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?
Category: Entrepreneurs
Interviews of some of the UKs leading Entrepreneurs & small business owners
Hilary Devey confirmed as the new dragon on TV’s Dragons’ Den
Hilary Devey is to join the BBC’s Dragons’ Den, replacing James Caan. She will be joining the remaining dragons Duncan Bannatyne, Theo Paphitis, Peter Jones and Deborah Meaden.
The UK Speechwriters’ Guild ‘Business Communicator of 2011’ is Geoff Burch
The UK Speechwriters’ Guild has awarded the Business Communicator of the Year Award 2011 to the speaker and author Geoff Burch.
New portal to help start-ups launched by entrepreneur of the year
Nick Ogden, current holder of the National Business Awards Entrepreneur of the Year’ and founder of WorldPay and Voice Commerce Group, has now launched business.co.uk, a not-for-profit online portal to encourage UK entrepreneurs to setup and start running their own businesses.
Getting to know you: John Sollars
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’
‘I’m out’ says Dragons’ Den James Caan
Three years after he joined Dragons’ Den the recruitment entrepreneur James Caan, has announced that, with regret ‘I’m out.’
Getting to know you: Patrick van der Vorst
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
Getting to know you: Jason Mohr
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.
Simon Dolan named Entrepreneur of the Year
Simon Dolan, who was recently dubbed the ‘Twitter Dragon,’ was named UK Entrepreneur of the Year at the recent British Chambers of Commerce Chamber Awards 2010, beating competition from some of Britain’s most inspirational business personalities.
Getting to know you: Fil Adams Mercer
We talk to Fil Adams Mercer, founder of one of the fast growing online parcel delivery firm Parcel2Go. Here he discusses what it is like to head up a business in this new and fast moving sector.
Getting to know you: John Lakey
As part of our new 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.
This week John Lakey answers our famous six questions.
Getting to know you: Mark Mason
We talk to Mark Mason, the CEO of one of the leading smartphone app developers in the UK Mubaloo. Here he discusses what it is like to head up a business in this new and fast moving sector.
Getting to Know You: John Griffin
We talk to Secret Millionaire, John Griffin, who has built Addison Lee from a single vehicle into Europe’s largest taxi fleet. Here he discusses his unique recipe for success
Getting to know you: Patrick Averies
We caught up with Patrick Averies, who heads up one of the UK’s leading pawnbroking companies, which is leading the charge in the change of the much maligned and frowned upon sector and in turn seeing a huge increase in business as banks are lending less.
Everything fits into place for dementia jigsaw inventor
A young entrepreneur who was inspired by his ill grandfather to create something that would help keep dementia patients mentally active has become the winner of Britain’s biggest business competition.