Norwegian airline expansion to create 130 new Edinburgh jobs.
Plans for a low cost service linking Edinburgh and the USA from budget airline Norwegian have been announced.
The company said it wants to recruit 30 pilots and more than 100 cabin crew members to work out of Edinburgh in a move that signals its belief in the potential of the Scottish market.
Chief commercial officer Thomas Ramdahl said: “More jobs in the air will help also create more jobs on the ground and Norwegian’s plans for new flights into Edinburgh will help support tourism, business and hospitality opportunities in the UK’s second most visited city.”
Last month Edinburgh airport said it had recorded the busiest ever November for a Scottish airport helped by attracting new routes.Glasgow Airport also recorded its best ever November.
The fall in the pound since the Brexit vote has made it cheaper for people to visit Scotland from overseas but increased the cost of foreign travel for people in the UK.
Contingency plans to ensure access to EU member states as banks consider moving from London
The local authority for the financial district, the City of London Corporation, has urged the Prime Minister to arrange transition arrangements “as soon as possible” to allay concerns of businesses which were delaying investment decisions.
Banks may not be able to delay moving of some of their operations to the remaining EU member states – even if the government were to announce a transition period beyond the two years after triggering article 50 – because of the time it takes to get authorisation from regulators and installing new management teams.
Arrangements will need to be made when article 50 is triggered to the point when the UK leaves the EU; the second covers the period from exit to allow businesses time to adapt to the new arrangements.
The Corporation of London published data showing that financial and professional services firms employ more than 2.2 million people across the UK.
Scotland second in top 10 countries to visit in 2017
Coming in second on the Rough Guide list of must see destinations spells good news for Scottish tourism in 2017.
“Wildlife, whisky and a wonderfully warm welcome make Scotland a perennially popular destination, but in 2017 there are even more reasons to visit,” Rough Guides said.
The travel company also recommends Scotland’s food and drink scene to visitors.
It describes Glasgow as “one of the best places to head for culinary experimentation” and it highlights the work of Scottish microbreweries – and the fact that their products can be found at even the most remote pubs.
The top 10 countries were listed as:
1. India
2. Scotland
3. Canada
4. Uganda
5. Bolivia
6. Nicaragua
7. Portugal
8. Finland
9. Namibia
10. Taiwan
HSBC Scottish Export Awards open for submission
Has your export business grown significantly this year? The 2017 HSBC Scottish Export Awards are a great opportunity for your company to raise its profile and get the recognition it deserves. Submit your nominations by 13 January 2017.
The export awards are a great platform to showcase the entrepreneurial spirit and potential of Scottish businesses worldwide – and help inspire, enlighten and motivate others to consider exporting for the first time.
Exporting is now considered essential for any Scottish business wanting to safeguard future growth. Last year over 100 exporters entered at least one of the eight categories, representing £500 million of export turnover from Scotland.
Mark Tiffney, of Dynamic Core Studios Clydebank writes on making lasting changes this new year.
New Year, New You?
Every year the same routine. January hits, the gyms are overflowing, the latest ‘detox’ and ‘juice’ diets get pulled out and everyone decides, “this year it’s going to be different!”
But why?
Other than the date, has anything really changed?
Over the years, I’ve started to understand the draw. The 2 weeks leading to the new year are chaotic and generally, out of the norm of daily routines. There is much re-ordering required just to get back into the swing of normal life. So, while we are re-establishing a routine, why not make it a ‘better’ one?
Makes sense.
And in moderation, it’s certainly a useful way of looking at things.
But, as the saying goes, ‘old habits die hard’ and the chaos of daily life, which may have been absent, or at least different, over recent weeks, soon returns to demand your attention.
Most resolutions are simply too big. It’s too far from the norm and there isn’t time to embed them before life gets in the way.
In the book ‘the Chimp Paradox’ it’s shown how our survival instincts take over before our logical mind can even begin to react. The only way to overcome this is to pre-prepare, creating automatic reactions that fire without though.
So, when we get to January and decide to, go to the gym 5 times per week; go on a diet; give up smoking; go for a daily walk and take up the banjo. It’s too overwhelming and all these elements start to conflict before regular life even begins to impact.
However, if the resolution was to make one simple improvement weekly, suddenly things are manageable and you can focus on ensuring that one new thing becomes a habit before moving on.
Week 1 – drink more water; week 2 – add 30mins of exercise; week 3 – have a healthy breakfast daily…
It doesn’t matter what the changes are, just that they are simple & moving in your chosen direction.
If you must go bigger, that’s why people like me exist. Hire a professional to do the thinking for you. Leaving you the capacity to focus on the issues that life throws your way.
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. People do this every year en masse, so clearly, we are a nation of insane individuals.
Therefore, I invite you to take a minute to step away from the insanity. Review your options, your goals and tackle them methodically and simply.
There’s a reason over 70% of resolutions have failed by February. Make 2017 different and come out of it a better, healthier, happier person.
Happy New Year and all the best for 2017.
