business
Friday
14
November
2014
Updated:
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Barclays may face massive new penalty over currency riggingBank puts discount on fines at risk by refusing early settlement as six rivals are ordered to pay £2.6bn for currency rigging -
Secret talks and a personal letter: how the US-China climate deal was doneA visit to Beijing by Kerry and a missive from Obama were key moments in a nine-month negotiation between the world’s biggest polluters -
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Congress to vote on Keystone pipeline in high-stakes challenge to ObamaSenate and House of Representatives schedule votes to support controversial pipeline, hours after president announced historic emissions deal with China -
Obama calls on FCC to make 'strongest possible rules' to protect net neutralityPresident says ‘open internet is essential to way of life’ and comes out against so-called ‘fast lanes’ for higher-paying web users -
US nurses strike over Ebola protectionUnion stages walkout during contract talks, citing insufficient safety measures, but hospitals’ operator says it is well prepared
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Interest rates may be held until late 2015 as inflation likely to fall below 1%Falling commodity prices and weak wage growth triggers drastic change of view at Bank of England
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After an Army paratrooper risked his life, he ended up injured, homeless and struggling with drugs. Is this America?Six years ago, the president and the Department of Veterans Affairs promised to end veteran homelessness by 2015. Even as the VA battles scandal, homeless vets like Bobby find themselves locked out of aid and getting by with the help of nonprofit organisations
Military veterans struggle to speak the same language as job recruiters
Job-hunting tips for military veterans back in the workforceHelping veterans succeed at workHolly Petraeus: Some people don’t balk at taking advantage of veterans through scams -
The real story of US coal: inside the world's biggest coalmineDespite Obama’s pledge to cut carbon emissions, production at North Antelope Rochelle mine in Wyoming is booming - and climate change is off the agenda. Suzanne Goldenberg gets a rare look inside the biggest coalmine in the world
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Rich countries subsidising oil, gas and coal companies by $88bn a yearUS, UK, Australia giving tax breaks to explore new reserves despite climate advice that fossil fuels should be left in the ground
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Google leases Nasa airbase for robots, planes and space explorationSearch firm signs 60-year, $1.16bn lease to renovate three large hangars at a Nasa airfield outside of San Francisco including historic Hangar One. By Samuel Gibbs
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European banks accused of facilitating Iran-backed attacks on US troops in IraqUS casualties and 80 families of dead soldiers sue five banks alleging money secretly sent to Iran was used to fund terror groups
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GoPro CEO to sell portion of stake as part of $800m offering by tech companyShares to go on sale in next couple of weeks but Nicholas Woodman says ‘No one should misunderstand my commitment to the company’
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Kim Kardashian: Hollywood game quadruples developer's revenueGlu Mobile has reported a record third quarter thanks to Kim Kardashian’s licenced game, which brought in $43m. By Alex Hern
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Archbishop of York attacks income inequality; eurozone data adds to gloom - business liveRolling business and financial news, as Dr John Sentamu says that income inequality is a stain on our consciences and must be tackled
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US unemployment rate falls to lowest level since 2008Labor Department figures show employers added 214,000 jobs in October but 2.9 million Americans have been without jobs for six months or more
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The legalisation of marijuana isn't just about liberal values - it's about tax revenues for states
A story in charts The legalisation of marijuana isn't just about liberal values - it's about tax revenues for states
The tax revenues from marijuana in states where it has been legalised are relatively sizeable - is this one of the reasons why many legislatures are consenting to pro-marijuana legislation? -
Home Depot reveals hackers stole 53m email addresses during data breachHome improvement retailer says hackers gained access to emails in addition to payment card data during five-month breach earlier this year
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Kale or fracking? Farmers and corporations fight it out for waterIn California, fracking is taking the water that farmers need – and it’s no anomaly. There is a water conflict looming between industry and agriculture
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Intel: ‘Taping a cellphone to your wrist is not what I’d call a wearable’Mike Bell says his company is ‘making a very big bet on wearables’ but isn’t impressed by existing smartwatches
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Taylor Swift responsible for 22% of albums sold in the USIn just seven days, this year’s first platinum artist shifted more copies of 1989 than the combined sales of albums at No 2 to No 107 in Billboard chart
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US ‘launches money-laundering investigation’ into member of Putin’s circleProsecutors reportedly examining whether billionaire Russian gas trader transferred allegedly corrupt funds through US
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Euro hits two year low as ECB tells staff to prepare more measures -- liveRolling coverage and reaction as the ECB holds its monthly press conference, after leaving interest rates unchanged again
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Pfizer unlikely to try AstraZeneca takeover again after tax clampdownUS drugmaker had wanted to use acquisition of AstraZeneca to shift tax base to Britain, a move known as tax inversion
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News Corp's Thomson talks of online progress at the Times and Sun
But where are the figures to back up his positive claims?
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News International hoped to avoid charges by ‘shopping staff’, court toldRupert Murdoch’s firm hoped to stave off corporate prosecution over allegations of phone hacking, defence counsel claims
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A user's guide to all the financial legislation Congress has failed to pass
US midterm elections A user's guide to all the financial legislation Congress has failed to pass
In the months leading up to November’s elections, Democrats and Republicans have made a sport out of introducing legislations just to campaign on -
Google has 'outgrown' its 14-year old mission statement, says Larry PageGoogle’s chief executive says that the company “probably does need” a new statement about its corporate ambitions, but is in uncharted territory and ‘trying to figure it out’. By Samuel Gibbs
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New TV and film to stream on Netflix, Amazon Prime, iTunes and Blinkbox in NovemberNew Lilyhammer and the latest seasons of Downton Abbey and Boardwalk Empire, plus recent releases 22 Jump Street, Under the Skin and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
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Key challenges lie ahead for cloud TVCloud TV offers a glimpse into the future of entertainment, but the transition might not be straightforward
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Tim Cook: 'I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me'Apple CEO Tim Cook has written about his sexuality for the first time, in the hope that he can ‘help someone struggling to come to terms with who he or she is’. By Alex Hern
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Top literary agent Andrew Wylie calls Amazon ‘Isis-like distribution channel’Wylie calls for fellow publishers to stand firm and ‘not to blink’ during negotiations over ebook royalties with digital retailer
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Rupert Murdoch urges media firms to unite to fight Amazon and Netflix21st Century Fox chairman says industry needs to come up with serious competitor to Amazon and Netflix
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US economy growth faster than expected in third quarterAnnual growth of 3.5% stronger than the 3% forecast, boosted by a rise in exports and government defence spending
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JP Morgan directors top income averages of investment banksSurvey reveals directors earn £416,000 per annum – 15% more than equivalent rivals – with Deutsche Bank in second place
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Standard Chartered boss hails ‘constructive’ investor talksPeter Sands insists there were no questions about the make-up of the board or his role at this year’s meeting in Hong Kong
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Virgin Money float yields £85m for Richard BransonEntrepreneur is selling 15% of his stake in the bank, whose stock market listing was delayed from October
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Eurostar unveils new Channel Tunnel train - video
The first of seven new 200mph state-of-the-art trains is unveiled in London on Thursday by Eurostar
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Jaguar Land Rover workers reject inflation-busting pay dealMembers at the car company’s five plants voted by 96% against a three-year pay deal
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Dennis Dutch obituaryOther lives: Pie maker who ensured the continuation of a three-generation family tradition
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Oil price hits fresh four-year low, eurozone experts cut growth and inflation forecastsRolling business and financial news, as Brent crude hits $79.36 per barrel and a group of top academics and economists lower their euro GDP and inflation forecasts
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Asda says it is pulling away from biggest supermarkets despite discountingChief executive Andy Clarke attributed Asda’s relatively strong performance to offering its customers consistently low prices
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Warren Buffett snaps up Duracell for $4.7bnProcter & Gamble sells off famous battery brand to Berkshire Hathaway group as part of plan to slim down consumer portfolio
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Brent crude hits four-year low after slowdown in Chinese industryOil prices have fallen 30% since June, due to slow growth in emerging nations and concerns over Japan and eurozone
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Eurostar launches e320 train with space for 900 passengersCross-channel train firm celebrates 20-year anniversary with vehicle that has 20% more room and can do up to 320kmh
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Lloyds to cut 1,250 jobs in insuranceLatest cuts part are the first tranche of a planned 9,000 job losses and will hit staff selling critical illness and income protection products
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US wealth inequality - top 0.1% worth as much as the bottom 90%Not since the Great Depression has wealth inequality in the US been so acute, new in-depth study finds
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Kipper Williams on bank finesUS and UK financial regulators have meted out fines totalling £2.6bn to six banks for rigging foreign exchange markets
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Prices have surged 31.9% since 2011, but the boom this time hasn’t flowed on to household spendingSydney’s house prices race up, but homeowners aren’t feeling any richer
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Qantas to supersize inflight meals to attract more economy passengersAustralia’s national carrier to increase meal size by 50% and offer boxset TV specials as part of move to secure profits
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G4S sells subsidiary running services at Guantánamo Bay for $135mSecurity firm’s deal comes as charity Reprieve complains to UK that G4S staff may have aided human rights violations at US jail
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Sainsbury’s to splash out £150m on price cuts as it slumps to first-half lossFrom Libor rigging and sanction busting to forex manipulation, a look back at the global banking industry’s offences and penalties
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Treasury gains £1.1bn windfall from record fines on banksGeorge Osborne says proceeds from regulator’s crackdown on currency market rigging will be ‘used for the wider public good’
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Gambling group Bwin.party in early talks with at least two suitorsNews of preliminary discussions which could result in a bid for the firm caused its shares to jump by almost 11%
editor's picks
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Tom Bollich: It's easier to grow marijuana than deal with Facebook executives all dayTom Bollich founded Zynga in 2007 and left before it went public. Now he’s reinventing himself as a marijuana entrepreneur, devising sustainable agriculture for the pot industry
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Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz: retail employees have some of the worst pay and benefits of any industryDespite criticism of the coffee giant over tax and fairtrade coffee, Schultz has used his platform to call for social and political change in the US including working to honour veterans
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Do Uber, Lyft and Airbnb encourage discrimination against women and minorities?Uber, Lyft and Airbnb are trying to combat discrimination within their communities. Are they doing enough?
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Pizza Hut cooks up a new menu and modernised branding to revive salesHighlights include hot-right-now condiment Sriracha and the Skinny Slice line as the industry’s established chains continue to lose market share
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Natalie Nougayrède: Anti-western rhetoric may be loud in Beijing but the Sino-US relationship remains the one to watchAmerica and China will reshape the new world order
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Welcome to Sweden - the most cash-free society on the planetElectronic payment evangelists say largely cash-free economy has cut costs and reduced crime rate
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Grand Canyon staff allege sexually hostile work environment over 15 years13 former and current female employees sign letter to Interior Department alleging discrimination, retaliation and sexually hostile work environment
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US Postal Service suffers data breach affecting employees and customersEmployees’ personal information may have been compromised as well as data about customer care callers between January and August
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BBC news chief denies corporation discriminates against older womenJames Harding says BBC is a ‘lightning rod’ for social issues and that wider problems are perceived based on individual cases
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The return of the US dollar
Analysis The return of the US dollar
Mohamed El-Erian: The resurgence of the US currency could be the first promising step in steering the world economy away from crisis -
Don't panic: McDonald's is not leading the charge to replace human workers with robotsIn retail, there will always be a need for human workers, as a succession of major companies have found out
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Detroit to emerge from bankruptcy as judge approves city's rescue planRestructuring effort, which comes after lengthy negotiations with creditors, will allow city to shed $7bn in debts
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US supreme court agrees to hear new challenge to Obama's healthcare lawJustices say they will decide whether law allows key subsidies provision of the president’s signature healthcare law
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Apple blocks malicious software Wirelurker on iPhonesThe Cupertino firm says it has blocked the malware, the first to infect iPhones and iPads that have not been jailbroken. By Alex Hern
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Bono defends Spotify and calls for more transparency from record labelsU2 frontman: ‘The real fight is between opacity and transparency. The music business has historically involved itself in quite considerable deceit’. By Stuart Dredge
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Inside Spotify's redesignDon’t forget: Data are people, too, says Spotify’s vice-president of design and user experience
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Burberry and Mulberry face branding challenges in luxury marketAs the global luxury goods market experiences a slowdown, two iconic British fashion brands are coping with the pinch in different ways
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Spyware exports will need a licence under new EU rules‘Intrusion software’ joins nuclear reactors and rocket fuel on the EU’s list of technologies that may have military applications. By Alex Hern
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America just took a wrong turn. It's time to take a hard leftHowie Hawkins: Double down on oil and trouble? Not so fast: fracking bans in oil country and common sense on infrastructure might turn the US a deeper shade of green between now and 2016
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Flipboard revamp targets iPad and mobile usersApp wants to take advantage of the way commuters consume news and that 70% of users access it via mobile
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Apple Watch to miss Christmas and will launch in springA leaked internal video reveals the watch will not be available until spring, giving Google’s Android Wear smartwatches a nine-month head start. By Samuel Gibbs
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Scanner that analyses fluid could end 100ml liquid limits at airportsHeathrow and Gatwick test Cobalt laser technology that can obtain ‘fingerprint’ of materials including solids and powders
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Vince Cable plans to reduce white dominance of boardroomsBusiness secretary’s target of having one in every five directors from a non-white background gets support from Institute of Directors
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Banks don’t have to beat the market to make money. They just have to beat their customers.If traders swap privileged information, they are skewing the odds even more heavily in their favour
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Feral cats: environmental scourge or the way to end chemical pesticide use?Feral cats pose a significant threat to the environment. Could putting them to work save their image?
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China rising: Xiaomi becomes world's third biggest smartphone manufacturerSmartphone shipments in the third quarter place Chinese rising star Xiaomi ‘China’s Apple’ ahead of South Korea’s LG, but behind Samsung and Apple. By Samuel Gibbs
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Microsoft leaks its own new fitness band and health softwareMicrosoft Band has more health-tracking sensors than its rivals, and claims it will use Microsoft’s ‘big data’ resource to analyse fitness patterns. By Samuel Gibbs
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Quantitative easing: giving cash to the public would have been more effectiveThe impact of quantitative easing was blunted by unconventional monetary policies and conservative fiscal policies
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World Bank pledges $100m to send health workers to Ebola-hit countriesTreatment centres are being built in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea but still big need for doctors and nurses to staff them
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Sensory marketing: the brands appealing to all five sensesAnne Cassidy: From virtual holidays in Hawaii to plane food playlists, brands are using new technology to interact with consumers
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Should we be concerned about Placemeter – an app which monitors street views from apartment windows?
Should we be concerned about Placemeter – an app which monitors street views from apartment windows?
Placemeter pays New Yorkers to suction-cup an old smartphone to their window, then records and analyses what’s happening outside -
Five myths about career womenDaisy Buchanan: Perceptions are far from the truth. Women can have children and be good bosses
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America stems the flow of funds – just as China stalls and the eurozone risks going backwardsBusiness leader: Janet Yellen of the Fed is winding down its quantitative easing programme, but might she soon have to wind it up again?
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Lessons from Silicon Valley: What I and other female tech entrepreneurs can learn from the USTech firm leader Debbie Wosskow came back from the US more aware than ever that British self-deprecation hinders business development
analysis
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US wealth inequality - top 0.1% worth as much as the bottom 90%Not since the Great Depression has wealth inequality in the US been so acute, new in-depth study finds
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Google Nexus 6 phone review roundup: massive, fast and priceyGoogle’s latest smartphone has hit the US and the review are pouring out with both praise and misgivings – but is a 6in screen just too big? By Samuel Gibbs
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Qantas to supersize inflight meals to attract more economy passengersAustralia’s national carrier to increase meal size by 50% and offer boxset TV specials as part of move to secure profits
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How the G20 subsidises exploration for fossil fuel – interactiveGovernments from G20 countries are spending $88bn to find new oil, gas and coal reserves – we have mapped where 10 of them are directing their funds
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The return of the US dollar
Analysis The return of the US dollar
Mohamed El-Erian: The resurgence of the US currency could be the first promising step in steering the world economy away from crisis -
Hackers used luxury hotel Wi-Fi to steal business executive's data, researchers say‘Darkhotel’ hackers targeted senior executives travelling across Japan, China and Russia, using a keylogger to steal logins for Google, Facebook and Yahoo services. By Tom Fox-Brewster
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Can minimum wage be used as an incentive for voting in future elections?While most states saw a drop in voter turnout this midterm elections, three states with minimum wage increases on the ballot saw a spike in voters. The implications for the growing national minimum-wage movement are intriguing
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Financial crisis repeat could force Bank of England to bail out marketsGovernor Mark Carney says central banks could have to step in after business lending shifts away from traditional banks
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Rouble rocked while US jobless rate drops to six-year low – business liveStrong US jobs data suggest the first rate hike is ‘coming soon’
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US consumer spending weakest in eight months despite growth predictionsSeptember fall in consumer spending suggests economy lost some momentum heading into the fourth quarter
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Diageo swaps Bushmills whiskey for Don Julio tequilaSwap deal with Casa Cuervo grabs drinks multinational a larger share of fast-growing tequila market
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HSBC sets aside $378m for potential forex-rigging finesBank also warns of ‘significant fines’ amid investigations into clients’ tax affairs in France
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Grand Theft Auto Online and Twitch windfall key to Take-Two financialsGames publisher made $22m from video firm’s sale to Amazon, while GTA continues to be a digital earner. By Stuart Dredge
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Retailers: it’s not the tech you use, it’s the way you use itFar from choking the high street, digital technology will bring new life to physical stores – but only if it’s right
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Trevor Timm: Hacking seems to have become a go-to FBI tactic without much public thought or debateThe FBI says to be wary of hackers ... and to let the FBI hack what it wants
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The stress isn’t over yet: talk of a return to normal banking is misplacedLarry Elliott: While the initial response to European Central Bank’s stress tests has been positive, there are good reasons to be wary
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Live Q&A: How to manage a flexible workforce effectivelyAre you looking for advice on how to manage remote workers effectively in your business? Join our live Q&A from 1-2.30pm on November 6 to talk to our expert panel
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Brent crude oil price drops below $86 in face of rising global supplyGoldman Sachs slashes forecast for 2015 amid growing worries over worldwide economic growth prospects
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Digital revolution presents banks with more change in 10 years than last 200Jill Treanor: banks preparing to reveal third-quarter results are struggling to deal with the internet age, with scrutiny and regulation growing tighter
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Don’t tell Vladimir the price of crude oil is fallingBusiness agenda: BP is issuing caveats about results as oil keeps getting cheaper. If it stays cheap, the consequences could be far-reaching
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WHO: several hundred thousand Ebola vaccine doses expected by mid-2015World Health Organisation says trials could start in west Africa in December, but warns vaccines aren’t ‘magic bullet’
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Katie Allen: Some claim that low wage growth in the UK will sort itself out once productivity is boosted. But there is another, fairer, wayHow giving the lowest-paid a big rise could just solve our productivity puzzle
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Barclays chairman questions impact of large bank fines on public confidenceSir David Walker said that ‘disproportionate’ fines were being levied for activities that were previously acceptable
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US labs asked for proposals to produce experimental Ebola drug ZMappWhile the medication has not undergone rigorous clinical trials, US health officials want to replenish supply to combat the ongoing Ebola crisis
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Federal judge voids contract between Atlantic City casino and union workersUnion loses guarantees on wages, healthcare and pension but owners are optimistic the Trump Taj Mahal can be saved
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Virgin Money stalls flotation plansBank’s IPO, which would have led to £50m being paid to taxpayers, shelved as global jitters continue to rock markets
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Rolls-Royce shares tumble after profit warningBritish engineering firm blames worsening economic conditions and tighter Russian trade sanctions
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How breast cancer research benefits from fracking and other abominationsBaker Hughes, a maker of fracking drill bits, has produced them in bright pink to support breast cancer research. Here’s how to tell if your company is a philanthropic hypocrite
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Federal Reserve chair expresses 'great concern' about wealth inequalityThe richest 5% of Americans now hold 63% of the country’s wealth, and Janet Yellen is worried
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From ancient castles to mega-yachts: what history teaches us about the super-richOur fascination and frustration with this era’s wealthy 1% is nothing new. They have always been with us. How do they think, operate and make their money? By John Kampfner
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Why is Preet Bharara, the 'scourge of Wall Street', taking a friendly tone towards mortgage bankers?
Analysis Why is Preet Bharara, the 'scourge of Wall Street', taking a friendly tone towards mortgage bankers?
Preet Bharara, the prosecutor with a legendary record of convicting insider trading cases, says people should lay off Wall Street for the crisis -
The new healthcare: spiritual counseling to keep hospital bills lowerAs a chaplain who provides care to patients, much of my work is not about religion so much as saving patients’ lives – and savings
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Take a hard look at the person who is managing your money. You may not like what you seeMutual-fund managers are supposed to protect your money. When they get carried away with their own egos, it’s time to shut them down and take your cash elsewhere, writes Suzanne McGee
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Eight things your bank will never ask you (but a fraudster might)The UK’s big banks have published a list of things they will never ask you to do – do you know what they are?
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The Guardian view on the foreign exchange scandal: banks busted, againEditorial: Three countries have caught five institutions with their hands in the till. Banking is rotten to the core, but flattering pre-crisis ideas about its role have proved remarkably hard to shift
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For America’s poor, it’s clear a two-party system is no longer enoughFarai Chideya: The midterms have only confirmed what many believe: in this system, not voting is almost akin to conscientious objection
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Calm down, financial markets: the message on UK and US growth is goodTrevor Williams: The US has stopped printing money, and both countries seem likely soon to be back in step with modest, gradual interest rate rises
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The Fed has quietly ended its stimulus. Now the hard work really beginsHeidi Moore: The Federal Reserve has spent six years and over $3tn buying up bonds to save the economy. Now it has to figure out how to sell it all back without creating a panic
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Do Democrats want to fix inequality? Or just complain about it?Alexis Goldstein: If progressives think they’ve got any chance at midterm victory, it’s time to focus on dramatic solutions for young and minority voters – before it’s too late
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The biggest sales job in the US: Obama and Ben Bernanke try to convince America the economy is good
Analysis The biggest sales job in the US: Obama and Ben Bernanke try to convince America the economy is good
‘There is a lot of revisionism out there,’ the former Fed chair said Wednesday. But as he and others protect their legacy, are they trying to make the economy look better than it is? -
Gary Younge: One Federal Reserve employee’s refusal to play along with a rigged financial game has made her a true modern dissidentCarmen Segarra, the whistleblower of Wall Street
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Financial markets seem to be in a world of their ownMohamed El-Erian: Why are investors ignoring disappointing growth and global geopolitical tensions?
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Do fast-food strikes actually work?
Analysis Do fast-food strikes actually work?
Evidence shows that the fast-food strikes are working not just to increase wages, but to reinvent unions and bolster long-dwindling membership -
It's time to raise the minimum wage. If Congress would rather suck up to the Koch brothers, we'll raise it anywaySarah Jaffe: As long as politicians see billionaires as their base, they won’t vote for $10 an hour. So workers have taken matters into their own hands
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Russia and economic warfare: RIP the free market new world order
Larry Elliott: Russia faces damaging economic sanctions from the US and EU, but this also brings down the final curtain on capitalism's apparent victory in 1989
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US government helpless as tax-avoiding firms head for the exit
Business leader: The controversial 'inversion' deal Burger King is attempting even has the approval of Warren Buffett, America's best-loved investor
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Ana Marie Cox: But if the goal of his second term was broad, lasting policy changes, it’s disappointing to everyone except liberal fundraisersObama's plan to get out the vote by mocking the GOP totally works … on Republican voters, not Democrats
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Australia should not follow the American path to inequalityJoseph Stiglitz: Tony Abbott's reverence for the US economic reforms ignores the fact that they haven't worked for most Americans
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Does the creation of 288,000 new jobs in June and a jobless rate of 6.1% mean we can expect a change in the Fed's policy stance?
US unemployment falls to 6.1% - and should keep on falling -
Ana Marie Cox: She is truly well off, and she is a truly terrible class warrior. And in the 2016 election, that's a true flawHillary Clinton's income inequality problem starts with her own income
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Heidi Moore: A two-day diagnosis of the US economy forgot about the risk of skyrocketing inflation. Does this country's central bank really need to pretend everything is just fine?The Fed of magical thinking: why is Janet Yellen ignoring the rest of us?
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US economy still struggling to recover
For all the stimulus that the Federal Reserve has provided, there are still 50 million people, one in six, living below the breadline
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The coming 'tsunami of debt' and financial crisis in AmericaForces that caused the world economy to collapse, including income inequality and debt, are again in action, and could drag corporations down in their wake
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Navid Khonsari, immigrant entrepreneur, revisits his roots in video game about the 1979 Iranian RevolutionNavid Khonsari is going back to his Iranian roots to produce a new video game, 1979 Revolution
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How to build a business: 'Accept all the blame and defer all the praise'
In the debut of the Guardian's Small Business Conversations video series, Wayne Sosin, the owner of Worksman Cycles, compares experiences with Kent Kilroe, owner of bespoke menswear maker Freemans Sporting Club
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Tough luck for aspiring weed magnates as New York imposes strict marijuana-selling lawsFrom limited licenses to a $2m bond, New York’s medical marijuana law is riddled with barriers for small cannabis growers
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When Intel or General Mills come knocking: lessons on when it's time to sell your startupWhen a big firm comes knocking, should entrepreneurs sell? A few life lessons in how to react when Intel, Coca-Cola or other giants take an interest
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Beginner's guide to social media for businesses
The foolproof introduction to online marketing for social novices
• Date: Wednesday 14 January 2015
• Location: The Guardian, King's Cross, London
• Price: £249 -
The top reasons why small businesses fail, and what you can do about itDavid Mellor: We’re often told how to achieve success in the business world, but defensive strategies are important too. David Mellor shares his golden rules for making sure your enterprise survives
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iPhone, BlackBerry, Android, Windows: which is right for small business?
Guy Clapperton discusses the strengths and weaknesses of four different brands of smartphone
• More content on smarter working -
How to find your perfect business idea
Many people dream of starting their own business, but how can you find an idea that will be successful?
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Craft whiskey distillers in Brooklyn? Yes, with a side of chocolateDaniel Preston and Vince Oleson have created a craft distillery in Brooklyn that also produces chocolate. Now they have to get everyone’s attention
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Small business by the numbers: from minimum wage to sacrificing your sex lifeAs Guardian US launches its small business coverage, we start with the basics: Small businesses are the engine of the US economy. Here are some surprising facts that illuminate how important they are
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Launching your home business with a bangIt’s important to attention grab from day one. Christopher Goodfellow looks at how small businesses can sell themselves online
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Employee benefits – do you have any right to keep them?In many cases, employers can withdraw ‘non-contractual’ benefits, but there are limited options available to you
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For foreign tech entrepreneurs, getting a visa to work in the US is a struggleSpanish-born Iñaki Berenguer, working on his second startup, warns: ‘In five, 10 years, the US will not be the leader any more’
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Want a loan for your business? The loan officer is checking your Facebook and Twitter commentsAs small businesses continue to have trouble attracting attention from big banks, many have turned to online alternative lenders who charge higher fees – and subject companies to a social-media smell test
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I want to reapply for a job – but there’s bad blood with the companyWork advice: I was previously offered a job but mishandled the negotiations and the offer was withdrawn. Is it worth applying again?
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The $8000 course on "how to commit" and other expenses of online datingThe $2bn online dating industry has given rise to a spectrum of secondary businesses: Lisa Hoehn helps you find love one profile at a time
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'I'm not on the menu': restaurant workers speak out against harassmentAdvocates say by abolishing tipped minimum wage, US could help reduce sexual harassment in the food industry
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The Finnish 'rye-volution' begins in New York, without wheat or yeast
Simo Kuusisto is winning over health-conscious Americans with Nordic bread, while learning they can be more 'vocal with demand than their wallets'
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A Moroccan entrepreneur brings argan oil to America by way of women's co-opsKhadija Fajry, an immigrant to both France and the US, likens nascent cosmetic industry to a goldrush in which she offers 'the real thing'
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Fonio: the grain that would defeat quinoa as king among foodiesA Senegalese restaurateur and former Iron Chef contestant wants to bring the West African grain to American consumers
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Blood-suckers in Brooklyn: how the old world medicine of leeches survivesA community long on tradition and sceptical of hospitals’ high cost keeps leech therapy alive, despite health controversy
global edge
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Blue Apron: teaching career workers how to cook dinnerMatt Salzberg, co-founder of Blue Apron, talks about the joys of cooking even when no one seems to have the time any more
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Made in America: why American Giant didn't want to build factories in ChinaThree years into its existence, American Giant is sticking to US production and predicting that its retail-store rivals are under “dire, dire threat”
markets
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What the stock market can teach you about your own personalityMoney brings out the insecurity in everyone. But here’s the good news: you can defeat it
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Can the stock market save millennials?‘Depression babies’ must not run away from investing in stocks because it is their safest long-term bet, says Patrick O’Shaughnessy, the author of Millennial Money
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How to invest in an exuberant stock market without being taken for a foolThe stock market keeps hitting record highs. But be cautious: things are probably going to change
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Why you should care about bonds even if everyone is talking about stocksThe US stock market gets all the attention and all the talking heads. But the bond market is where the real fortunes are made and where the action is
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The moral person's guide to investing in Ebola stocksEbola is a growing crisis, and companies are profiting by producing safety gear and pharmaceuticals. But if you buy their stocks, are you a good person or a bad one, asks Olga Oksman
global view
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Hedge fund donations help Tories raise twice as much as LabourConservatives received £6.8m in donations between July and September, Labour £3.2m, Lib Dems £2.7m and Ukip £98,000
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Archbishop of York attacks income inequality; eurozone data adds to gloom - business liveRolling business and financial news, as Dr John Sentamu says that income inequality is a stain on our consciences and must be tackled
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Angry Canary Islanders brace for an unwanted guest - the oil industryMadrid and Repsol have pushed through deepwater drilling and fracking licences to recover a hoped-for 2.2bn barrels of oil despite massive local opposition
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Beaten, abused and afraid: the plight of Hong Kong’s sex workersThe murders of two sex workers have shocked the former colony – but exploitation is rife
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Free banking in the firing line as competition inquiry launchesCompetition and Markets Authority to embark on most detailed analysis of sector for a decade, looking into how banks treat small business and personal customers
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Dalai Lama enlightens and enraptures contemplative scientists in BostonJames Kingsland: Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, was given a rapturous reception by mindfulness researchers, but tactfully avoided the controversial question of applications in the military
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Health check finds 24 EU banks ailing – but the UK’s pass musterDespite clean bill of health, Lloyds Banking Group will face scrutiny when it outlines plans to cut up to 9,000 jobs
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Move over JR Ewing: oil discovered near Gatwick airportDiscovery of an estimated 20m barrels of oil raises prospects for a home counties version of Southfork Ranch
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Raising UK interest rates ‘simply isn’t cricket’, says Bank’s chief economistAndy Haldane deploys batting statistics to explain why he favours a delay in raising interest rates in the near future
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US lags Canada and UK in pay and wages for fast-food workersBurger King’s plans to merge with Tim Hortons show how the stark differences of how workers are treated in the US, UK and Canada
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Standard Chartered boss hails ‘constructive’ investor talksPeter Sands insists there were no questions about the make-up of the board or his role at this year’s meeting in Hong Kong
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Virgin Money float yields £85m for Richard BransonEntrepreneur is selling 15% of his stake in the bank, whose stock market listing was delayed from October
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Eurostar unveils new Channel Tunnel train - video
The first of seven new 200mph state-of-the-art trains is unveiled in London on Thursday by Eurostar
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Jaguar Land Rover workers reject inflation-busting pay dealMembers at the car company’s five plants voted by 96% against a three-year pay deal
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Dennis Dutch obituaryOther lives: Pie maker who ensured the continuation of a three-generation family tradition
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Oil price hits fresh four-year low, eurozone experts cut growth and inflation forecastsRolling business and financial news, as Brent crude hits $79.36 per barrel and a group of top academics and economists lower their euro GDP and inflation forecasts
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Asda says it is pulling away from biggest supermarkets despite discountingChief executive Andy Clarke attributed Asda’s relatively strong performance to offering its customers consistently low prices
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Warren Buffett snaps up Duracell for $4.7bnProcter & Gamble sells off famous battery brand to Berkshire Hathaway group as part of plan to slim down consumer portfolio
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Brent crude hits four-year low after slowdown in Chinese industryOil prices have fallen 30% since June, due to slow growth in emerging nations and concerns over Japan and eurozone
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Eurostar launches e320 train with space for 900 passengersCross-channel train firm celebrates 20-year anniversary with vehicle that has 20% more room and can do up to 320kmh
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Lloyds to cut 1,250 jobs in insuranceLatest cuts part are the first tranche of a planned 9,000 job losses and will hit staff selling critical illness and income protection products
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Kipper Williams on bank finesUS and UK financial regulators have meted out fines totalling £2.6bn to six banks for rigging foreign exchange markets
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G4S sells subsidiary running services at Guantánamo Bay for $135mSecurity firm’s deal comes as charity Reprieve complains to UK that G4S staff may have aided human rights violations at US jail
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Sainsbury’s to splash out £150m on price cuts as it slumps to first-half lossFrom Libor rigging and sanction busting to forex manipulation, a look back at the global banking industry’s offences and penalties
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Treasury gains £1.1bn windfall from record fines on banksGeorge Osborne says proceeds from regulator’s crackdown on currency market rigging will be ‘used for the wider public good’
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Gambling group Bwin.party in early talks with at least two suitorsNews of preliminary discussions which could result in a bid for the firm caused its shares to jump by almost 11%
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Slump in oil prices could mean fall in investment and future shortages – IEA‘Well-supplied market in the short term should not disguise the challenges that lie ahead’, says international energy agency
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Bank of England predicts lower inflation; banks fined for forex rigging – live updatesHSBC, Royal Bank of Scotland, UBS, JP Morgan and Citigroup have all been penalised for their role in rigging the global foreign exchange market
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FTSE 100 slips back as banks and supermarkets weigh but Standard Chartered bucks trendInvestors pause for breath but Asia-focused bank edged higher after ruling out fundraising
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Building a sustainable future: why energy efficiency is everybody’s businessFew dispute the need to make building stock more energy efficient. But is a lack of coherent central government thinking and bold grassroots leadership stalling progress?
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Two thirds of world's largest companies exposed to serious water risksSevere droughts in São Paulo and California shatter the misguided belief in a limitless supply of water, and business is starting to feel the effects
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Cancer in the workplace: how responsible employers respondChances are your workplace will have to deal with cancer sooner or later. Is your HR department ready?
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Hospital innovation partnership set to deliver high quality, sustainable patient careKarolinska University Hospital’s 14-year innovation partnership with Philips will comprise access to high-tech medical equipment and joint research projects
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Religious festivals: how sustainable is Kumbh Mela, Hajj and Christmas?From Christmas to the Hajj pilgrimage, religious festivals can involve some of the most unsustainable activities but steps are being taken to reduce their impacts
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The digital banking promiseThe latest data from a new report from BBA outlines the extent of integration of digital banking services in our lives, and how managing money will become ever quicker and more efficient
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Euan's Guide empowers disabled people to move beyond what they knowWith the help of BT, the accessibility guide is giving people with disabilities the confidence to move beyond their comfort zone and visit new places
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Business can save ecosystems and support economic developmentBusiness has long been seen as a barrier to the sustainable use of natural resources but the example of Virunga National Park proves otherwise
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10 top tweeters on sustainable leadership: from Al Gore to Sheryl SandbergAs we launch a new leadership hub, we’ve put together a list of some of the most compelling Twitter users
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Are 'dirty industries' polluting government regulations?A federal office meant to advocate for small firms has been hijacked by big business, says a government watchdog
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From pumpkins to policies: engaging in sustainable food behaviourHooked on Halloween, Pumpkin Rescue tried to engage the public in sustainable food behaviour, but with the festivities over, can it deliver long-term change?
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The war on waste: can material innovation save the world? - live chatJoin the experts for a live chat on Friday 14 November 1-2pm GMT to discuss how to place sustainability front and centre of design innovation
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Drawing back the panel: which solar companies are most (and least) sustainable?Chinese giant Trina Solar tops Silicon Valley Toxics Collation’s solar scorecard. But do the rankings unfairly penalize small companies?
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British-grown quinoa is coming to a supermarket near youA pioneering British farmer has sold his quinoa crop to Pret a Manger and is part of a network of European ‘Facebook farmers’ committed to growing the South American superfood locally
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How can corporate-NGO partnerships create long-term change? - live chatJoin an expert panel on Monday 17 November between 12pm and 1:30pm GMT to discuss how to make sure that corporate-NGO partnerships can create lasting change
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What plummeting oil prices mean for renewable energyLower fossil fuel prices have historically thrashed solar, wind and biomass markets. So why are clean energy companies unconcerned about the current trend?
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Your brain on climate change: why the threat produces apathy, not action‘Our brain is essentially a get-out-of-the-way machine,’ says Harvard psychology professor Daniel Gilbert
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From rainforest to your cupboard: the real story of palm oil - interactiveYou wash with it, you brush with it, you toast it, it’s in 50% of what you buy – but what’s the real story of palm oil? Use the interactive below to trace the journey of palm oil from the rainforest through to your kitchen cupboard
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Palm oil: the secret in your shopping basket - have your sayImplicated in deforestation, the destruction of natural habitats and climate change, the ubiquitous oil is in 50% of what many buy - from shampoo and lipstick to bread and margarine - but do consumers care?
How to be as successful as Obama and Zuckerberg: wear the same clothes every day