Yesterday, we announced the acquisition of Jobrapido, one of the worlds largest Job search engines which adds to our fast growing portfolio of global "Digital Talent Acquisition" businesses at Evenbase.

I thought I'd update my blog with the journey we have made so far, giving you some "behind the scenes" insight into our thoughts and actions along the way. For some great strategic insight about the fit between Evenbase & Jobrapido, please refer to Felix's excellent blog "Why Jobrapido?" at www.felixwetzel.com

Our passion for Job search engines started in 2001 when Manpower (who were one of our shareholders at the time) introduced us to Flipdog.com, a Utah based startup, who had built some groundbreaking technology to scrape employer websites for job content. Graham, Nick and I took a trip out to Salt Lake City and we spent a few days staying at Robert Redford's "Sundance" getting to know the team. Their software was very exciting but we soon realised that they had some way to go when we entered the room where the "anomalies" were processed. We were greeted by about 50 part time, college students who were manually processing the vacancy data. They sold out to Monster soon after our trip.

We immediately launched the "Black Widow" project (2001) to make sure we had the scraping technology in our grasp and set a watching brief to see how the engines would pan out. After Flipdog, job search engines were everywhere and soon they were in Britain scraping our own sites and delivering huge content feeds to candidates. There was one problem though, duplication. Candidates were being sent the same jobs day after day. This needed to be solved.

In 2010, I noticed Jobrapido making very good progress across the globe and sent our M&A representative, Stephen, out to Milan to speak with their CEO & Founder, Vito (who I'd managed to track down). A few days before Stephen arrived, Felix sent me an email (I was in the States) telling me how interested he was with Jobrapido. Great minds were thinking alike and I put him in touch with Stephen to join him in Milan. Felix came back really impressed and so we all got talking. It became apparent that there were only really two truly global players in this space and wherever Jobrapido went, they swiftly grew enormous traffic. Jobrapido were amassing 100's of millions of candidate visits per year and had become the number 1 player in many countries.

Anyone who has bought or sold a business will know how complex deal making can be. It took us 18 months to acquire Jobrapido and we were in and out of exclusivity periods throughout. Trying to buy a company that was doubling in revenue before our very eyes presented us with a real challenge. We got there in the end and the day came last week when we would ink the deal. Damian, Felix and I flew to Milan separately as I was in the States. It's not an easy town to get to from the U.S and so my journey was about 18 hours. I arrived in the hotel at 10AM exhausted and without much sleep. As I started to unpack, the phone rang - "Keith, it's Felix, we are downstairs and Vito's picking us up in 15 minutes to sign the deal". I quickly dived into the shower, got dressed and shot downstairs. Three hours later we were celebrating with Vito & Bjorn in a restaurant five doors down from the lawyers office. The deal was done and so nothing was going to stop us from eating Milanese fish and chips!!

Evenbase has made no secret of it's global ambitions and this week we demonstrated that, with our acquisition of Jobrapido. As you'll see from Felix's blog, it's a perfect strategic fit for us but what I am looking forward to most is working with Vito and his incredibly bright team to help us shape the future of digital recruitment. For us, the future is a multi channel approach utilising social, mobile and web. We are getting there fast and have some more big news for you soon. Watch this space.

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Yesterday a dramatic Elephant rescue happened right in front of the deck at our Zambian Safari Lodge "Kapani Lodge" (www.normancarrsafaris.com) in front of the very eyes of our staff and guests. I'm a trustee of Wildlife Aid (www.wildlifeaid.org.uk) in the UK, which is dedicated to saving animals so was thrilled to see this story. Our management quickly sprung into action but I'll leave it to our Christina to explain what happened....

Most conservationists believe that man should not meddle with the natural order and that we should allow nature to run her course however cruel or grim it seems to be. We agree on the whole, unless a wildlife problem has been created by man (for instance in the case of snaring or being trapped in a fence, in which case it's justifiable to intervene) then nature should be left to her own devices. She has a plan.

However - every rule has an exception and the dreadful plight of a baby elephant trapped in the mud of the Kapani Lagoon and her mother, who had also got stuck trying to save her yesterday had us all in a frenzy of activity. We simply could not stand by and watch them struggle and slowly die. South Luangwa Conservation Society together with our neighbours - ZAWA - the wildlife authority - agreed with us and we all joined forces to try and save the mum and baby. I usually try to keep the newsletters short, but I hope you'll forgive me for making an exception with this one and agree that this story is worth a little extra time and attention.

Abraham got these great photos of the unfolding drama......

The brave and skilled SLCS team manages to slip a rope under the baby, narrowly avoiding mums thrashing trunk - and starts to haul her out .....

Nearly there - the whole team is hauling as hard as they can..... But the baby is terribly frightened and won't leave mum's side

One more try - the team pull her further away from mum this time..... They unwrap the ropes and help her to her feet

Now back to mum who is dehydrated and exhausted - we've been pouring water over her to try to protect her from the scorching midday sun. SLCS staff carefully slip a rope under her....

and the tractor starts to pull and pull - inching her out of what would have been a muddy grave - she seems to sense that there's a chance of escape and begins to struggle for her life...

With us all shouting encouragment and just willing her to keep going "come on Mama, come on Mama"....... to the delight of us all - she makes it! Weak and wobbly she drags herself out

and runs to find her baby and the rest of her waiting herd! The happiest possible ending! The SLCS team all share a celebratory drink on the Kapani deck with our relieved guests!

This is all in a day’s work for the amazing Rachel McRobb and her outstanding team at The South Luangwa Conservation Society. Go to www.slcszambia.org - it’s a fantastic site and well worth a visit. You will be amazed at what this relatively small group can achieve – their dedication and commitment to wildlife is inspiring.

Together with our local wildlife authority – the South Luangwa Area Management Unit of the Zambia Wildlife Authority, they are extremely effective at anti-poaching activities including anti-snaring and patrolling in vulnerable areas of the National Park. Rachel and her team are also skilled at darting snared animals, removing the snares and treating the horrific wounds they cause.

Their awareness raising activities and work with other local conservation groups are incredibly effective. Of course – this all takes money so please consider becoming a regular supporter.

Our MD Dave Wilson and NCS Director Adrian Carr are both active trustees in SLCS.

It was extremely heartening for us all to see how many local people joined in the efforts to free these two elephants – the cheers of joy, first when the baby ran to his cousin and then when Mum was finally released from the jaws of the sticky, cloying mud were wonderful! Everyone seemed to identify with the mum’s plight - we all saw the incredible emotional bond between the worried herd members and mum and baby.

Thank you SLCS and ZAWA and also all the NCS staff who bravely fought to make this a happy ending!

Christina (Gid)

Norman Carr Safaris. www.normancarrsafaris.com

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October is nearly upon us and we kick off with some of the new ads we shot in November. This is my favourite

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As part of my "Angel" series I asked my friend, James Caan to be my guest blogger. He explains what he looks for in Entrepreneurs and how he helps them. Enjoy. Keith

Many people dream of becoming a successful entrepreneur. Watching my father build his businesses I realised early on that I wanted to follow in his footsteps and build my own company. Although there are no predetermined rules for success, I do believe that it takes a certain type of person to succeed in business. So when I am investing, I invest in people rather than the product or service offered. A successful entrepreneur is not someone who is looking to take the effortless route and be part of the crowd, but alternately, it’s the individuals who are willing to stand out and swim against the tide in order to get ahead.  

From the moment I made my first investment to the present day one thing that really motivates me is working as part of a strong team of people who share your enthusiasm and drive. I think this is paramount to success. Also, I’ve always practiced my father’s ‘win-win’ formula. To really succeed in the long term, you need to make sure people around you win too. Relationships are crucial in business, so always considering the needs and desires of others will encourage them to work with you to build success together.

Also, many people think that being in business you have to come from a privileged background with a great degree and money to make it work. Yes of course an education is important in business and any financial backing will give you the head start you need, but for me the key factor I believe can make you successful - is your drive and passion.

After the sale of Alexander Mann I had a lot of time on my hands and money to invest. But it wasn’t always like that. My first investment was funded by 3 credit cards and the desire to impress my future wife.

After my ‘gap year’ I spent weeks watching private equity investor presentations and pitches on why I should invest my money into their clients. Although there were some attractive propositions I realised that I could probably do what those guys did – so I decided to start my own private equity firm; Hamilton Bradshaw.

The early days were rocky, I had yet to learn the basics on how to run a private equity firm, but I knew what my strengths were, and that; motivating people, making deals, and growing businesses.

We started out in a small shared office with three people, one of which was part-time. The beginning of HB reminded me of the early days of Alexander Mann. From meetings with prospective clients to making new deals - it was fun, dynamic and exciting, things were happening. I was setting the foundations for the business.

The next stage was growing the business. For any business to develop you need to have a vision. I decided that whilst a small office was great for communication between the team members, the portfolio was expanding fast - so it was time to move. I found a property in Mayfair and within no time at all I bought the building.

Finding good talent for my business was a difficult task. I had two key investment managers but we had up to six companies to manage. Then came the recession. It can throw up many challenges but it presented opportunities and led the way for us to find some excellent talent. I hired another four employees and within 6 months another four after that. Along with the investment managers we eventually built a finance and a marketing team. The company now occupies five floors of the building in Mayfair and weare still growing.

Today, Hamilton Bradshaw boasts an investment portfolio of more than 40 companies. When we are looking at any businesses to invest in we have key criteria. We have invested in a broad range of businesses in the past but our strategy this year is to focus on investing in recruitment companies. Fundamentally, recruitment is my background, it’s what I know, it’s what I love.

We work with the companies in the portfolio on a daily basis identifying how we can add value, overcome challenges and make the businesses work more effectively. They all have their own USPs and with the help of my investment team we work with them to come up with innovative business models. One of the companies in our portfolio has saved their SME customers approximately £6 million and creating a sustainable business model.  

In the first meeting with any entrepreneur, I quickly pick up on their appetite for success. The entrepreneurs I invest in always have passion. This may be demonstrated through the relationships in the management team, their sheer dedication, or their ability to motivate others. It’s refreshing to meet teams that are determined to shake up their industry and use technology to push the boundaries.

One of the companies in the portfolio that is surging forward is Exsurgo, but like any new venture it wasn’t an easy start. We faced interesting challenges setting up Exsurgo; an international recruitment agency. The management team was extremely passionate. The managing director, David Jenkins, is the sort of person you want to be running your business. He is very savvy, energetic and always ‘switched-on’ when it comes to outlining goals. Besides the usual start-up risks, the fact that the company was to be launched during the recession, when more people are being fired than hired was also a concern. After we set up the company, the expertise of my recruitment team and myself went to work. In the second year of operations Exsurgo generated pretty impressive profits, especially for a start-up company during a downturn.

Everyday I get many questions about starting a company. What is the first thing to do? How do I find investors? What is the criteria for your deals?

Setting up your own company can be difficult if you don’t know where to begin. I have found there is an increasing appetite amongst entrepreneurs for advice about running a business. This is what led me to launch my new ‘Business Secrets App’. Interestingly, the most popular sections have been “Hiring” and “Raising Finance”. The latter has always been a very important issue for entrepreneurs and is now a big part of the government agenda. I’m currently involved in the Entrepreneur’s Forum and meet regularly with Vince Cable and other business people. It’s great to debate and discuss issues with them. I get to find out what other business people want and also report back the challenges I see everyday in my own job.

I love building businesses and thrive on the challenge. I am passionate about each and every business, from Dragons’ Den to the companies in the Hamilton Bradshaw portfolio. Like every entrepreneur I have faced ups and downs, but, one thing I do believe in, is that ideas alone will not make you successful, it is how you execute them that sets you apart. If you are going to do something don’t just talk about it - actually get out there, do your research, work out the numbers, look at your competitors, work out what you can do better. Starting a business isn’t easy but if you are determined and you have unquestioning belief in what you are doing then you can make your dream come true.

If you are looking for more advice and tips on starting a business go to iTunes store and download ‘James Caan Business Secrets’ http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/james-caan-business-secrets/id430824440?mt=8

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See the full gallery on Posterous

We arrived at Devonport Heliport on Wednesday to be greeted by officers of “FOST”, (Flag Officer Sea Training)  where we were driven to the FOST HQ. After a safety briefing on how to escape from an inverted sea helicopter we went to Admiralty House where we enjoyed the excellent hospitality of Admiral Chris Stone CBE and his lovely wife, Helen. Over a fantastic dinner we chatted with distinguished Navy guests about the dangers of tackling Somali pirates, protecting our waters and maintaining safe shipping routes, subjects which we only really see through TV. My room in the 18^th Century Admiralty house overlooked the garden, the end of which towered a huge ancient wall topped with rolls of barbed wire. I couldn’t help romantically thinking about all the famous Admirals who probably have stayed there over the 100’s of years….quite probably in my own room. 

We received a naval wake up call at 5:30AM for a 6AM breakfast and were aboard a Royal Navy transport vessel by  6:30 travelling out to HMS Argyll, a warship. En route, we passed many warships docked and couldn’t help noticing the very smart alignment of crew standing to attention on each ship (or submarine) saluting the Admiral who was chatting with us and interrupting the conversation with a return salute. The Admiral followed each salute with a huge shout of “Good Morning Cumberland” or whatever vessel name we were passing.

We arrived at HMS Argyll and walked on board via a huge gangway being careful to jump the last foot to make sure we didn’t fall between the vessels. I always thought the longjump practice at school would come in handy one day and following a successful leap we were welcomed aboard the warship by the Captain.

The Captain had a small but very nice cabin where we all sat down and chatted over a cup of tea and a bacon roll. I was later to discover that the Captains cabin was enormous in comparison to anyone else (including officers).  We didn’t have much time though as “Thursday War” was about to start and we were told that anything could happen.

We joined the FOST team for an Admiral’s briefing where the language became totally complex as almost every other word seemed to be an acronym. The Admiral certainly knew what the team were saying as he was asking questions which appeared even more full of acronyms than those of the FOST team. Back at the Captains quarters, the Admiral tried to fill us in with a few of the coded messages and it appeared a little less confusing but the top and bottom of it was that there was about to be a huge amount of attacks and incidents on the ship we were sailing in. The ships company were going to be put under huge pressure and we were there to witness it.

Almost immediately, Torpedoes and Missiles were on course for collision with HMS Argyll. We were under attack by a hugely agile military boat which zig zagged around us simulating a Somali Pirate attack. Following warnings, the boat continued to approach and we witnessed machine gunners stationed down the side of Argyll firing at the boat with 50 rounds per second. I think we won that battle and it left me thinking that I really need to keep out of the way of these warships when I'm doing my own pleasure sailing. To get on the wrong side of one would be a truly horrible experience!!

We were later subjected to a fire on the bridge which became totally abandoned. Little did we realise at the time but the ship can be controlled outside the bridge as a backup which was very reassuring considering the speed we were going. As I stood there in a total blanket of smoke, I couldn’t help notice that whilst under attack, Argyll was zigzagging with incredible agility which was more reminiscent of a powerboat than a huge warship.

Cameras were put away when we went to the ops room which is where the battle is being controlled from. It was like a scene from “Red October” with radar screens and flashing buttons controlled by a crowded team of the top brass. Everyone wore white masks and gloves to prevent skin burn from explosive flashes and it was kind of scary to see them all in action with all this hi-tech gear. “Torpedo coming in from 170 degrees” one person shouted at the top of their voice. The Admiral pointed out that these guys were having three conversations at any one time, an earpiece for two remote inputs plus the people around them in the ops room. Everything looked totally confusing but as far as I had witnessed, they were in the right educational hands with the FOST team doing the one-to-one training and observation.

The battle ceased after several hours as we put on our “dry” suits to board the Royal Navy Helicopter. Taking off from the back of a warship was a surreal experience and pretty frightening to say the least. The Admiral had mentioned that the YouTube video with the Heli falling off the back of a warship ended up with several drownings and forms part of their training video collection on how “not” to “kit up”.

The afternoon was equally fascinating and included a tour of HMS Tireless, a nuclear sub which had recently returned from a 10.5 month deployment. The cramped space of the sub was difficult enough for an hour or so but we just imagined what it would be like to stay underwater for months with 130 other men!!

Our final tour of the day following a sandwich lunch in the Admirals office was a walkabout with Hasler Company. The work these guys do to help injured Marines is staggering and we were proud to take a good look around at all the equipment and facilities that Help for Heroes and RNRMC had provided them. It was clear to me that Hasler Company were doing a very important and fine job for our wounded Marines.

It would be difficult to put all the detail of our day into my blog but to say that we had an excellent day with a fascinating insight of what our forces do would be an understatement. We are proud to be working with the RN, RM and RNRMC and look forward to helping them with their difficult recruitment challenges of the future. When I next hear news of our military in action on TV, I’m sure it will remind me of the privileged day we spent meeting our heroes and from what we saw, heroes they are.

www.rnrmc.org.uk

http://www.royal-navy.mod.uk/

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This week we had the great pleasure of hosting one of my all time heroes – Bill Oddie. A hugely influential comedian turned naturalist, few people have given so many generations such laughs but also such inspiration to turn eyes away from the TV and take a look outside at the wonders of the natural world.
Bill was with Simon Barnes and the World Land Trust at Kapani. Simon is a long time friend of NCS having spent time at the bushcamps many years ago writing his novel Rogue Lion Safaris. He visits almost every year and we keep him regularly updated with wildlife news from the Luangwa which he often uses in his articles. They are both part of a great organisation called the World Land Trust which is looking at some projects in Zambia and chose NCS and Kapani for the safari portion of their trip. Have a look at www.worldlandtrust.org for info about this excellent organisation and also at Gemfields – an ethical gemstone mining company with whom WLT is working, who have an emerald mine in northern Zambia - their website is - www.gemfields.co.uk
Have a great week!

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This week I'm delighted to host my friend Helen Reynolds who is well known for her work as Chief Exec of the recruitment trade body, the REC. Helens tells a very exciting story, starting up one of the UK's fastest growing recruitment companies HB RIDA.  Keith

I often find that these types of stories begin like a Dickensian tale with "I came from humble beginnings" and I guess my story would begin somewhat the same.  My father was a builder who ran his own very small, regional firm.  My mother was a Director of a microfilm bureau and I was a traditional latchkey kid.  I have always admired my mother.  She managed to not only run a successful business but also managed to be a fantastic mother.

I was brought up to believe that our family name motto was:  "To want to is to be able to."  It was only later in life that my sister and I found out that our parents had totally made this up (the family name motto is actually "Industry Enriches") but perhaps that will give you an indication of how my parents wanted us to view life.  In other words, if you really want it you can make it happen, but don't expect it to be handed to you on a plate!

I was not really an academic at school, I did what I needed to get by and pass my school exams.  Whilst I did progress into Higher Education, my impatience to work won through and after a year of studying Business and Finance, I decided that my time would be better spent working and studying at night school.  I left home at 18 and decided to jump in at the deep end and get a mortgage.  It's unbelievable now to think that I could buy a freehold flat for £25k!  I continued my studies and gained a real passion for business and how businesses were structured.  I became particularly interested in understanding the things that really enable growth as well as sales & marketing.  Surprisingly, given the fact that I wasn't particularly academically focused, I became really interested in business law.

My first job was as a Court Clerk at the local Magistrates Court and I think this is where I really learned about people.  As you can imagine, I came across all walks of life, (some of whom you would never wish to meet again) and others who had ended up in circumstances beyond their control.  I drifted from job to job until I fell into recruitment.  In those days no-one set out to work in recruitment, it just happened.  I quickly came to love the industry and found a natural flair for sales, relationships and making money.  In fact I recruited for Keith Potts at Jobsite when it was itself in its embryonic stage, based in a tiny office in Chichester. 

I moved quickly through the industry and its sectors before ending up as a Director.  I was a turnaround expert, taking poor billing desks/branches to super billing status.  A fluke call one day led me to the door of the industry's trade association, The Recruitment and Employment Confederation where I ran a subsidiary company mentoring startup businesses.  After 6 months I was asked to apply for the Deputy CEO role on the main board.  I moved into the role of CEO 4 months later due to the very unfortunate and sad illness of the late Marcia Roberts where I learned a huge amount about the overall UK recruitment market.  Like most recruiters my exposure had been very regionally-centric up until that point.  I regained my passion for law in understanding and studying the complexity of the ever evolving legislation surrounding the industry and also the potential detrimental effects of forthcoming legislation on the commercial stability of the recruitment sector.  During this period of time I also managed to fit in giving birth to my first son, Luca. 

It was at this time that I met my business partner James Caan.  I've never been the type of person who has been content working for someone else as an employee.  I see myself as a fixer and once I have fixed an issue I crave the next challenge; direct employment does not always present those opportunities.  Looking back on my career I may have dealt with some situations differently, learned not to scratch that itch to move on when the job was done, and perhaps channel my enthusiasm into new areas.  But would I actually change anything?  No I wouldn't, it's who I am and how I got to where I am today.

So one fateful November evening I found myself at a dinner at which James was a keynote speaker.  We talked and debated the good, bad and the ugly of the recruitment world.  While I thoroughly enjoyed my dealings with fledgling recruitment businesses, I felt that established agencies also needed huge support to be able to create true value.  James asked me the direct question "so how would you fix it?"  I went back to my hotel that night and drafted the business concept, what the business aims would be and how the business might be positioned.  My time at the REC had made me realise how SME driven the industry is and how very few go on to make significant returns.

As I have said, I've never had a desire to be an employee for the rest of my life and I felt that fate was staring me in the face, daring me to take the leap.  I had just moved house, doubled my mortgage and had a very young son yet here I was writing my resignation letter with no safety net.  What I should also say is that James and I were going to be partners in the true sense of the word, a straight 50/50 split.  I remember friends saying are you mad, you are going 50/50 with a multi millionaire, have you won the lottery and not told us?"

The truth was I hadn't won the lottery and I hadn't inherited a fortune from a distant relative but I had an absolute belief in what I was doing.  I gathered as much cash together as I could, maxed any credit card I could get my hands on and secured as many loans as I could under my own and my husband's name ( sorry darling – perhaps you never realised what those forms were you signed!)  To top it all, we were just entering the height of the recession.

Yet some 7 months from that dinner James and I formed HB RIDA.  Its purpose quite simply is to support, develop and where required, invest into SME recruitment businesses.

Our first year was a great success investing in 5 agencies and now as we come to the end of our second year, there are nearly 15 businesses in the mix.  Never being one to do things by halves, I've also had another son Senna, who is just coming up to 6 months old.  I am known for running my life by my diary and having children is no different.  Babies for me have to turn up on their due date!  At 6.30pm on 19^th August 2010 I was in a business meeting, at 9.30pm I was having a baby and at 6am on the 20^th I was on a conference call to Australia negotiating a shareholder's agreement.  Having said all that I adore my family and would do anything for them and I am always there for the important stages in their lives.

I really do admire stay at home parents, I just choose not to be one of them.  It's been a very conscious choice for me to be a working mother and it's hugely important to my identity.  I am blessed to have a husband who has chosen to be the stay at home parent and without his support I could not do what I do.  It still amazes me today to see some of the negative and disapproving reactions to this, but it works for us.  I would encourage people to break with the tradition of women giving up their careers to raise children.  We do not have enough women at the top in business and it's about time we were able to break the mould.  Hopefully I am assisting in leading the way there.

As I sit here this evening writing this blog, my children and indeed husband are tucked up in bed and the house is quiet and I am extremely proud of the risks I've chosen to take.  Approaching our third year, HB RIDA is now worth some £31m.  People are always interested in how you've become successful in business.  As a superstitious person I could say I was in the right place at the right time or that the gap in my teeth really is lucky (I once considered veneers but I was so scared that my good luck run would end if the gap was no longer there, that I chickened out in the dentist's chair) but I actually think that my lucky talisman is me and yours is you.  My parents made up motto of "to want to is to be able to" is poignantly relevant.  Passion, desire and determination makes people successful.  It's not where you come from or how clever you are; it's the all-encompassing belief in yourself and if you have that anything is possible.  My final words are ladies; you really can have it all.  Hopefully I am proof of that. 

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This week I'm pleased to welcome Kavita Oberoi, one of the UK's most successful female Entrepreneurs and who is also well known for her appearance on TV show "Secret Millionaire". Some great insight into the challenges Kavita has had to face during her early business life. Keith

I was raised in a traditional Indian family. I owe my entrepreneurial spirit to my father. My father came over to England in the 1960s with nothing except the single minded intention to make his fortune. His sole purpose was to set up a business that would enable him to provide for his family. He left his wife and children in India whilst he set out to make his fortune. After watching a plumber at work he decided that he was going to set up a plumbing and heating business. My father was the mastermind and later brought his brother over from India to work on the manual labour whilst my father focused on the bigger picture. After a few years my father had made enough money to send for my mother and my elder brother and sister.

The business grew organically, without business loans, and saw its first retail outlet open in Bradford in the 1970s. The business is now third generation with grandsons all running retail premises. There are very few people who can create wealth for generations to come and this all started with my father. Despite my father’s business successes he is remembered most for his generosity, philanthropy and the number of people’s lives he impacted in so many ways.

My training started early between the ages of 2 and 3. I clearly remember going out in the car with my father to his business appointments. We lived above my father’s plumbing and bathroom shop for a few years before moving into a house. I was introduced to the world of business by helping my father and elder brother in his shop and where selling became an ingrained passion. At that time working and education was a cultural taboo as men went out to work whilst women entered into an arranged marriage and focused on bringing up their children. My elder sister got married at the age of 19. My mother played a huge part in encouraging me to seek out and achieve what I really wanted to do. She recognised my abilities and desire to learn and excel and nurtured this side of me. She was much more open, and used to sneak me out of the house to take part in ballet and tap lessons and covered up where I had been if my father questioned my whereabouts.

I decided I wanted to get a Saturday job and managed to quickly secure a position with Richard Shops as a sales assistant. My weekend job caused uproar in the family, but my mother firmly put her foot down and supported me. Her encouragement led me on to gain O levels and A’ Levels. My ambition was to become a doctor, but I wasn’t allowed to because of the time it would have taken to complete the training. I would have qualified when I was 26 which was far too old for marriage and marriage, as soon as possible, was the priority. Instead I applied to study Chemistry at Huddersfield University, and commuted every day from home in Bradford. I was very focussed on my studies particularly as I wanted to prove people wrong. I graduated with a First Class Degree and I guess was a bit of a trail blazer in my family, breaking down the barriers, for others to follow. I was the first woman in my family to get a University Degree and be allowed to work. Now gaining an education and career are the norm for all girls in the extended family.

During my time studying for my degree I spent a year out working in research at ICI. Although I enjoyed my time there it confirmed to me that I really wanted a job where I would be selling, working with doctors and have a company car. This attracted me to medical sales.

Within a few months of graduating I got a job with Bayer Pharmaceuticals. Although, I’d begun my working career, there was even more pressure from my family who had introduced me to many prospective partners, by this time. A family friend from Derby suggested to my mother that they knew someone that would be a good match for me and when they told me who it was I realised that we had been at the same university and I already knew him. We decided to get married after only a few hours of meeting up again. We married and within the first month my husband’s mother died of breast cancer. This meant I was thrust into responsibility for running the home, looking after my father-in-law, sister-in-law and also trying to balance the commitments of work. Bayer had transferred me to manage their region in Trent, which was a huge challenge for a 23 year old, but something that I relished. I remember ringing my mum up for cooking lessons on most days. I can now cook like no-one else!! I guess you just get on with things and I was so grateful that I had been able to keep working and to this date I still do work around the clock to fit everything in.

I’d been in Derby a little over eight years, during which time I had had two daughters. After my second daughter was born it was suggested by a work colleague that I should go for a promotion. It is important to have people that empower and push you in life so I convinced myself that this was the dream job for me and I was going to get it. It was quite a shock when I was overlooked because I was informed that I was too autocratic, didn’t possess the leadership skills and too much of a risk taker. I started going for interviews and it was then that I decided I’d never work for anyone else again. I could not face working for someone else for another 8 years only to be told I wasn’t good enough. This was the catalyst for me to set up Oberoi Consulting. I’d been working in the industry for over eight years, and new guidelines had just come out on managing heart disease and I found that doctors struggled to implement these guidelines. The first step was identification of the patients through a computer audit of their systems. I taught myself the clinical systems and started to produce the reports and guide the doctors in terms of recall of their patients and it was just what the doctors needed. I began to think that if I could take the idea to a pharmaceutical company it could support their brand growth, help doctors to reach their targets and improve patients care. About six or seven months after setting up my own business I got an opportunity to pitch the idea to one of the world’s biggest pharmaceutical companies. I was so passionate about the idea, believing in it completely, which must have shone through during the meeting. I walked out of that meeting securing a £0.5m contract, and not a clue of how I was going to deliver it, with no staff and working from a bedroom at home! A few months later the government released the new GMS contract and the need for our services went through the roof as everything was tied into data on their computer systems and points meant pounds for doctors.

Today, we work with a number of different clients within the healthcare sector, from Primary Care Trusts, doctor’s practices, practice based commissioning clusters to pharmaceutical companies. We help them meet their targets in a more efficient way.

The business has grown rapidly in a relatively short period of time. We have worked with over 5,000 GP practices across the UK and our client list is growing. It was about two or three years after I launched Oberoi Consulting that I realised I needed a prestigious office to attract blue chip clients. I’d seen the building that we currently occupy on Pride Park and had enquired about it, only to be told by the agent that it had been sold. I kept persisting and out of the blue the agent phoned to say that it was available. I bought the building, moved in and rented out part of the space to another business.

In 2010, I became a co-owner of Octavian Security, which is a completely different business to my own. I had known the founder Sukhi Ghuman for some time, I looked at the business and saw the potential and just went for it. If you compare the two businesses, Octavian Security has over 500 employees across the UK and we are now growing internationally whereas Oberoi Consulting has around 30 employees. However, the latter has been generating far more profit, for me it’s all about the bottom line. Octavian has been another great learning curve for me and I believe that life long learning is really important. I also invested in another business in 2010 called "Adherence Science", which specialises in the area of mobile health utilising mobile phones to support patients with medication, an exciting growth area. Getting involved in Octavian Security and Adherence Science has helped me realise that I’d like to work with more businesses and acquisitions. I built my business from scratch, learnt from my mistakes and believe that experience teaches us a lot, which I’d be keen to pass on. This type of mentoring, also sits well with some of the other work that I’ve become involved in within the voluntary sector. This all started with being on The Secret Millionaire, which was a brilliant experience and one which I very nearly missed out on. The programme makers approached me for the first series, but I turned them down. I realised that I made a mistake when I went on a trade delegation with a group of women to Mumbai, and met a woman who had set up the national spastic’s society across India She really inspired me and made me realise that I wanted to give something back. Two weeks after I returned and out of the blue, I received a phone call from the programme makers, I said yes straight away this time. During my Secret Millionaire experience I gave money to a GP practice that needed new premises to operate from. One of the doctors had a vision 30 years ago to set up advocacy and support services as drugs are not always the answer. I could see the impact this would have on the local community and I latterly went back to open a new building for them. The other story that really touched me, possibly because of the challenges I had faced growing up, was a group of ladies who were running a programme called ‘Sisters with Voices’ which aimed to empower women between the ages of 13 and 17. I’ve become a director with this charity and became involved in rolling out the programme to Derby, which is something I’m really proud of. Additionally, I’ve taken on a global charity role with the Girl Guides, which has similar ambitions to ‘Sisters with Voices’ but on a larger scale. I am Chair of the Global Girls Funds which I took on in April 2010. The Fund aims to raise £10m over the next five years and is dedicated to empowering all girls and young women to reach their full potential and take action to change the world for the better. I now give a percentage of my profits from my business ventures to the Global Girls Fund. This is another great and rewarding learning curve. 

Oberoi Consulting is my baby. It’s a very profitable business which has enabled me to invest in other things such as commercial property. Growth is important and everyday we get new opportunities both from the UK and internationally. It’s all about deliverability and making sure you have the right local knowledge to undertake these types of projects.

When people ask me “what are your plans for the future”? I say to them “I’ve only just started!”

I’m keen to invest in more start-up businesses and other companies of interest, if the right opportunity arises. Business owners have to keep an eye on their bottom line and finance management is also absolutely critical regardless the size of the business. Becoming a successful entrepreneur is about passion, focus and sacrifice You’ve got to realise that a business takes up a lot of time, there’s no quick win, just sheer hard work. The harder I work the luckier I become.

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One of the best pieces of advice my father ever gave me was to “Observe the masses and do the opposite”.

This week, I welcome to my guest blog, my friend, James Caan, who provides a fascinating insight into his own amazing "Entrepreneur story". Keith.

I always knew I wanted my own business.  I started my entrepreneurial activities at school.  My father ran his own business, making leather jackets for west London boutiques.  I remember taking them to school and selling them to my friends for £10 profit.  My father was impressed.  From an early age I had been absorbing lessons from him, but one piece of advice that always stayed with me was his appreciation of the ‘win-win’ formula.  He was adamant that you could only operate successfully if you put yourself in the other person’s shoes – whether that was supplier or client – because to him the art of success was making the other person feel like he’d won.  If you did that, they were more likely to come back again.  “Successful business,” he would say, “is not about good transactions, it’s about good relationships”.

I think he noticed my entrepreneurial spirit early on, and started to groom me to take over his business.  As with most Asian families, I knew I was expected to take over the family business.  But it just didn’t feel right for me.  I didn’t know at the time what I wanted to do with my life, just that I could work for myself.  My drive to break out on my own led me to make a very rash decision, I dropped out of school when I was 16.

To say that my father was disappointed that I didn’t want to take over the business was an understatement, but dropping out of school plunged our relationship to new levels.  So, on top of everything else I left home.

Now I really needed to earn money to support myself.  I tried a few unsuitable jobs until I finally got a job as a trainee in a recruitment agency in Holborn.  I was given a copy of the Yellow Pages and a phone and told to pitch to companies. I immediately loved the buzz and the atmosphere of the recruitment office.

At age 19 I was doing quite well in my new found career, so I was delighted when I was head hunted to work as a consultant in the financial services sector.  It was here that I really learned how to pitch, taking it to the next level, a skill that would later serve me well when starting my own business and pitching for that all important first client.  The money was good, the commission alone was more than my salary and was enough to buy myself a Mercedes and a selection of designer suits.  Life was good.  This was the 80s, the economy was booming, you were always hearing about brokers and city workers and their lavish spending and big deals. 

During my time in the financial services sector I met Aisha, who was later to become my wife.  I interviewed her when she came for a job at our agency.  She was a well educated and astute woman, I found her fascinating.  Aisha turned down the job she was offered deciding that she wanted to realise a dream of opening her own boutique.  By this time I was hooked and I wanted to invest in her business idea.  I didn’t have the money, nor did I know where I would get the £30k needed.  In the end I maxed out countless credit cards. 

The boutiques did so well I ended up leaving my job to focus on them full time.  Before we knew it, the debts had been paid off, we were turning a profit, and opened up a few more stores.  But I still had the passion and dream of setting up my own recruitment business.

“Successful business,” my father would say, “is not about good transactions, it’s about good relationships”.

So not too long I decided to go with my instincts and take the plunge.  I returned to recruitment and set up a business called Alexander Mann.  At the time it was really important to me that my business had a prestigious address.  I wanted clients to feel that the company was professional and established.  Unfortunately that meant that all I could afford was a broom cupboard sized room in a Pall Mall building with no windows!  So there I was in a cupboard, starting out, just as I had done years earlier, with just a Yellow Pages and a phone.

As anyone who has done cold calling before will know, it can be a disheartening process. Selling from scratch requires perseverance and a thick skin. I would contact countless clients pitching to them, only to have the phone repeatedly put down on me.  This went on for months.  It took me a while to realise why I was not getting any clients, but eventually I decided I needed to change my pitch.  I needed to approach the clients with the vacancies and then pitch them the perfect candidate.  Rather than trying to sell my services to them, I would use my skills to engage them in conversation.  From these discussions I was able to glean quite a lot of information.  I managed to get the companies to start pitching me; why should my candidate work for you?  In the process, I was gaining first hand a thorough job description, which just left me to search for the perfect candidate.  I wasn’t leaving them any room to decline my offer.  It took some persistence but eventually after a few months, I landed my first placement.   As soon as I made that first deal, I went out to prove to others that my pitch worked and that I could build a sustainable business.  And I did. 

Before long I moved Alexander Mann to a larger office.  Within two years, I had employed a team of people and we were making money.  I was continually thinking about new ideas on how to increase revenue.  One idea I had was to recruit within the industry itself.  It seemed to amuse everyone I tried to sell the idea to, but I knew I was on to something and one day I got the first bite.  The idea made me the first person in the UK to charge a fee to a client for sourcing and placing a recruitment consultant.  From then on we had made a name for ourselves as the “recruiter for recruiters”.

When the 1990’s recession came, Alexander Mann was still quite a small company, despite the level of turnover.  Profits declined, and continued to decline.  I started the business riding through a boom economy in the 80’s, I’d not been prepared for such a tough climate.  I was even struggling to pay the wages at one point, and I didn’t take a pay cheque myself for a few months.  But I took some advice and instead of continuously worrying about the risk of closure, I thought about my father’s words and managed to ride it out.  

I always had the vision of the company growing further, building an International name.  When the business tide finally turned, I moved Alexander Mann to Holborn.  Employee growth doubled and then doubled again.  The business went from strength to strength and eventually grew to a turnover of £130 million.  In 2002 I sold Alexander Mann.  It was a strange but incredibly exciting moment when I saw the amount I was being offered for it.  The sale meant I could retire early and spend time with my family enjoying a relaxing life.  And for a while I did just that.  I took a year out, I grew a beard and only wore jeans and t-shirts.  But I wasn’t satisfied, I missed working.  For a while I took on a number of projects; I built and invested in a school for underprivileged children in Pakistan, I named it in memory of my father, who died in 1999.  During this break I also took the decision to return to education.  It was the only thing I felt I’d missed out on in my life.  So at 40 I went to Harvard Business School to study a Business Management Course.

When I returned from Harvard I started looking for ways I could invest the money I had from the sale of Alexander Mann.  After considering a number of possibilities I decided to get someone else to invest it for me.  At the time, Private Equity companies were providing the best return and I was familiar with the process from the sale of AM to Advent. So I sat through numerous presentations from Private Equity teams telling me why I should invest in them.  During one meeting I came across a very well presented team with high calibre Oxbridge backgrounds but I suddenly realised none of them had actually run a business.  I had a light bulb moment; Why don’t I just do this myself?  Having already built a business from scratch I could use my experience and money to invest in and grow other businesses.  Amazingly word got out that I was planning something and the phone started ringing, people started offering me deals.  All I needed was to recruit some exceptional talent behind me, and I soon went about selecting my perfect team. 

So my next big passion, Hamilton Bradshaw was born.  When I was thinking of a name I had the image of two old-fashioned, well established, astute men sitting outside a Mayfair office, probably in bowler hats, and I wanted my company to reflect this. What is more typically English and noble sounding than Mr Hamilton and Mr Bradshaw?

It may seem like most of my business career up until then was plain sailing, but that’s not the case.  In the early stages of Hamilton Bradshaw, one of my decisions misfired.  Thinking that I knew enough about business to take on any sector, I thought I could turn around a failing sandwich chain, Benjy’s.  Remember that old adage that if a deal seems too good to be true, it generally is.  Well I went against all my business principals when I acquired Benjy’s; I was offered the deal on the Monday and by the Friday I had signed the contracts.  I learned a valuable lesson from the experience.  If I’d stuck to my usual approach to decision making I would have evaluated the business properly and probably come to the same conclusion that the owners had; the business was deteriorating fast and, with fierce competition, it wasn’t salvageable.  The trouble was, I didn’t know the sector and I was out of my depth.  I finally threw in the towel after 6 months but I’m glad I did; in the end I wasn’t too proud to hold up my hands and say I got it wrong.

When the BBC approached me to join Dragons’ Den in 2007 I was delighted.  Although I had heard of the show, I hadn’t seen it, so in preparation I spent a whole weekend watching all the back episodes.  On the first day I was quite nervous, especially when I realised there were no notes or preparation before the entrepreneurs entered.  What you see on screen is literally what you get!  The guy comes up, he gives you a pitch for say 20 minutes and that’s it, you decide if you want to invest your money.

It took me a while to make my first investment; this wasn’t the way I was used to doing business.  My decisions to invest were based on gut feeling.  Coming from a service industry background, I am a great believer in investing in people not just the product.  Someone could have the most incredible idea, but unless they have the determination and passion to drive it, the business will not be successful.  Perhaps my first investment, the dog treadmill, was a surprise to the other Dragons, but I saw something in the owner, Sammy French, which made me believe she had the grit and determination to make her business work.  And she lived up to my expectations, the product has been a great success both in the UK and overseas ever since.   

Soon after starting in the Den I was approached to write my own Autobiography.  I was reluctant at first, and still a little unsure of the fame that programmes like Dragons’ Den and The Apprentice attached to the business world.  I didn’t have a celebrity status, but the shows seemed to have ignited a passion for business and entrepreneurialism.

Lots of people seemed interested in my journey, how I came to be a successful businessman, what my inspiration was, how I implemented my ideas.  So I decided if I can provide motivation and insight to others thinking about starting their own business, then what better way than to share my experiences.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the years that I have spent on Dragons’ Den, but as my family and colleagues know, Hamilton Bradshaw has always been my passion, and since moving to the office in Mayfair, the business has grown enormously.  We now manage over 40 businesses in our portfolio, and we’re currently striking new deals and spreading to new markets.  This is in addition to some other new projects. 

I am also delighted that just recently Hamilton Bradshaw Human Capital, part of the HB group, has been recognised as one of the Top 50 fastest growing recruitment companies in the world.  To know that our companies are experiencing growth and that we are realising our long strategy is so rewarding.  But then that’s why I am in business, and always will be.

I am really excited about the future.  I have just turned 50, so that’s yet another milestone, but I’ve just as much energy and drive as I’ve always had.  I believe there have been some very defining moments in my life that got me where I am today.  I feel privileged, but there is still so much more I want to do and achieve, so my business career is far from over.  In fact, I think really it’s just beginning.

James

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by Keith Chaplin-Mabbutt, CEO of CVSeeMe.com

I’m kind of the odd one out in my family. My dad is a stock cutter and my mum a trained technician. My grandparents too all worked throughout their lifetime and my younger sister mixes work with raising her family.

My entrepreneurial story first began at school when I ran the school tuck shop. I loved it. Every lunch time I’d race down to the shop to set up and get ready for the volumes of fellow students who wanted their chocolate bars, crisps and pop. I came into my own during that hour each day. I’d assemble a couple of helpers and between the three of us we’d be rampant for the full hour. When everyone left, there was I alone, counting out the money from the break to check on how we’d performed compared to the day before and thinking what we should be looking at bringing in tomorrow. Little did I know that I was quickly learning benchmarking and sales forecast techniques!

It wasn’t until after graduating from University that I first decided to try something of my own. I’d actually just missed out on making it as a professional footballer having been at Millwall and Gillingham as a school boy and whilst at University played and trained with Charlton Athletic. I smile now as I recall those words Gary Stevens (ex-England International) said to me: “You need to be better than the likes of Scott Parker and Kevin Lisbie to be offered a contract here and I’d say you’re as good. We just don’t have the capacity”. ‘As good’ as Scott Parker, a current England International. I’ll take that!

With my football dreams shattered I realised that what I loved doing was being around lots of different types of people – talking to all sorts and helping out where I could. I scoured the papers for a ‘proper’ job and found a position being advertised at a recruitment company.

One interview, one job offer – and all of a sudden I was working in the recruitment Industry. And it was just 4 months later when I decided this was the Industry for me, taking my leap of faith by leaving to set up my own agency – all at the tender age of 22 and on the back of 4 months experience!

I had come to realise that in fact, a large number of graduates didn’t actually know what they wanted to do after leaving University. A few managed to secure the blue chip development schemes. Some found permanent work. Others ‘temped’. Then the rest it seemed either sat around at home watching TV or packed their bags and went off travelling the globe. It dawned on me – of the hundreds of thousands of graduates each year, the large majority were available to help place into work.

My idea was born: I would set up a work placement organisation that founded itself on the catch-22 situation: “Can’t get a job without experience; can’t experience without a job”. It would be named ‘The Enhancement Initiative UK’.

I drew up a business plan (calling on my tuck shop days), decided how much I’d need to get going and took shares in Viking Direct!! - Once I’d convinced the bank to meet me halfway, I had a business account, start up cash – and promptly decided I needed hundreds of A4 ring binders, thousands of envelopes and endless reams of paper. Within the week, my living room turned into a make shift stationary shop.

My next bright idea? I thought to myself: “I need to let graduates know we exist”. I need CVs so I can introduce people to companies to make placements. So I called up the Guardian national newspaper to place an advert with the title:

‘GRADUATES! Can’t get a job without experience; can’t get experience without a job”. It looked great. I had a decent logo I’d come up with – a bit like Tetris meets the letters of ‘E’ and ‘I’..! I then had all of my contact details splashed over it and waited for the response. And what a response...

Having only stated my home address – no contact email address – I then got to know extremely well my local postman. As for the next two solid weeks, every day consecutively, I had my own postbag that I needed to sign for! On the first day, I opened the door with the postman saying “Just sign here please mate” – Thinking to myself I might have a parcel. He then lifted his huge sack of letters stood beside him and offered the bag to me. “Is this all for me?!” “Yep, cheers mate”...

And so it happened again – and again. Each day for the next couple of weeks, thankfully the bags getting smaller and smaller.

What a mistake!! As now, I had literally thousands of CVs but all as paper documents filling up my living room and bedroom! I needed to be able to send these CVs electronically to companies. So, in my time of despair I called my mother and being the wonderful lady she is, I suddenly had an Admin Support person scanning and uploading all of the CVs to a database. I will forever remember this moment – mother and son working together in our little empire. I remember it fondly – though I’m not sure my mother would!

And so, as things developed, I began contacting companies in the County offering my service, suggesting I had thousands of graduates who I could help introduce to their business. Phone call after call, I would keep at it, refining my pitch with every ‘No thanks’ received. I quickly gleaned the reasons for the rejection and began role-playing with the mirror. I began to come up with answers to all the same objections. And then it happened. I won my first client. They gave me a go and I’d got my first assignment. I quickly then advertised the job online and started searching through my database on key words. I thankfully received some good CVs and was able to find some too, and contacted the candidates, taking them through questions on behalf of the client. I made my short list and sent across the CVs to be given interview dates.

The interviews I’m delighted to say actually led to an offer. Of course, I know as we all do, the ups and downs and delays and all manner of things that can affect the end result. But genuinely, my very first placement came from my very first assignment. They made my candidate an offer to which they accepted and suddenly, there I was raising an invoice for £2,000. I remember printing it off and staring at it for ages, re-reading it over and over again. “I’ve just raised an invoice for £2,000!” – And the best bit? They paid 

Once this happened it instantly made my business viable. I had a real business. I learnt very quickly on all manner of things and as I grew in confidence, I won more vacancies to work on and began to place more people. I then made the decision to move out of my home and into my first ‘proper’ office in a business centre in Maidstone. I was suddenly driving into a car park with lots of other established businesses. I was there in my own right. It was a wonderful feeling.

I then developed things over the coming years. I decided to re-brand the company, re-naming it ‘Enhance Recruit UK’ to reflect the domain we had (enhanceuk.com), focusing on graduate recruitment, and moved our operations again this time up to London since the majority of our clients were City based. I had built up a cushion of margin so was able to go out and find my first member of staff, and having then kitted out our new London space during the hours of 9pm – 3am, I had it ready for the following morning, for my two staff members. Entrepreneur turned handyman - we became the infallible trio and had a great time.

I managed the business over the next few years, building on margins and making a profit, experiencing the ups and downs that running any business brings. There were months that we didn’t make any sales, so without the staff knowing, I wouldn’t take a salary that particular month – instead, using a credit card to ensure bills were paid. Other months we’d do really well, and I rewarded us all with meals out or trips to a football match.

I got the business to a steady state, turning over six figures and realising an average of around 20% GP. In October 2009 I then managed to successfully sell my beloved Enhance to a £1m turnover recruitment group. This coming about after I had six months previously, conceived my next business idea: www.CVSeeMe.com.

Since the beginning of last year, I brought to launch CVSeeMe.com as a brand new video-enabled graduate recruitment website. It was first to market in what it offered and I was fortunate enough to have been able to raise some initial Angel finance to build audience share and raise its awareness in what is a very competitive space.

I had effectively assembled a board and gained shareholders – all very new to what I had done previously. I was now managing other people’s money as well as my own. And so since January 2010 CVSeeMe.com has been my sole focus and it’s resulted in 2010 being an incredible journey for us. I’m pleased to say that, although I’ve been ‘burning the candle at both ends’ as my grandmother used to say, CVSeeMe.com has now gained Industry recognition by winning the NORA Award for “Best Newcomer” to online recruitment and shown great audience growth throughout the year.

It’s been a really tough ride. Managing the expectations of shareholders, getting to grips with new technologies (Still trying to do that actually...), and striving to make a real mark in the graduate recruitment space. I believe we’re getting there and that actually, we’ve created something quite special. Certainly, we’ve made a fantastic start and the passion I have for the business and what it delivers burns ever brightly.

Being an entrepreneur is a very unique thing. You really do experience highs and lows. You’re in charge of your own destiny – then you might need to defer your salary. You run your own business – but then your only other member of staff leaves and takes with them 50% of your workforce. You make money. You spend money. One morning you’re the sales director. By the evening you’re the finance director in between being the office cleaner. And it’s also very difficult for your partner. Briony, my wife, has had to endure all sorts of ups and downs over the last 10 years.

I recall some advice I had right from the outset from a person I greatly respected. He said: “If you want to make big money you won’t do it by working for someone else”. I thought there and then, that’s it. My mind is made up. I’m doing it. Though before he quickly added: “But by running your own business you must be a lunatic as you’ll kiss goodbye to any social life you have currently and you’ll work all hours god sends to make it work”. Hmm..

I’d never run a business before setting up EnhanceUK. And all of my friends had ‘proper’ jobs. No-one in my family had ever run their own business so I had no-one to turn to in the beginning. Was I doing things right? What WAS I doing?!

BUT! Being an entrepreneur is a thrill. You make things happen. You connect with people. You help people. Yes, the hours are long – I’m still working on that one! – but this ‘sweat equity’ as I now know it’s termed (!) is worth it. In my experience, I now have the knowledge that from an idea I hatched one day sitting in an office, my organisation has since helped many hundreds of graduates secure employment they might not have done without it.

And now, I look ahead to a very exciting 2011 with the ambition to drive CVSeeMe.com on as a National Award winning platform, helping graduates and recruiters best effectively engage with one another and providing a recruitment website that becomes the only place to advertise and promote your brand and work opportunities for a graduate audience. Oh, and perhaps think about moving house and starting a family...! A wink to the wife.

I wish every single person reading this all the very best of luck in everything you do. Being an entrepreneur is an achievement in itself.

by Keith Chaplin-Mabbutt, CEO of CVSeeMe.com

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If you don't cannibalize your own success, someone else will. In 2006, my development team rewrote my system in Microsoft's new WPF/Silverlight platform.  Microsoft made the new product part of their massive marketing effort, which included a special showing at the Mix conference in Las Vegas in 2007 and 2008.

Every day we get dozens of visitors from around the world that come to see the possibilities of the Silverlight platform.  You can check out a video clip of it here. In 2007, my son David who had been programming with me since he was 12 started TempWorks Venture, a payroll funding and back-office processing business that has become the engine for fast-growing staffing companies in the USA. My daughter Maria also joined the company as a software developer and is now watching the cash as company controller.

As of the end of 2010, the payroll processing and funding now account for 20+% of our revenue, and the software side is booming with more than 25 implementations going on. David and Maria have been running the business side for quite a while now.  I get to spend most of my time developing new modules, working with strategic clients and helping out any team that needs me in a pinch.

That's my story - The TempWorks Story.  If you've got a story to share, I'd love to hear it!

by Gregg Dourgarian, CEO of Tempworks

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