Jim Pizer
Jim co-founded the One Stop Thali Company in 2000. The business served festival-goers with home-cooked, authentic Indian food. Such was its success, Jim opened a restaurant serving similar food in Bristol the following year. In 2002, the Bollywood revival was at its height and Jim took advantage, setting up the Bombay Spice Box Company. The business imports spice containers and kitchenware from India, and then sells them on here in the UK.
www.onestopthali.com
Irfan Badakshi
24 year old Irfan is the co-founder of Bean2Bed Ltd, a company that makes unique giant beanbags with beds inside. Launched in 2005, the product is taking the retailing industry by storm, and is sold in shops up and down the country. Irfan left his job in a bank to become an entrepreneur, and has already been the subject of a Channel 4 documentary. Bean2Bed are now exploring new markets, providing products for children and pets.
www.bean2bed.com
Jonathon Simon
Jonathon set up Pieminister in 2003, after realizing that there was a huge gap in the British food market for quality pies. He set up a small shop in Bristol and by 2004 Pieminister was invited to become the only pie stall at London’s famous Borough Market, sitting alongside some of the finest food producers in the world. The company’s pies have since won numerous awards, and have even been eaten by the Queen!
www.pieminster.co.uk
Boyan Benev
Boyan Benev is only 21, but as managing director of two limited companies, he already has 6 years of entrepreneurial experience to his name. Born in Bulgaria, he moved to the UK in 1991, and aged just 13 went into business, importing antiques. A variety of ventures have followed, including marketing and international property.
Boyan is currently sourcing and managing property portfolios in Bulgaria. www.benev.co.uk
Ed Jones
Ed Jones has successfully combined his passion for sport with a determination to become an entrepreneur. While still studying for his A-levels, he ran businesses coaching tennis and football in the Devon area. In 2003 Ed saw an opportunity across the Atlantic, and set up United Soccer Coaches, providing British coaches to football clubs throughout the USA. He has since expanded the scope of his business in the UK, providing more football coaching and courses for children across the South-West.
www.unitedfootballschools.co.uk
Debbie Evran
For 12 years Debbie Evran worked for a variety of design agencies, learning her trade, winning awards, and developing her talent. Then in 2005, she decided to go it alone, setting up her own enterprise FireCREATIVE. By designing brands and campaigns that evoke and inspire, her company helps clients to excel in their business.
www.firecreative-uk.com
Ben Hatton
In 1999, at the height of the dotcom boom, 23 year-old Ben Hatton set up Rippleffect, a website-design studio employing just two people. Today the business has 26 employees, a growing reputation, and a turnover of £2 million. Rippleffect is widely regarded as one of the most innovative and dynamic companies in the highly competitive new media sector. Its clients include Everton, Sunderland, Celtic and West Ham Football Clubs.
www.rippleeffect.com
Leisa Maloney
Leisa Maloney founded artist management company, Fire Management two years ago, and now has three full-time employees. As a true entrepreneur, Leisa has diversified, adding band management and TV production to the services her company offers. She works with some of the biggest names in the music industry, and one of her major clients is Integral, who managed 'Atomic Kitten'.
www.firemanagement.co.uk
Michael Lowe
In 2003 at the age of just 16, Michael Lowe decided to take his future into his own hands. He set up Vizarie, a firm that offered a range of marketing services, from graphic design, through to public relations and advertising. Michael has clients from a wide variety of industries, including football clubs, beauty salon chains, charities, restaurants, and dating agencies. He has 4 A-levels, and has won several business awards.
www.vizarie.com
Daniele Cowan
Danielle Cowan was just 24 when she set up 1stFix Recruitment. She had been working in the construction industry for 5 years and realised there was an opportunity in supplying builders for projects in the North-East. It was an opportunity she took full advantage of, and with the help of a loan, she opened a small office. Today she employs 8 people, supplies 90 builders a week, has expanded into cleaning, and is opening a new branch.
www.1stfixrecruitment.com
Phil Andrews
Getenergy is Phil’s second business, and enables companies in the energy industry to develop their employees. Having helped to organise conferences for oil and gas firms, he realised he could offer something better, and came up with the idea of an exchange event. The mission was to revolutionise the traditional conference by empowering delegates and speakers. Aged 27, Phil heads up a business that now runs exchange events within some of the world’s biggest companies. www.getenergyevent.com
Kate Fearnley
Armed with a degree in fashion, Kate Fearnley always had aspirations to set up her own clothing business, so in 2002 she did just that. She took over the premises and machinery of a local manufacturer, and started to provide designer women’s wear under the Kate Fearnley label. Aimed at younger customers, Kate’s garments are stocked in shops throughout the country, while the business has won several awards.
Matt Johnson
Matt Johnson’s entrepreneurial talents were obvious from the moment he created a business to undercut his school canteen! So it was no surprise when he co-founded a web design company after leaving college in 1997. Aged just 28, Matt is now Managing Director of the Mando Group, one of the country’s foremost web development businesses, with a turnover of £1.5 million a year.
www.mandogroup.com
