Each Friday, Punchline-Gloucester.com editor Mark Owen is joined by leading Gloucestershire business figures from a range of backgrounds to review Friday's national and regional newspapers and discuss what is happening in their own business sector and their own individual businesses.

Finally, they round off by picking the stories that have caught their eye in this week's Punchline-Gloucester.com.

The Business Breakfast Briefer show is sponsored by Hazlewoods Accountants and Business Advisors. 

This week's panel of experts were:

Daniel O'Neill - co-founder of ProCook. Daniel has stepped back from the day-to-day running of the specialist cookware company, concentrating on product development - including the launch of a new range of kettles, toasters, coffee machines etc. The company has more than 700 staff, with over 200 based in Gloucester at Junction 12 Business Park, 167,000 sq ft of warehouse space, 60 stores and a turnover of £67 million. We find out from Daniel about the Christmas trading period, how the small appliances have fared and the rise of the returns - not just affecting online, but also instore.

Oli Christie - CEO of Neon Play, the Cirencester online gaming company which has achieved over 400 million downloads. More than 20,000 people lost their jobs in the gaming industry in 2023 - and 2024 doesn't look any easier. Oli is still running the business but has also just launched his own business advisory consultancy. Watch this space - he is a man who knows a thing or two about running a business and launching products and he's on a mission to help other entrepreneurs!

Follow the link to get the full Punchline-gloucester.com story https://www.punchline-gloucester.com/... 

Pennie McKenzie - co-owner and founder of the BooHoo Collective. The café and bakery in Chalford recently moved from Kings Stanley after the landlord increased the rent by 110% and has gone from strength to strength. But it has had to cut staff numbers, as the cost of ingredients and National Insurance has significantly increased costs. Hospitality is a tough business to be in, but Pennie keeps beavering away and is always looking for new revenue streams. Watch this space!

Ian Mean - director of Business West and ex-editor of the Citizen, the Echo and Western Daily Press, Ian is a regular on the BBB show. He talks today about the media landscape, the rise in the cover price of the national papers and the demise of the local media. It is always interesting to get his take on things.