Dragons Den star steps in to save Robert Dyas Retail A former Dragons Den star has stepped in to “steady the ship” at a beloved high street hardware store as losses climb. Theo Paphitis, who owns a string of retailers, has installed himself as interim chief executive at Robert Dyas, as the home improvement and electrical appliance seller battles “testing times”. Paphitis bought the retailer [...]
The Business Of…: Why I’m launching a new video podcast about success Business Richard Farleigh is is launching a new video podcast series called “The Business Of…” featuring guests like Jimmy Carr and Levi Roots, whose success in diverse, non-traditional fields demonstrates that the fundamentals of building a lasting business are rooted in mindset, consistency, and an ability to learn from unconventional paths After launching, investing in, or [...]
Alibaba.com: How AI is reshaping B2B sales and entrepreneurship Retail For Alibaba.com, the true transformative power of AI won’t be for customers; it will be for business-to-business sales. Multimodal search, such as AI search using multiple data points, is driving a “paradigm shift” in global e-commerce, says Alibaba.com president Kuo Zhang at CoCreate Europe. “We’re completely redesigning what search is… for this year alone, our multimodal [...]
Dragons’ Den athlete sentenced for using Covid loans to buy £1m house July 23, 2025 A British world champion sprinter who appeared on Dragons’ Den has been given a suspended prison sentenced after using Covid loans to help fund a £1.3m house purchase. Rick Beardsell, who competed on the senior Masters circuit, obtained two maximum-value £50,000 Bounce Back Loans for his sportswear manufacturing business Sports Creative Limited in 2020 and [...]
Steven Bartlett: Dragons’ Den star quits PR agency he owns July 23, 2025 Dragons’ Den star Steven Bartlett has stepped down as a director of a PR agency he bought three years ago. The Diary of a CEO podcast host’s company, Flight Story, acquired London-based R Agency in 2022 for an undisclosed sum. The firm was set up by Rebecca Ridge in 2013 and has worked with the [...]
Duncan Bannatyne: Former Dragons’ Den star’s empire toasts record sales April 11, 2025 The health club and hotels empire run by former Dragons’ Den star Duncan Bannatyne has posted record sales as its profits surged in 2024, it has been revealed. The Bannatyne Group has reported a revenue of £149.6m for its latest financial year, up from the previous record of £138.9m which it achieved in 2023. The Darlington-headquartered group’s [...]
Theo Paphitis: Losses slashed in half at Ryman despite falling sales April 2, 2025 The group behind Ryman, the stationery retailer owned by former Dragons’ Den star Theo Paphitis, has slashed its loss almost in half despite falling sales. The Cheshire-headquartered group has reported a pre-tax loss of £1.49m for the year to 30 March, 2024, according to new accounts filed with Companies House. The figure comes after Ryman Group posted [...]
Steven Bartlett’s first Dragons’ Den investment rescued after administration collapse March 17, 2025 The first company that Steven Bartlett invested in when he joined hit BBC One show Dragons’ Den has been rescued after collapsing into administration. Artisan cheese retailer Cheesegeek has been snapped up by Scotland-based Albex Group for an undisclosed sum. The news, which was first reported by The Grocer, comes after Steven Bartlett bought a [...]
Former BBC Dragons’ Den star backs UK AI action plan January 16, 2025 Former Dragon’s Den investor Piers Linney has backed the UK’s recently announced ‘AI Opportunities Action Plan’, calling it a necessary step to position Britain as a global hub for the technology. The government’s plan, announced by Keir Starmer on Monday but developed under the leadership of tech entrepreneur Matt Clifford, set out a strategy to [...]
Wellness Wonders: Meet the CEO of sports recovery specialist MyoMaster May 19, 2024 Lottie Whyte, who founded MyoMaster in 2021 is on a mission to provide recovery solutions to fitness enthusiasts around the world.