Teenpreneurs
According to the Household Survey 2005, when it comes to thinking about starting a business, 16 – 24 year olds are by far the keenest age group and as the 2006 Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) demonstrated, providing training and education has a dramatic and positive effect on attitudes toward enterprise. In order to nurture this enterprising spirit and offer advice to young creative individuals, the British Library put together a remarkable panel of young entrepreneurs, all of whom have created highly successful businesses in their teens.
Watch the Webcasts
Fraser Doherty - launched his Superjam business aged just 14 and now supplies to some of the UK's largest retailers including Waitrose and Tesco.
Ben Way - millionaire in his teens and now founder of the innovations and corporate venturing company, Rainmakers
Emily Cummins - 19-year-old Technology Woman of the Future 2006 and the inventor of a solar-powered refrigerator that could transform rural communities in Africa
Wilson Chowdry - founder and managing director of AA Security
Q&A from the audience
Social Enterprise
With an ever increasing demand for ethical products and mounting pressure for companies to be more socially responsible, the way in which we do business is changing rapidly. Social enterprise is growing at a phenomenal rate and is now one of the UK’s most dynamic business sectors. As a whole it is now estimated that they make up some five per cent of the entire economy and have a combined turnover of £27 billion. This inspirational event provided an excellent opportunity for any budding social entrepreneurs to learn how pioneers of the sector have cemented a social conscience at the heart of their businesses.
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Sophi Tranchell - award-winning managing director of the fair-trade business Divine Chocolate
Zarine Kharas - founder and CEO of JustGiving, the UK’s leading charity fundraising website.
Tim Campbell - founder of The Bright Ideas Trust, a social initiative to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs
Kresse Welling - founder of Bio-Supplies, an environmental packaging alternatives company
Q&A from the audience
Winners 2: The rise and rise of black British entrepreneurs
Black British entrepreneurs are breaking out of familiar markets and becoming a dynamic force in all sectors of the UK economy. In London, black business owners are the second-largest group of entrepreneurs, contributing some £10bn to the capital's economy. And, increasingly, the 16,000 black-owned companies in London are moving into areas such as financial services, media and Information and Communications Technology.
As part of Black History Month, the British Library is hosting a celebration of the contribution of black British entrepreneurs in the UK. 'Winners 2' follows the hugely successful inaugural event in 2006 and brings together another remarkable group of leading black entrepreneurs in Britain.
Watch the webcasts:
Kanya King - founder of the MOBO awards
Sam Giymah - serial entrepreneur and former winner of the CBI/Real Business 'Entrepreneur of the Future' award.
Levi Roots - a reggae musician, chef and entrepreneur, who achieved fame after appearing on the BBC's Dragons' Den looking for funding for his 'Reggae Reggae Sauce'.
Dotun Adebayo - journalist, novelist, publisher and entrepreneur.
Q & A
Internet Icons
'Inspiring Entrepreneurs' series proudly supported by HSBC
The UK internet scene has never been so exciting. The advent of Web 2.0 has opened the floodgates for new social networking sites, wikis, blogs and an array of new, user-generated online ventures. The climate for internet start-ups is electric, with entrepreneurs and investors eager to find the next big opportunity.
Do you long to be part of this action and launch your own web venture? Do you dream of being your own boss and creating a business you're really passionate about?
In October 2007, the British Library brought together four icons of the internet, each with a remarkable record of entrepreneurial achievement and a unique insight into what makes the difference between a 'flash in the pan' and a real online success.
Watch the webcasts:
Martha Lane Fox, co-founder of lastminute.com
John Paleomylites, founder and managing director, BeatThatQuote
Seb Bishop, co-founder of Espotting, the pioneer of pay-per-click advertising in Europe
Ajaz Ahmed, chairman & co-founder of AKQA, one of the world's most respected digital agencies
Questions and Answers from the audience
Flying High with Stelios
'Inspiring Entrepreneurs' series proudly supported by HSBC
Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, creator of the 'easy' empire, is one of Britain 's most inspirational entrepreneurs. The British Library held a panel discussion with Sir Stelios where he told the story of his remarkable career and took questions from the audience.
Listen to the Podcast: Go to the HSBC Website
Watch the webcasts
Stelios's speech
Q&A Part 1
Q&A Part 2
Q&A Part 3
Q&A Part 4
Q&A Part 5
Q&A Part 6
Q&A Carbon footprint
Oriental Express: Celebrating Chinese entrepreneurs in Britain
'Inspiring Entrepreneurs' series proudly supported by HSBC
The British Chinese community is the longest-established and third-largest ethnic minority group in the UK. 143,500 people of Chinese origin now live in Britain, but until now the community has been relatively low-profile. As trade and cultural links between the UK and China increase, young British Chinese entrepreneurs are making striking contributions across a wide range of business sectors.
To celebrate the many highly successful Chinese entrepreneurs, designers, artists and business people in the UK, the British Library recently held a panel discussion with a group of leading Chinese entrepreneurs in Britain.
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David Tang OBE, entrepreneur-supreme and founder of the designer label Shanghai Tang
Alan Yau OBE, a globally successful restaurateur and the man behind Wagamama
Janice Wang, runs Alvanon Products, a global business making mannequins for the fashion industry.
Ching He-Huang, TV chef, author and 'foodie entrepreneur'
Q & A from the audience
Listen to the Podcast: Go to the HSBC Website
Mothers of Invention: Celebrating International Women's Month 2007
'Inspiring Entrepreneurs' series proudly supported by HSBC
Women-owned start-ups are on the rise. Findings from the latest London Annual Business Survey show that one in six businesses in London is now majority female-owned compared with one in 10 three years ago - and they also employ more women than their male counterparts.
In celebration of International Women's Month, the British Library brought together a panel of successful entrepreneurs and businesswomen in fields as diverse as music, science and e-commerce. Watch the webcasts:
Jill Samuels -
Award-winning scientist and part of the team behind Viagra
Kanya King -
Founder of the MOBO Awards
Karen Darby -
Founder of Simplyswitch.com
Q & A
Listen to the Podcast: Go to the HSBC Website
Ethical Entrepreneurs: The rise and rise of good business
'Inspiring Entrepreneurs' series proudly supported by HSBC
Business is getting ethical. It is estimated that social enterprises comprise five percent of the whole UK economy, with a combined turnover of £27bn and businesses with an ethical or green dimension are becoming increasingly powerful and valued by customers. In 2006 the Organic food market was worth £1.6bn, double the amount in 2000 and sales are forecast to hit £2.7bn by 2010.
So how do you start a social enterprise and where are the future opportunities? We hear from four of Britain 's most successful social and ethical entrepreneurs on their experiences. Watch the webcasts:
Geetie Singh -
founder and MD of the UK 's first organic gastro-pub, the Duke of Cambridge in Islington
John Bird -
Founder and editor-in-chief of The Big Issue
Justin Frances -
MD of ethical travel firm Responsible Travel
Richard Reed -
Co-founder of Innocent Drinks
Q & A
Commerce with a conscience: Can business deliver social change?
'Inspiring Entrepreneurs' series proudly supported by HSBC
As the centrepiece of Enterprise Week 2006 at the British Library, Dame Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop and one of Britain's most successful entrepreneurs, spoke on the topic of 'Commerce with a conscience: Can business deliver social change?' Dame Anita has a lifetime of practical and provocative experience to share with audiences. For any aspiring entrepreneur or for anyone with an interest in the future role of business, this is a must-see event. Warning: Warning contains some adult language. Watch the webcasts:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Q & A
Hot Off The Press
'Inspiring Entrepreneurs' series proudly supported by HSBC
Starting up a media business in the UK can be highly lucrative and pay huge dividends for those with the right formula, but competition is fierce and the pitfalls plentiful. We hear from four highly successful media entrepreneurs, including Steve Auckland, managing director of Metro and James Brown, founding editor of men's magazine Loaded, all of whom have lots of fantastic advice for budding media moguls. Warning. James Brown webcast contains adult language. Watch the webcasts:
William Ong - Founder of Chinatown Magazine
James Brown -
Founding editor of men's magazine, Loaded
Lopa Patel -
Founder of redhotcurry.com, the leading lifestyle portal for British Asians
Steve Auckland -
Managing director of Metro, the award-winning free paper
Q & A
The Asian Advantage: Discover the formula for success
'Inspiring Entrepreneurs' series proudly supported by HSBC
Discover for yourself why Asian businesses are so successful. This Library event features presentations from four award-winning British Asian entrepreneurs, including Lord [Karan] Bilimoria CBE DL, founder and CEO of Cobra Beer, and Dinesh Dhamija, founder of ebookers, followed by Q&A. Watch the webcasts:
Surinder Arora - Owner and Chairman, Arora International Hotel Group
Dinesh Dhamija - Founder of online travel specialist, ebookers
Lord Bilimoria - Founder and chief Executive, Cobra Beer
Sumerah Ahmed - Co-founder and director of the radio station Club Asia
Desperately Seeking Finance
Find out about bank, venture capital, business angel and grant finance sources for start-up businesses. This Library event features presentations from four leading business advisers and Q&A. Watch the webcasts:
Mike Conroy - Senior Marketing Manager, HSBC
Chris Clothier - MMC Ventures
Colin Spiller - Manager, Strathdon Investments Plc
David Sullivan - ACIB Financial Relationships Manager, Business Link for London
Winners - The Rise and Rise of Black British Entrepreneurs: webcast
Featuring Tim Campbell, winner of BBC2's The Apprentice, Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones, known as 'The Black Farmer', Charles Ejogo, the founder of Umbrolly, and Yana Johnson. Webcast coming soon.
'The Creative Entrepreneur': Dame Anita Roddick
Since the Body Shop was founded in 1976, Anita Roddick always wanted to use business as a platform to make the world a better place. She wanted to be honest about the products sold, the benefits promised and to follow a different path from the rest of the cosmetics industry. Like all entrepreneurs, Dame Anita is a pathological optimist and a believer in the impossible. Now, 30 years on, Anita shares the highs and lows of her crazy entrepreneurial journey. Watch the webcasts:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Q & A
