Whether you’re an ebook tapper or traditional page turner, there are thousands of books that can make you better at business. Áine Panter, Head of the School of Business at the University of Gibraltar has curated a list of must-reads that will inspire, inform, and equip you for success.

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.

Finding someone who listens, understands, and guides you can make all the difference. For women in Gibraltar, the Women’s Mentorship Programme offers just that – honest conversations and valuable support from people with lived experience who understand. Now in its sixth cycle, the programme pairs women with mentors to help them navigate work, life, and everything in between. Ok, full disclosure: as a recently appointed mentor, that last sentence somewhat triggers the old imposter syndrome and self-doubt, but I am honoured to be part of this scheme and look forward to doing my very best in the months ahead. 

Success doesn’t just happen; it’s built on a strong foundation of preparation, clarity, and taking consistent action. Whether you’re launching a new business, taking your current side-hustle full-time, or looking to scale in a competitive market, having the right plan in place is essential.

Mental health issues affect us all. How we manage our daily stresses and anxieties have an impact on our relationships, how we perform in our job and the workplace environment, and our outlook on life. Becoming self-aware of what affects us, managing how we respond to triggers and using tools to help us work through them, are all part of our journey towards MENTAL FITNESS, which is how we should be positively defining it. 

We all have bad days, right? In business, that can mean we don’t bring our A-game to work and perhaps our service slips. Maybe a dish takes too long to reach a table or a staff member sounds distracted at the till. This could lead to negative Google Reviews or on ‘that’ Facebook group that […]

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 […]

When it comes to ideation in business, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Every business, team, and leader has their own way of generating and refining ideas. Whether it’s through structured brainstorming sessions, casual conversations, or solo reflection, the goal is to unlock creativity and find solutions.  We’ve asked four GFSB members to share how they approach ideation in their fields. As you read, think about how you generate ideas and remember that sometimes, the best results come from trying something new.

Whether you’re building a business from the ground up or hoping to grow an existing operation, having a strong business development strategy is the foundation of success. But real, sustainable growth doesn’t come from chasing the next big thing, it comes from getting the essentials right. So, what are the fundamentals you can’t afford to ignore? In my view, this starts with something I call the “Holy Trinity” of small business marketing...

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?

Whilst Brexit hasn’t exactly been a positive event, we can’t deny that it’s also been the catalyst for diversification and change. It was a true ‘before and after’ moment that made businesses rethink their strategies and, in many cases, change their direction of travel. Gibraltar’s newest bank, justbank, is born from this process. As well as heralding the arrival of a new bank, this fresh start gave the team at IDT Finance the opportunity to create innovative and tailored banking solutions from the ground up. I met with Managing Director, Damian Asquez, and Head of Corporate Banking, Nikolai Gafan, to find out more.

After teaching in schools for 18 years I decided to take the plunge and embark on a self-employed life. Driven by my passion for teaching children with special educational needs I set out to discover alternative ways to make education accessible to all. My vision was to have the individual in mind, with their own strengths and challenges, and with that came the birth of ‘edYOUcation Clare Francis’; bringing the YOU into learning.

We recently provided a large local organisation with their uniforms. Once the order was delivered, I felt compelled to send them guidelines on how to take care of their uniform. Spending money on clothes and footwear is not a guarantee on making the right impression, either to yourself, nor anyone else- it’s attention to detail that seals the deal.

With its largely service-based economy, you'd be forgiven for thinking that Gibraltar didn't have to deal with the problem of toxic waste, perhaps more commonly seen in countries reliant on manufacturing, mining and even agriculture. However, every gaming company, insurance firm, fintech organisation, retailer, restaurant, and literally every other business on the Rock is potentially responsible for producing a particularly nasty waste byproduct - e-waste.

When you’ve been running your own business for a while, you know what works, and it’s easy to rely on the skills that got you to where you are. Chances are, you’re comfortable doing things in a certain way, and your team knows what to expect from your leadership style.

For many businesses, standing out from the crowd in an already crowded marketplace is a mammoth task. But for Fresquita one of the ways they tackled this issue was with highly creative packaging.

If you’ve been dreaming of starting your own business, you’re not alone. Data from the UK’s Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed that the annual number of companies registered is edging closer to the one million mark, that’s up by 75,000 in 2022 which itself was 30,000 higher than in 2021. Whether it's following a passion, aiming for financial independence, or breaking free from the 9-5 grind, every entrepreneurial journey begins with one crucial thing: a solid idea. But coming up with that perfect idea can be tough. This is where brainstorming comes in—it’s the creative springboard that can help you turn your business dreams into reality.

If, like me, you spend more time than you should doom scrolling LinkedIn, you could be tempted into thinking no-one fails. LinkedIn has become a hyperbolic haven and a place to scream and shout about success. But what about failures - why aren’t we talking about them? In business, failure is inevitable. I mean it. Whether it's a product flop, a marketing misstep, or a company on the brink of collapse, every entrepreneur will face moments that test them. Yet, history has shown that these failures can often be the starting point for something extraordinary.

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.