Articles in print

 My work covers features, news analysis, news articles for trade and corporate magazines plus corporate writing. I also produce case studies, booklets, contribute book chapters and edit and write for annual reports, newsletters and websites. Below are examples of my work.

  • Better safe than sorry
    (Published in Wales Business Insider, May 2009)
    Reducing risks to health and safety is not difficult and won’t stop companies carrying out their business. However, new legislation means that failure to protect staff and customers could land companies with big fines and even put managers behind bars. full article

  • Hit the right pitch
    (Published in Wales Business Insider, February 2009)
    Lenders have always favoured borrowers with a solid business plan and a proven track record. But with money in short supply and the economy slowing, most now want to see that clients really understand how tough the next couple of years are likely to be. full article

  • Blowing the trumpet for Braille
    (Published in RNIB’s NB magazine, January 2009)
    Although digital technology has opened up new worlds for blind people, it has still not come up with anything to replace Louis Braille’s system of raised dots. So, 200 years after his birth, it looks like this tactile code for reading and writing has a long future ahead of it yet. full article

  • Registration – benefit or bother?
    (Published in RNIB’s NB magazine, December 2008)
    Ask a cross-section of visually impaired people whether it is worth registering as severely sigh impaired (blind) or sight impaired (partially sighted) and you get some very contradictory answers. Some say registration opens doors and transforms lives. Others complain that it offers few benefits, or worse still stigmatises them. full article

  • Outsourcing: How to find the perfect spouse
    (A version of this article was first published in Wales Business Insider, July 2008)
    As companies look to cut costs, more are turning to outsourcing. But it’s not all about saving cash. John Sanders looks at the other benefits and pitfalls of hiring outside help and asks just how far businesses can go. full article

  • Perfecting a profile
    (Published in Wales Business Insider, May 2008)
    Public relations and marketing can transform a business, especially now that electronic media make it easier to tap into global opportunities. John Sanders looks at how the PR industry is changing. Putting yourself on the map with a single press story generated by a PR (public relations) consultant could get you worldwide publicity and doesn’t have to cost you the earth. For a small or medium-sized company, the bill could be in hundreds, rather than thousands, of pounds, says Peter Acton, managing director of Cardiff’s Blanket Communications. And the business from that one story could easily pay for itself many times over. full article

  • Fit to list
    (Published in Wales Business Insider, March 2008)
    Raising cash for development and increasing your profile are priorities for many businesses. Listing your company on AIM is one way to achieve those goals, but as John Sanders explains, both you and your company need to be fit to withstand the rigours of being in the public eye. Businesses don’t come much more different than coalminer Energybuild and PR firm Freshwater UK. But the two companies have at least two things in common -- they are both Welsh and they both listed on AIM (the Alternative Investment Market) in London last year. full article

  • Adapting and surviving
    (Published in Run Off & Restructuring Directory 2008)
    For various reasons, many in the run off market will be glad to see the back of 2007. Contrary to expectations few portfolios changed hands. Both outsourcing and the volume of UK non-life liabilities continued to decline. And the benign claims environment meant no new insolvencies to replace the old estates now drawing to a close. full article

  • Ambitious Helmsman
    (Published in Run-off and Restructuring, Autumn 2007)
    When Jerry McArthur, managing director of Capita CMGL, says “it’s a load of fun” he is more likely to be talking about offshore powerboat racing than insurance. On one of those rare Fridays this July when the sun shone he was eagerly anticipating a weekend’s racing off Lowestoft: “We’re lying third out of 38 boats and pushing to go higher.” By Monday morning, he and his team-mate had notched up another two firsts, taking their boat to pole position in the Honda Formula 4 Offshore Powerboat Racing series. full article

  • Floods of fears
    (Published in Wales Business Insider, Autumn 2007)
    You may think Wales could cope with the torrents of rain that knocked out power and water supplies in England in the summer of 2007. However, Welsh infrastructure may be just as much at risk in our increasingly volatile climate. To see how vulnerable Wales is to flooding, click on the Environment Agency’s website and enter your postcode under “Are you at risk of flooding?” Swathes of Swansea, Newport and Conwy are all at risk of being submerged, while Cardiff’s three rivers threaten transport links, power supplies and emergency services across the capital. full article

  • Managing wealth in Wales
    (Published in Wales Business Insider, Sept/Oct 2006)
    By 2020, 1.7 million people in the UK will be millionaires if the latest forecast from the Centre for Economic and Business Research is correct. Wales’ fair share of that total should be around 85,000. Whatever the actual figure, one things is very clear -- the number of high net worth (HNW) individuals in Wales is increasing. full article

  • Delivering the details
    (Published in The National Underwriter, March 2006)
    It could be bad news for lawyers, but a relief for insureds. Evidence is mounting that London insurers are waving goodbye to their traditional “deal now, details later” culture. What this means is that costly disputes over whether, for example, the Twin Towers attack was one event or two may soon be a thing of the past. full article

  • Cool technology
    (Published on ITServicesUK website, March 2005)
    WebEx is so revolutionary that often the biggest challenge facing the company is to convince people that remote access really can be this fast, easy and secure. However, once they’ve seen WebEx’s products, help desk managers and other users are quick to realise their potential. full article


    Run Off Business magazine


  • Sake surprise
    (A case study for the Welsh Development Agency.)
    A teetotal widow approaching retirement after 42 years working for the NHS and civil service may sound an unlikely candidate to run a business importing Japanese beer and rice wine. That, though, is exactly what Lynfa Phillips woke up to find herself doing one morning in 1996. full article


    © John Sanders, 2002 - 2008

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    John Sanders, freelance journalist, John Sanders

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