Blog

Frank Hannigan was rejected by Dragons’ Den with his idea for online lost and found service Yougetitback.com. He sought alternative sources of funding, eventually winning twice the amount asked for on the show. SmallBusiness.co.uk caught up with Hannigan and asked for some pearls of wisdom on the major hurdles for start-ups.

Business management

Karan Bilimoria, founder of Cobra Beer, has lifted the company and the Cobra brand to achieve annual turnover of £96 million, selling across more than 45 countries worldwide. He has recently published a guide to entrepreneurship, drawing on his experiences and offering advice for prospective business owners in his own infectiously enthusiastic style.

Blog

Mike Southon co-founded, built and sold his own company in the 80s, and worked on 17 start-ups in the 90s, specialising in sales and marketing.

Business management

Jennifer Irvine launched The Pure Package in 2004 as a home-delivery meals service tailored to meet clients' individual dietary requirements and preferences. In its first year, Pure Package delivered 70,000 meals and achieved a turnover of £200,000. The company has since grown into a multi-million pound operation. We asked her for her top tips.

News

Television programmes such as Dragon's Den and the Apprentice have shown that a wide variety of people of all abilities and backgrounds can form successful businesses, according to business experts.

News

Entrepreneurs who seek outside advice are 20 per cent more likely to survive in business, according to the chief executive of the National Federation of Enterprise Agencies.