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Learning more about the famous entrepreneurs that have come before you is a great way to pivot yourself towards success.
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Entrepreneurs are dreamers and risk takers. They dream up a business idea, product or service which addresses a need. Being an entrepreneur also means shouldering rmore risk as well as reaping more rewards. Entreprenerus possess a wide range of skills that enable them to take calculated risks when running their business venture, giving them the best chances of success.
Their insight and knowledge enable them to introduce entrepreneurial trends to their day-to-day operations, which often enables them to become respected industry leaders.
Entrepreneurs are very much aware of the importance of a robust business plan, regardles of what type of business they will embark on. A long term plan should always place in its very core a solid customer service strategy.
According to a study from CyberCrew, there are 5.93 million businesses in the UK - which means it is home to 5.93 million entrepreneurs. This article will discuss some of the more notable UK-based entrepreneurs across a wide range of industries!
Richard Branson is one of the world’s most famous serial entrepreneurs, with a net worth amassing 4.2 billion dollars, per recent reports. Serving as CEO of the Virgin Group, Branson is viewed as an inspiration to many due to his incredibly humble beginnings. In fact, Branson has spoken extensively about having dropped out of school at the age of just sixteen.
Milena Mondini de Focatiis is known for being the CEO of Admiral, the only FTSE 100 Firm based in Wales. Admiral is an ever-growing financial services company which performs well year-on-year. According to a 2021 article from Business Live UK, it brings in yearly revenues of £3.4bn. Alan Sugar.
Alan Sugar is primarily known for his appearances in the long-running TV show, The Apprentice - but this was preceded by record-breaking success in the business world. Dabbling mainly in electronics and product development, Alan also dropped out of school early, starting his first Business when he was still a teenager.
James Dyson is another name that is familiar on a global scale - regardless of whether or not you spend time vacuuming.
James Dyson is the founder of Dyson LTD; he is known for his commitment to innovation and development. He is often praised for his philanthropic work. For example, in 2002, he founded the James Dyson Foundation, which supports those looking to enter engineering careers.
Karen Brady is another talented entrepreneur turned television personality, most recognised for sitting beside Alan Sugar on The Apprentice and assisting him in finding his next investment. However, she is also a talented businesswoman in her own right, with an exciting yet varied career. For example, she has played a pivotal role in the UK sports industry, having worked as the managing director for Birmingham City FC and vice-chairman for West Ham United Football Club.
Dr Ayesha Khanna Futurist, AI Expert, Philanthropist Co-Founder & CEO ADDO AI, Chairman 21st Century Girls Ayesha Khanna started her career in the finance industry. Forbes named Addo one of the most influential AI companies in Asia. Her charity initiative 21st C GIRLS helps young girls in Singapore to access coding and artificial intelligence classes for free.
This is not Dr Khanna’s only initiative; she is also founder at Squad, a global initiative that aims to educate women who want to learn how to create,build and sell on the Metaverse and the Web3.0.
Arianna Huffington is founder of Huffignton post, founder and CEO at Thrive, best-selling author keynote speaker and one of the most inspiring women entrepreneurs of the century. Her father was a newspaper owner and later Arianna also got involved in publishing albeit digital.
In 2022, June Angelides was listed as one of Business Lives top businesswomen of the year - and for a good reason. While she works primarily in venture capital, she is perhaps best known for “starting the UK’s first child-friendly coding school for mums, Mums in Tech, while on her second maternity leave.” She was awarded an MBE in 2020.
Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon. Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon is a social entrepreneur known primarily for being the co-founder of Stemettes. In addition to possessing incredible business acumen, she’s also a podcast host.
Her podcast, Women in Tech Charge, is produced in collaboration with the Evening Standard. In 2020, Dr Imafidon was voted the most influential woman in Tech in the UK 2020 by Computer Weekly.
Chris Butcher. Chris Butcher is already a big name in the fin-tech world, who started his career as the lead engineer for Charlie HR, a software start-up. He achieved widespread acclaim when founding Portify and Pay.so (formerly known as Cheq).
Best selling author, television host and business woman, actress, philanthropist and all around inspiring human being Oprah Winfrey’s career started in 1976. She has appeared in numerous films and her 2014 “Selma '' which she directed and starred in, was nominated for an Academy Award. For Oprah, mission and meaning comes before money. To that end she has been at the forefront of many charitable causes, built a school for disadvantaged girls in South Africa.
Kiran Mazumdat Shaw is one of the most powerful women in business. She started Biocon, India’s leading Biotechnology enterprise.
“I want women and girls to have the same opportunities and respect as men, making them feel empowered in all areas of their lives, confident and free to pursue their dreams.”
Jacqueline Gold CBE was one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the UK. She was the executive chair of Ann Summers and Knickerbox. She was also a philanthropist and an activist. Her WOW initiative helped women to support one another and gain expert advice to grow their businesses.
A mom, bright light, Jacqueline Gold turned adversity into opportunity by asking” what can I learn from this situation”. Like turning raw materials into products. An alchemist in her own right.
Addy Loudiadis is often considered a pioneer within the insurance world. While she has enjoyed an extensive career, she co-founded the UK’s largest pensions insurance specialist in 2015 alongside Goldman Sachs. She is frequently listed as one of the top female entrepreneurs - not only within the UK but globally.
Angelica Malin is the founder of About Time Magazine, which was launched in 2014 and has a global audience of over 75,000 readers. It is also considered one of the leading digital magazines in the UK. She also runs the About Time Academy, which hosts regular panels and workshops.
Rachel Murphy is best described as a trailblazer who is best known for “kicking off the now 30 million downloads of the NHS App to selling a building and selling a multi-million-pound company in a thousand days.” She is often considered one of the most influential women working within Tech globally.
Kate Butcher is an author and psychologist turned entrepreneur. In 2017, she launched Banjo Robinson - a subscription service designed to help children develop a love of both reading and travel. Each month, they send out letters to ‘Banjo’, an adventurous cat and receive one back in the post.
Gauthier Van Malderen and Matthew Davis are the co-founders of Perlego - a digital library designed to make it easier for students and academics to access textbooks. The company was founded as the pair were shocked about the prices of academic textbooks. In 2020, the company was valued at £250 million - a figure that continues to grow.
As more and more businesses are launched in the UK each year, this means that more and more entrepreneurs are kick starting their careers. If you’re considering stepping into the world of entrepreneurship, learning about those who have come before you is a great place to start. This is because you can then learn about the different factors that allowed them to reach their goals - whether this be extensive training or hands-on experience. Either way, there is plenty of inspiration that you can tap into - and soon enough, you’ll be on one of these lists yourself!
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