Welcome to Insider

Welcome to Insider online

Welcome to Insider online

Insider is 25 years old this year. Read

Scotlands Energy

Insider Special Report

A bright future for Scotland's energy sector. Read

Latest News from Insider

THE BIG PROFILE: Boyd Tunnock – Scotland's own 'Willy Wonka'

PICTURE the scene. Confectionery company legend Boyd Tunnock and his crew of four are racing his 38-foot yacht Lemarac across the Clyde by the Ayrshire coastline. The northerly wind is blowing at 20 knots when suddenly the spinnaker gets caught up at the top of the mast 32 feet up and unless it can be removed the race is over for the team.So who volunteers to go up on the bosun's chair and free the spinnaker? None other than 76-year-old Tunnock Read

YEAR AHEAD PREDICTIONS: Eminent experts foretell the future

ONE WAY or another 2010 is going to be a landmark year for Scotland and the UK on many fronts. Although it may seem an impossible task to try and predict what will happen next year Insider has persuaded a number of distinguished commentators and experts in their field to do just that Read

PLANNING FOR THE RECOVERY: Make a start along the road to recovery

OCTOBER 1929 saw the world's biggest ever stock market crash in Wall Street which kicked off a long-lasting global depression. During that same year former East End barrow boy Jack Cohen opened his first shop in Edgware in Middlesex. Cohen - who had started his own market stall selling surplus groceries in 1919 when he was 21 using his gratuity from army service during the First World War - called his shop Tesco. The rest is, of course, history Read

ISO 14001: Gold standard green

WITH green issues being rapidly pushed up the business agenda, it is more important than ever for firms to consider the environmental impacts of their operations. Even during the economic downturn, experts say it would be counterproductive for firms to put investment plans to improve their environmental credentials on hold Read

RSA GRANTS: Funds to get you growing

Problems with raising funds can mean it's more important than ever for companies to be able to look to the state for support in getting promising schemes off the ground.The Scottish Government has repeatedly committed itself to regional selective assistance (RSA) grants as a key plank of its economic recovery programme and from 2004 to 2009 domestic and overseas businesses accepted RSA offers worth more than £360m for schemes in Scotland Read

CHARITIES: On a shoestring - give generously

For many charities two things happen when the economy nosedives - income slumps and demand for their services rockets. Increasing professionalism is, however, helping some make the best of bad times Read

TEAM BUILDING: Boost bonds in the great outdoors

Getting the best out of your team just got more important. Tighter margins, thinner order books and fewer staff mean those remaining must work harder, with less resources and probably lower morale than 12 to 18 months ago. At a time of corporate belt-tightening, outdoor team building activities are unlikely to be high on the agenda. In fact they can play an essential role in creating teams and improving their productivity through communication, leadership development, interpersonal skills and motivation Read

SHARE TIP CHALLENGE: The stocks to watch in 2010

With signs of recovery around the globe in 2009 it is no surprise there were some major gains in the shares tipped in last December's Insider. For the second year running Fraser Robb picked the best and worst performing stocks Read

INTERNATIONAL TRADE ROUND TABLE: Assistance available to help broaden horizons

What can be done to help more SMEs export their goods? Is there potential for them to join forces if they cannot afford the financial investment needed to make a serious assault on an overseas market? Read

SMALL BUSINESS ROUND TABLE: Small businesses overcome big challenges

The recession has made people work a lot smarter and a lot harder. Some have focused on the core of their business. Others have looked at how they can diversify. A lot of Scottish small firms are now a lot stronger, a lot smarter. And they are thinking seriously about how they're going to take advantage of the upturn when it comes Read

AGENDA: What does the future hold?

As the year draws to a close many business leaders will be wondering what is in store for us in 2010. Although we have seen some signs of recovery it is still not clear when we will move out of recession. Many people I have spoken to are predicting we will not see real recovery until 2011 so next year could be another tough one for many businesses Read

IAN RITCHIE: Bad behaviour slows our start-up rate

In the 1970s novel Watership Down the wild rabbits, in their epic journey searching for new territory, stumble upon Cowslip's warren, an apparently prosperous rabbit colony with pampered and fastidious citizens who enjoy plenty of food and protection from predators.Read