Skip primary Navigation

You are here:

Home
/ Entrepreneurs

all entrepreneurs

- Harvey Goldsmith >

Ignition

"Having trained as a Pharmacy student, I got into music and entertainment purely by accident. This..."

view Harvey Goldsmith's story

- Christine Fewster >

Pathways to Independence

"Myself and my sister Tracey both studied at university and have many years of experience in working..."

view Christine Fewster's story

- Paul Bell >

Just Think Communications Ltd.

"My dad was and still is a very successful businessman. People at school used to say to me I never..."

view Paul Bell's story

- Kari Owers >

O Communications

"Even though I didn’t know it at the time, I think it was inevitable that I was going to set up my..."

view Kari Owers' story

- Angus Thirlwell >

Hotel Chocolat

"Hotel Chocolat began after I dropped out of university. The brand has been running for five years..."

view Angus Thirlwell's story

- Greg Phillips Challenge Winner >

North East Bakery

"When I graduated from Newcastle University I wanted to stay in the area because my family and..."

view Greg Phillips' story

- Carl Buckley >

Urban River

"Before I started my business, I worked in accountancy, business finance and management consultancy…..."

view Carl Buckley's story

- Magdalena Fowler >

Corinth Bathrooms

"After five years of working in offices, I’ve decided that starting my own business is realistically..."

view Magdalena Fowler's story

- Kevin Owens >

YourFilm

"After completing a four year Media & Computing degree at Sunderland University I started to look..."

view Kevin Owens' story

- Nicole Race >

New Tastes

"I’ve had a number of jobs but was always very ambitious and felt that I could only find success and..."

view Nicole Race's story

- Ceyhan Mihcioglu >

YO'Genie Ltd

"Being totally honest, I can’t work for anyone else as I always want to use my own ideas and have..."

view Ceyhan Mihcioglu's story

- Alison Stanley >

AJS Cleaning Services

"The weird and wonderful ideas I saw on a daily basis from application forms and phone calls to the..."

view Alison Stanley's story

- David Shiel >

Explain Market Research Ltd

"I don’t think having my own business has always been on my agenda, but after a period of time there..."

view David Shiel's story

- Russell Borthwick >

Press Ahead Ltd

"Life outside of work was good for me… on the rare occasion that I was able to spend time with my..."

view Russell Borthwick's story

- Lorna Moran >

NRG plc

"When I started my first business I was very lucky to have “fallen” into recruitment, to have had..."

view Lorna Moran's story

- Susan Pluse >

Washington Dance Academy

"I’ve danced since the age of four and by the time I was 12 I knew I wanted to get into the teaching..."

view Susan Pluse's story

- Naomi Johnson >

Absolutely Fabulous

"I’d worked for a bank for years but eventually had enough of working in an office. When I had my..."

view Naomi Johnson's story

- Trudy Hindmarsh >

Stagecoach Darlington

"I was a senior teacher in a large primary school in Cleveland when my husband took voluntary..."

view Trudy Hindmarsh's story

- Matt Scott Challenge Winner >

Mes Footwork

"A present for my girlfriend was the trigger for my business idea. I wanted to do something..."

view Matt Scott's story

- Geoffrey Johns >

Geoff the Chef food limited

"I was born and bred in Grange Town, Cleveland. I left school with the ambition of joining the navy..."

view Geoffrey Johns' story

- Gavin Blowman Challenge Winner >

Chooba

"I’d just finished my degree in Documentary Film Making at the University of Sunderland as well as..."

view Gavin Blowman's story

- Clare Tucker >

1-2-hear

"I was a radio presenter, DJ and producer and worked at Metro Radio, Galaxy 1056 and Ministry of..."

view Clare Tucker's story

- Satish Shewhorak >

moShine Animation Studio

"I started moShine, a motion graphics animation studio with three fellow directors straight after we..."

view Satish Shewhorak's story

- Bill March >

"I’m just returning to work for the Northumbria Police after a career break, but for the past two..."

view Bill March's story

- Claire Thorburn >

Impact PR & Marketing

"I was a journalist for a number of years before I moved into PR and marketing. I worked on various..."

view Claire Thorburn's story

- Karen Forster Challenge Finalist >

Trampas The Mens Room

"I decided to take the plunge and start my own business, Trampas The Mens Room, twelve months ago..."

view Karen Forster's story

- Linda Winship >

Walkeazy

"I always loved biology at school and felt I was lacking something in the jobs I’d done in sales and..."

view Linda Winship's story

- Fiona Cruickshank >

The Specials Laboratory

"I was doing science A Levels when I picked up one of the Sunday newspapers and saw a table for..."

view Fiona Cruickshank's story

- John Hays >

Hays Travel Ltd

"I’d seen that my mum starting her own business had transformed our lives. I didn’t have an inside..."

view John Hays' story

- Belinda White >

Arttia

"I’ve always been surrounded by creativity as I come from a highly creative family. Both my parents..."

view Belinda White's story

- Nancy Haughey >

Finding Ways Ltd

"I was employed full time as a Training and Development Manager and Health and Safety Officer for a..."

view Nancy Haughey's story

- Chris Quickfall >

Invate

"I spent seven years studying as an engineer and aimed to gain chartership, and also spent a year’s..."

view Chris Quickfall's story

- Terry Priestner >

"Due to many health problems in recent years, I think the way forward for me is to work for..."

view Terry Priestner's story

- Ann Oliver >

Corrective Tattooing

"As a single mum it’s been hard to maintain a business- like persona when I’ve got a son at home..."

view Ann Oliver's story

- Michelle Taylor Challenge Winner >

Michelle Taylor Design

"I’ve just left a very successful position at Playboy Intimates in order to pursue my dream of..."

view Michelle Taylor's story

- David Shannon >

Gorilla Graphics

"I grew up in North Shields and went to John Spence Community High School. I suppose the early signs..."

view David Shannon's story

- Sean Gerrie >

Seeded SEO

"I'm always willing to take risks for what I believe in. For years I’ve had the idea of setting up..."

view Sean Gerrie's story

- Denise Walker >

MOLLY MAID Berwick

"In 2003 we were both on the brink of redundancy working for a company subject to buyout. Both Lorna..."

view Denise Walker's story

- Simon Pearson >

Pearsons

"I left school at the age of sixteen with the grand total of 3 O Levels and just went from one job..."

view Simon Pearson's story

- Roy Stanley >

Tanfield Group Plc

"My first ever business venture was when my dad won enough money playing cards to buy a television...."

view Roy Stanley's story

- Louise Allcroft >

Complement Genomics Ltd.

"I started my company as a result of an incredibly frustrating meeting with my ex-employer. It..."

view Louise Allcroft's story

- Vien le Wood >

vien ici

"I went from being very bored and disheartened when I was out of work, to being extremely busy and..."

view Vien le Wood's story

- Christian Cerisola >

Quay2 Media

"I think there was a sense of fear between myself and my business partner, Antonia, about taking the..."

view Christian Cerisola's story

- Jamie Greenwood >

NJL Yorkline

"I used to work as a designer and estimator for a shop fitting company in Leeds, worked up to..."

view Jamie Greenwood's story

- Jeremiah Alexander >

Babel Digital

"I remember coming towards the end of my degree in Computer Games Programming, looking at all my job..."

view Jeremiah Alexander's story

- Kaye Winship Challenge Winner >

S. Walton Eyecare

"I suspect, deep down, I’ve always wanted my own business, even if sometimes I’ve been in denial..."

view Kaye Winship's story

- Peter Nixon >

Recruitment Now

"I joined Nixon Hire, my family plant hire company from school at age 16. Having worked my way up..."

view Peter Nixon's story

- Fiona Houghton >

Flirtatious

"An idea of starting my own lingerie business in Newcastle had always been in the back of my head...."

view Fiona Houghton's story

- Leanne Hodgson >

Leanne's Bouncy Castle Hire

"I was born and raised in Sunderland and over the years I’ve had a vast array of jobs, from working..."

view Leanne Hodgson's story

- Stuart Baldridge >

Sprint print

"My journey started in 2006 when I was 22. The store I was working at closed down, but instead of..."

view Stuart Baldridge's story

- Stephen Scott >

AG&P

"I’d been working at Nissan as a Project Manager for nineteen years, when one of my best mates made..."

view Stephen Scott's story

- Tom Bivens >

C B Cleaning Services

"After college I was constantly on the look out for a job that I could gain fulfillment out of. At..."

view Tom Bivens' story

- Rona Askew >

Tinderbox Events Ltd

"Myself and three friends, Emma, Verity and Praxedis, all met at Durham University and came out with..."

view Rona Askew's story

- Sir Peter Vardy >

The Vardy Group

"My father, Reg, started his business from very humble beginnings, selling fruit and vegetables from..."

view Sir Peter Vardy's story

- Melanie Cornish >

Critical Marketing and Media Group

"It did feel like a risk to set my company up, but I was at a stage in my life where it was really a..."

view Melanie Cornish's story

- Ken Fryer >

Text-Flirt

"The fear of entering the ‘real world’ and getting a job where you’re told what to do, have limited..."

view Ken Fryer's story

- Nickie Gott >

She's Gott It Ltd.

"At school I’d always been told I wasn’t an achiever, and wouldn’t actually achieve anything much...."

view Nickie Gott's story

- Sheila Stokes-White >

Strategic Solutions Ltd

"I was a bad fit in a bureaucracy and am something of a rebel so had to work very hard to get..."

view Sheila Stokes-White's story

- Laura Williams >

Zest Innovation

"Some people told us not to set up in business, that we were ‘stupid for taking the risk’ and that..."

view Laura Williams' story

- Les Calvert Challenge Finalist >

Property Abroad Ltd

"I started the business whilst employed as an IT Manager for a large North East travel company back..."

view Les Calvert's story

- Jonathan Grubin >

MiniG Media Ltd

"I never expected my business to be as successful as it’s been. When I started, I certainly didn’t..."

view Jonathan Grubin's story

- Terry Barnett >

Barnett Safety

"After starting out as a bricklayer I went on to work for various companies as a building site..."

view Terry Barnett's story

- Pete Hunt >

Fresh Element Ltd.

"When I left university four years ago I think the biggest commitment I had was a mobile phone..."

view Pete Hunt's story

- Alistair McLean >

Activities Abroad

"I never had a vision to be self employed, but that was before I realised I was in actual fact..."

view Alistair McLean's story

- Jude Leitch >

Butler & Leitch

"My friend Sarah and I often go to farm shops to look for good products. We found that many of the..."

view Jude Leitch's story

- Edwina Grady >

Cakes 4 U

"I started cake decorating 27 years ago, when it was just a hobby. I carried on doing cakes for..."

view Edwina Grady's story

- Matt Stirland Challenge Winner >

Playhouse

"My background is in the health and fitness industry, but at the moment I’m a fireman. I miss the..."

view Matt Stirland's story

- James Robson >

Exwold Technology Ltd.

"I’d always travelled about a bit when I was younger. But when I graduated from university with a..."

view James Robson's story

- Lynn Gate >

The Storage Company Limited

"Sometimes I feel like I’m a bit of a charlatan because I don’t know how I got here. It’s been a..."

view Lynn Gate's story

- Mark Knight >

El Roboto

"Lots of people sit in the pub with their mates and have the conversation about going into business..."

view Mark Knight's story

- Jonathan Wells >

Guroo Ltd.

"One of the biggest problems with having a good job is that you’re frightened of leaving. It’s a..."

view Jonathan Wells' story

- Max Robinson >

Kromek

"The beginning of my educational career wasn’t all that great to be honest. I failed my 11+, which..."

view Max Robinson's story

- Anh Mao Challenge Finalist >

MaoCouture

"with my degree in textile and design in 1991, I married and had two children who are now 8 and 11..."

view Anh Mao's story

- Gary Lintern >

Storydisk

"My career has been a combination of academia and entrepreneurship on many levels. I studied for a..."

view Gary Lintern's story

- Joanna Feeley >

Trend Bible

"After ten years working in London and New York, I was desperate to move back to Newcastle and begin..."

view Joanna Feeley's story

- Mark Ions >

Exclusive Human Resources Ltd.

"I’m always looking for the next challenge, and owning my own business was the real pinnacle for me...."

view Mark Ions' story

- Steve Mbara >

Designer I.D

"Growing up I had my mom running her own market stall and I would always help whenever possible. It..."

view Steve Mbara's story

- Paul Cookney >

Independent Commercial Window Cleaning

"Since leaving school in 1996 I’ve only lasted one year in full-time employment, as a sports..."

view Paul Cookney's story

- Mike Brown >

CityPadz

"I grew up in Morpeth, Northumberland. As a kid I was never the academic type but I had a keen..."

view Mike Brown's story

- Derek Curtis >

Bond

"I left school at sixteen without a clue what I actually wanted to do. My brother worked in a bank..."

view Derek Curtis' story

- Alan Timothy >

i-snapshot

"I was a board director of a local builder’s merchant, a £200m business, which was taken over in..."

view Alan Timothy's story

- Dave Foster >

Square Photography

"Ever since I was a kid I had a real interest in art. After leaving school I made my way to college..."

view Dave Foster's story

- Tony McAndrew >

thebestof Northumberland

"I grew up in Morpeth before venturing to Manchester University to study statistical operations...."

view Tony McAndrew's story

- Steven Bell >

Newman Scott Ltd

"I was involved in my father’s retail business, Bell’s Stores from a very young age. At the time he..."

view Steven Bell's story

- Gary Thompson >

C2M UK Ltd

"I was working as a business development manager for a local University, and I worked through an..."

view Gary Thompson's story

- Sarah Taylor >

U Digger Media

"I was at university for seven years studying for an architecture degree. Only after I graduated..."

view Sarah Taylor's story

- Rachel Powell >

Fashion Network Ltd

"I had a serious accident in 2001 which left me paralysed. The doctors weren’t sure I would ever..."

view Rachel Powell's story

- Sir Tom Hunter >

West Coast Capital

"My business education began when I was six years old. My dad had a grocer’s shop and although I..."

view Sir Tom Hunter's story

- Sue Harris Challenge Finalist >

Sue Magoos

"My career began working in the retail sector. I was lucky enough to be employed by a guy who..."

view Sue Harris' story

- Keith Miller >

Miller UK Limited

"I never really questioned my ability to do things, I just got stuck in and had a go. In 1978 I..."

view Keith Miller's story

- Chris Emery >

Orbit Entertainment

"I was a bedroom DJ whilst I was at primary school after my father bought me some decks and I loved..."

view Chris Emery's story

- Ross Cooney >

Rozmic Wireless

"Success to me is not money, success is lifestyle. I believe that as a result of running my own..."

view Ross Cooney's story

- Nathan Robinson Challenge Finalist >

Barclay Elsdon Lettings

"My passion for surfing inspired me to start my own business so I could have a better work/life..."

view Nathan Robinson's story

- Rosie Willett Challenge Winner >

Rosie Willett Designs

"I studied an Art and Design Foundation Course in Manchester and then traveled to Australia. When I..."

view Rosie Willett's story

- Phil Cronin >

Tombola

"I’ve been involved in business at a senior level all my life but up until the last ten years it has..."

view Phil Cronin's story

- Carol Metcalfe >

Musa Fine Art Ltd

"Before I started my own business my circumstances weren’t that great. I came from a family of six..."

view Carol Metcalfe's story

- David Wilson >

Metropolitan Finance Limited

"Before setting up my business I was employed by NatWest Bank as a Senior Business Manager dealing..."

view David Wilson's story

- Antonia Clifford >

Quay2 Media

"From day one of starting a career in PR it was always my ambition to either be a freelancer or to..."

view Antonia Clifford's story

- Angela Brown >

Training in Childcare Ltd

"I always thought that business was something that other people did. I’ve never had tonnes of..."

view Angela Brown's story

- John Elliott >

EBAC Ltd

"I believe that loads of people will go to their graves not realising they could be very good..."

view John Elliott's story

- Mark Rogers >

Cheers- Newcastle

"I’ve been running other peoples pubs and hotels for a number of years. When I moved to Newcastle I..."

view Mark Rogers' story

- Lorna James >

MOLLY MAID Berwick

"In 2003 we were both on the brink of redundancy working for a company subject to buyout. Both..."

view Lorna James' story

- Julie Ann Pattinson >

JulieAnn Make-up artistry

"I’ve worked as a make-up artist for various companies and organisations over the last 20 years but..."

view Julie Ann Pattinson's story

- Lindsay Hogg >

Café Lucca

"I had always thought about setting up my own business until one day someone I knew told me that..."

view Lindsay Hogg's story