Business
How can you improve your personal finances?
The first and most important step is to organise your finances, while developing a clear insight into your cumulative debt levels and precise fiscal circumstances.
We often think of the coronavirus pandemic as a health crisis, but there’s no doubt that its most tangible negative impact may ultimately be felt by the economy/
Personal debt levels had certainly increased by the end of March 2021, at which point Brits owed a total of £1.712.9 billion to creditors. This number had increased by £27.1 billion year-on-year, with this equivalent to an extra £511 per UK adult during this time.
With this in mind, you may need to take proactive steps to improve your personal finances. Here are some ideas to help you on your way:
- Create and Adhere to a Budget
The first and most important step is to organise your finances, while developing a clear insight into your cumulative debt levels and precise fiscal circumstances.
The key to achieving both of these objectives lies with budgeting, as you look to accurately estimate your incoming and outgoings over a weekly or monthly period (depending on how you’re paid).
It’s crucial that you’re accurate and deal in pence rather than pounds when budgeting, as this will outline the exact amount of disposable income that you have each month and enable you to spend within your means.
By maintaining this over time, you can also begin to consistently pay off any accumulated debts and increase the amount that can be committed to savings every month.
- Become Financially Literate and Recognise Lifestyle Inflation
Financial literacy is a huge issue in the UK, with an estimated one-in-three adults in England and Northern Ireland unable to work out the correct change from a simple shopping trip.
Developing an understanding of finance (particularly the function of debt and interest rates) can be highly beneficial to your fiscal security, while you should also build knowledge pertaining to the wider financial infrastructure in the UK.
You’ll also need to be aware of the concept of “lifestyle inflation”, which is built on the principle that your spending increases as you earn more money. This can lead to disproportionate spending over time, which is why long-term budgeting is such an important tool in your armoury.
- Create Passive Income Streams to Boost Your Earnings
Given the socio-economic impact of the coronavirus, speculating to accumulate may be the best course of action for finance-oriented Brits.
The key is to seek out passive income streams where possible, so that you can maintain a full-time job and optimise your earning potential over time.
Take forex trading, for example, which is now widely accessible to investors through platforms such as the MT4 webtrader.
Through this platform, you can also build knowledge and leverage detailed analytical tools, while utilising the demo account feature to practice and hone your strategies in a simulated marketplace for a period of up to six months.
Business
Salford City FC have been bought out by a new consortium
Danny Jones
Another era beckons for Salford City as a buyout of the Greater Manchester football club by a new consortium has been announced.
Well, sort of.
Salford City FC were famously the subject of a joint takeover by Singaporean businessman Peter Lim and members of Manchester United’s Class of ’92 over a decade ago, and now 11 years on from that last milestone moment in their history, the local side has a new administration once again.
It is a fresh chapter for the club, but supporters will be glad to hear that there will also be some continuity and key throughline of consistency among some of those at the top.
Led by Man United legends Gary Neville and David Beckham, who have been involved with Salford since 2014, the new nine-member consortium consists of the Dream Sports Group – a leading sports technology company based in India – along with a number of other key figures.
One of those is Lord Mervyn Davies, a former Labour MP and Minister of State for Trade, Investment and Small Business, who still serves as a trade envoy between the UK and Sri Lanka.
Another is Irish-American entrepreneur Declan Kelly, who is Chairman and CEO of The Consello Group, a global advisory and investing firm.
While the previous co-owners and fellow Class of ’92 United graduates are no longer shareholders at Moor Lane, it is said they will still play important roles at the club.
As the official statement reads, “The acquisition includes a commitment by the new shareholders to invest significantly in the Club, the team and its facilities”, meaning there will funds will likely be sweet aside not only for some healthy transfer business but more updates to the Peninsula Stadium.
Commenting on the announcement, Neville said: “I’m passionate about Salford City. This is a unique partnership with a diverse range of minds and expertise, held together by a love of football.
“Football will come first, however, it’s critical that we drive the Club towards sustainability in the next 4-5 years. I can’t wait for the next part of this journey.”
Meanwhile, Beckham went on to add in the excitable Instagram post seen above: “Salford played such an important role in my life growing up… It’s where I trained with United alongside my best mates every day, it’s where I bought my first house and where me and Victoria lived.
“I’m so proud to be part of a new ownership group alongside my mate [Neville] as we begin the next chapter of Salford’s journey. Football is at the heart of this community and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for the Ammies.
Are you happy with the news, Salford fans?
Read more:
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Featured Images — Salford City FC (via Wikimedia Commons)
Business
Deliveroo is set for a multi-billion dollar buyout from a takeaway rival
Danny Jones
UK takeaway service Deliveroo is set for a massive takeover by a fellow delivery business rival, said to be worth several billion.
The British multinational is known nationwide, occupying one of the biggest market shares alongside competitors Just Eat and Uber Eats, but now the takeaway delivery service is set to be swallowed up by an even bigger brand based in the US.
As reported on Tuesday, 6 May, American delivery firm DoorDash – the biggest of its kind in the States – looks set to complete an estimated £2.9 billion buyout, which will see Deliveroo folded into their growing global portfolio.
This massive deal will see the company’s presence in more than 40 countries further consolidated, already serving somewhere in the region of 50 million customers every month.
According to the likes of Reuters, Bloomberg and BBC, DoorDash is offering 180p per share, which is a 44% increase on Deliveroo’s share price from the point when initial takeover talks were made public in April 2025.
Speaking in a joint statement on the impending buyout, the two firms said: “The combination with Deliveroo will strengthen DoorDash’s position as a leading global platform in local commerce.”
Founded by chief executive Will Shu back in 2013, Deliveroo is now considered one of the big three in the food delivery industry’s UK scene, but is set to get much bigger under the DoorDash umbrella.
As for DoorDash, CEO and co-founder Tony Xu went on to add: “Coming together with teams that have similar visions and values accelerates our work to achieve that mission. Deliveroo is just such a team and one that I have long admired.
“Like DoorDash, Deliveroo is obsessively focused on their customers – consumers, merchants, and riders. They work day in and day out to improve their consumer value proposition, bring new services to local businesses, and offer flexibility and support to riders.”
Read more:
This isn’t the only big move they’ve made even just this week; in fact, the giant not only purchased Deliveroo but also New York’s restaurant technology company, SevenRooms Inc., which means they have forked out over $5bn in roughly five hours.
Put simply, this seriously big business and even bigger money that could make a big impact on UK hospitality and culinary convenience.
Obviously, full ratification via the SEC and so on is yet to be announced, but it looks like pretty much a done deal already.
So yeah, be prepared to see the name DoorDash being advertised up and down the country a lot more moving forward.
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Featured Images — @shopblocks/Focal Foto (via Flickr)
The Manc -
28th October 2020 
