Name: Charlie Hunt
Age: 42
Company: Duvet & Pillow Warehouse (DAPW)
First job: A lawn mowing business I set up when I was 15 years old. It was great “pocket money” and was the catalyst to my love of entrepreneurialism. At that time, I wanted the largest lawn mowing business in the world!
Dream job: I would love to be Jonathan Ives, head designer at Apple. How magical it must be to change the technology world through your own creations!
Car: Skoda Fabia great fuel economy?
Economy, business or first class: Virgin Upper; 12 hours of amazing productivity and always on air miles!
Most extravagant purchase: This has to be buying the home I was brought up in, a couple of years ago. Very exciting but years of terrifyingly expensive refurbishment to look forward to now!
Most played song on iPod: Eye of the Tiger by Survivor a great running track!
Best business book: I’ve just finished Walter Isaacson’s biography of Steve Jobs, and wow, it definitely reminds you that focus on product, marketing and service is the key to the making of great companies.
Worst business moment: Raising finance in my first business only to discover the firm were complete charlatans. That was a difficult one to extract myself from.
Proudest business moment: Spotting a recent opportunity in DAPW that will help turn us into a categorykiller business.
Business mentor: I rely on close family and friends for advice and feedback on my strategy decisions.
Next big thing: I have a number of other business ideas but DAPW is my focus right now.
