some of the business lessons he’s learned along the way.
You can listen to Matthew’s interview here and to check out previous shows visit www.businessears.co.uk
Posted in: General
UK primary school pupils to study Twitter, podcasts and blogs in curriculum shake-up
In a recent article, The Guardian reports that under new proposals, UK primary schools may soon ditch studying topics such as the Victorians or the Second Word War in favour of Twitter, blogs, Wikipedia and podcasts.
The proposed curriculum, which would mark the biggest change to primary schooling in a decade, strips away hundreds of specifications about the scientific, geographical and historical knowledge pupils must accumulate before they are 11 to allow schools greater flexibility in what they teach.
The proposals would require children to leave primary school familiar with blogging, podcasts, Wikipedia and Twitter as sources of information and forms of communication. They must gain “fluency” in handwriting and keyboard skills, and learn how to use a spellchecker alongside how to spell.
Posted in: General
Public Sector HR Podcast releases new show on Insourcing
Public Sector HR Podcast show #016 was released recently with a focus on Insourcing.
As the recession bites, much has been reported about the strong demand for outsourcing and as a consequence, profits of some of the bigger providers have soared. But according to research recently carried out by the Association of Public Service Excellence, many local authorities have been bringing services back in-house and this trend seems set to continue.
In this month’s show, we look at the results of APSE’s research to find out why some councils are finding insourcing a realistic service delivery option. Paul O’Brien is Chief Executive of APSE and he talks to me about the reasons for conducting the research and highlights some of it’s key findings.
To listen to the show click here and to check out previous shows visit www.publicsectorhrpodcast.co.uk
Posted in: General
BBC Radio Four Today Programme gets Viral
Great ‘viral video’ released this morning by The Today Programme on BBC Radio 4.
It’s very funny in a ‘wry’ way, with a witty focus on various presenters’ fashion quirks!
By early am it was already causing quite a buzz on Twitter, you can Twitter search the tag #todayviral for the latest updates.
It’ll be very interesting to see how successful this experiment by The Today Programme turns out – YouTube views were in the hundred’s pretty early doors.
Posted in: General
YouTube blocks UK music videos
YouTube is blocking all premium music videos to UK users after failing to reach a new licensing agreement with the Performing Right Society (PRS).
Thousands of videos became unavailable to YouTube users from late yesterday.
Patrick Walker, YouTube’s director of video partnerships, stated that the move was “regrettable”. Steve Porter, head of the PRS, said he was “outraged… shocked and disappointed” by YouTube’s decision.
In a statement, Mr Porter said the move “punishes British consumers and the songwriters whose interests we protect and represent”.
The PRS has asked YouTube to reconsider its decision as a “matter of urgency”.
Posted in: General
Facebook tweaks site to rival Twitter
According to a BBC News article Facebook has revamped it’s site in an effort to take on social media sensation Twitter.
Starting from next week, there will be a new homepage on Facebook that lets users receive continuous updates from their friends instead of every 10 or 15 minutes. Making the application oh so similar to Twitter with its much loved instant 140 caricature ‘Tweets’.
Facebook’s also adding filters so people can choose which of their friends to keep up with and which to silence.
Check out the article on the BBC website here.
Posted in: General
Business Ears podcast profiles award winning hotel websites business iknow UK
Business Ears show #036 was released on Saturday and features an interview with Marcus Simmons, Founder and MD of iknow UK, the internet marketing hotel websites business HQ’d in Preston – that also happens to be the fastest growing company in its sector in the UK.
Now Marcus, who was originally a manufacturing management consultant, started iknow UK in 2003 and funded development of his first website ‘iknow Yorkshire’ by re-mortgaging his and his parents homes.
Over the following five years, his courage and vision paid off, so much so, that the business today comprises a portfolio of twelve holiday accommodation websites, that promote over two-thousand customers properties, to more than seven million website visitors per year.
You can listen to Marcus’s interview here and to check out previous shows visit www.businessears.co.uk
Posted in: Uncategorized
