Higher / Int 2 Business NAB

A date for your diaries...

Tuesday the 19th October is the date I have set aside for the Business Enterprise NAB.

Remember this will contain topics from:

• Business in Contemporary Society
• Business Information and ICT
• Decision Making

You will have to read your notes and generate possible answers to likely questions.

Also, please ensure you understand the Command Words!

The Ryder Cup 2010 - Celtic Manor

On Friday morning at 0745 the Ryder Cup tees off.

What was once a challenge match between the professional golfers of Great Britain and Ireland and the United States is now a multi-million advertising and sponsorship bonanza!

The Europe v USA battle will be watched by millions on TV and by thousands paying top dollar at the Welsh course, near Newport.

Indeed many Wales Tourism adverts have sprouted up as Newport and Wales hope to have added benefits long after the Ryder Cup leave.

So be ready for high octane golf, amazing excitement, and possibly a very narrow winning margin.

But also look out for the sponsors. And the advert spots on Sky TV.

As for the match? I am going against the trend and I predict a USA victor 14 1/2 to 13 1/2.

I hope I am wrong, but I just have this feeling Monty and Europe are underestimating Corey Pavin's men and one Mr Eldrick Woods in particular.

Virgin Galactic: Space Ship Two

Ever since Richard Branson first announced his Virgin brand were going into the Final Frontier people laughed.

However some six years later and Space Ship Two is in testing.

Above is an artists impression of the sub-orbital spacecraft.

Richard Branson has a dream to commercialise space travel for the ordinary man and woman, after being inspired by fellow millionaire, Dennis Tito who went into Space as the world's first space tourist as a cosmonaut in 2001.

Star Trek's William Shatner was invited to be aboard the inaugural flight, but the TV legend politely declined saying: "At my age I need the guarantee of coming back down."

Travel Industry

The Problems

Terrorism

Recession

SARS virus

Strikes

Icelandic ash cloud

The World's Most Revolutionary Car?

F1 designer Professor Gordon Murray has designed a new car called the T.25 which may well revolutionise the future of urban transport.

The car is made from glass fibre, recycled plastic bottles and steel tubes. It uses just a fifth of materials to construct regular cars.

The T.25 is a 3 seater, can hit a top speed of 100mph and will retail at around £6,000.

The space saving car has doors that open from the engine and windscreen out as opposed to doors opening at the side - a tremendous space saver. Also the driver sits in the middle at the front, with two passengers at the rear.

The Professor intends to use his new technological lightweight advances to apply it to larger vehicles such as buses!

The method of production is called iStream which uses complex software to allow the makers to modify the size or shape or colour of the frames or body panels. This offers tremendous flexibility for manufacturers including the ability to change oroduction of the engine from petrol or diesel or even electric cells.

Because because fewer parts are being used (and cheaper, lightweight ones at that), massive production savings will come into play and hopefully be passed on to the consumer - just like Henry Ford did with his legendary Model T-Ford.

Professor Murray also says that due to less capital being invested at the start-up of the i-Stream production process, more entrepreneurs and investors are likely to get on board as there is less risk.

The result is a car which for once - unlike the much heralded Electric Car or the Hybrids - may actually change the world we live in for the better.

Think of the impact such lightweight, tiny cars can have on congested megacities or China and India who are becoming more industrialised and urbanised every day.

Could this car be the ultimate in saving the world?

For the full article go to: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11301831

In the news...

AIRLINES MAKE A PROFIT
The world's airlines are expected to post a profit of $8.9bn (£5.7bn) this year, an industry body has said, in a sharp upgrade of its previous forecast.

The International Air Transport Association (Iata) said the industry recovery had been "stronger and faster than anyone predicted".

In June, it had predicted a much smaller profit of $2.5bn. In March, it had expected a loss of $2.8bn. Iata said increasing demand and stable costs were driving the recovery.

US RECESSION LONGEST SINCE WW2
The US recession lasted 18 months and was the most prolonged since World War II, a report has concluded. The National Bureau of Economic Research said the recovery began in June 2009, with recession having begun in 2007.

Its views carry weight in the US, even though there is usually a lag before it reaches a position.
The organisation's figures take in data beyond simply GDP. Income, employment industrial production and wholesale retail sales also form part of the analysis.

The previous longest postwar recessions in 1973-75 and 1981-82 both lasted 16 months, it said.


Source: BBC Business News

Technical Issues

Sorry about the long delay between posts but there has been a technical issue with Slideshare embeds causing a problem when I tried to log in at my school.

Thankfully that has been resolved now and I can get back to blogging!

Back to work!

A very busy holiday period is now over and a very busy time back at school is now on again!

I hope to produce and share more resources online, with an obvious focus on Curriculum for Excellence.

I have to admit that there have been some incredible news stories of late, with the Chilean Miner's Crisis one that everyone prays will have a happy ending.

But the devastating floods in Pakistan, the massive earthquake in Christchurch, the Pakistani Cricketers Scandal, Tony Blair's book launch, end of US military operations in Iraq... an incredible period for news, business and the economic saga.

Also I felt pretty sad at the woman who threw that cat in the bin. Shameful.

World Cup 2010 - South Africa

Well here it is again. The biggest show on Earth is back... and this time on the African continent for the first time.

South Africa may well be a controversial choice with its high crime rate, murderous roads and underlying racial tensions, but the 'Rainbow' nation has triumphed before on and off the field in the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

Indeed the incredible events of 15 years ago inspired a Clint Eastwood movie called Invictus, which told of Nelson Mandela's inspirational leadership and how he motivated the Springboks.

The money and numbers in the World Cup are truly mind boggling. I intend to investigate the financial impact of the World Cup at a later date with a class. But for now let't sit back and enjoy the FIFA World Cup and savour the unique flavour South Africa will bring.

Spain and Brazil are the favourites, but I have a feeling that Argentina - under the madcap stewardship of Diego Armando Maradona - will emerge triumphant.

In the News...

BP OIL SPILL WORSE THAN EXPECTED
As many as 40,000 barrels (1.7 million gallons) of oil a day may have been gushing out from a blown-out Gulf of Mexico well, doubling many estimates.
The US Geological Survey says that flow rate could have been reached before a cap was put on the well on 3 June.
BP's chairman has been asked to meet Barack Obama next week, amid assurances from the UK and US that bilateral ties will not be affected by the crisis.
UK PM David Cameron and President Obama will discuss the spill at the weekend.
Oil has been leaking into the Gulf since the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded on 20 April and sank off the coast of the US state of Louisiana, killing 11 workers.

JAPAN IN DANGER OF COLLAPSE
Japan is at "risk of collapse" under its huge debt mountain, the country's new prime minister has said.
Naoto Kan, in his first major speech since taking over, said Japan needed a financial restructuring to avert a Greece-style crisis.
"Our country's outstanding public debt is huge... our public finances have become the worst of any developed country," he said.
After years of borrowing, Japan's debt is twice its gross domestic product.


DUNDEE MP TRIES TO SAVE JOBS AT DC THOMSON
The MP for Dundee East, Stewart Hosie, is to meet the head of DC Thomson in an attempt to save 350 jobs.
The Dundee-based company, which publishes the Sunday Post, the Beano and the Dandy, is to shed the staff from its production and printing division.
It has said the cuts were necessary to protect the firm's future.
Mr Hosie will meet chief executive Andrew Thomson on Friday afternoon to discuss the proposed cuts.
The proposed closure is at a printing and book-binding centre in the city's Guthrie Street.

BRITONS WORK WITHOUT A BREAK
One in four people in the UK often works all day without taking a break, a survey suggests.
More than half of the 3,000 people polled by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists said they went to work when feeling unwell or stressed.
Staff shortages were cited as a cause of stress and why breaks were skipped.
While work can contribute to people's mental and physical well-being, overworking can lead to health problems, the CSP warned.

O2 SCRAPS UNLIMITED DOWNLOADS
UK phone network O2 has scrapped unlimited data downloads for smartphone customers.
All new and upgrading customers will have their usage capped at between 500 Megabytes (MB) and one gigabyte (GB) depending on their monthly tariff.
Analysts said the move was "inevitable" as more and more consumers switch to data-intensive smartphones that can surf the web and show video.
Other networks are likely to follow O2, they said.
"O2 had become the industry poster-child of the capacity crunch era," said Thomas Wehmeier, principal analyst at Informa Telecoms and Media.
Many customers have complained about poor service, download speeds and network coverage.
"It is a victim of its own success - O2 has had so many people sign up for data intensive phones, like the iPhone," Ben Wood of research firm CCS Insight told BBC News.
"Huge amounts of data are consumed by the minority of people."

Source: BBC News

In the News...

GOODFELLAS RELAUNCH

Northern Foods, which makes Goodfella's pizza, says it hopes a £5m ($7.2m) brand relaunch will lift profits.

Northern, which holds either number one or two position in many of the UK's prepared food markets, also makes Fox's biscuits, as well as ready meals.

Its Fox's biscuit campaign, which features a panda called Vinnie, has helped to push that brand into second place in the country.

Northern says the new pizza campaign will initially raise its costs.

The company added, however, that it was important to continue investing in key brands through what it called "uncertain economic times".


WORLD CUP SPONSORS UNHEALTHY?

FIFA has scored an "own goal" by agreeing sponsorship deals for the 2010 World Cup with companies that sell unhealthy products, campaigners say.

The World Cancer Research Fund criticised the governing body for partnering with the likes of Coca Cola, McDonald's and Budweiser.

It said the tournament should be an opportunity to promote active lifestyles.

Advertisers denied the deals would negatively impact children's diets.

The three companies are partners or official sponsors for the World Cup giving them a visible presence inside the stadiums on advertising hoardings and digital displays.


JOB VACANCIES RISE IN THE UK

The number of job vacancies across the UK rose slightly last month, but the pay on offer fell, a report has said.

Employment agency Reed said 1% more jobs were offered by firms through its service in May compared with April.

At the same time, it said the average wage available declined by 4.2% to £31,800 in May, from £33,200 in April.

Job demand rose most in the charity and voluntary sectors, followed by marketing, public relations, legal and secretarial.

Reed said about 90,000 jobs were offered though it in total last month.


EUROZONE UNEMPLOYMENT RISING

Unemployment in the eurozone rose again in April to a fresh all-time high, figures from Europe's statistics office have shown.

Eurostat said unemployment in the 16 nations that use the euro now totals 15.86 million - equivalent to 10.1% of the population.

Spain, Ireland and Slovakia recorded the highest rates of joblessness, with the Spanish rate now close to 20%.

Meanwhile, the euro has hit a four-year low against the dollar.

It was trading as low as $1.2111 at one stage, and was also down to a one-year low against the pound, with one pound buying 1.1935 euros.

Exams over for my classes!

Just to say I enjoyed teaching both my Higher Administration and Higher/Int 2 Business Management pupils and my lovely small cohort of Standard Grade Admin.

I think the papers looked very fair and I hope you all did yourself justice.

I hope you gained knowledge and skills which will help you where you go after school. And please ask me for a reference as I really did enjoy this year.

So I wish you all good luck.

Higher Business Management - Exam Banker Questions

The following topics are ones that regularly come up in exams. There is no guarantee they will ALL come up but I feel they are good questions that are often asked and to be honest you should be maximising these.

So if you have a chance to gain 5 or 6 marks from one of these topics you should be aiming for the full mark.


Product Life Cycle
Stakeholders – Influence
Quality Methods (TQM, Benchmarking etc)
Job, Batch and Flow (Methods of Production)
Stages in Recruitment and Selection
PESTEC Analysis (External Analysis)
Market Research Methods
Ratio Analysis
Structured Decision Making Model – POGADSCIE
Types of Ownership (Ownership, Control, Finance)

Remember, make a note of small things in the book that you are unsure of and at least know what they are. You may be asked a small 3 marker on a very specific topic. It is unrealistic to know everything indepth, but use your common sense and your thinking skills to generate answers.

i.e. TCP = Time, Cost, People. (In other words how does the question affect these factors?)

How competitive is Scotland in today's travel market?

After being away for quite a while and experiencing a bit more of the Pacific area, and reading some excellent books and articles on many such Business and Travel related items, it has really highlighted as I have said before that the future belongs to the Pacific Rim.

In his book Adventure Capitalist, US investor Jim Rogers slates Ireland and Iceland for learning Gaelic and Danish respectively. He says that he would have his children learn Spanish or one of the Chinese languages.

He backed this up when he moved from New York to Singapore and indeed has brought up his kids to be bilingual.

The infrastucture is growing rapidly in Asia. Rome built its empire with roads, Britain relied on her navy for seapower, and the USA liknked her nation through rail then air travel.

Asia seems to be heading towards High Speed Rail. China have ambitious plans to link up the major cities and beyond.

When returning home to Glasgow I checked in for my flights at KL Sentral Railway Station. I got my boarding pass and waved bye to my heavy luggage until some 20-odd hours later I picked them up off the carousel in Glasgow. Then I hopped on to the KLIA Express which took me 28 pain free minutes later to KLIA Airport.

Impressive or what?

And our authorities in Scotland cancelled the GARL (Glasgow Airport Rail Link). Plus they cancelled the 10 lane superhighway between Glasgow and Edinburgh, our two major cities. For an industrialised nation, and one that has given the world so many incredible engineers, I feel we are so far behind the rest of the world that it is embarrassing.

We have to invest in communication and transport or else we are doomed. The M74 extention is 30 years overdue.

The Kingston Bridge is nearly done and do we have another high capacity bridge being built? Or a wider tunnel under the Clyde? No.

In San Francisco, the Oakland Bay Bridge (more impressive in my opinion than the Golden Gate) is being replaced by a new bridge being built side by side. The relief bridge will take traffic going one way and the old bridge the other.

So if Scotland is serious about being a true world class travel destination then we need to improve our infrastructure. It is simple.

And remember what we pay out now will be worth more in the long run, as a pound today will be worth less in 10 years time.

Perhaps the 2014 Commonwealth Games will see the GARL being built and even the 10 lane superhighway. If not then these 'savings' are false economies, in my opinion.

We are light years behind Asia.

Home Sweet Home

Glad to be back in the UK!

Even popped into work this afternoon after a long series of flights, but if you drink enough water, take your shoes off and make sure you get a decent sleep on the plane, you will feel not too bad. I have to keep awake until sundown, so almost there.

A big thank you to everyone who emailed me or texted me looking to see if I was okay.

It was certainly an experience. A trip of a lifetime... well until the next adventure!

My Sky Jump off Sky Tower, Auckland

Here's some pics of me being the first Sky Jumper of the morning of Thursday, 15th April 2010!

It is nerve racking when you are at the egde. I just looked up and shouted "GERONIMO!"

Work for Classes

HIGHER BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

You guys should be working on past papers.
Pay attention to COMMAND WORDS.

There are a few topics I have asked Miss Dunlop to go over:

Ratio Analysis
Pricing Strategies
Distribution
Payment Methods

Remember don't just rote learn this stuff. Think about what they could ask you.

eg. COMPARING pricing strategies could be a good idea.

Also remember that in Section One (Case Study) you need to use the headings given for identifying the problems (10 marks) which hopefully get you off to a good start in the exam.

Finally, also go back to the Types of Ownership (Sole Traders, PLCs etc) and think about each one in terms of OWNERSHIP, CONTROL and FINANCE.



HIGHER ADMINISTRATION

Divide the week into 2 periods theory and 4 periods ICT.

For Theory, work through the past papers on the back shelf. Solutions are online but remember these answers are only bullet point marking schemes. Don't think just by writing what is in that you would gain all the marks!

For the ICT paper, you may have done most of the past papers, if not all, but it is good practice to redo them all. Perhaps start with the 2007 H Admin paper 2 and give yourself 2 periods to do it. Then move on to 2008.

There are some good practice papers in the filing cabinet, which I will do with you when you return.

REMEMBER:

Databases
For any report there will be a query (filtering out the options)
Know how to:
do calculations in queries
do calculations in reports
complicated searches using a query (using *, BETWEEN AND, using NOT etc. You can do the Revision Database book if unsure).
Remember to use the TOOLS - MS OFFICE LINKS - PUBLISH WITH MS WORD option to tidy up queries.

Spreadsheets
Know when a Lookup is going to come up. When you have some information that is repeated in the sheets but you have some part missing in your sheet.

Know how to do a simple If statement.
Know how to do a nested If statement (remember you can copy and paste it and then just change the cells and numbers)

Be aware of what you are calculating. eg when calculating a percentage have you to add the original cell back on (if it is to be a percentage increase) or subtract (if a percentage discount/decrease)?

Remember the Spreadsheet Filter option.

Word Processing
Know how to:
write a proper letter format
Memo format
convert text to tables
calculate in word


Quite a lot to do, but that's why it is one of the most demaning Highers in Scottish Education (FACT!).


S4 STANDARD GRADE ADMINISTRATION

Remember to check your final exam levels. Most of you will be sitting General/Credit.

Work through the past papers, but you can also have a go each period on Hot Potatoes. But please don't spend too long on wasting valuable time messing about on the PC!

Also make sure you know definitions of the key terms. The KU element is always done worse than the PS element, yet it is easier to learn.

(ie know Chain of Command, Span of Control etc)


S3 STANDARD GRADE ADMINISTRATION

You will be given a City to research and investigate.

You will have to create a travel guide, as well as book flights, car hire and hotel accommodation. Depending on time constraints you may also be asked to create a travel itinerary, which there are examples online.

Remember, we are trying to arrange a visit to Glasgow Metropolitan's Travel Centre which has a replica of the inside of an aeroplane, as well as proper Check In desks etc. We cannot take everyone, so only the best presentations will be rewarded with a spot. The trip will either take place in June or August (if everything goes well).

In today's current situation knowing how to arrange a proper itinerary is more important than ever!


S2 ICT

You may be moving on to Web Design, though when I return we will finish off Marketing.


S1 ICT

You will probably be continuing with Podcasting. So make sure you are putting all the equipment away properly and saving your completed files in the correct folders!

RM Shared - Business Education - _Class Folders - YOUR CLASS

Halfway Home

I got a bit of luck when I phoned KLM's local office in Auckland (it was just around the corner but the lift was key operated so I couldn't get to the KLM floor) and they got me a flight to Kuala Lumpur where my friends can put me up, saving me a fortune on hotel bills.

Everyone had to rebook and the earliest I could get was the 27th of April. Every possible combination was taken. Via China, via the Middle East and even a round the world trip via the USA.

Air New Zealand were not the most helpful, though they did give me good advice in not letting me go to Beijing where I would still be stranded inside the airport and with no visa to go outside (and hotels were full anyway).

I am trying to get an earlier flight from KL to Amsterdam to Glasgow, but only if I can get right through. It would be stupid getting to Amsterdam only to sit in an uncomfortable airport for days!

If things get bad I had another escape route planned. KL - Doha - Tuni with Qatar Airways and then the 24hr ferry from Tunis - Marseille (you don't need a visa for Tunisia). From there I'd have to get a train to Calais and wait in line with the others wanting home.

So I shall have to wait it out and I may get another break in that KLM may put on extra flights to get us all home quicker.

S4-S6

For classes starting on Monday...

S4-S6 should all be doing Past Papers.

Good luck in case I don't see you before the exam leave begins!

I am sure Mr MacLeod, Mr Arthur, Mrs Shute, Mr Haggarty and Miss Dunlop will look after you.

I think Mr McAlpine is in the same boat as me!

My Trip so far! - Australia

The above images are some of the adventures I have had in the Australian leg of my holiday.

The Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb

The Sydney Opera House

Bondi Beach

Three Sisters, Blue Mountains National Park

My (now ditched) Escape Route!

If I was granted a Chinese Visa I was planning on trying to book up on the Trans-Siberian Railway which takes 7 days to get from Beijing to Moscow. From Moscow I'd have to get another train to Berlin or if really lucky Paris.

From there I'd have to head for the coast to wait in line for the Ferry or Tunnel.

The main problem was trying to get a Chinese visa, which in future if I am ever even stopping over in China I will make sure I apply for well in advance, because sitting in an airport is no fun.

Tickets can be booked here: http://www.seat61.com/Trans-Siberian.htm

The cost for a one way ticket travelling non-stop from Beijing to Moscow would be 580 GBP (this keyboard does not have a pound sign!).

I am glad that I do not have to resort to such extreme measures now that I have a flight to Kuala Lumpur, but it is amazing how desperate and useless you feel when you are stranded 12,000 miles from home.

Now I know how E.T. felt!

Back to KL!

Air New Zealand were no help at all. They were taking me from Auckland to Beijing, but because I didn't have a Chinese visa I was not allowed to fly. To get a Chinese visa I would have to travel 11 hours by car or 1 hour by plane from Auckland to Wellington to the Chinese Embassy. There it could take 4-6 days for it to be processed.

I found KLM's local office and went there. I couldn't get in as the lift had keys! I then phoned them and they have wangled a flight via Malaysian Airlines to Kuala Lumpur, where at least I won't have to pay for hotels.

The first flight home is on the 27th of April!!! I hope I will get home before then, but this is a waiting game I think. I'd rather do it at least a bit of the way home than being in Auckland and slipping further and further down the pecking order.

Stranded in Auckland

I am stuck in Auckland as Air New Zealand are not allowing anyone flying to Europe to leave. They did let some go to the stopover points in Asia but have stopped that now as it is causing mayhem there. They have nowhere to go and nowhere to sleep.

This volcano erupted some 200 years ago and did so for 2 years! What will we all do if this is the case? Airlines will go bust, and so will many firms as freight and people are not being 'delivered' so to speak.

I am thinking of doing a Michael Palin in a week's time if things are not any better and try to get to the USA and then a container ship home. I worry that when the European skies are clear it will have moved over to the East and straight into my flight path.

KLM are testing low altitude flights, so fingers crossed that works. It is estimated it would take 9 days to clear everything. So at best I think I am here for a week. Everyday we have to call a number to see what is happening, but it doesn't take Einstein to work out that I can't go anywhere until Glasgow and Amsterdam are clear. I wonder if KLM will pay for my hotel? Or will 'Act of God' be used again?

This just shows how reliant we are on technology and air travel in particular. I wonder what all the Environmentalists will make of this? Close air travel and ruin the world financially?

It is when the money runs out that everyone will be in serious trouble. Roll on pay day!

Kia Ora, G'Day, Bienvenue, Wilkommen etc!

Kia Ora from the other side of the world. I am currently on the last leg of my Antipodean Adventure, in Auckland. And yes, to my S4 class who thought I would chicken out I DID do the Sky Jump off the Auckland Sky Tower. It was incredible.

I even shouted 'GERONIMO!" as I leapt 192 metres above the concrete of the city.

(I hasten to add that is not me! I have full DVD and photographic evidence!)

My travels have taken me from Kuala Lumpur (again - but just a short stop) to Sydney, Australia - a superb place. The waves on Bondi Beach reminded me of my childhood at Machrihanish, near Campbeltown!

Then on to Wellington - where the runway is so short the large airliners don't come in! And that is the capital of New Zealand! Kia Ora means hello in Maori. I thought it was just a fruit drink.

Then up to the hot springs of the thermal areas of Rotorua in central NZ, and now I am in Auckland.

I am coming home via Beijing - but I don't have enough time to get out of the airport. However with all this incredible carry on from the Iceland volcano I do not know what will happen yet. I may have to catch another flight into Southern Europe and then drive home. That would be a laugh!

I am determined to make it home for Monday morning and my reg class, 2D3. Though I am sure even if I travelled the 12,000 or so miles to make it back tired and exhausted they wouldn't crack an eyelid!

I wonder how many other people are stuck all over the world as it seems most of Central and Northern Europe has come to a standstill all because of a volcano. It is quite appropriate considering I am in a country that is still prone to volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and indeed tsunamis. New Zealand is a very young country and is Mother Nature is still violent here.

So the next time back home in the UK we complain about the rain or snow, just remember we live in one of the most stable regions on Earth.

Anyway, I will have to wait and see what happens about my flight home from China!

Mr McGowan's pipe-dream!

If only this were true! And before anyone starts, yes I know I need a haircut. It was sorted last Monday by a visit to the brilliantly named Shears in Hamilton. Though not as good as my regular haunt in Paisley, Getyourdomedone barbers.

The Scottish Golf Festival was pretty entertaining and for any pupil who went was a great example of a trade fair/exhibition.

Not only were golf manufacturers present like Nike, Callaway etc but golf clothing, wetwear, golf holidays, even a dental product!

Golf lessons and clinics were also up for grabs and the magazine Bunkered had a large putting green where people got lessons from a Professional.

I even tried out a new product called the Two Thumb Grip for my putter, which I have to admit was fantastic! So watch out this year!

I really enjoyed the Explanar kit which helps you swing your club on the proper golfing plane.

Staying with the marketing theme, we were asked to fill in questionnaires for feedback about the show and asking what we would like to see next year.

In the News...

SCOTS AIRLINE GOES BUST
A Scottish airline has been placed in administration, it has been announced.

Highland Airways called in PricewaterhouseCoopers on Wednesday night to take over the running of the business, which also operates in Wales.

Most of the company's 100 staff will lose their jobs. All of the airline's Thursday flights have been cancelled.

The Inverness-based airline's problems came to light at the start of the year after severe weather led to cancelled flights and worsening debts.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said operations had been suspended "with immediate effect."

UK RETAIL SALES UP

UK retail sales rose strongly between January and February, official figures show, following a sharp fall a month earlier.

The figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed a 2.1% rise in retail sales volumes.

In January, volumes fell by 3% - a sharp revision down from the 1.8% fall initially reported.
Economists said the rise in sales was expected, following suppressed sales in January due to the poor weather.

"Sales in January had been hurt very badly by the weather and the reintroduction of VAT," said Sarah Hewin, senior economist at Standard Chartered.

GOOGLE v CHINA: CHINA HITS BACK

China Unicom is to stop using Google search on Android handsets.

The second biggest operator in China is believed to be taking the step in reaction to Google's decision to stop offering a censored search service.

Instead of using Google search, handset makers will be able to decide which search service to use on phones that run Google's mobile operating system.

At the same time Google said it would withdraw more of its uncensored search services in China.
The China Unicom deal will first have an impact on Android phones being developed for it by Motorola and Samsung.

The move could be a big blow for Google as China has far more people owning and using mobiles than it does using the net.

MAN UTD FREEZE TICKETS

Manchester United has confirmed it is freezing ticket prices next season.

There has been criticism of the Glazers for price rises since their takeover in 2005, and many fans have joined a green -and-gold protest against the owners.

As recently as this month, there had speculation that further increases were in the pipeline for fans of the Old Trafford club.

But the club has now announced that prices will be kept on hold for the 2010/11 season.

STRIKERS TO LOSE OUT ON FRINGE BENEFITS

British Airways cabin crew who took part in the Unite union's three-day strike will forfeit their travel perks permanently, the company has confirmed.

Staff are eligible for free and heavily discounted flights, depending on how long they have worked for BA.

Unite condemned the move, confirmed in a letter to strikers, as "vindictive" and said it would challenge it.

Meanwhile, the UK Supreme Court has sent a dispute over BA pilots' holiday pay to the European Court of Justice.

The striking staff had been warned by BA's chief executive Willie Walsh before they took part in the action on Saturday, Sunday and Monday that they were at risk of losing the perks.

Expo 2010 - Shanghai

The World's Fair's successor is now called Expo. This year's version, Expo 2010 is running from May to October in China's most global city... Shanghai.

The tag line is: "Better City, Better Life".

An incredible 70 million visitors are expected!

Shanghai was once China's most metropolitan city back in the 1930s. It had earlier been a vital trading point, and where East did truly meet West. The Shanghai of the 1930s is always depicted in movies as the original sin city and a place of intrigue and spies. It has appeared in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and The Mummy 3: Curse of the Dragon Emperor.

Shanghai is a city I would love to visit one day so I can emulate Michael Palin in Full Circle on a bridge over the Huangpo River and view the incredible skyline of the new Shanghai financial district, and also to look at the old financial center, the Bund.

The World's Fair (or Expo) is an opportunity for suppliers and customers to come together and see what deals they can make. It is also a calling card for a city and a nation, a bit like winning the Olympics or World Cup, as tourism and global press coverage increases.

Barcelona held Expo 92 and the Summer Olympics of 1992 at the same time, which really did put Barcelona back on the global map.

Shanghai has always felt more global than traditional Beijing, so it will it be a success? The Mag-Lev train link is rumoured to not yet be complete....

Will Shanghai meet the target of 70 million visitors?

In a city of 14 million people it is just all too incredible. I honestly think that if my golf trip in October doesn't come off then I want to go to Shanghai!

From San Francisco to Sydney... by bottle boat!

A catamaran is sailing from San Francisco to Sydney in order to raise global awareness about pollution and recycling.

Plastiki was made from 12,500 bottles and set off today on its epic 20,000km voyage across the Pacific Ocean.

It is estimated that trash kills 1 million birds and 100,000 sea mammals each year.

Plastiki will traverse a part of the Pacific called "The Great Pacific Garbage Patch", which I admit I have never heard of. It is twice the size of Texas.

The 6 person ship is the brainchild of British heir David de Rothschild, and will take 3 months to complete.

SBEA Mini Conference - Inveralmond, Livingston

Attended the SBEA mini conference where there was a great discussion/engagement with an SQA rep over the future curriculum, in particular about wha shape National 4 and 5 qualifications would take.

It was unanimous among the Business Teachers that we wish to keep FOUR discrete subjects that will offer progression to the four Highers and then on to University/College.

It could even be argued that Business may have four different subjects but then perhaps should we have more (ie Marketing, Operations, Finance, Human Resources)? Or should we even be four different departments?

Or should Business subjects even be core? St Paul's High in Glasgow had Administration as a core subject, delivering ICT skills.

Another fantastic idea bandied about was to offer a Business Baccalaureate.

Business subjects are hugely popular in Higher and Further Education.

What future courses could we or should we offer?

We currently offer:

Administration
Accounting and Finance
Business Management
Economics

I would like the name Administration ditched and be replaced with either Business Administration or the more common one used at Uni, Business Information Technology.

Also for Business Management I would like to see a proper Case Study being involved in some form of assessment, as well as a mark for presentation. After all at uni every week in tutorials/seminars we had to study case studies and present back to the tutor, most times as a group. We gained some final marks through this.

Business subjects can deliver ALL the major skills required by employers:

- Literacy
- Numeracy
- Problem Solving
- People Skills (Interpersonal Skills)
- Communication Skills
- Presenting Skills
- Research & Analytical Skills
- ICT skills
- Leadership skills
- Team Working skills

Well, we are preparing pupils for industry! Every subject can be related to Business because every subject has equivalent jobs at the end of it!

Certainly food for thought.

Bankruptcy - Some Myths

The word bankruptcy comes from two old English words, "bankus" which means a tradesman's table and "ruptus" which means to break.

In old England, only traders could be made bankrupt and they were then subjected to punishments such as the stocks and "the clink" - the debtors' prison where day release was granted to allow debtors to work to pay off their debts.

The rules have changed somewhat since then and some may say bankruptcy is now too easy an option.

However, there is still much misinformation about what happens when you are made bankrupt and a lot of rumour that has almost become modern myth.

Anyone who owes more than £750 can technically be made bankrupt.

Read the full article http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8570467.stm