Celebrity entrepreneur Sarah Beeny is bringing the property market bang up to date with her new online portal, Tepilo. She tells Real Business all about juggling two businesses, her love of chocolate biscuits and Tepilo’s first sale.
The economic downturn continues to throw up many challenges, even for those companies who are currently managing to weather the storm. Small businesses are suffering further at the hands of overdue bills or worse still, customer debts that are spiralling out of control. Ultimately debt recovery is becoming one huge headache and more businesses than ever are having to spend their time chasing debt.
When Daisy Communications founder Matthew Riley won the Bank of Scotland Corporate Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2007, he was given the chance to spend four days with Sir Philip Green. Two years on, the pair are firm friends, with Riley claiming that the retail tycoon’s advice has been “priceless”.
When Lord Mandelson isn’t launching scathing attacks on shadow chancellor George Osborne, bemoaning “unacceptable” unemployment rates or having his money knocked back by Jaguar, he’s encouraging entrepreneurs to nominate their mentors for the 2010 Queen’s Awards for Enterprise Promotion.
Dale Vince’s green energy firm Ecotricity currently supplies 35,000 consumers and 3,000 business clients, including a clutch of corporate giants such as Ford, Sainsbury’s, B&Q and Michelin. But there are some brands that Vince resolutely refuses to work with.
Left hand in foul mood first thing having been assaulted in all directions before he had a chance to breathe. All department heads are given set times for daily meetings with him yet none seem to be able to grasp distinction between what is so urgent that it cannot wait till then.
