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It’s time to turn the page

It has been an up-and-down year for businesses, so perhaps now is the time to change lanes, seek new inspiration, be bold and get out more. Our editors and correspondents scoured the globe for stirring stories, captivating case studies and entrepreneurs on-the-up: 100 of them to be precise.
Forward thinkers

How are industries changing now? Our interviewees offer their predictions on what the future holds in their industry, from our need for convivial restaurant spaces to a profitable private media company in Vietnam and a start-up incubator with faith in bricks-and-mortar offices.
Banking on it

From investing exclusively in ethical causes to helping small businesses access emergency funds, these three socially conscious lenders are helping businesses to succeed with a human touch.
Little by little

You need to be at the heart of a metropolis to sniff out an opportunity, right? Wrong. What these compact cities lack in size they make up for in entrepreneurial flair. We meet the folk whose big ideas have taken root in smaller cities.
How to get out of a tight spot

The past few months have put a huge strain on businesses but also presented them with a unique opportunity to shake things up. We meet five firms that have shown an ability to think on their feet.
Who’s open for business?

Those looking to get their start-up off the ground with the minimum of fuss will be scouring country rankings for good business regulations, a solid labour force and financial transparency. And the nations that come out on top might not seem obvious at first. Here we report on two places in which to put down business roots.
Window of opportunity

When competition is rife and industries are slow to evolve, it takes a smart business leader with a strong vision to reposition their brand – or come up with an entirely new take on a ubiquitous product. We meet three brands that have come out on top thanks to their unique offering.
Fair traders

Nolan Giles reporting from London: Byron and Dexter Peart have taken a stand against disposable design by providing a global shop window for sustainable, ethically sourced homeware. And theirs is a model that the retail industry is finally having a conversation about.
How to get a job

Nic Monisse reporting from London: In an increasingly competitive labour market, applicants must find more inventive means to stand out among stiff competition. So we’ve enlisted some of the best in the professional sphere to offer their practical tips for finding gainful employment in a company you actually want to work for.
If you do one thing...

It’s probably a safe bet that you know all about the product you’re launching but forming a firm that’s destined to thrive requires additional focus. Three business leaders share the key lessons they learnt on the route to success.
Put your own stamp on it

From takeaways that arrive in biodegradable sugar-cane-pulp packaging to perfume in an ice-cream van, here’s how to create an impact while a product is on the move. After all, it’s all in the delivery.
Remote working

Entrepreneurs relocating to rural outposts have been welcomed with a community feel and desirable living and working spaces. Whether it’s Upstate New York, the Basque Country or a Norwegian archipelago, inspiring under-the-radar creative hotspots are providing an altogether higher quality of life.
Perks of the job

Entrepreneurial leaders need to focus on their staff too. Here are our tips for how to make the nine to five a pleasure rather than a chore for your team, from making the commute an attractive prospect to welcoming furry friends in the office for a bit of playtime between meetings.
Words of wisdom

Chiara Rimella reporting from London: Lessons about how to run your firm more effectively don’t always come from straight-up business books: enlightenment and inspiration can strike at any time and be gleaned from even the least likely of tomes. Here we meet successful company leaders and entrepreneurs who share the takeaways that have helped them to achieve their career goals – with a little help from Karl Marx and Frodo Baggins.
Notable purchases

Hester Underhill reporting from London: For those requiring a stationery-cupboard reboot, these brands elevate the humble pencil, rubber and stapler to great heights. Whether you're after an elegant steel hole punch or a chic airmail envelope, this kit is top drawer.
The homely office

If you’re contemplating scaling up or sizing down, or simply working from home, smart design should be at the forefront of your plans. Why? Well, whether you’re running a one-man show or piloting an ever-expanding corporate headquarters, a comfortable workplace will enhance the work that’s produced there – and a welcoming office reflects a brand that’s ready for business. So if you’re kitting out a home office or an office that feels like home, here’s our round-up of the items you should employ.
Space exploration

Creative businesses need studios where people come together. These three companies show how you can create inspiring projecs and still have money left in the bank. Steal their ideas.
The view from here

An open, shared working space can promote creativity and open discussion within teams. But as a CEO, how do you foster collaboration with the rest of your office? Here, three company leaders in different fields let us into their unconventional set-ups.
Go go gadgets

Our working life is going through changes and that’s partly down to the advancements in technology that just keep on coming. From noise-cancelling headphones and wireless chargers to portable speakers and an electric bike to ease a hilly commute, we size up the latest gizmos and gadgets surfacing around the globe.
That’s settled then

As the world gets moving and deals continue to be struck, we profile a handful of new openings and time-tested hotels that still mean business. From a decadent affair in a former bank in Washington to a private residence turned hotel in downtown Mexico City, these stopovers are ideal settings for talking shop – and having a good kip when you’re done.
Make a meal of it

We trade video calls for the dining room in a hungry homage to the joys of the business lunch. Great that the company’s paying, of course, but more than that there’s no better place to get to know a business partner or scope out a new one. Deal? We’ll drink to that.
Three getaways

In search of a place to take stock? Find inspiration with a swim in the Danube, on a French-inspired break in Menorca or exploring what it means to run a small and meaningful business in Japan’s Hiroshima prefecture.

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Stationery / Global

Notable purchases

Hester Underhill reporting from London: For those requiring a stationery-cupboard reboot, these brands elevate the humble pencil, rubber and stapler to great heights. Whether you're after an elegant steel hole punch or a chic airmail envelope, this kit is top drawer.

Photography: Tony Hay

53 /100

Cupboard essentials

Design

A covetable stationery line-up that staff will want to plunder.

Band of rubbers: Rubber bands, Kyowa Ltd: This Osaka-based brand has been producing rubber products since 1923.
kyowa-ltd.co.jp

Fluoro fun: Highlighter, Muji: These fluorescent pens are retractable, so they don’t dry out too quickly.
muji.com

Design staple: Stapler, Ellepi: An Italian design classic, still made in Lombardy.
presentandcorrect.com

Erase and repeat: Rubber, Milan: Spanish rubber-maker Milan has been family owned since 1918.
milan.es

Highly strung: Washer envelopes, Present & Correct: These reusable envelopes have traditional string fastenings.
presentandcorrect.com

Par avion: Airmail envelopes, Present & Correct: Make sure your jet-set post arrives in style.
presentandcorrect.com

Pack a punch: Hole punch, El Casco: Once a firearms manufacturer, this Basque business turned its hand to holepunches.
el-casco.es; conranshop.co.uk

Inky pioneers: Fountain pen, Kaweco: Kaweco first began making stationery in Nuremberg in 1883.
kaweco-pen.com; trunkclothiers.com

Pencil pushing: Pencils, Mitsubishi Pencil Company Ltd: Mitsubishi was among the first in Japan to make European-style pencils.
uniball.com

Two-tone: Pencils, Tombow: These twin-tipped pencils write in blue or red.
tomboweurope.com

Look sharp: Pencils, Fratelli Bonvini: Milanese stationer Fratelli Bonvini specialises in vintage designs.
bonvini1909.com

Steel rule: Ruler, Trusco: Pocket-sized steel ruler made in Japan.
trusco.co.jp; labourandwait.co.uk

Red tape: Tape dispenser, Present & Correct: Make light work of taping with this hand-held design.
presentandcorrect.com

Finger on the button: Calculator, Braun: Keep adding to your collection with this Dieter Rams-designed doohickey.
braun.com; presentandcorrect.com

All in hand: Clipboard, Penco: A sturdy aluminium clipboard.
hightide-online.jp

Furniture: USM

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