Great Business

Dario Lopez borrowed £10 from his mum and started a business. His online store now employs 29 people.

Almost five years since the product launched, Huddle has grown from a bedroom start-up with a team of just two to an almost 100-strong business with offices at the heart of Tech City in London and San Francisco.

Aiming to democratise web design and ecommerce online for everyone, Moonfruit provides a design-led DIY website and shop builder tools so that small and medium businesses can build their own websites and shops online.

MOO.COM is a fast growing, innovative and award-winning print company based in Shoreditch, London. Originally from the design industry, Richard launched MOO.COM with the idea of creating a new product, at the heart of which would be the principles of great design.

Underpinned by the motivation to create rare travel experiences to excite and amaze, Black Tomato was created by Matt Smith, Tom Marchant and James Merrett in 2005. With £20,000 in savings, and operating initially out of Marchant’s bedroom, sales at Black Tomato have grown by 75% year on year.

Paul had professional experience with children’s brands and was raising his family, but he’d never started a business. Stuck for something fun, healthy and convenient to feed his kids, he knew there was a business to be created that would fill a gap in the market and create a market in that gap.

Carol Powell realised that beauty and fashion can be created from the most unlikely materials. Friends and family admired her creation and the idea for a business was born.

Jamal Edwards started SB.TV at the age of just 16 with a video camera he got for Christmas. Six years on his YouTube channel has over 150,000 subscribers, and offers broadcasting, production, editorial services, merchandise and live events.

Jennifer managed to gain funding for her business and turned her passion for food into the UK’s first cookery school dedicated to African cuisine and now offers a range of day classes, courses as well as the school’s own range of food products.

Tony took over his father’s business when he was only 21. Now he runs one of the world’s leading emergency shower manufacturers.

Armed with career experience in F1, Olympic sport, and multiple other engineering environments, Dan and Mike set out to build an innovative engineering company on the cutting edge of design, materials, and manufacturing.

Daughter of two entrepreneurs, Katie Smith spent three days at University before deciding she would rather “do” business than learn about it. Less than a year after starting her business, Katie now averages over 100 orders daily for clients worldwide.

After 14 years in the Royal Navy, Jeremy Hurst took on the next big challenge – starting a business. He now runs the largest digital agency in the South West region of the UK.

Inspired by his lifelong passion for sailing, Nick Gill set out to develop the best marine clothing possible. Today his company is one of the world’s leading technical marine clothing brands.

Tony Godden started Italian Beverage as an importing and exporting business for food and beverage products. Then he realised that the solution to growth was developing his own line of products to compete at home and internationally.