Category: Interviews

Motivational speaker Kriss Akabusi inspired a new generation of business leaders who have started to meet in central London to take their future into their own hands and ride the recession together.

A recent report, conducted by YouGov, for the business advice website Yoodoo.biz asked UK business owners who they regard as British business role models and look to for inspiration. JK Rowling emerging as the nation’s favourite female business role model amongst women with Richard Branson holding his title as Briton’s favourite male business role model amongst men.

While the entrepreneurs are preparing the elevator pitches for their business ideas to hopefully get essential funding and mentoring next week an increasingly acrimonious bust-up between two of the Dragons’ promises to spice up the show.

The International Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting celebrated its centenary with the appointment of entrepreneur and Secret Millionaire star Kavita Oberoi as Chair of the Global Girls’ Fund Board.

On April 1st, like many other people, Business Matters columnist, serial entrepreneur and TV dragon Duncan Bannatyne made an April Fools joke. Using his Twitter account he suggested that he was feeling too old to be the face of his gym & leisure business and that he was renaming the group of 60 gyms to “Armstrong Health Clubs” after the name of his managing director Nigel Armstrong. However some people took this joke a little too seriously….

The Enterprising Young Brit Awards for 2010 were announced today at a glittering lunch, attended by Lord Mandelson, at the Institute of Directors in London.

The winners alll received £1,000 for their business, coverage in national media and an invitation to join the Enterprise UK Ambassador programme. As an Enterprise UK Ambassador they will get a chance to network with some of the UK’s top entrepreneurs and help us inspire the next generation of Peter Jones and Michelle Mone!

James Caan and webrecruit have reportedly saved UK’s small to medium sized businesses an estimated £6 million in recruitment costs in just one year.

Many think that reality TV shows like The Apprentice & Dragons’ Den are only about giving contestants their five minutes of fame, think again – The Apprentice’s Claire Young says the show has given her “invaluable lessons” on promoting her business.

Entrepreneur Ben Creighton from Newcastle has successfully fought off tough competition from some of the UK’s top business brains to be crowned winner of the Global Startup Challenge.

In a bid to prove that small businesses can succeed in the midst of recession, Alibaba.com, the world’s largest online meeting place for buyers and suppliers, challenged entrepreneurs from across the UK to start their own trading companies with £1,000 each.

Well-known for his two seasons on Dragons’ Den, Richard Farleigh was known as ‘Mr Nice’ but he says he would rather have been known as ‘Mr Fair’ due to his tough but fair approach. When he reviews business proposals that are looking for backing, he assesses these on the quality of the people rather than the product. He comments, “It’s about 90% quality of the people and 10% quality of the product. Most of my effort goes into somehow assessing the person, which can be trickier.”

There is just over a week to go to nominate female entrepreneurs for the Veuve Clicquot Business Woman of the Year Award. Nominations must be received by 18th January and include full accounts, press cuttings and curriculum vitae in order to be considered by the judges.

Michelle Mone, the head of underwear brand Ultimo has received an OBE in the New Year Honours announced today. The 38 year old Glaswegian who founded MJM in 1996 is the highest profile business leader who receives recognition in this years honours list.

Dragon’s Den’s James Caan has handed the contract for revamping his personal and business website to digital marketing firm Digimax.