The idea of having a three day weekend to boost employee happiness whilst maintaining productivity is gaining more and more traction after successful trials across the globe.
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Elon’s Island
Starlink is working with BlueWave to establish the island as a ground base for the satellite internet.
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Taking the Full Force of a Perfect Storm
The Treasury department has announced a variety of benefits and grants to support businesses and self-employed people after a call for more help by the Isle of Man Chamber of Commerce.
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Incapacity Benefit Increases to Support Isolation
Treasury has announced a temporary increase to the rate of Incapacity Benefit for the first 14 days of absence from work in order to improve support for persons unable to work due to isolation. The rate of short term Incapacity Benefit will increase from £86.55 per week to £230.00 per […]
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Show Me The Numbers
Alf Cannan was asked by Claire Christian MHK what plans the Treasury has to help people required to self-isolate.
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£5m Injection into Steam Packet
The Gov has made a further equity investment of £5m into the Steam Packet. Treasury Minister Alf Cannan has written to Tynwald Members regarding the one-off payment, which is designed to address the commercial impact of the coronavirus pandemic while the company continued to maintain essential lifeline services. This follows […]
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Gamesys Goes on Growing
Chief Minister Howard Quayle attended the official opening of Gamesys Athol Street office.
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Climbing the Legal Ladder
Corlett Bolton is celebrating the success of another member of its team being called to the Manx bar. Pamela Wells initially joined the practice as office manager in 2016 after a number of years in the island’s insurance, banking, payroll and charity sectors. Since then she has worked in a number […]
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Rising From the Ashes
Whilst we’ve all heard the depressing stories of business closures during the Covid pandemic, it’s not been all doom and gloom. The world has seen a boom in small businesses as people make use of their time at home and the Isle of Man is no different.
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Fitness Leader Retires KUTA Exercise Group After 10 Years
The class has become an important part of life for many of its members with babies, relationships and marriages stemming from KUTA.
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No Plans for Return of Flights to Dublin
Stobart Air had operated the Are Lingus Dublin route prior to the pandemic.
Image Credit: John Hughes https://www.flickr.com/people/77186875@N07
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Airlines to Insist on Face Coverings
Both major airlines which service the island will continue to require passengers to wear masks.
Credit: Google street view.
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Let’s Rethink Central Douglas
What do we want the future of the island’s capital to look like?
Image credit: Betty Laurincova, urban designer.
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Ettyl Responds to Airline’s Collapse
Stobart Air operated the only route from Ronaldsway to Dublin on behalf of Aer Lingus.
Image: Google Street View
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Stobart Air Ceases Trading
A deal by Manx firm Ettyl to buy Stobart Air stalled earlier this month.
Photo by Marten Bjork on Unsplash
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Hospitality Needs Support Until at Least Easter 2022
PwC has recommended that the gov needs to tailor the support offered to businesses to their individual circumstances.
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The Island’s Very Own Master Fishmonger
Did you know that we have some of the best fishmongers in the world, right here, on-island?
Part of the Robinson’s Don’t Let The Legs Fall Off campaign
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Our Industry Needs Help to Survive
Business leaders have backed the as yet unpublished PwC report which calls for tailored support for the island’s hospitality sector in the short and medium term.
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Without You, We Wouldn’t Still be Here
Business leaders from the hospitality sector met this morning to outline the support they need from the gov.
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More Support for Hospitality Businesses
For each of the months of June, July and August, eligible applicants will receive a grant which is equivalent to their annual rates bill for each of their commercial premises.
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Myth Busting: Pensions & Retirement Planning
Ad Feature by Zurich International
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Gov Looking To Borrow Up To £400m
The exact sum of any borrowing will not be finalised until all market-related options have been examined and considered.
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Personal Trainer’s Petition to Save Her Business
Christine Barker was using the shed in her back garden for one to one sessions until Environment Minister Geoffrey Boot overturned her planning approval.
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Al Fresco Dining in Laxey?
Serendipity Ltd has applied to convert a rear courtyard into a partially covered seating area to allow it to serve food and drink outdoors.
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Hospitality Industry’s Bid to Fill Vacancies
The recruitment day is designed to provide individuals with the chance to find out more about summer job availability and more permanent careers within hospitality on the island.
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Small Businesses Are the Heartbeat of the High Street
I went for a walk through town this week and I realised something, there are far fewer empty spaces than I thought there were and most of those empty units have the same thing in common. You see, for any talk of empty units and a dying high street, look […]
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Tourism Messaging is ‘Uninspiring’
The island’s borders are due to fully reopen on June 28.
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PDA Policy Leads to Backlash
Guys and Dolls’ post about public displays of affection of led to a backlash on social media.
Picture credit: Guys and Dolls Facebook page.
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Gef Jobs Has Landed
How did you feel when you returned to work after the weekend? If you felt anything other than BUZZING to be back, surrounded by colleagues, ready to dive back into work, it’s maybe time to consider a job change. After spending much of this past year in lockdown, we’ve all […]
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Travel Agents and Tour Operators Looking Closer to Home
As the drawbridge creaks just those extra few inches and the island prepares to (hopefully) open back up on June 28, Gef has spoken to three travel companies about consumer confidence in coming to and going off the island. We previously spoke to Rikki Dunnage from Island Travel, Ged Power, […]
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Money for Closed Hotels but No Support for Hospitality Sector
As the gov unveils another round of salary support for businesses in the travel and tourism sector, hospitality business owners are still seeking gov support. The latest round of salary support covers the period April 25 to May 23 for businesses which can demonstrate a reduction in revenue of at […]
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Treasury Seeking Solution to Charity Banking Charges
Treasury Minister Alf Cannan says his department is continuing to seek solutions to a Tynwald resolution requiring banks to provide basic banking services free of charge for small charities and other not for profit clubs, societies and associations. But it is unlikely to be resolved before the General Election. The […]
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The Talking Mongoose – Kate meets Sir Heg
Gef’s founder Kate chats to advertising legend Sir John Hegarty about the importance of creative thinking as part of an economic recovery.
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Bank Delays Rollout of Charity Charges
Speaker Juan Watterson said the move is a ‘reprieve for charities’.
Photo Credit: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Timothy_Titus
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DfE Launches Graduate Incentive Scheme
The DfE has announced the launch of the Graduate Role Incentive offering local businesses 20% of the first year salary up to £6,000 and an employer National Insurance rebate for each returning or incoming graduate hired into supported roles. Essentially that all means they’re trying to get graduates to come […]
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We Don’t Need Bank to Issue Banknotes
Even if the Isle of Man Bank were to close all of its offices in the island, it would not affect our ability to issue our own money, the Treasury Minister has told Keys. Alf Cannan was asked by Garff MHK Martyn Perkins what the implications are for the issue […]
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Chamber Asks Businesses, What do You Want to Know From Candidates?
Chamber of Commerce members are being asked to take part in an online survey to identify questions that businesses want candidates to answer during the General Election campaign. Claire Watterson, Chair of Chamber’s Think Tank group which is organising the survey, explainedL ‘In addition to encouraging all of our members […]
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A Big Moment for Ramsey’s Shipyard
A project to stimulate Ramsey’s marine engineering sector marked a significant milestone on Saturday when Mezeron made use of the shipyard slipway for the first time in 20 years. A phased improvement plan totalling around £800,000 was carried out by the DoI, which is responsible for the site, after the […]
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Shrouded in Mist, What is the True Cost of the Prom Scheme?
A Tynwald committee has said the Department of Infrastructure is attempting to hide the true cost of the promenade regeneration project from taxpayers. The Environment and Infrastructure Review Committee has delivered its final report into the much maligned scheme. In its report, the committee, chaired by Claire Barber MHK, identified […]
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Manx Businesswoman Steps into Dragons’ Den
Stephanie Kelsey, founder of local business Beachpowder Limited, is set to pitch her sand-removing products to the Dragons in next week’s episode of Dragons’ Den. Stephanie will take Beach Powder and Beach Powder Shimmer, two talc-free powders she designed to remove sand from the skin, into the Den in the […]
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Civil Service Considering Regional Hubs
How and where we work in a post Covid world is starting to come into focus.
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Black Dog Seeks Permanent Peel Gig
The Dogs Nollick proved a hit with customers when it opened last December.
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PwC to Review Covid’s Impact on Island’s Economy
The PwC report will also include a 12 month forecast model for the domestic economy determining what ‘good will look like’ for the year ahead.
Image credit: Peter Killey – manxscenes.com
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Consultation on Licensing Shakeup
The gov accepts that the existing licensing regime on the island is now ‘outdated, overly bureaucratic and inflexible’.
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Sticking Together
Peggy’s are using their iconic stickers to spread a very important message.
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KPMG to Develop Gov’s Economic Strategy
A gov statement said the KPMG strategy, ‘Our Big Picture’, will be constructed across five key phases.
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Chance to Showcase Manx Food and Drink
Last year’s food festival generated an estimated £432,000 for our economy.
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Get Ready to Open
The current number of active cases of Covid-19 on the island is 21.
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Do You Know Your Holiday Rights?
‘If an employer wants to ask staff to take annual leave at a particular time – even if this is during a period of lockdown – they are able to do so.’
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Advocate Training is ‘Insufficient’
The committee said that because of the relatively small size of the Manx Bar, ‘there is still a high risk of the perception of conflict of interest whenever practising advocates are deciding how to deal with matters relating to other practising advocates’.
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Gef’s Daily Roundup
A win for Cav in Turkey, a law firm moves into new digs and National Rail’s well intentioned gesture backfires.
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Myth Busting: EGaming
EGaming is a relatively new industry, but it’s one that’s taking over the island. It’s big business, with big opportunities- but how much do you really know about the industry? We chatted with our mates over at Amber Gaming to bust some of the myths surrounding one of the quickest growing industries.
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Estate Agents, Hardware Stores and Playgrounds Set to Reopen
The next phase of reopening begins Monday.
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Sixth Form Student Publishes First Novel
Mitzi Danielson-Kaslik, 17, is publishing her first novel. Palvine, is a young-adult novel, following an unnamed narrator as she becomes involved with the titular Sylvester Spence Palvine, who has been wrongly assumed to be the perpetrator of a murderer- resulting in his two-year period of hiding.
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Moorhouse Gonna Fight For Your Right To Party (After Lockdown)
Jason Moorhouse quizzes DfE on the Domestic Events Fund and Senior Race Bank Holiday.
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Business Support Scheme Pays Out
The Department for Enterprise says it paid out £2,293,000 to businesses through the Coronavirus Business Support Scheme on Wednesday. Opened on March 3, the scheme is designed to support businesses with their overheads during the March 2021 circuit break lockdown. The additional payment of £1,000 was paid to 2,293 businesses […]
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eGaming Sector’s Substantial Growth
The Department for Enterprise is reporting a ‘substantial growth’ within the eGaming sector over the past year. The past 12 months have seen a huge increase to the number of applications for eGaming licences, with the Gambling Supervision Commission (‘GSC’) reporting the highest number of licences that the island has […]
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Improvement and Accessibility Schemes Extended
The Department for Enterprise is extending the support available under the Business Improvement Scheme and the Accessibility Grant. The additional support has been made available through the Economic Recovery Group, which is co-chaired by Treasury Minister Alfr Cannan and Enterprise Minister Laurence Skelly, it aims to protect people and jobs, […]
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Extra Support for Businesses
Businesses that voluntarily closed on the infamous weekend before lockdown will be given £250 in compensation, the Treasury has announced. It is part of further support announced by the Treasury to support those businesses, individuals and self-employed persons who continue to be impacted by the most recent lockdown. The existing […]
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Gov Economic Recovery Programme Q&A
There was a lunchtime business briefing today featuring Treasury Minister, Alf Cannan and DFE minister, Laurence Skelly The session also featured, gov chat show host, James Davis in a flashy studio setting The Economic recovery programme was launched last Summer, as part of the IoM financial fight back 6 work […]
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Tax Deadlines Extended
The Income Tax Division has announced the extension of various deadlines to ease concerns regarding their completion and submission: Individuals Where an individual has failed to submit their tax return for the year ended April 5 2020 by April 6 2021 a penalty of £200 would normally be issued. If […]
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IWD 2021: Meet The Quayside Queens
Imagine that first day out of lockdown (3.0). We’re firmly into spring. The sun is shining. And you’re meeting your mates for drinks outside a pub on the quay for a cheeky pint of a G&T. Life is good. Behind the bars of our favourite Okell’s Inns quayside pubs are […]
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Skelly – Our Brand Remains Strong
Enterprise Minister Laurence Skelly has told Gef we have to keep our economy moving forward, particularly as we emerge from the pandemic. He said that every department has faced its challenges during the pandemic but that thanks to the island having a strong economy prior to the pandemic, we have […]
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IWD 2021: Meet The Pioneering Women In Law
Sally Bolton – director and advocate Law, as a profession, has traditionally been seen as a man’s world, a private old boys’ club closed to women. However, this is an increasingly outdated view and there are firms on the Isle of Man that allow women to thrive both professionally and […]
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IWD 2021: Celebrating IOM’s Women of Colour
March 8th 2021 is International Women’s Day, a day to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. It is also a day to raise awareness about women’s equality and push for accelerated gender parity. We have decided to take today as an opportunity to acknowledge and pay […]
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Travel Agents Respond to Exit Strategy
Manx travel agents and tour operators have welcomed the potential opening of the borders in September, with hopes still alive for a late summer escape or making getaway plans for 2022. The gov’s exit strategy, which was published on Tuesday, points towards a full opening of our borders by September. […]
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IWD 2021: Meet Joanna Bodell, Manx-made MD
Joanna Bodell is a Manx-made MD. Since 2019, she has been the Managing Director of ZEDRA, an international Global Expansion, Active Wealth and Funds services provider. This isn’t a role simply handed to her: at 18, after leaving college, she entered the world of assurance and corporate services in a […]
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IWD 2021: Meet Sam Kneen the Vaccine Queen
The last year has been a stressful time, as life has been put on hold for many of us due to the Covid-19 pandemic. There is, however, a light at the end of the tunnel: the Covid-19 vaccine programme began on the island this year, bringing hope of return to […]
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Construction Sector Closed
The Council of Ministers has met this morning to review the ongoing response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Following discussions, CoMin has taken the decision that the island’s construction sector must stop work for an initial period of two weeks from the end of the day today (Friday 5 March). This […]
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5% Hospitality VAT Rate to Stay Until September
In line with the UK budget announcement today the temporary reduced rate of 5% VAT on hospitality services and admissions to certain attractions, which was due to end on 31 March, will remain in place until 30 September 2021. From 1 October 2021 the VAT rate on those services will […]
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Support For Businesses, Self Employed And Workers
Treasury has unveiled its latest round of Covid support ahead of the island’s second lockdown this year. The Salary Support Scheme will again be opened to all of those businesses that were able to claim during the original period of lock down from the March 2 to July 19 2020. […]
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ALF’S STATEMENT TO KEYS
ALF: WE DIDN’T WANT TO BE IN THIS SITUATION, SUPPORT IS AVAILABLE IF BUSINESSES CAN OPEN DURING THIS LOCKDOWN, THEY ARE NOT ELIGIBLE UNLESS THEY CAN PROVE DOWNTURN IF YOU HAD SUPPORT IN JAN, THEN YOU WILL BE FAST TRACKED APPS FOR BUSINESS SUPPORT SCHEME WILL OPEN FROM 5PM WEDNESDAY […]
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‘Two Fifths of F*** All’
Business owners have criticised the gov for leaving them facing an impossible choice over the weekend with hospitality businesses being advised, but not ordered to close. Those who chose to close will not receive any extra support, despite being left with little real choice after the government advised residents to […]
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Meet The Alpaca Who’s Helping Manx Kids Understand Anxiety
A new picture book written by a Manx mental health professional is reassuring children that it’s perfectly normal to feel anxious at times. ‘Arlen the Anxious Alpaca’ follows the story of a shy, young alpaca who experiences feelings of terror when humans come to visit his farm. The brightly-coloured book, […]
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We Didn’t Flex Mussels with Brussels
Despite reports in some sections of the UK media that the Isle of Man has gone ‘rogue’ over allowing EU vessels to fish in Manx waters, the gov says this is simply not true. The London Economic said the Isle of Man had ‘moved to jettison itself from the UK’s […]
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Java Republic customers asked to self isolate.
As a precaution, customers who were at Java Express Coffee Shop & Noodle Bar on Tuesday 16 February between 12:30pm and 1:30pm are being asked to immediately self-isolate, along with others in their household, and contact the COVID-111 Service. The shop was identified as a low risk location for COVID-19 […]
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Whizz Wizard, A Truly Manx Invention
The Peel P50, the bimetal thermostat, the RNLI and the Panama Canal, all of which were dreamed up either by the Manx or on the Isle of Man. Now a father from Union Mills has added to our island’s great history of invention and overcoming problems. Dave Lowe, a former […]
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We Must Support Small Businesses
A backbench MHK has called for more support for self employed and small business owners in her response to the 2021/22 Budget. Douglas South MHK Claire Christian said the Budget is ‘essentially a holding budget, one that will hopefully be the springboard for the next administration, as we transcend out […]
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Cannan’s Budget Speech in Full
Mr President, In February of last year I presented what i termed a budget of focus to grow the economy, deliver essential capital projects, support hard-working families and improve the lives of vulnerable members of our community. The budget was one of quiet optimism based on a five year fiscal […]
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The Cost Of The Pandemic
The Budget has delivered an opportunity to the gov to provide an update as to the cost of the pandemic and how much cash is being spent on the recovery plans. Following on the theme from last autumn’s Budget update, Alf Cannan says it is estimated that Covid has had […]
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Make Strand Street Great Again
With Strand Street looking a tad sparse these days thanks to Arcadia going bust, we asked you what you’d like to see on our high street. More local shops A LOT of you were big on supporting local. To aide this, many of you wanted to see reduced rates and […]
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Two Banking Licences Granted in 18 Months
Two new banking licences have been granted in the last 18 months, after not one was approved in the previous 20 years, the Enterprise Minister has said. Laurence Skelly was responding to questions in Keys after Douglas South MHK Clare Christian was granted leave to ask an urgent question after […]
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Stores Will Not Reopen
Three Douglas stores will not be reopening after their parent companies were bought by online retailer Boohoo. Burton, Dorothy Perkins and Wallis were all part of the failed retail group Arcadia that collapsed into administration last year. It was announced on Monday morning that Boohoo had agreed a £25.2m deal […]
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More Jobs at Risk as Arcadia Falls
With the news that Burtons, Dorothy Perkins and Wallis have been snapped up by online retailer Boohoo, more jobs are sadly at risk in the island’s capital. While Manx businesses and stores are doing quite well compared to our UK neighbours, the larger brands and chain stores are clearly struggling […]
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Positive Press Sees Increase in People Seeking Move
Since the island exited our circuit break lockdown, the Isle of Man has been featured heavily in the media as our way of life and corona free status has been lauded by just about every major news organisation in Britain. While it is good to see the island presented as […]
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Cannan Responds to Bank Cuts
Treasury Minister Alf Cannan has responded to the mass wave of redundancies announced at Lloyds this morning, which will see up to 25% of their staff on the Isle of Man being made redundant. While these redundancies affect c120 of its c400 employees on the island, Lloyds Bank International says […]
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Bank Cuts up to 25% of Staff
Lloyds International is cutting up to 25% of its staff in the Isle of Man. While these redundancies affect c120 of its c400 employees on the island, Lloyds Bank International says it remains fully committed to the island. A spokesman said: ‘As customers increasingly use the online or mobile channels, […]
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Foraging For Answers
The owner of Foraging Vintners has said that the gov’s response to the most recent lockdown was a mixed bag. MaryBeth Coll said that the decision to go into lockdown at the start of January was a positive one that was made quickly, but that we may have got ‘complacent’ […]
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Post Office to Stay Open
Isle of Man Post Office has some good news for its customers in Port St Mary. After reaching agreement with the sub postmaster Jeff Calvert to extend the existing contract for an additional period, all services will be maintained until at least July of this year. The sub postmaster of […]
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Trainee Advocate’s Amazing Achievements
Alex Gelling (centre) with senior advocate Liz Parkes and director Sally Bolton A trainee advocate at Corlett Bolton & Co received the highest award presented to trainee advocates for outstanding results. Alex Gelling not only passed all four of her Manx Bar exams with flying colours but received the First […]
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Manx Engineering’s Global Value
Engineering and manufacturing businesses based in the Isle of Man have continued to prove their significance on a global scale as they have stepped up to support the local and international response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Turning their expertise to designing and producing essential medical equipment to help combat the […]
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Covid Support Extended
Covid financial support measures MERA and the Salary Support Scheme have both been extended to assist those who are unable to return immediately to work following the coronavirus circuit breaker lockdown. People who have been able to return to work over the weekend, or who will be returning to work […]