Eran Shay's journey is emblematic of the modern entrepreneur. A self-confessed ‘out-of-the-box’ thinker, he swapped a successful corporate career and a senior role at Deloitte to pursue his own projects and business opportunities.

Stepping into a leadership role can be exciting. It’s a chance to shape the future and lead a team to success. But with a leadership role comes a new level of responsibility. You’re suddenly the person others look to for direction and answers, and it’s your role to create a workplace where they can thrive - while also being accountable for their work. And that isn’t always an easy balancing act. Leadership is a learning curve - an eternal one at that. By focusing on a few key behaviours and techniques, you can set yourself on the right path to lead well, build a great high performing team and help your business grow.

We’ve said it before and it’s only getting louder: AI is reshaping how businesses work. From chatbots and smart analytics to automated content and decision-making tools, AI is helping smaller firms punch well above their weight. But with that power comes responsibility. As AI use grows, so do the risks around data privacy, and under GDPR, getting it wrong can mean serious fines and lasting reputational damage.

My name is John Hayes, and I'm a really busy guy. Busy procrastinating most of the time. You wouldn't believe how many unessential tasks I had to complete before sitting down and writing this article. Those sales reports and emails don't check themselves. Yep, I've been busy. Busy doing nothing. We've all had one of those days where we feel like we've been incredibly "busy" - but can't quite put our finger on what we actually accomplished. Maybe we spent three hours answering emails, another two fiddling with a spreadsheet no one asked for, and another hour in a meeting that could have been an email or WhatsApp message. At the end of it all, the to-do list somehow got longer, not shorter.

Starting and running a small business is rewarding but comes with its fair share of challenges. The path of entrepreneurship is often characterised by immense dedication, long hours, and tough decisions. As a small business owner, you're not just responsible for the operations and growth of your company and team, but also for your own wellbeing. 

Welcome to the fifth edition of Thrive magazine. Too often the narrative around business focuses on success and, in my view, we forget to talk about failure. That’s why we lead this edition with EPIC FAILS by Katie Buller—because understanding what doesn’t work is just as important as what does.

In an increasingly digital work environment where we have more emails, WhatsApp messages & interruptions than ever before, many business leaders started looking at ways of alleviating the stress that comes with this increased workload. Relaxing the dress code and letting your team dress down and wear in more casual clothing is one way of doing this….Or is it?

During a recent and very long overdue catch up with my friend Trina, I had one of those ‘Aha moments’. To be fair, as someone who spends a lot of time interviewing experts, these moments happen to me a lot, but this one was different. In the 20 years Trina and I have been friends, she’s developed marketing strategies for global brands including Coca Cola, Virgin Atlantic, Nestlé and IKEA . Impressive stuff, but it’s what she’s working on now that really got me thinking…Taking inspiration from the military and politics, Trina and her business partners set up The Competitive Wargaming Team and now deliver secret, scenario-based ‘corporate war rooms’ for senior leaders designed to predict and outmaneuver competitor moves.

Thrive catches up with Nick Pitaluga TEP, Managing Director of Gibraltar Trust & Corporate Services Limited - “GTCS”. From starting out as a messenger to leading his firm through a major merger, Nick talks about the importance of stepping outside your comfort zone and offers inspiration for anyone carving their own niche.

Since 2007, Earth Hour has been known as the biggest hour for the planet as millions of people switch their “lights off” as a symbolic action for the environment

Two decades is a long time for any business - with all the strife that businesses large and small have had to endure these past four years, it seems that anxiety among business owners has never been higher. I recently had the pleasure of chatting with Garren Thompson, co-owner and co-founder of Gibraltar hair & beauty salon Miss Shapes, based on Bishop Rapallo’s Ramp. As the business recently hit the 20-year milestone, we discussed the highs and lows of creating a successful salon in a saturated market, how he and his team created their new range of Miss Shapes branded Hair & Beauty products and how this will help build success for another 20 years.

Pets are like family, right? As a proud cat dad, I’d actually go further and say that they are family. Over the years, I have spent my well-earned money on (many) toys, beds, treats and vet bills for my two feline furballs Nacho and Drake. And I am not alone. According to a recent Fortune Business Insight report, the global pet care market was valued at a massive £171.78 billion in 2022 and is projected to grow from £180.06 billion in 2023 to £269.29 billion by 2030.

If you’re looking to grow your business, expand your reach post Treaty or simply try something new, collaboration can be one of the most effective ways to do it. The key is approaching it with a bit of structure. And resisting the urge to say yes to everything just because someone seemed nice over a […]

The Treaty between the EU and the UK over Gibraltar is finally giving us some clarity, and yet, it also reminds us just how much sits outside our control. The finer details will take months to surface. Political tides may shift. Promises will be tested by practicalities. Every day, we face issues beyond our reach: new legislation, competitor actions, market trends, customer behaviour, staff turnover, illness, family responsibilities, global events. All of it lives in what Stephen Covey calls the Circle of Concern - things we care about, but cannot directly change. The more we fixate on them, the more frustration can grow.

As the CEO of a specialist security business called Paladin Defence and close protection operative/ private security contractor, I have experienced security threats of all types since 1990. From opportunistic personal attacks to targeted organised commercial crime, I feel there is a lot more we should be doing to defend and protect ourselves. Understandably, Gibraltar is considered to have a relatively low crime rate; but what are the realistic threats and risks to small businesses in our corner of the Mediterranean?

Introducing the Thrive Catalog - A curated collection of goodies selected by our editorial team each quarter. Everything featured is available right here, right now at prices that are better than or compete with the internet.

Last month marked eight years since the UK voted to leave the European Union. I remember the exact moment I read the headline ‘UK Votes to Leave the EU’ on my phone and the feeling of shock that started to set in. My first thought was, “Er, now what?” Little did I know I would still be asking that question eight years later… Eight years of uncertainty, negotiations, grace periods, frameworks, and meticulously crafted non-statements. But still no solution.

Fair recruitment is based on the principle that candidates are judged on their ability to do the job rather than influenced by factors such as an applicant’s gender, religion, ethnicity, or any other quality unrelated to their skills and expertise. As the Founder of Rock Learning and the Co-Founder of the ‘Count me In’ DEIB Conference, I have developed a deep understanding of the topic and how small businesses can implement inclusive hiring practices.

Imposter syndrome is a psychological behaviour where individuals, including many high achievers, struggle with persistent feelings of self-doubt, inadequacy, or the fear of being exposed as a fraud. Despite their achievements, those experiencing imposter syndrome believe they are undeserving of their success or worry that they've misled others into overestimating their abilities.

Finding time to sit down with a book can feel like a luxury sometimes. We seem to be pulled in all sorts of directions, yet many of us still want to learn and stay exposed to new ideas. Podcasts have filled part of that gap. They’re accessible, conversational and easy to consume while commuting or […]