GrowthBusiness.co.uk: Your gateway to entrepreneurial success

Ambitious Adconion

With its generous VC backing, online advertising network Adconion is facing the future with confidence. We talk to the company's CEO Tyler Mobius about his plans for global domination.

Rising Star: Chemistdirect.co.uk

Mitesh Soma set up discount pharmaceutical retailer Chemistdirect.co.uk after noticing how high the mark-up was on common medicines in his wife's pharmacy. A year later and the company has sales of £5 million.

Paul Brewerton: my best business decision

In the past we always focused on the weaknesses in our clients' business, the gaps and things going wrong.

Attractions of Alternext

Web entrepreneur Luca Ascani explains why he chose Paris-based Alternext over AIM to list his latest venture GoAdv.

Rising star: Marc Koska

Marc Koska’s spent 24 years working on his single-use syringe, which is designed to reduce the spread of disease in poor countries. His company Star Syringe is now profitable with revenues of £1.5 million.

Media mogul: Kishore Lulla

Media company Eros International released five of Bollywood’s top ten films in 2007. We interview the CEO.

Creating a buzz

Paul Telford describes himself as a ‘normal guy with two kids’. He’s also the founder of Emotional Bliss, a manufacturer of female sex toys.

Wish I'd known... Caprice

Having made the transition from lads' mags to business, former Wonderbra model Caprice Bourret now designs and models her own lingerie brand.

Wish I'd known... Tom Weston

Back in 1999, Tom Weston hired a chief exec to take the reins, allowing him to become chairman of the company he had founded, Sunrise Software. Three years later, Weston discovered Sunrise was on the verge of going under.

Wish I'd known... Rachel Elnaugh

Rachel Elnaugh shot to fame in 2005 as one of the investors on the BBC’s Dragons’ Den, but crashed back down when her gift experiences business Red Letter Days went to the wall, along with her career as a dragon. Here, she reveals the lessons she learned.

Wish I’d known… Rich Ambler

Rich Ambler runs Brighton-based language training business Cactus, which provides courses in 25 languages in 45 countries with clients including Channel 4, Burberry and BT. He shares with GrowthBusiness some of the lessons he's learnt along the way.

Wish I’d known...Tony Moloney

A year after Tony Moloney started Anthony Alan Foods, the company won the UK license to manufacture cakes under the Weight Watchers brand. In its first four years it achieved organic growth of 7,600 per cent to £20.6 million, winning numerous awards along the way.

A growth story: activ8 intelligence

An executive hire often relies on the raw talent of the recruitment agent or HR specialist to get the right result. One management team that believes it has the answers to the HR enigma is the board of activ8 intelligence, a recruitment technology business that has developed a hi-tech approach to finding staff.

Dave Brooks: What I wish I'd known

Dave Brooks is CEO of cakemaker Finsbury Foods. Since taking control in 2002, he has seen profits rise as a result of his hands-on approach to management and business. He talks about his passion for the food sector and why you shouldn’t use management speak.

Mike Tobin: What I wish I’d known

Charismatic Mike Tobin is CEO of data centre provider TelecityRedbus, as well as a member of the Magic Circle and one-time Father Christmas to a children’s ward. He joined Redbus Interhouse in 2002, grew turnover to more than £50 million and has now completed a reverse takeover with TeleCity Group. In 2005, the London Chamber of Commerce and Business awarded the company ‘Business Turnaround of the Year’.

"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