Share Sounds

Big Sofa, a technology company of just over thirty people, is preparing to float on Aim, the debut investment market, and may begin trading next week. The founders apparently started the business seven years ago travelling the UK, interviewing consumers to get some insight into customer behaviour. They quizzed people on a large inflatable sofa, and videoed the results, believing the insights they got were better than those from more conventional research. But it was all a bit laborious transcribing the content, so today Big Sofa uses clever software that mines all the info. Simon Lidington, CEO of Big Sofa, joined Share Radio to discuss.

Investors have had to be smart to steer their way through the markets this year. There have been some great opportunities for returns but of course people can and have lost all their gains and more through poor calls and bad timing. It can be a lot more fun and you can certainly learn a lot about running a portfolio if you are part of an investment club. Dary McGovern, a member of the Sensatus Investment Club and Managing Director of Timetotrade, a company that produces investment software, joined Share Radio to discuss investments in 2016.

With declining sales and some well publicised product disasters, 2016 was a difficult year for smartphone manufacturers. But analysts are predicting 2017 could be even tougher even as one old name, Nokia, prepares to enter the market once again. Share Radio's Robert Van Egghen reports.

Pharmaceutical companies are in the news again being accused of unreasonable price hikes. This time it's Actavis UK, who have been accused by the NHS of overcharging for a "lifesaving" drug by raising the price more than 12 thousand percent. This follows similar situations such as Pfizer being charged a record 107 million dollar fine for allegedly overcharging for an epilepsy treatment, and the Martin Shkreli scandal, when the U.S. Pharmaceutical Executive bought the rights to Daraprim, and raised the price more than 50-fold. Share Radio's Matt Cox has been investigating these price hikes. He spoke to Dr Amit Roy pharmaceutical analyst and founder of independent investment research firm Foveal.

OwnerSellers is a revolutionary concept in selling property and businesses, where people can list their property or business absolutely free. Linda heads to their office down in Ickenham, to meet with MD Rupert Cattell

Blippar are a leading visual discovery app using augmented reality and artificial intelligence to unlock interactive experiences from the physical world. Linda visits Covent Garden for an innovative AR shopping experiment and to meet with Danny Lopez, to find out how this British company is leading the way in AR branding and merchandising.

This week Nick looks at the gig economy in 18th century Britain, with Judy Stephenson, a researcher in economic history at Wadham College Oxford. Lord Baker slams the government's education policy as inadequate to the needs of industry. What does the fourth industrial revolution mean for business? We find out with Rob Hiron of Kronos and finally Gerwyn Davis, Labour Market Analyst at the CIPD, talks to Nick about shared parental leave.

At Christmas time our thoughts often turn to a wider perspective. It is indeed a time when faith is celebrated, but many struggle to find a reconciliation between everyday life, what science teaches us about the world, and their faith. This is an attempt to make sense of it all, written by Gavin Oldham some years ago. It’s called ‘Love in Creation’.

With the help of guests, Malcolm McLean, from Barnet Waddingham, Claire Walsh, head of advice at Unbiased, Cleona Lira from 2Plan Wealth Management and Caroline Siarkiewicz from the Money Advice Service. Sarah looks at how you can get a head start on your finances in 2017

2016 has been an eventful year for investments with the FTSE recently closing above 7000, just missing out on an all time high. Sarah is taking a look back at 2016 and what investments succeeded and which ones didn't. To look back with Sarah, she is joined by, Jeremy Leaf, from Jeremy Leaf and Co estate agents, Justin Urquhart-Stewart, one of the founders of seven Investment Management, John Mulligan director of market and member relations at the World Gold Council and Claire Walsh, head of advice at Unbiased.