In the UK, the debate has honed in on bankers’ bonuses. At the heart of the argument is how to measure individual success in business and whether the bonus system – in the case of Fred Goodwin, a knighthood – is the correct form of reward.

Revised proposals on the future of financial reporting in the UK and Ireland by the Accounting Standards Board (ASB), have seen a fundamental change in direction to proposals.

Every year a number of important changes take place that require a ‘use it or lose it’ approach to financial planning. This year it’s the turn of pensions where new carry forward rules will allow you to ‘mop up’ unused relief from previous years and make significant contributions to your retirement pot.

Recent research on mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity by the global management consulting firm McKinsey, shows that companies who make acquisitions on average perform better than companies relying on organic growth. They also have a higher probability of positive excess returns. And while finance is still difficult to come by, the ability to move quickly is key to snapping up a bargain.

Companies and investors focusing on the renewable energy sector are beginning to question whether countries struggling with tough economic constraints or burdened by sovereign debt issues can now afford to stick with the climate change pledges they have made. As a result, integrity and honesty at individual project level is becoming a much more important benchmark of success.

Riding high on the trend to fill our homes with luxury scents, Wax Lyrical's approach to producing top quality candles and partnering with well known brands is now paying off. Hannah Beecham visited the factory in Cumbria to talk to Mike Armstead on how his vision has combined the best traditions of candlemaking with a modern business strategy.

There has been a great deal of interest paid to recent Treasury commentary on the challenges facing the PFI market, and what might be an approach to revitalising it. But of more immediate concern is the current funding challenge that faces PFI projects old and new in a world where money is hard to come by.

According to the latest findings from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) one in eight firms expect the economic situation to decline in the first quarter of 2012.  Yet while the short term economic prospects look weak, a recent improvement in the rate of inflation is set to boost confidence over the year. Is now the time to take a long hard look at your company’s future?

Urban myth or not, the commonly quoted statistic is that one in ten new businesses fails before it is one year old and that – of ten new businesses that survive their first year – only one reaches its tenth birthday.

Despite ongoing problems, the country – which holds 10 per cent of the world’s oil reserves – delivered a steady growth rate of nearly 8 per cent over the last year, a rate that many believe will increase to 10-11 per cent provided the government sticks to its promised path of reform on fuel and utility prices.