Bespoke For You

We are here to serve and support organisational, corporate and private clients,

with our services and solutions bespoke for and tailored to your unique requirements.

Eid Mubarak

Eid Mubarak to all our friends and clients.

COMMUNICATIONS HUB

Engage

We seek to engage at a personal level with clients to understand your unique, bespoke requirements.

Enable and Empower

We seek to enable and empower clients, at both corporate and personal levels.

Enrich

Whether you require corporate or personal services, we look to enrich clients’ lives.

Latest News

Bespoke Mobile and Power Apps Development

For clients of all shapes and sizes internationally who are seeking bespoke and tailored solutions to enhanced performance, productivity and effectiveness through using AI, machine learning and power productivity apps, we are delighted to be able to offer specialist mobile and productivity app / software development services through our primary ICT strategic and collaborative partner.

If we can be of service, please do not hesitate to contact us.

The 5I's LAB

For clients who are seeking support with organisational and business transformation and change management projects, agendas and initiatives as part of an ongoing commitment to Kaizen and quality assurance, we offer, as part of our strategic and management consulting services, our 5I’s Lab.

The lab is designed to inspire intelligent, innovative, inventive and ingenuous ideas in support of developing smarter, constructive solutions to organisational and business challenges, issues and disruption.

Drawing upon multidisciplinary academic, business, military, scientific and technological sources, The 5I’s Lab seeks to bring smarter, real-world, business, commercially and operationally focused insight, expertise and experience to bear in the design of bespoke, tailored, high impact and high value solutions, conducted by a specially chosen multidisciplinary SME team.

Parallel to this, we run more informal but professional and specialist 5I’s Lab webinar forums, where clients can meet with SME’s to explore and discuss their challenges, issues and disruption and potential smarter 5 I’s based solutions.

Please do not hesitate to contact if we can be of service.

Resilience Masterclasses and Workshops

To complement and accompany Minerva Academy’s webinar-based Strategic Resilience Masterclass, we also offer clients internationally webinar-based workshops / seminars. These are designed to provide an informal but professional environment for senior leadership, operational and other professionals seeking to discuss and explore strategic and operational resilience issues, challenges and practices.

To find out more and register your interest please contact us via the website at https://minervainternational.org/contact-us/

And / or visit our Webinars Series Courses’ Listing at

https://minervainternational.org/strategic-resilience-masterclass/

Face To Face London Based Training - Summer 2021

We are currently looking at how quickly we can resume face to face executive and professional training, learning and development programmes and courses in London over this summer, 2021, depending upon both HMG’s guidelines and timetables, as well as monitoring the international situation in relation of the global pandemic and UK and third country travel restrictions.

To find our more and express potential interest, please contact us via the website at

 https://minervainternational.org/contact-us/

What You Want When You Want It!

Minerva Academy are launching a new series of agile and flexible individual, micro group and corporate executive and professional training, learning and development webinar-based on demand delivery options.

In short, individuals or clients choose what you want to ‘study’ and when, from a portfolio of executive and professional training, learning and development options, delivered to suit you, within a flexible and agreed set of timings.

To find our more and express potential interest, please visit https://minervainternational.org/minerva-academy/ 

complete the form at https://minervainternational.org/minerva-academy/bespoke-requirements/

or contact us at https://minervainternational.org/contact-us/

Launch of New Resilience Masterclass

We are delighted and proud to announce that The Minerva Academy has launched its new webinar-based Strategic Resilience Masterclass. To find out more please visit our Webinars Series Courses’ Listing or visit https://minervainternational.org/strategic-resilience-masterclass/

 

Launch of Weekly Darwinya

We are delighted and proud to announce that The Minerva International Group has launched its weekly Darwinya for senior leadership team members and professionals. Designed as an informal chance fur senior level personnel to informally chat, share and discuss a range of topics. issues and interests during the pandemic lockdown, we hope that the forum will continue as a regular fixture. 

Media and Resources

Articles, Blog, News, Papers and Publications

ARTICLES

Please browse our selection of articles,

which we hope will prove informative and useful.

CORPORATE BROCHURES

Please browse our selection of corporate brochures

which we hope will prove informative and useful.

Minerva Academy Investment Fees Schedule 2021

InvestmentFeesPublished2021

Insight and Analysis – External

A selection of external organisations and bodies’ UK and International economic, business and entrepreneurial insight and analysis resources which we hope will prove informative and useful.

Business and Economic Intelligence and Insight

Two premier British organisations we always strongly recommend to our readers on business and economic, as well as wider affairs, are The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) and Institute of Financial Studies (IFS).

The following articles may be of interest to our readers:

 

The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA)

https://iea.org.uk/media/uk-india-trade-deal-would-bring-endless-opportunities/

https://iea.org.uk/publications/eastern-promise-assessing-the-future-of-uk-india-trade/

https://iea.org.uk/publications/20-taxes-to-scrap-how-to-grow-the-uk-economy-by-simplifying-the-tax-system/

https://iea.org.uk/publications/economic-affairs-vol-41-1/

https://iea.org.uk/publications/who-regulates-the-regulators-the-financial-ombudsman-service/

 

Institute of Financial Studies (IFS)

https://ifs.org.uk/publications/15408

https://www.ifs.org.uk/research/47

https://www.ifs.org.uk/research/24

__________________________________________

The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA)

Public Debt and Borrowing 

For those who are interested in levels of public debt and borrowing, this IEA publication is worth a read.

https://iea.org.uk/publications/a-briefing-on-the-public-finances-how-deep-a-hole-are-we-in/

The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA)

Paying For COVID-19

An interesting article from the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) on paying for COVID-19 and taxation, which we would strongly recommend is worth a read.

https://iea.org.uk/why-we-dont-need-tax-rises-to-pay-for-covid/

The Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS)

2020 Spending Review Analysis 

This IFS analysis is worth a watch for those interested in an analysis of The Chancellor’s Novermber 2020 SR.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pw0RB8WmN4M

PUBLICATIONS & GUIDES

Please browse our selection of publications and professional guides,

which we hope will prove informative and useful.

OUR BLOG

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OF INTEREST

New Sectors Added To 100% Foreign Ownership in UAE

It is excellent news that The United Arab Emirates (UAE) plans to add ten new sectors to the list of companies which can be 100% owned.

The sectors, seen as of strategic importance, are due to be announced soon.

Latest Government Borrowing

The latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures show that HMG’s borrowing reached over £300 Bn in the year to March 2021, the highest levels of debt and deficit since the ned of Word War Two.

With tumbling tax receipts and NI contributions contributing towards public sector debt, borrowing rose by another £28 Bn in March 2021. These figures now represent 14.5% of GDP, again the highest levels since 1946 when they reached 15.2% of GDP. Parallel to this the deficit has risen by £57 Bn since March 2020.

This now leaves public sector debt at a staggering £2,141.7 billion, equivalent to 97.7% of GDP, which is the biggest proportion of debt to GDP since the early 1960s.

Seeking Ambassadors, Agents and Local Business Partners

We are seeking ambassadors, agents and local business partners to support us and our business development, capture and delivery in Europe, Asia and Africa, in particular countries such as India, China, Malaysia, Singapore, MENA and GCC.

We are particularly keen on promoting and selling our Minerva Academy executive and professional training, learning and development and School of Executive and Business English programmes, courses and services; our strategic and advisory services, our operational consulting services; and our private client, professional and specialist SME services.

We would like our potential ambassadors, agents and local business partners to be passionately pro-British, proactive, believe in service and have an unequivocal commitment to the highest professional and personal standards; in supporting and delivering excellence, quality and innovation; and able to genuinely open top level doors, provide access to excellent senor level networks and make business happen.

We do not treat our potential ambassadors, agents and local business partners like ‘10% agents’, but rather we like to develop deep, sustainable, intimate and long-term professional, personal and business partnerships, working together for mutual benefit and reward, as well as the benefit of the regions, countries, communities we work in, and all our stakeholders.

Any interested parties should please explore Carruthers Associates’ website at www.carruthersassociates.org.uk and The Minerva International Group website at www.minervainternational.org and contact us from there.

We would be delighted to talk to any interested parties internationally for an initial exploratory chat and look forward to hearing from you.

Suez and Ever Given Consequences

The impact of the ‘grounding’ of the Ever Given, the container ships which was ‘grounded’ in the Suez Canal for five days is still being felt as the reverberations on trade and imports continue to impact The UK and may well do for weeks to come.

Further, with those vessels now out of the canal and those sought to avoid the congestion by going round Africa due to arrive in short order at UK ports this week, there is the risk of ports being overwhelmed, reflected in the The British Ports Association and UK Major Ports Group (UKMPG) having jointly written to The British Retail Consortium and MakeUK, ex-pressing their significant concerns.

Some 25% of the vessels caught up in the Suez incident were container vessels which make multiple port calls across Northern Europe, which will likewise face similar challenges due to a surge. Despite best efforts from all stakeholders, there is a physical reality which means that such supply, logistical and other impact factors are exacerbate by such delays; as well the physical capability and capacity of offloading and loading such bulk.

Further, thee has been high demand for goods shipped form the Far East over the last six months, which could further increase the detrimental impact on global container shipping market for some months to come yet.

Grounding of The Evergreeen

The grounding of The Evergreeen in the Suez Canal is a serious issue which could have a big impact on global trade.

On her way from China to Rotterdam, at 200,000 tonnes and 400m long she is not a wee lass.

Already there are some 50 vessels backlogged and the operation to refloat her may take days and the disruption may get worse depending on how quickly and if they can refloat her. In a worst case scenario they may have to offload cargo in situ.

Apart from the physical and immediate short term disruption, the grounding has already resulted in a rise in crude prices.

Businesses in Trouble

Perhaps as a foil to some of our other more positive posts, it is sad to hear from Mazars accounting firm that some 135,000 businesses may be in trouble (a tripling of pre pandemic levels) and that we are currently in the calm before the storm of further bad news concerning SME’s survival as the impact of the COVID-19 crisis and the accompanying business and social restrictions.

The great fear is that as HMG withdraws support systems like furlough, so businesses will feel the full impact of the COVID-19 and business restrictions’ impact. Interestingly, just over 25% of businesses in distress are in London, followed by those in the South East.

HMRC Refunds for SME’s Proposed By MP’s

We were greatly encouraged by and support the news that The Treasury Select Committee, headed by Mel Stride MP, has proposed that SME’s and self-employed should get an HMRC tax rebate to help cover COVID-19 crisis trading losses.

Their proposed “loss carry-back” scheme would see any limited company or sole trader reimbursed for Covid losses, providing they paid tax in The UK for three years prior to the COVID-19 crisis.

SME’s Forecast Growth

New research from Barclaycard suggests that almost 40% of SME’s in The UK are forecasting 8.1% growth over 2021 post COVID-19, which is very encouraging for future business prospects, and some 30% are already preparing for post lockdown.

24% say that output has returned to or surpassed pre pandemic levels of January 2020, although many are braced for short term losses in Q1 of 2021.

Conversely, and sadly, only just under 30% of businesses believe that COVID-19 business restrictions will be fully done by the end of Q1 2021, with just under 50% believing that business restrictions will be completed by Q2 2021.

A Call for Earlier Lockdown Lifting

With 95% of people aged 65 and over, 9 out of 10 of clinically highly vulnerable people and more than 25 million people in the UK having received their first COVID-10 vaccinations, it is time for HMG to seriously rethink the lockdown timetable.

We are particularly worried for the hospitality, travel and aviation industries, all of which have been so badly affected.

Every day lockdown continues seriously increases the chances of individuals, SME’s and businesses in the hospitality, travel and aviation industries especially facing potentially irrecoverable consequences.

With summer fast approaching and perhaps a UK focused ‘staycations’ potentially being the favoured scenario, enterprises, organisations and businesses and individuals need clarity, stability and time to prepare for any changes, and so we call for the lockdown timetable to be brough forward as quickly as possible.

We wonder, do our readers agree with us?

Ghana and UK Sign Trade Deal

But Kenya Fires a Warning

Good and positive news that The UK and Ghana have signed a trade deal worth $1.6 billion. This now brings the total number of post Brexit bilateral traded deals signed to 65 with non-EU countries, worth a total of slightly over £200 billion, as of 2019. This accounts for 97% of the value of trade deals with non-EU countries targeted as part of the post Brexit trade continuity strategy.

Readers who wish to explore the UK deals in greater detail can visit

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/uk-trade-agreements-with-non-eu-countries

Against this backdrop, the situation in Kenya surrounding the recently signed UK-Kenyan Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) is very worrying. A growing number of Kenyan lawmakers have opposed the deals’ ratification calling it illegal; whilst simultaneously  and a collective of farmers are filing a court case demanding that quotas and tariffs are not lifted for British exporters into Kenya, worried about competition and market disruption.

Saudi Oil Attack

Saudi Arabia is once again in the news, this time for attacks on the Ras Tanura terminal and Dhahran by drones and missiles. Fortunately, both attacks were intercepted, but there was a resultant impact on oil prices, rising to $71 a barrel.

The attack on the Ras Tanura terminal is the most serious since 2019, when production was disrupted for a couple of days.

Great News for Scottish Whisky

Some positive news. America has suspended retaliatory tariffs on UK exports, including Scotch Whisky, along with Cashmere, Stilton cheese and pork products.

Such a rapprochement is positive news for efforts on both sides of the pond to secure an ambitious UK-USA trade deal.

The background to positive moves lies in the dispute dating back to 2006 and claims that Boeing alleged that Airbus was receiving state aid subsidies, which in turn saw a World Trade Organsiaiton (WTO) ruling uphold EU complaints about Boeing and the EU impose retaliatory tariffs on US imports.

It is hoped that this UK USA rapprochement will foster a new spirit in both sides negotiating and delivering a mutually rewarding and ambitious trade deal as quickly a possible

Positive news, that HM Treasury is to discuss a COVID-19 grant for company directors.

https://smallbusiness.co.uk/covid-19-grant-company-directors-2551775-2551775/

 An excellent introduction to entrepreneurship and its importance by Dr. Eamonn Butler and IEA.

https://iea.org.uk/publications/an-introduction-to-entrepreneurship/

Another strongly recommended watch from the IEA, a discussion on free trade with Tony Abbot.

https://iea.org.uk/films/the-future-of-uk-free-trade-with-tony-abbott/

An interesting conversation on entrepreneurship and why it is needed. Worth a watch.

https://iea.org.uk/films/entrepreneurship-why-its-needed-and-how-we-can-encourage-it/

An interesting and important article on how to create new jobs by Professor Len Shackleton

https://iea.org.uk/publications/how-to-create-new-jobs/

A quick article on the importance of strategy, leadership, management and technology in developing effective resilience in times of crisis and using them as a catalyst for change for SME’s.

https://smallbusiness.co.uk/3-steps-to-improve-productivity-during-the-pandemic-2551686/

An interesting short piece on the commonalities between martial arts and entrepreneurship.

https://www.sme-news.co.uk/what-brazilian-jiu-jitsu-can-teach-an-entrepreneur/

For anyone interested in strategic and operational security, resilience, risk, crisis and emergency response management, we would strongly recommend that you have a look at our strategic partner and respected colleague, David Rubens’ Institute of Strategic Risk Management (ISRM).

For a taste of the ISRM’s events, go to https://www.theisrm.org/en/events

Your Strategic Business Partner

Strategy | Consulting | Design | Development | Programme Management

Delivering Organisational Transformation, Innovation, Excellence and Performance

London | Dublin | Bahrain | Cyprus | Singapore

The Minerva International Group

 

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