Category: Profiles

We spent some time in Cornwall with Amanda Barlow, the MD of Spiezia Organics and found out who inspires her in business, what motivates her and why she thinks that Cornwall is one of the best places in the UK to base a business.

We caught up with Ken Primrose, head of growing process instrumentation company ITS, which started as an incubator company and now distributes its products and services all around the world.

Keith Bradley is CEO of HSF health plan, which provides health cash plans to hundreds of thousands of people. What makes HSF health plan unique is their corporate social responsibility policy to donate their profits to medical charities. They gave away £350,000 in 2010 and will be giving away £500,000 in 2011.

We spoke to John Greed, who started John Greed Jewellery, who has two stores in Lincoln as well as a rapidly growing online aspect to the business about what inspires him, and what advice he would give to others.

We caught up with Tatiana Karelina, who started Tatiana Hair Extensions two years ago and plans to expand globally next year to find out how has she done it, on what inspires her, and what advice she would give to others.

We caught up with Saf Ali, who set up Key Properties in 2006 as sideline to his glamorous career as a music exec. With recommendation breeding recommendation, Key Properties soon became a full time business and now boasts branches across the North West, impressive market share and an aggressive national expansion programme for 2011

We speak to Neil Hammerton, CEO of Natterbox, which aims to revolutionise the telecommunications industry with impactful ideas and bespoke Voice Anywhere solutions on what inspires him in business and on what he thinks it takes to drive your company to be the best that it can be.

We speak to Richard Green, of the Compact Media Group on what inspires him in business and on what he thinks it takes to drive your company to be the best that it can be.

We speak to Victoria Brannen, of Maya Asset Management on what inspires her in business and on the support that she receives to make her the envy of every working mother she meets.

As part of our initiative to help profile some of the smaller businesses in the UK, every Friday we accept pitches from business owners who want us to Get To Know Them Better via our Twitter account. @BizMattersMag. This week we chose the pitch from Sophie Hughes from online accountants Mazuma.

We speak to Shahena Ali, the founder and managing director of the successful beauty brand The Powder Lounge. Shahena founded the company in 2007 and has quickly established it as a specialist in brow and lash treatments and products, with Brow and Lash Bars located in flagship Topshop, Debenhams and Superdrug stores.

We spent some time with Paul Bates, who has been in the pest control industry for over 30 years. His pest control career started, following a period as a civil servant, when he joined Rentokill, then in 1996 he joined Cleankill, a small operation started the previous year by two of his Rentokill ex colleagues. Now 15 years on Cleankill employs 22 staff and has a turnover of over £1.5million, so how has he done it?

As part of our initiative to help profile some of the smaller businesses in the UK, every Friday we accept pitches from business owners who want us to Get To Know Them Better via our Twitter account. @BizMattersMag. This week we chose the pitch from John Sollars from ‘stinkyink’

We talk to Patrick Van Der Vorst, who after working for Sotherby’s for a number of years, set up valuemystuff.com the online antiques and arts valuations website and who after a trip to Dragons’ Den was able to bring the hammer down on an investment from Theo Paphitis & Deborah Meaden

We caught up with Jason Mohr, who originally qualified as a solicitor and then worked as a corporate financier with NM Rothschild & Co decided to pursue his dream of helping the environment starting AnyJunk in 2004 with just one vehicle. The company now has 31 vehicles, operating out of ten national depots employing 75 staff and turnover of £5 million.