A GLASGOW businesswoman has been named one of Britain’s top entrepreneurs.

Dr Rabinder Buttar who set up clinical research organisation ClinTec International in 1997, has been included in Real Business’ list of Britain’s 100 Most Entrepreneurial Women.

The recognition comes just a few months after Dr Buttar, from Bishopbriggs, was named Businesswoman of the Year at the Evening Times’ Scotswoman of the Year Awards.

Her company, which in 2007 had a turnover of £10million, puts together global teams of qualified research staff which are hired out to pharmaceutical clients worldwide Dr Buttar, whose company offices are in Finnieston, said: “I find it especially gratifying to be recognised and to be included in such a prestigious list.

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“We have worked hard over the past 12 years to develop a name and brand that’s recognised around the world. It’s also great to be able to achieve this from our global HQ in Glasgow.”

She has also won a Business and Commerce Award at the Lloyds TSB Jewel Awards 2008 and was named Entrepreneur of the Year at the Scottish Asian Business Awards 2007.

Enterprise, Energy and Tourism Minister Jim Mather MSP praised Dr Buttar’s trailblazing entrepreneurial skills.

He said: “She is an example of how passion, sheer determination and innovative thinking can be transformed into a multi-million pound business.”

Bernard Groves doesn’t want to overplay his similarity to Will Smith’s homeless man-turned-financier character in the San Francisco-based movie “The Pursuit of Happyness.”

“I didn’t sleep in no BART restrooms,” he said. “But I slept on BART benches many times. I’d get on the train and ride from Fremont to Richmond and back to sleep.”

One year ago, Groves was sleeping in parks and vacant cars, and ate at the Salvation Army lunch counter. He told everyone he had “some genius ideas.” He was going to start a business, he said. All he needed was a little help - some guidance and encouragement.

How many times have we heard that?

City residents often tell me how angry they are at the way some down-and-out people expect handouts. Many of us have become cynical and think every tattered guy with big ideas is simply working a scam. A lot of them are. But it is important to remember that if we give in to that, we end up missing the Bernard Groves among us.

Today, Groves wears a suit to meetings, has incorporated his company and is making money.

“It’s unbelievable,” he said. “To have your own corporation, products you develop, it’s like a dream.”

Before we go into how he became a success, it’s worth mentioning where he came from.

The first part of Groves’ story is a familiar, sad slide down to despair. His job at a large soft drink corporation went sour in July 2006. His common-law wife, who’d been with him for 13 years and given birth to three of his children, decided to leave.

“Five months later, I found myself homeless,” he said. “I couldn’t find a job. I had no car. I was literally sleeping in parks. I carried everything I had in a backpack. I had a change of clothes, my hygiene items and my portfolio of ideas.”

He lived that way for nearly a year, from early 2007 to March 2008. During the day he’d haunt public libraries where he could get Internet access. On a visit to San Francisco, he was told about the Small Business Development Center, where they had seminars. He signed up, took some classes on networking, and began to think about a business model.

“I was at my lowest point, down and out and homeless, and I asked Christ for an idea,” he said.

Christ gave him an answer almost immediately - diapers.

It was a product with constant demand, cheap production and potential for growth. It sounded great except for the part about the company headquarters being in a homeless shelter.

Groves finally found a place to live - a San Jose shelter run by a group called EHC LifeBuilders. There he met a kindred spirit, another homeless man named Robert Faison, a former manufacturing engineer.

“He wanted to do something new. We wanted to change our lives,” Groves said. “Every morning we would get up and walk for miles, rain or shine.”

They prowled the Internet and told everyone they had a concept that was going to change everything: low-cost diapers and a line of dolls. LifeBuilders program director Linda Jones had heard such big dreams before.

“Usually I just smile and say, ‘Wow, I’m glad to hear that,’ ” she said. “They just lose focus, get sidetracked. But Bernard, he’s special.”

The two hooked up with Chris Schwafel, a counselor for the Small Business Center of Silicon Valley.

“I’ve never had a homeless person,” Schwafel said. “But he had it together. I can usually sense when somebody is on the up and up. They’d thought long and hard about this and took the time to develop a business plan.”

They took their business model to Tony Grayson, pastor of their church, the House of Restoration. He scratched up some seed money. Groves cold-called a corporate attorney, Fred Greguras, who specialized in startup companies, and convinced him to help them incorporate. They set up a manufacturing line through China, and priced their diaper packages well below those of the big companies.

Today they have a line on getting their dolls into a national chain store, and they are delivering cases of diapers to stores in the East Bay. Groves has rented a townhouse and has a bed, and a room, of his own.

The business is just starting to make a profit, but Groves couldn’t be more optimistic. After where he began, what are we supposed to tell him? That it is too much of a long shot? He passed long-shot status miles ago.

“I think, even in this crazy world,” Schwafel said, “they are going to make it.”

Because sometimes, even in the real world, you don’t just pursue happiness. You find it.

A Welsh student is ebaying a year’s supply of his romance to one lucky lady. Ian Connely, 27, a former marine is ebaying his poetry, heart and romance ahead of Valentine’s day. The 5 day auction which kicked off on Monday evening will hopefully raise money for Ian’s attempt at rowing around the world as well as give a single lady some much needed attention.

Ian who as has been single for over 3 months used to write daily love letters including poetry to his long-term girlfriend while away with the marines. After he split from his long term girlfriend Ian still writes poetry and calls himself a true romance having penned over 3000 poems.

“I think it will be fun, see how many ladies bid on my auction. The auction is actually a ticket which when redeemed will give whoever completes the ticket the year’s supply of love and romantic attention from me via email, handwritten letters, handmade cards and advice. I will hopefully get to know the lady through regular letters and just really get behind her in every aspect of her life, praise her, tell her she looks amazing! I don’t think enough men make the effort with their ladies these days and hopefully this fun auction will highlight that”.

Ian who lives at home with his Mum hopes he generates female interest all over the world including a bidding war from a woman from every country!

The auction can be found http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320339857097 or search on item number Item number: 320339857097

A man had an elastic band around his wrist, a cheque book in his hand and a hose pipe in his briefcase!

When asked WHY!!!!!! He replied:

1. The elastic band reminds me to ABC - ALWAYS BE CLOSING

2. The cheque books represents all the money I have from my sales

3. The hose pipe represents my healthy pipeline of sales coming in

Niall O Farrell

Niall O’Farrell, 43 , is one of Ireland’s most successful entrepreneurs with a myriad of businesses from men’s fashion to property and smoothies to his name.

It all began when O’ Farrell finished up school at Catholic University School on Leeson St with every intention of joining his father estate agency , however it was during recessionary times and there was a major depression in the property market, so instead, decided to go into the menswear business. It proved a fortuitous move.

He spent a few years working his way up from the shop floor at Frewen&Alward in Dublin and eventually realised there was a gap in the market for suit rental in this country. In 1985 he rented the top floor of his fathers premises and opened Club Dresswear, within four years he opened a second store, and the start of his empire was born.

O’Farrell is the man behind men’s outfitter Black Tie. The now ubiquitous brand is in every large town in Ireland many with accessories and even male grooming bars attached. It’s a high margin business with sales of over €6 million a year and 130 employees. He recently celebrated 25 years in in the retail business.

Meanwhile O’Farrell, who started work in retail at just 17 and opened his first store at just 20, is also expanding his empire into London where he is behind Jermyn Street shirts in Piccadilly. He has also developed an extensive property portfolio with many landmark buildings in London as well as almost every Black Tie premises in Ireland. His latest venture is a drinks and snack food business called Simply Direct.

Gavin Duffy

Gavin Duffy was reared in the hospitality and retail business with his family running pubs, restaurants and shops in Naas, Drogheda and Dun Laoghaire. By 18 he had set up a local radio station employing 20 people. In 1989 he set up the country’s first licensed provincial local radio station, LMFM, after working for some years in RTE presenting various programmes including Ireland’s first television business programme, “Marketplace”.

In 2004, LMFM was sold to UTV for €11 million. In 1992 he founded his Media Consultancy business Dorland. In 1995 he also became a property investor and enjoyed spectacular success in the property boom. In September 2007 his property portfolio, held privately in his joint name with wife Orlaith was valued at c. €100m. As he stayed clear of property development, “not my thing” he says; and concentrated on buying commercial properties with “long and strong covenants” he is not as exposed to the property down turn as are the developers and builders left sitting with very expensive land bank or unsold houses in the face of rising interest rates and the credit crunch. He also successfully invested in a number of companies and start ups and remains part owner of the HRM Group of Companies, one Ireland’s biggest players in recruitment.

Sarah Newman

Born in Colchester, Essex in 1969, Sarah left school aged 16 with very few formal qualifications. She moved to Ireland May 1994 to set up Needahotel.com. Starting with zero funding, needahotel.com sold hotel accommodation wholesale to travel agents and tour operators in Ireland at heavily discounted prices. Needahotel.com introduced a massive selection of hotels worldwide for travel agents and tour operators to put together their own packages for clients.

Newman went on to negotiate a long term contract with Ryanair based on any future hotel reservations. Sales grew at a rapid rate and in order to expand Sarah bought on board a MD and FD to assist her in their rapid growth plan. The company grew from one to 95 people within 10 years and sales of 100million euros.

Newman sold Needahotel.com in 2006, to Cendant Corporation along with long term contract with Ryanair, Aer Lingus ,and BMI for their on and off line sales for hotel accommodation. Newman also worked with 80 % of all UK and Irish travel agents , with her call centre , multi lingual, 7 days a week operation, based in Glenegeary Co Dublin.

Newman has since been involved in Newmac Equity with her business partner, Tom Mceneany ( ex Independent Editor) looking for opportunistic ideas in Ireland and Belarus. Newmac Equity brings leading Irish companies to a number of Belarusian business forums to meet their Government contacts.

In her spare time Sarah is currently completing a leading Super Chalet in Zermatt, Switzerland, named after her daughter, Grace. She is also the incoming Lady Vice Captain at the K Club for 2009.

Sean Gallagher

Sean Gallagher is Managing Director of Smarthomes. Set up in 2002, Smarthomes install cabling and technology systems into thousands of homes each year, providing home owners with access to the latest in Communication and Entertainment services.

Having overcome near blindness as a child, his life was changed at the hands of a skilled surgeon who opened new possibilities for him. While he struggled throughout his early school years because of his sight, the advice of an encouraging Primary School Headmaster was to change his life. That advice became his life’s mantra “if you can dream it, you can become it”. At age 18 he wrote his first life plan; to become a farmer, a youth leader, a trainer, a martial artist, a fitness instructor, a politician, and an Entrepreneur. Over the last 25 years he has pursued his goals with relentless focus, achieving one after the other.

On leaving school, he attended Agricultural College he went on to buy a farm at the age of 21. At age 26 he was commissioned to develop the Government’s first National Alcohol Education Programme the Young People. By age 28 he had become full time Political Adviser to the then Minister for Health, Dr. Rory O Hanlon T.D..

In 1995 he moved to Louth as A/CEO of the County’s Enterprise Board. Over the following 5 years he graduated with an MBA, developed and presented “real life” Start Your Own Business courses to hundreds of budding entrepreneurs. In 2000, no more than a month off his 5 year target, he left to pilot his own business venture, with business partner Derek Roddy. Two years later he launched Smarthomes.

In 2004, and with no money to undertake a national marketing campaign, Sean entered Intertrade Ireland’s Equity Fund Competition. With a top prize of €100k, the competition was looking for the best business plan from emerging companies on the island of Ireland. Smarthomes won the overall prize. This was to provide the cash to help launch the company on the national stage and establish its position as the market leader in its sector.

The company went on to receive numerous awards and accolades including the Deloitte “Rising Star Award” and the SFA National Award for Innovation. With the recent downturn in the building sector in Ireland, the company is currently embarking on an ambitious plan to enter foreign markets. Sean himself was also a finalist in the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Programme in 2006. In 2007 he was appointed by the Government to the Board of Intertrade Ireland, the agency responsible for developing North / South trade. He is now spearheading a campaign to launch an all island national network of business angels who are willing to provide start up capital and mentoring to early stage businesses.

Committed to helping those wishing to set up their own businesses, Sean now spends much of his time presenting and giving motivational talks to aspiring or early stage entrepreneurs. He has spoken to hundreds of groups and is a regular contributor to Enterprise Ireland, Enterprise Boards and MBA programmes throughout the Country.

In an effort to recover from injuries suffered in a car crash in his early twenties, Sean became passionately committed to health and fitness. He became a qualified fitness Instructor and massage therapist. Over the past twenty years he has attained first degree black belts in both Judo and Karate.

Bobby Kerr

Bobby Kerr is CEO of Insomnia. Since becoming CEO and shareholder of Insomnia in 2003 Kerr has led the expansion of Insomnia from 17 to 50 shops and increased turnover from €5 to €13 million. Born in Dublin in 1960 Bobby Kerr was brought up in Kilkenny where is father ran the family business, the 4 star Newpark Hotel. Kerr was educated in CBS Kilkenny and Castleknock College, Dublin and went on to study catering management DIT Cathal Brugha Street. In 1981 Kerr’s took his first job as chef/trainee manager in AIB Catering Ballsbridge. Kerr then went to work as a chef in the North Sea Oil Rigs, working for ARA offshore for 2 years. In 1984 he was transferred by ARA to their Canadian sister company, Versa Food Services, and worked in their parks and leisure division. While in Canada Kerr held Assistant Catering Manager positions in The CNE Stadium Toronto, Ottawa Civic Centre, Crystal Beach Amusement Park & African Lion Safari and coordinated the catering for the Popes visit to Canada in 1985 for one million people.

On his return to Ireland in 1986 Kerr took the position of Assistant Manager in Jury’s Hotel Ballsbridge for a year before taking the role of Catering Manager for Campbell Catering in UCC from 1987-1989. Kerr became Area Manager for Campbell catering South of Ireland with operational control for 30 sites as well as holding a development role in seeking new business. Kerr was also involved with Campbell Catering Offshore.

Kerr was awarded the role of Business Development Director Campbell Catering with responsibility for all new business and marketing for Contract Catering Company with 120 sites in 1991.

In 1992, Kerr took on the role of Managing Director Bewleys Oriental Café, Bewleys Franchising and Bewleys Bakery which included 30 Cafes, and a bakery with a turnover of over €40 million. In 1997 Kerr became Director of Development Campbell Bewley Group with responsibility for the overseas development of the Bewley Brand in the UK, USA and Japan. He also ran the product export department which involved the acquisition of two American Café chains Java city and Rebecca’s.

In 1999 Kerr set up PERK Coffee Shops with cafés in Grafton Street, Baggot Street, Dawson Street, and UCD. In 2003 he bought out Fitzers, who held 50% of the shares in PERK, and then sold Perk to Insomnia. Kerr reinvested all the proceeds of the Perk sale back into Insomnia and became a shareholder and CEO of Insomnia.

Since 2004 to date Kerr has led the expansion of Insomnia from 17 to 50 shops and increased turnover from €5 to €13 Million.

2008 has been a very busy year for Kerr, having sold 51% of Insomnia to The Icelandic Penninn group valuing the business at €16 million. Kerr also spearheaded the sale of his late father’s Newpark Hotel in Kilkenny for €23million. He had held the position of Chairman since his father’s death in 2002.

Kerrs’ interests include cycling and rugby. Kerr played for Bective Rangers in Donnybrook for ten years. Kerr is also talented yachtmans and races competitively in Dun Laoghaire on his yacht. Over the last three years Kerr has raised €40,000 for the Blackrock Hospice through the Fitzgerald Sailing Rigatta.

Bobby Kerr currently lives in Sandycove, Dublin with his wife of 20 years Mary and their four daughters Meghan (17), Emily (15), Rebecca (12), and Michaela (9).

DESPITE the economic gloom, the top businesses in Bromsgrove are bucking the downward trend.

Leading computer firm, Elonex, and the long established LG Harris and Co have won accolades this year, with Webbs of Wychbold branching out into the giant Merry Hill shopping centre.

Based on the third quarter sales, the Aston Fields company which brought out the first computer for under £100, has been ranked number one British computer vendor.

Marketing manager for Elonex, Sam Goult, said: “Since we kick-started the netbook sector, by launching the milestone £99 Elonex ONE, our firm has gone from strength to strength.”

Harris’, the brush manufacturer, employing more than 200 people in Bromsgrove, has been named one of the UK’s leading business brands in the Business Superbrands 2009 list.

The independent business owned by two generations for more than 80 years has manufacturing bases at home and abroad.

Marketing manager, Matt Lawrance, said: “We have doubled our export team, and are holding our own in what is a very difficult time for the DIY industry.”

Over in Wychbold, Webbs has just taken on a team of people to man a new Christmas shop at Merry Hill.

Chief executive, Boyd Douglas-Davis, said: “Webbs has developed over the years and they are so much more than just a garden centre.”

In contrast, following massive closing down sales all over the country, one teenager has just started up his own internet business.

Former Bromsgrove School pupil, 19-year-old Henry Newman, has launched Forget Forever.

It is an on-line retail business that remembers customers’ essential shopping lists.

Henry said: “The customer chooses the products they want, in whatever quantity they want, to be delivered on a monthly basis.

“The customer then receives their products automatically at the beginning of each and every month, until they choose otherwise.”

http://www.forgetforever.co.uk/

ONE of the region’s most active entrepreneurs is building up his business empire after opening his seventh children’s nursery.

North Tyneside-based Rob Kilsby has opened up the nursery at Church High School in Jesmond, Newcastle, as part of his Tyneside Nursery Group business, which has grown its turnover from £2m to £3m in the last year.

Mr Kilsby, who launched the business in 1999 with the opening of his first nursery in Tynemouth, is now looking to continue the growth of the company and expects to open three more sites over the next two years.

He believes the nurseries, which try to create a homely atmosphere, have become more popular since the onset of the credit crunch, with mothers cutting their maternity leave short in order to ensure job security.

The firm is just part of Mr Kilsby’s business portfolio, with the entrepreneur involved in three other business interests, as non-executive director at North Shields-based data capture firm ndata, owner of Rob Kilsby Fine Art Photography and owner of 15 rental properties.

He opened his first nursery at his former family home after finding it difficult to find a good enough facility for his daughter Claudia and was put off by the industrial style units used by many teachers.

He said: “We are determined to establish a homely feel and to give every child considerable attention to fulfil their potential. We want to avoid the institutional factory type environment.

“We have seen more mothers bringing their very young children through our doors as they are concerned about the amount of time they are away from work as a consequence of the current economic climate.”

Mr Kilsby has sold a number of his artistic photos through Newcastle gallery The Biscuit Factory and this year sold a picture of a football pitch in Seaton Delaval, Northumberland, to the Professional Football Association.

Despite such an appetite for business, the entrepreneur, who picked up North East Businessman of the Year award in 1994 during his time as md of Edwin Trisk Systems when it was based in Sunderland, said that he was not planning to take on any new enterprises in the new year.

Yes that’s whats available to UK businesses every year. And guess what? Its all recession proof!

Public Sector tenders!

www.tender-training.com for £399.99 will go out and find you a live tender contract for your business and then write it with you! Included in this one-to-one training is also where to find these golden opportunities.

But hurry as they are only offering 30 places in 2009!

Prefer a classroom course? Visit www.winmorebusiness.com

A PLYMOUTH entrepreneur is taking on the energy giants with the promise of cheaper electricity and gas rates for customers.

Chris Dawson, owner of The Range Home, Leisure and Garden chain of stores, as well as an award-winning waste management company and an interior design and shop-fitting operation, plans to enter the national energy market with an internet-based utilities provider.

Speaking to The Herald from Barbados, the millionaire businessman said his new project would be launched in two weeks’ time.

Customers will be able to sign up to the service on The Range’s website and the utilities company will trade under the same name.

Details will also be available over the phone and in Range shops.

%3Cbody%3E%3Cdiv%20id%3D%22adDiv%22%3E%3CA%20HREF%3D%22http%3A//ads.anm.co.uk/ADCLICK/CID%3D0000b139bb3f965200000000/AAMSZ%3D452×118/SITE%3DTHISISPLYM/AREA%3DNEWS/SUBAREA%3DHOMEPAGE/ARTICLE%3D584454/acc_random%3D5200338785/pageid%3D/RS%3D%22%20target%3D%22_new%22%3E%3CIMG%20SRC%3D%22http%3A//iad.anm.co.uk/house/1×1.gif%22%20ALT%3D%22Click%20here%21%22%20border%3D0%20style%3D%22margin-bottom%3A%200px%3B%22%3E%3C/A%3E%3C/div%3E

Mr Dawson said: “It’s the obvious thing to do. I have a big retail operation, and this fits with the brand. We’ve got access to millions of customers.”

Mr Dawson said his energy company would be unique because it would update its prices far faster and more often than existing energy suppliers, to exploit changes in the market.

“We buy massive blocks of gas and electricity and can change our prices extremely quickly,” he said.

Mr Dawson said his company would not be drilling for gas or actually generating electricity, simply buying the energy on the open market as cheaply as possible and passing on the saving to customers, who would get the cheapest possible price every day.

The businessman said there were enough savings to be made to bring bills down and also make him a profit at the same time.

The system, which relies on sophisticated software to change prices automatically, has been tested using both staff at The Range and members of the public.

Mr Dawson said: “We tested it on 100 people and 100 bills were reduced.”

Test customers had also found the system very easy to sign up for and use.

The new company will be rolled out nationally with an advertising campaign and run from The Range’s Plymouth headquarters by just five or six people.

“You don’t need a lot of people because the system’s so sophisticated,” Mr Dawson said, adding that he hoped the energy company would soon be ready to start selling to other businesses as well.

Dubbed ‘Plymouth’s deluxe Del Boy’, Chris Dawson launched a ‘pre-paid credit card’ with MasterCard earlier in December for customers of his 41 The Range stores, bringing a further 20 jobs to Plymouth.

This week the city-based entrepreneur has been enjoying a trip to Barbados, but it’s not what most people would call a holiday; he takes a laptop and two phones to the beach.

“I’m still working, but it’s in the sun,” he said.

The Range reportedly enjoyed its best week for 20 years before Christmas.

“I’m going to make this a massive brand,” Mr Dawson said.

An entrepreneur from Newcastle upon Tyne is overcoming the credit crunch with the launch
of a new business. Emma Reilly (27) from Newcastle upon Tyne, launched Fizz Bang SEO on
the 1st of December and is already generating enquiries from some of the UKs largest
companies.

Fizz Bang provides a full range of internet marketing services, including natural search
engine optimisation (SEO) and viral marketing campaigns. Emma became interested in SEO
after running a small, but successful e-commerce store. After a brief spell with a marketing
agency, she realised she could be more successful by creating an ethical company that used
innovative techniques and put the client relationship first. Emma explained “I’ve seen
several SEO companies making false promises about getting first place rankings in Google,
whilst others prefer dazzling their clients with technical jargon. I wanted to offer a business
where we made things simple for the client, but that had an effective long-term impact on
the business”.

After initial worries that the current financial climate might make starting a new business
impossible, Emma has been pleasantly surprised by the positive response. “We’ve found
that more and more companies are using the internet to market their business. SEO and
other forms of web marketing are relatively affordable, even to new start-ups. Our services
have been in high demand as companies are wishing to use new and more cost-effective
channels, such as video, to get their products and services seen by the right people”.
Emma also hopes a new web application that she has been developing will offer companies
an exciting new way to get their message across to potential customers. “I developed the
idea a few years ago whilst I was a student”, Emma said. “I won several business awards for
the idea but never got the opportunity to put it into action. We’re currently seeking an
external investor who can help us take it to the next level, but it will be really exciting to see
the two services working together”.

Fizz Bang SEO can be found at www.fizzbangseo.com