Sunday 30 November 2014

Are entrepreneurs born or can they be taught?


You have got a great business idea and you think you could make a lot of money from it - what do you do?
Perhaps you set up your own company, dedicate your life to it, and through drive and determination make a fortune.
Or maybe you just forget about your idea, and quietly get back to your salaried day job.
While most of us fear we would be in the latter camp, the entrepreneurs of this world would undoubtedly have a go at the first option.

Check the following for more:



Pioneer who rode a wave

Iqbal Ahmed likes things big. His office comfortably outstrips that of most plc bosses in scale. A vast wooden bureau contains two huge computer screens that continuously track seafood prices and bring news from the UK and his homeland, Bangladesh.

Check the following for more:



Eight successful entrepreneurs give their younger selves lessons they wish they'd known then

The start-up rejected by investors 45 times in a row

The businesswoman who triumphed over adversity
It was surviving a brush with adversity that allowed Anisa Telwar's business to really grow.

Dragons' Den reject Fat Lad At The Back pedals to retail success


The maker of plus-size cycle wear is growing at 23pc month-on-month after being laughed out of the Den!




"Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping-stones to success" Dale Carnegie




Thursday 30 October 2014

The Start Up Loans Programme - Is it a hype?


The UK government has launched the start-up loans programme in order to help budding entrepreneurs.

Similar schemes have been launched before with a lot of fanfare, but they have failed to deliver results.

For example, Business Link was established in 1992. It had an annual budget of over £150 million.

Business Link offered consultants an opportunity to milk the taxpayer while providing useless advice to entrepreneurs. Many businesses were left disappointed at the Business Link service, calling it a waste of money.

Business Link was shut down in 2011.

The Business Link website was launched in 2004. In 2010, it emerged that the website cost £35 million a year to run!


We are keen to hear your views on the Start Up Loans programme. Please feel free to share your experience here - including the good, the bad and the ugly!

How useful did you find the programme?

What effect will this have on your business, if at all?

How would you rate the consultants and mentors?



Useful Links:

The £105m website


Business Link: never fit for purpose


Business Link website costs £35m to run