The FTSE 100. The Premier League. The 100 biggest companies trading on the UK stock exchange. If you’re on the list, its cigars, job security, and happy shareholders. As you head out of the 100, you’re down to the Coca-Cola League and eventually the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy. Bad times then for ITV, Carphone Warehouse, Enterprise Inns, and Ferrexpo - a Ukrainian iron ore miner – who, based on last night’s closing share prices will be heading out of the index today. ITV out means British Sky Broadcasting are the only broadcaster in the top 100, and Warephone Carhouse are off after only 1 year in the index. But for career prospects, you need to know who is likely to take their places: Search engine-like Autonomy – back after 7 years in the Sunday league; Inmarsat, a satellite communications group; and bus and rail operator Stagecoach – bolstered by people ditching the car for public transport. Welcome to the club, chum.

Vodafone will be looking to fill 200 new retail jobs as it announces plans for a further 50 stores across the UK – taking them to 400 stores – starting in Bristol and White City in west London. The design of the stores works hard to lure in lucrative business customers with separate areas to showcase mobile internet and email – well over half a million laptop plug-ins have been sold in the last five months. The high street finally news good it has.

Barely a day goes by when I don’t savour the delicious mango, lychee or passionfruit drinks made by Rubicon. Its a match made in heaven then as the manufacturer of day-glo orange, bubblegum, medicine and cancer flavoured, mythical hangover cure Irn Bru, AG Barr has bought the brand for nearly £60m. It’s in response to the growing demand for still over fizzy drinks - sales of juices have risen 37% in four years. AG Barr is big news in Scotland, where drinking Irn Bru can actually improve the appearance of your teeth, while Rubicon is especially big in ethnically diverse pockets of the South East. Fact fans: Rubicon was set up in 1981 and takes its name from the Italian river that Julius Caesar crossed with his army against orders in 49 BC, plunging the Roman empire into civil war. Why? Why because the founders wanted to start a similar revolution in soft drinks. I swear I’m not making that up. It’s gold. But it in the bank. Use it on a first date. 

The Evening Standard decided to prove the grip of the credit crunch and rang top London restaurants to find that many of them could offer them a table that night and some even had spaces on Saturdays traditionally booked up for months in advance. Proof then that we are in a consumer downturn. McDonald’s appear to hope that things have become so desperate that such empty stomachs will be coming to them. Hence they have begun a recruitment drive for 4,000 new staff - a 6% growth on their current UK team of 67,000. 10 new sites are to open across the country in the coming months as the company reported (hats off) its ninth consecutive sales growth last month, even while splashing the cash on rebranding their stores. The brand’s right up there as one of the sponsors of the Beijing Olympics and China have taken them to their heart. No wonder: for those of you who don’t speak Mandarin, the advertising posters McDonald’s have put up around the city say “I’m lovin’ it…when China win.” I love it too; when human rights win. Oh, yes, I do politics too (but only when I’m really drunk.)

Here’s a test for your morals: while nice and fluffy companies (wedding lists indeed) are hanging up the Gone to Lunch sign for good, globetrotting hard and fast, spyware and soldier’s toys maker QinetiQ are acting on their plans for expanison. My favourite UK defence company have bought a US technology and consultancy firm, Dominion, for £53m cash. The move will help QinetiQ, which was sold by the government two years ago, to diversify away from its core work with the Ministry of Defence. Almost all the new firm’s staff have high-level security clearance, allowing them to act as consultants on top-secret projects – a tough market to get into (and get out of, one suspects). The purchase still leaves £147m in Boss Graham Love’s purse for further expansion. With 2000 robots (!) in combat situations around the world right now, this is a firm who’s middle names are travel and innovation. Proof if ever it was needed that Intelligence is everything.