Breaking the law en masse is not innovative or disruptive. It’s cheating.

Breaking the law en masse is not innovative or disruptive. It’s cheating.

If you had sat me down 5-10 years ago and asked me the top 5 things I would like to change about the taxi industry, within about 20 minutes of brainstorming I would have nailed all 5 of the ‘innovations’ that Uber has implemented. It’s all the rage to bag Uber right now, and that is not my point. I am bagging the people who think that Uber was innovative, or disruptive. Uber, as a business model, was simply to break the law en masse. Plain and simple.

​​’Equity Loans’, a loan with upside

​​’Equity Loans’, a loan with upside

More than ever, young people are relying on the ‘bank of Mum and Dad’ to get a leg-up. Whether it’s to break into the property market or utilise some initial capital to get their new business off the ground, we are seeing more and more of our clients give (and receive!) loans from their parents. 
A question we get asked often by the ‘lender’ in this scenario is whether it is possible for a loan to be advanced without the lender receiving periodic interest repayments, and instead get a share of the ‘upside’ (gain) when the financed asset is sold. 

How ‘diverse’ are you, really?

How ‘diverse’ are you, really?

Advocating for diversity makes sense for a minority view trying to get a foothold or survive in a sea of opposition. Diversity and tolerance protect the little guy. But once a foothold is established for our idea, we tend to become a lot less tolerant and accepting of true diversity of opinion on the issue.

Two phrases you should never use in your negotiations

Two phrases you should never use in your negotiations

In our experience, most people in a genuine negotiation will easily find common ground if they remain engaged in a process of communication and discovery. The phrases ‘industry standard’ (aka ‘I will not rationally justify this position’) and ‘non-negotiable’ (aka ‘that’s the end of the conversation on this issue’), represent the amateur approach.