Tag Archive for The Apprentice

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Marnie Swindells: ‘I must make sure Lord Sugar knows he made the right decision’

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By Anna Jordan on Small Business UK – Advice and Ideas for UK Small Businesses and SMEs

Welcome to Small Business Snippets, the podcast from SmallBusiness.co.uk. Today’s guest is Marnie Swindells, owner of Bronx boxing gym and winner of The Apprentice 2023.

We’ll be talking about renovating a derelict building and how to write a business plan with no prior business experience.

You can watch the full interview below or read the interview transcript further down the page.

Filmed and edited by Bruno Mameli.

You can also catch our episodes with:

Former Dragon and Yo! Sushi founder, Simon Woodroffe

Mentors and authors, Bianca Miller-Cole and Byron Cole

Rugby player and co-owner of Baffle Haus, George North

Former Rugby Union player and founder of People’s Captain beer, Greg Bateman

Scientist and The Gut Health Doctor, Megan Rossi, and commercial marketing expert, Jon Walsh – founders of Bio&Me

Entrepreneur, author, investor and podcaster, Grace Beverley

Entrepreneur and star of SAS: Who Dares Wins, Ollie Ollerton

Business owner and former pro footballer, Thomas Hal Robson-Kanu

Myleene Klass and Jamie Barber, founders of My Supper Hero

Pub owner and winner of The Great British Bake Off, Candice Brown

Entrepreneur and former athlete, Sally Gunnell

Entrepreneur and The Apprentice winner, Sian Gabbidon

Abel & Cole founder and chairman of Freddie’s Flowers, Keith Abel

Entrepreneur and The Apprentice

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Hot Business News Today

Are you a born entrepreneur? Answer these questions to find out

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By Anna Jordan on Small Business UK – Advice and Ideas for UK Small Businesses and SMEs

Some people are born to launch a business, and a natural entrepreneur could be ‘hidden in plain sight’, according to Mike Soutar, The Apprentice’s hard-nosed interviewer.

He’s best known for tearing into the candidates’ business plans, but this time he was speaking at the SME XPO in London’s Excel Centre. In his presentation, Soutar tasked himself with sussing out which of the five participants on stage have a knack for business.  

Soutar’s job was to put the participants into one of three categories:

Natural-born entrepreneur

Entrepreneur in development

Corporate professional

True to his interviewing savvy, he investigated the ‘candidates’ using the following rounds of questions. Have a go at the questions yourself and see what you think.

Round 1: AppearanceRound 2: Family, upbringing and early driveRound 3: Risk, spontaneity and problem solvingRound 4: Personal philosophy, philosophy around success, fulfilment and motivationRound 5: Post-successThe results

Round 1: Appearance

Soutar didn’t ask any questions in the first round; instead, he assessed the candidates’ appearance.

“You can you tell an entrepreneur from the way they stand; from the way they exude energy. Maybe even for the shoes that they wear,” said The Apprentice star.   

He noticed

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Carina Lepore: ‘I saw Lord Sugar’s car and it was a sign’

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By Anna Jordan on Small Business – Advice and Ideas for UK Small Businesses and SMEs

Welcome to Small Business Snippets, the podcast from SmallBusiness.co.uk. Today’s guest is Carina Lepore, entrepreneur and winner of The Apprentice 2019.

We discuss the law of attraction and starting a business in a field that you’re not familiar with.

This episode was brought to you in partnership with UPS and AAT.

Listen to it in the media player below.

Alternatively, you can watch the video here.

You can also catch our episodes with:

Dragon Tej Lalvani and entrepreneur Sam JonesAngel investor, entrepreneur and TV personality, Spencer MatthewsEntrepreneur and former Dragon on Dragon’s Den Ireland, Lady Chanelle McCoyBusinessman and The Apprentice winner, Mark WrightEntrepreneur and campaigner, Paul LindleyManaging director of Brompton Bikes, Will Butler-AdamsBusinessman and author, Gerald RatnerEntrepreneur and TV presenter, Trinny WoodallPub owner and bartender on Channel 4’s First Dates, Merlin GriffithsFounder and chairman of Pimlico (formerly Pimlico Plumbers), Charlie MullinsRetail expert and former Dragon, Theo PaphitisAuthor and boardroom expert, John TusaDigital guru and investor, Sherry CoutuEntrepreneur and former Dragon, Rachel ElnaughBusinesswoman and Dragon, Deborah MeadenEntrepreneur and The Apprentice 2005 candidate, Tim CampbellGousto CEO, Timo BoldtEntrepreneur and The Apprentice 2018 candidate, Jackie FastInvestor and former Dragon, Piers LinneyInvestment fund manager,

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Hot Business News Today

Carina Lepore: ‘I saw Lord Sugar’s car and it was a sign’

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By Anna Jordan on Small Business – Advice and Ideas for UK Small Businesses and SMEs

Welcome to Small Business Snippets, the podcast from SmallBusiness.co.uk. Today’s guest is Carina Lepore, entrepreneur and winner of The Apprentice 2019.

We discuss the law of attraction and starting a business in a field that you’re not familiar with.

This episode was brought to you in partnership with UPS and AAT.

Listen to it in the media player below.

Alternatively, you can watch the video here.

You can also catch our episodes with:

Dragon Tej Lalvani and entrepreneur Sam JonesAngel investor, entrepreneur and TV personality, Spencer MatthewsEntrepreneur and former Dragon on Dragon’s Den Ireland, Lady Chanelle McCoyBusinessman and The Apprentice winner, Mark WrightEntrepreneur and campaigner, Paul LindleyManaging director of Brompton Bikes, Will Butler-AdamsBusinessman and author, Gerald RatnerEntrepreneur and TV presenter, Trinny WoodallPub owner and bartender on Channel 4’s First Dates, Merlin GriffithsFounder and chairman of Pimlico (formerly Pimlico Plumbers), Charlie MullinsRetail expert and former Dragon, Theo PaphitisAuthor and boardroom expert, John TusaDigital guru and investor, Sherry CoutuEntrepreneur and former Dragon, Rachel ElnaughBusinesswoman and Dragon, Deborah MeadenEntrepreneur and The Apprentice 2005 candidate, Tim CampbellGousto CEO, Timo BoldtEntrepreneur and The Apprentice 2018 candidate, Jackie FastInvestor and former Dragon, Piers LinneyInvestment fund manager,

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Why every entrepreneur needs their own mentor

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By Mark Wright on Small Business – Advice and Ideas for UK Small Businesses and SMEs

The internet is awash with help and advice for business owners. With all this information at your fingertips, is it worth having a dedicated mentor? The short answer is yes, without a doubt.

For me, the ultimate Apprentice prize was the opportunity to receive the 1-2-1 guidance and mentorship from Lord Sugar and his wealth of experience that came with it. Working in the same office as him for the first three years of my company taught me so many invaluable lessons that couldn’t simply be gleaned from reading a book.

In the business world, the power of a good mentor is a known fact, and the statistics back this up. CNBC reported that 91 per cent of workers with a mentor are satisfied in their jobs, while SCORE found that 30 per cent of entrepreneurs reported increased growth in their business after just one interaction with a mentor, rising to 43 per cent with five or more interactions.

With the likes of Bill Gates receiving mentorship from Warren Buffet, or Mark Zuckerberg from Steve Jobs, it’s clear to see there’s direct link between solid mentoring and high

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Hot Business News Today

Apprentice winner Mark Wright is our new columnist

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By Timothy Adler on Small Business – Advice and Ideas for UK Small Businesses and SMEs

Mark Wright, winner of TV’s The Apprentice, has joined SmallBusiness as our monthly columnist.

Mark will be writing his Mark Wright column detailing the ups and downs, the issues and joys of running his own small business, marketing agency Climb Online, in partnership with Lord Sugar.

As the most successful business to have been founded by an Apprentice winner to date, Climb Online is known for its disruptive approach to digital marketing, working with household brands to scale growth and generate profit.

>See also: Apprentice winner Mark Wright on how to build the right team

Mark’s experience in building and creating a multi-million-pound turnover digital business has led him to invest in additional businesses within the property investment, web development, public relations and the hair and beauty sectors, all of which he will be writing about as well.

Aged just 31, Mark has won a host of business accolades including Entrepreneur’s Team of the Year at the 2018 Great British Entrepreneur Awards and Entrepreneur of the Year at the 2018 UK Business Awards.

>See also: Karren Brady Q&A – 6 qualities of a successful entrepreneur

In June 2019 Wright launched his very

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Hot Business News Today

Why every entrepreneur needs their own mentor

by  •  • 0 Comments

By Mark Wright on Small Business – Advice and Ideas for UK Small Businesses and SMEs

The internet is awash with help and advice for business owners. With all this information at your fingertips, is it worth having a dedicated mentor? The short answer is yes, without a doubt.

For me, the ultimate Apprentice prize was the opportunity to receive the 1-2-1 guidance and mentorship from Lord Sugar and his wealth of experience that came with it. Working in the same office as him for the first three years of my company taught me so many invaluable lessons that couldn’t simply be gleaned from reading a book.

In the business world, the power of a good mentor is a known fact, and the statistics back this up. CNBC reported that 91 per cent of workers with a mentor are satisfied in their jobs, while SCORE found that 30 per cent of entrepreneurs reported increased growth in their business after just one interaction with a mentor, rising to 43 per cent with five or more interactions.

With the likes of Bill Gates receiving mentorship from Warren Buffet, or Mark Zuckerberg from Steve Jobs, it’s clear to see there’s direct link between solid mentoring and high

Read more...

Hot Business News Today

Apprentice winner Mark Wright is our new columnist

by  •  • 0 Comments

By Timothy Adler on Small Business – Advice and Ideas for UK Small Businesses and SMEs

Mark Wright, winner of TV’s The Apprentice, has joined SmallBusiness as our monthly columnist.

Mark will be writing his Mark Wright column detailing the ups and downs, the issues and joys of running his own small business, marketing agency Climb Online, in partnership with Lord Sugar.

As the most successful business to have been founded by an Apprentice winner to date, Climb Online is known for its disruptive approach to digital marketing, working with household brands to scale growth and generate profit.

>See also: Apprentice winner Mark Wright on how to build the right team

Mark’s experience in building and creating a multi-million-pound turnover digital business has led him to invest in additional businesses within the property investment, web development, public relations and the hair and beauty sectors, all of which he will be writing about as well.

Aged just 31, Mark has won a host of business accolades including Entrepreneur’s Team of the Year at the 2018 Great British Entrepreneur Awards and Entrepreneur of the Year at the 2018 UK Business Awards.

>See also: Karren Brady Q&A – 6 qualities of a successful entrepreneur

In June 2019 Wright launched his very

Read more...

Hot Business News Today

Apprentice winner Mark Wright on how to build the right team

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Originally written by Mark Wright on Small Business
When launching a new business, every start-up entrepreneur experiences the same challenging journey, fulfilling multiple job roles at one time, until income and cash flow dictate you can employ support staff.
Where some entrepreneurs deem this an exciting step, others find the responsibility of employing staff as daunting. The difference between these two mindsets, however, is fundamental to business growth.
Those who understand that a”‘one-man-band” cannot physically grow at scale are those more likely to achieve success; yet, finding, retaining and knowing how to build the right team is a common challenge experienced by business owners globally.
At my company Climb Online, we boast an award-winning company culture with impressive staff retention rates. However, this hasn’t been developed by the luck of the draw, but rather an effective strategy focused on cultivating a passionate and driven team of “intrapreneurs” united in achieving success.
>See also: 7 hiring strategy dos and don’ts for high-growth SMEs
Share the vision
All entrepreneurs experience the challenge of finding loyal, high-performing staff who are passionate about the future success of their business.
Instead of focusing on the personality traits of those who walk in [and out] of the door, focus on uniting your employees in

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Karren Brady Q&A – 6 qualities of a successful entrepreneur

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Originally written by Anna Jordan on Small Business
Baroness Karren Brady – best-known as Lord Sugar’s advisor on The Apprentice – is unwavering in her decision to go into the business world.
Small Business caught up with her as she addressed an audience of entrepreneurs in the VWorks co-working space at Bristol’s Village Hotel.
When asked what else she would be doing given the choice, she earnestly replied that there was nothing else she’d rather be doing, pointing out that “even if you’re a rock star, you have sing the same songs over and over again”.
In among the victories, the setbacks and the lighter moments, Brady shared six attributes that she thinks make a strong business owner.
Leadership
Karren Brady says that successful leadership is about knowing what to do when you don’t know what to do.
As a business owner and a parent, she taught her kids the ability to have independence, ambition and opinions of their own.
Ambition
In business you’ve got to carry on being a success and she praises Lord Sugar highly for that. On The Apprentice, when Lord Sugar is shown as being somewhere at 4am, he really is. He’s the first in the office and the last to leave, says Brady.
Determination
A key

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