in News by Vanessa Zainzinger. Permalink.
...the greatest entrepreneurs. Here's a list of the 60 greatest entrepreneurs of the Queen's reign. We know you could be on there.
On Friday, here at the Real Business offices in Chelsea Harbour, we watched the Queen's Mini-Britannia being polished on our doorstep. It was part of many preparations taking place for the Diamond Jubilee weekend, and as surely the crown was being polished and the corgis were being groomed, business owners were working away twice as hard to prepare for a four-day disruption. There's always two sides to the (commemorative) coin.
Some, for example, fear serious cashflow problems. With so many company directors, finance staff, and other signatories expected to take time off, maybe even make a week of it, important payments could be delayed. And how about the disruption caused by a large number of London-based employees who are working from home this week.
Whether you decided to take the family on a trip to the seaside today (like the four million Brits who are taking at least one overnight stay this weekend) or whether you can't keep away from doing just a little bit more work on your laptop (I know, I'm like that too), take a few minutes to think about something inspiring.
Smarta.com has put together a Diamond Jubilee special poll of the 60 greatest entrepreneurs of the Queen’s reign, voted for by more than 250 small business owners.
The winner is a 61-year-old who launched his first business in 1968, 16 years after the Queen’s coronation, and the rest, as they say, is history. Sir Richard Branson's Virgin brand has since grown into one of the world’s most respected companies employing 50,000 people in 34 countries with current revenue hovering around £13bn. The Queen knighted Branson for his contribution to commerce in a Millennium Honours List in 1999 and it appears the adventurous entrepreneur is as popular as ever.
Next time, it could be you who tops that list. Why not? In fact, our own Charlie Mullins is already on it - congratulations! A four day weekend and some time off is not going to keep you from it. So have a cup of tea, relax and read the full list below.
1. Sir Richard Branson – Virgin
2. James Dyson – Dyson
3. Lord Alan Sugar - Amshold Group, Apprentice
4. Dame Anita Roddick- The Bodyshop
5. Nick Robertson –ASOS
6. Martha Lane Fox - Lastminute.com, LuckyVoice
7. Karan Bilimoria - Cobra Lager
8. John Bird - The Big Issue
9. Sir Martin Sorrell - WPP Group
10. Michelle Mone – Ultimo
11. Sir Tim Berners-Lee -Inventor of the World Wide Web
12. Mike Lynch – Autonomy
13. Simon Cowell – Syco
14. James Caan - Alexander Mann Group, Dragons' Den, Hamilton Bradshaw
15. Duncan Bannatyne - Bannatyne Group, Dragons' Den
16. Hilary Devey - The Pall-Ex Group, Dragons' Den
17. Peter Jones - Phones International, Dragons' Den
18. Deborah Meaden - Dragons' Den and various investments
19. Tim Smit- The Eden Project
20. Richard Reed - Innocent Drinks
21. Bernie Ecclestone - F1
22. Charles Dunstone - Carphone Warehouse
23. Brent Hoberman - Lastminute.com, Mydeco.com
24. Mike Ashley -Sports Direct
25. Jamie Oliver - Jamie's Italian
26. Johnnie Boden – Boden
27. Sir Terence Conran - Designer, Restaurateur
28. Steve Pankhurst- Friends Reunited
29. Sir Clive Sinclair -Sinclair Radionics, Sinclair Vehicles
30. Cath Kidston - Cath Kidston
31. Theo Paphitis - Ryman, Boux Avenue, Dragons' Den
32. Michael Acton Smith - Moshi Monsters, Firebox.com, MindCandy
33. Michael Birch- Bebo
34. Hayley Parsons – GoCompare
35. John Timpson – Timpson
36. Dame Vivienne Westwood - fashion designer
37. Sarah Beeny - Mysinglefriend.com, Tepilo
38. Jacqueline Gold - Ann Summers, Knickerbox
39. Peter Cullum –Towergate
40. Dame Mary Perkins – Specsavers
41. Sir PhilipGreen - Arcadia Group
42. Sir Tom Farmer - Kwik-Fit
43. Charles Saatchi - Saatchi and Saatchi
44. Kanya King- MOBO Awards
45. Anthony Bamford – JCB
46. John Caudwell -Phones 4U
47. Chrissie Rucker - The White Company
48. SimonFuller - XIX Entertainment
49. Toni Mascolo - Toni and Guy
50. Sir Tom Hunter- Sports Division, West Coast Capital
51. Simon Woodroffe - YO! Sushi
52. Julian Dunkerton – Supergroup
53. Sir Gulam Noon - Noon Products
54. Peter Boizot - PizzaExpress
55. Delia Smith - Author, Chef, TV presenter
56. Linda Bennett - LK Bennett
57. Mike Clare – Dreams
58. Simon Nixon- Moneysupermarket.com
59. Charlie Mullins - Pimlico Plumbers
60. Stelios Haji-Ioannou - EasyJet
Photo via flickr.com by Mark Morgan Squircles