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Anna Blackaby

Why age is no barrier to starting your own business

With hopes for an enterprise-led recovery resting on businesspeople of all ages and backgrounds, Anna Blackaby meets two Birmingham entrepreneurs who believe you are never too young or old to start your own venture. Read

Record start to the year for Walsall-based Crystal Mortgages

Walsall-based Crystal Mortgages has reported a record start to 2011, with the business issuing terms on over £69 million worth of business.Read

Teachers and doctors still nervous over economy, Wesleyan survey

No other organisation has its finger on the financial pulse of the so-called “squeezed middle” like Birmingham-based mutual Wesleyan. Chief executive Craig Errington spoke to Anna Blackaby about what lawyers, doctors, dentists, teachers are doing with their money.Read

£25m funding for West Midlands from EU 'still safe'

The region will still get its hands on millions of pounds of EU business support cash despite a report claiming it was at “serious risk” of losing £25 million next year, according to experts.Read

Walsall-based Crystal Mortgages sees £69m of new business in Q1

Walsall-based Crystal Mortgages has reported a record start to 2011, with the business issuing terms on over £69 million worth of business.Read

Manufacturing growth slows to seven-month low

New manufacturing figures will “send a shiver down the spines of many” as a worrying slowdown in domestic orders saw manufacturing growth plunge to a seven-month low.Read

Public sector fraud on the rise in Midlands, according to PwC

Financial crime is on the rise in public sector organisations in the Midlands as increased scrutiny and spending cuts boost detection rates and opportunities for fraud.Read

Redditch safety equipment firm sold to Capital Safety Group

A Redditch-based manufacturer of fall protection systems has been acquired by a global expert in the field.Read

Public sector fraud on the rise in Midlands, according to PwC

Financial crime is on the rise in public sector organisations in the Midlands as increased scrutiny and spending cuts boost detection rates and opportunities for fraud.Read

Redditch safety equipment firm sold to Capital Safety Group

A Redditch-based manufacturer of fall protection systems has been acquired by a global expert in the field.Read

Greater Birmingham LEP board lacking the female touch

The lack of women on the board of the local enterprise partnership has caused controversy, writes Anna Blackaby.Read

Creative England pledges no regional bias after agencies shake-up

The national body replacing Screen WM has moved to smooth a threatened east-west divide over support for film and digital firms following an attack launched from the East Midlands.Read

Judge slams Hampson Industries over 'fraudulent' deal

Engineering giant Hampson Industries is facing a multi-million-pound bill after a judge slammed its “fraudulent” £3.1 million deal to sell off an ailing car parts firm.Read

Screen WM chief Suzie Norton steps down

Suzie Norton, the boss of Screen WM, has announced she is leaving the regional screen agencyRead

Indian bank ICICI explains move from Birmingham city centre to Handsworth

Indian bank ICICI is feeling “bullish” about customers in Birmingham after moving its city branch from Colmore Row to Soho Road.Read

Greater Birmingham LEP chairman to use London base for lobbying hard

The John Lewis boss at the helm of the Birmingham local enterprise partnership has vowed to lobby hard in the capital to make sure the area “gets the best out of London”.Read

Salaries stagnate in Midlands finance sector

Salaries for some finance professionals in the Midlands have barely nudged up since 2006, according to new research.Read

Coventry firm's medical invention receives venture backing

A pioneering invention developed in the West Midlands is set to become commonplace in the medical industry after receiving backing from an investment network.Read

New report reveals which professions work the longest hours

The debate over who puts in the longest hours is set to be stoked by new research revealing which Midland professionals are most likely to be burning the midnight oil.Read

Gaming company Codemasters speeds back into black

A strong performance by games such as the Birmingham-made Formula One title helped Warwickshire gaming giant Codemasters swing back into profit last year.Read

Author Profile

Anna is the Finance Editor of the Mail's sister title, the Birmingham Post. For the Mail she reports on a wide range of business topics. She joined the business desk in May 2008 after a stint on a corporate finance magazine and freelancing. Before this she lived and worked in Italy as a teacher of English. On her return to the UK, she made use of her language skills to work as a translator and writer specialising in European business and green technology.