Business

BIM – myths and misunderstandings

A recent Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce (GM CoC) Property & Construction event focusing on Building Information Modelling (BIM) brought together a mix of architects, consultants, engineers and contractors with the aim of dispelling common myths and misunderstandings surrounding the …
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Marketing energy – perspectives on the energy debate from OTC Houston 2012

The annual OTC offshore energy show, running since 1969 in Houston, Texas, has grown to now attract over 80,000 visitors over the four days of the show, which focuses on offshore technology and best practice. And after a couple days …
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Six months on – what’s happening in the N-11?

In November I blogged about the N-11 – a group of countries tipped by Goldman Sachs to be potential leading economic powers in the future. But a lot can happen in six months. So here’s an update on some of …
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Doing business in China – insider knowledge

Many businesses are seeking to enter the dynamic Chinese market. No wonder – for manufacturers of consumer products, it’s predicted that by 2020, mainstream consumers will account for 51% of the population. That’s around 400 billion people. For b2b businesses, …
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Young people and the built environment

In this post we welcome our guest blogger Jo Harrop, director of PLACED. From working in the regeneration sector for seven years, and then as education manager at the Northwest Architecture Centre, Jo set up PLACED out of a desire …
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Key marketing challenges in the packaging sector

If you operate in the packaging sector, you probably already know that worldwide packaging industry revenues are predicted to increase to $530 billion in 2014 (from $429 billion in 2009, Pike Research). Plus there’s good news for the packaged food …
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Happy Chinese New Year!

In case you missed our previous New Year post, here it is again in honour of Chinese New Year.  We’ve collated a selection of 2012 forecasts for you to read, watch and enjoy! Firstly, crucial currency predictions courtesy of International Trade …
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What’s in store for 2012?

The first day back in the office is a great opportunity to make a fresh start. Before you dive into your messages and meetings, we’ve collated a selection of 2012 forecasts for you to read, watch and enjoy! Firstly, crucial …
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2011: review of the year

It’s that time of year for review and reflection… so what did 2011 bring us? One thing’s for sure, it’s been a year of uncertainty when it come to the global economy.  The resulting lack of confidence has had repercussions across …
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We need an export revolution, not an evolution

In the UK, and many other developed economies, the talk for months now has been of exporting. Exporting will abbreviate the financial gloom, or maybe even stave off another recession altogether. Exporters will be the driving force behind our recovery. …
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Top 10 trends driving food and drink innovation

On Wednesday, I tuned into a great webinar from Innova Market Insights on food and beverage trends for 2012. If you didn’t manage to join in, these are the developments that could drive the growth of your business next year: …
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Parlez-vous français?

It’s no secret that business in France is very different than in the UK. Now, as part of an international agency, I have come to realise that understanding these differences is vital. There are essential rules to follow to succeed …
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BRIC countries are yesterday’s news: now it’s the N-11

It was in 2003 that Goldman Sachs pinpointed Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC) as the world’s top emerging economies. And in the eight years since, their growth has been so meteoric, they’ve all but caught up with “modern” markets. …
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Business beyond the border – experts in export?

“I don’t want any new business of mine restricted to the UK market alone.” – Lord Alan Sugar This was the ambitious declaration on BBC’s The Apprentice last week, and one that we here at BDB wholeheartedly agree with. It …
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Winning an award that matters

BDB is enormously proud to be a winner of the Queen’s Award for International Trade. The Queen’s Award for International Trade is an acknowledged worldwide mark of achievement. We’ve been both exporting and helping exporters for over 20 years. In …
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Not so grim up north after all

No doubt about it, London is a great city. However, it’s not the only great city in the UK. Take Manchester for instance. Built on the wealth of the Industrial Revolution and famous worldwide for its football and influential music …
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Dealing with procurement: an agency perspective

“Henry, one of our clients just phoned. They’re keen to confirm their campaign for next year, but need us to talk to their procurement team. Can I leave it with you?” Not the best way to start the day. Or …
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Creative ideas to get us fired: cracking the mental block

Occasionally you’re faced with an impenetrable brief. You’ve looked at it from every angle, slept on it, and thought about it in the shower, yet the thunderbolt of inspiration remains firmly in the clouds. At this point, it’s time to …
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Linguists rejoice! Your country really does need you!

“What do you want to do when you leave university?” For a student of law, business or psychology, the answer might be quite obvious, but for a student of languages, it could be literally anything from teacher, translator or journalist, …
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2010 imports surge, exports barely rise. What can we do to help?

“Britain’s trade deficit widened more sharply than expected in March, fuelling fears that the economy may not be in line for the export-led recovery that had been widely hoped for” Daily Telegraph 21 May 2010. At a time when every …
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Manifesto for business

All the main parties in the election are claiming that they have business on their side. Big business, small business, local business, women-managed business … each and every part of the business community is being courted. Day by day letters …
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Breaking down the barriers to social media in B2B

As a B2B consultancy focused on the trade, technical and scientific sectors, naturally we’ve followed the rise of social media with interest, dipping a toe in here and there. While for some B2B specialists social media practices have been an …
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