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Urie calls the shots at Metrodome

Some people are suited to early retirement. Peter Urie, CEO of independent film distributor Metrodome, is not one of them.

Styles of leadership

Every team needs the right mix of intelligence and assertiveness. Chris Ingram looks at the different personality types found in every office and how best to manage and motivate them.

Does location matter in business?

We’ve all heard the old estate agent saying, ‘location, location, location’. But does the same principle apply to business? Gill Hunt, MD of online consultant marketplace Skillfair, argues that being out of town does not mean being out on a limb.

Rising star: Glassesdirect.co.uk

James Murray Wells started online spectacles retailer Glassesdirect.co.uk with the last £1,000 of his student loan. With the help of VCs he is now aiming to turn it into a £1 billion company. He tells GrowthBusiness his story.

Rising Star: Pharmacy 2U

Daniel Lee is the MD of Pharmacy 2U, the first mail-order and online pharmacy retailer in the UK. With turnover of £12 million, the company is seeking greater heights in the year ahead, as Lee tells GrowthBusiness.

Rising star: Ethical Superstore

Ethical Superstore, an online retailer of fair trade, organic and eco-friendly goods, is forecasting turnover of £2.2 million this year (up from £800,000 last year). We talk to co-founder Andy Redfern

My best business decision: Nick Craven

Nick Craven, chief executive of Weatherbys Ventures, says his best business decision was to widen the company's offerings from its traditional remit of horseracing while using skills it already had in-house.

How Video Arts broke into China

A producer of training DVDs in English seems a business unlikely to succeed in China. But Video Arts, co-founded by comedian John Cleese in 1972, now counts the nation as its fourth-largest export market.

Imran Hakim and the iTeddy

Entrepreneur Imran Hakim secured £140,000 from Peter Jones and Theo Paphitis when he showcased the iTeddy on the BBC's Dragon's Den. This curious bear-cyborg hybrid is described as an educational toy that helps pre-school children learn as they play.

Rising Star: Apatech

Apatech, a manufacturer of artificial bone-graft material, has grown sales to £3.1 million from £270,000 in 2005. We talk to CEO Simon Cartmell

My best business decision: Matthew Crook

Matthew Crook, CEO of software developer SalesCentric explains how partnership, especially with powerful players in your sector, can pay dividends when it comes to sales.

What family businesses can learn from The Godfather

Aside from being one of the most influential books and films of my generation, The Godfather has a few lessons for the boss of a family-run business, writes Ken Jacobson, CEO of chief executive mentoring organisation Vistage.

Rising Star: MyRuby

Natalie Perillo and her husband, Andy, set up their third business, ‘virtual PA’ service MyRuby last spring, and are expecting sales of £800,000 for their first year. GrowthBusiness talks to Perillo about how she did it, and her tips for fellow entrepreneurs.

A culture of winning

Silicon Valley veteran George Coelho sheds light on why the golden state is such a great breeding ground for entrepreneurs, and why he thinks the UK might be able to emulate its success.

My best business decision: Andrew Stoddart

Andrew Stoddart, MD of Above & Beyond Architecture, says that challenging convention has been his best business decison.

"There's no such thing as failure, only feedback"

The challenges David Ferry faced when starting and growing his business, Ferry Financial.

"The Business is out there"

Neil O'Connell's advice for budding entrepreneurs is "don't panic".

"There's no such thing as failure, only feedback"

David Ferry set up his business, Ferry Financial, because he believed there was a better way to do financial management