Insider Media Limited

Adam started tea brand Charbrew after graduating from Newcastle University in 2009. He decided to launch into an established market by concentrating on “innovative and unique blends for a curious and adventurous younger market”.

The brand has already been taken on by Sainsbury’s and is listed in Lakeland, Booths, TK Maxx and HomeSense. Exports have taken off into the US, France and most recently the Middle East, which accounts for 10 per cent of the company’s £300,000 turnover.

Venture capital fund manager EV has also just invested in the business.

Who would play you in a film of your life?
“Arnold Schwarzenegger but with a Mancunian accent.”

Mayall left school at 16 and took up an apprenticeship in electrical engineering. He has since developed experience at Voith Paper, Italian business Ansaldo and more recently Siemens and ENER-G. His interest in the way these businesses were run, has given him a taste for technical sales, and he’s enjoyed developing the people and teams he’s worked with. He is now a sales director looking after 14 people who he credits with running rings around the competition, and is also helping to develop overseas business opportunities for ENER-G, a consistent performer in corporate North West.

Who would play you in a film of your life?
“The in joke at work is that I look like David Tennant.”

The majority shareholder of freight forwarder Cardinal Maritime, which was founded in 1998, has sustained impressive growth of a business taking full advantage of international trade. In 1999 it came up with the FREIGHTcalculator, a product designed to provide transparent pricing for its services online; in 2001 the company launched a series of acquisitions and brand developments. Brands include Cardinal Maritime.com, Cardinal Plus, Origin Logistics and DFE. The company also owns a 50 per cent shareholding in Ital Logistics. It has also developed a strategy of opening offices outside the UK, which includes South Africa, Ireland and Holland.

Who would play you in a film of your life?
“Colin Farrell.”

Thomas was an early adopter of the internet when he set up Subnet at the age of 24. He went on to be one of the founding partners of agency Magnetic North and has moved on, via a stint in the restaurant trade, to Modern English. The company is capitalising on the popularity of social networking to develop viral and social content for clients such as EMI, Syco, Ministry of Sound and Warner Music. Thomas says developing applications for Facebook is the opportunity.

Who would play you in a film of your life?
“Peter Sellars.”

Adams, a former graphic designer-turned company director, has built the Liverpool based internet marketing agency into a 20-strong business with more than 100 clients.

In 2007 he opened an office in New York to establish links with the US market, and also operates across Europe from Valencia. In 2008 he bought a search engine optimisation business called Be Visible and has developed credibility in the field of social media. The company has worked with Somerfield, Balfour Beatty, the Royal Academy of Dance, Dominos and the NHS.

Who would play you in a film of your life?

Insider suggests John Hannah.

Data centres may not sound the sexist line of business to be in, but they are vital to how effectively locations can operate as business hubs. Sudlows is one of the leading names in the field and can provide services right across the data sector, from connectivity through to mechanical and engineering and building services. Clients include GCHQ and the University of Manchester. Dummett is considered the in-house strategic guru and his passion for technology and design drives the business forward.

Who would play you in a film of your life?
“Without doubt, Alan Partridge would be the ideal person.” He isn’t real you know, so maybe Steve Coogan?

From being an MBA student to directing a top 50 global programme in ten years, Saunders has made his mark at one of the country’s top business schools. The Lancaster MBA brings in £1.5m to the management school, which has a turnover of £20m. The school has been expanding overseas, with programmes in Jordan and Singapore. Saunders also says the team has plans to open up in Zambia, China, India and Malaysia in the future.

Who would play you in a film of your life?
“A young Harrison Ford.”

Middleton worked in the printing trade for most of his life, taking time out on the side to develop business interests including the refurbishment of golf clubs. In 2008 he began to build on the idea of creating a bike brand and the big push happened when he was made redundant from the day job and focused on the project full time. Onix was started with just £35,000 and gut instinct.

He began to source frames from China, came up with a name and start working with a local wholesaler to build the bikes. The company has been turning a profit since March this year, with turnover projected to be £222,000, making £38,000 to March 2012.

Who would play you in a film of your life? “
Ewan McGregor. He doesn’t take himself too seriously.”

Born into a furniture family, Healey says he’s always had the business in his blood. After a brief foray setting up sportswear and ice cream companies, he returned to the family owned Furnishing Design Centre when he was 21 to set up a wholesale division. A stint as a partner at Pulse Furniture followed before Healey founded Den Interiors in 2005. The business designs and makes bespoke furniture at a mill in Bury and counts former Atomic Kitten singer Jenny Frost, as well as several Blackburn Rovers players, among its clients. It also trades from a shop on Oldham Street in Manchester and is setting up an outlet in Bury.

Who would play you in a film of your life?
“Keanu Reeves.”

Darryl Adie started his own business, Ampersand Commerce, out of the desire to create an agency that could competently deliver e-commerce platforms for retailers, from a technical and a delivery perspective. The business is focused solely on strategy, development and supporting customers, delivering consistently excellent work. “We have taken our experience and built recruitment, training and core development processes to match our outputs with the expectations of our enterprise customers,” he says.

Who would play you in a film of your life?
“Jack Black.”

myParcelDelivery.com is an online portal for courier services across the UK and international markets, serving businesses (primarily), eBay users and the wider public. They partner with the larger couriers including DHL, TNT, UPS, & City Link and pass-on the high volume discounts to users. The duo met at Cambridge University and started their first company – Xenon-54, supplying corporate branded merchandise – in 2006. They have recently secured investment and “now have the necessary budgets to really market myParcelDelivery.com aggressively and promote our brand worldwide,” says Grimes.

Who would play you in the film of your life?
Al Pacino (David), Matt Damon (Paul)

The University of Manchester graduate, who founded mobile software business Wapfly when he was 21, is now working with his former colleague at 2ergo Damian Hanson at One Iota. Wapfly provided mobile media services for companies such as EMAP, Bauer Media and Condé Nast and was acquired by 2ergo in 2009. One Iota aims to help big brands and retailers engage with the social media generation by helping them to develop e-commerce platforms on mobiles, tablets and Facebook.

Who would play you in a film of your life?
“Me, of course.”

Ear to the Ground has earned a reputation as an organiser of slick, impressive, set piece events, from Manchester’s Warehouse Project to music festivals including Kendal Calling. In March 2011 Norris launched Groundbreaking, a division dedicated to working with the property industry and local authorities to maximise the scope to hold events in public spaces. Looking to build on projects with Peel at MediaCity and developer Argent, it has agreed a deal with Ask to work on Manchester’s First Street.

Who would play you in a film of your life?
“Bill Murray.”

Beardwell is a qualified accountant and former recruitment specialist in creative industries. Based in Manchester’s Northern Quarter, NoChintz has established a reputation for offering a good-looking product in a market made tough by competition and limited client budgets. It works in commercial design and fit-out, interior design and furniture design, with the approach across three sections, Live, Work and Play – private homes and investment properties; office design and project management; and event and exhibition design, also incorporating the design of bars, restaurants and hotels – it works with Ear to the Ground regularly.

Who would play you in a film of your life?
“Brian Blessed.”

The construction sector has been tough, but Graham and his dad Tony have been innovating to create a new type of concrete mixer in the UK. After graduating from Liverpool John Moores in 1999, and a brief stint in property, he formed Nurock and this year won the Merseyside Innovation Awards. The company’s volumetric mixers are mobile batching plants that carry the unmixed ingredients in separate compartments before mixing the exact required quantity on site. They have been sought by the Ministry of Defence and he has also tapped into export markets such as Russia.

Who would play you in a film of your life?
“Marty Feldman.”

Following his degree in economics and accountancy in Edinburgh, Agustsson founded industrial hand and arm protection business Globus up in Shetland. But the practicalities of logistics and manpower brought him south to Manchester in 1995, where he has steadily been building the business ever since. The company turns over £20m, with profit margins at “give or take, 10 per cent”.

It makes protective gloves for use in the industrial and healthcare markets, and has also made good strides into the outdoors retailers. International expansion is also on the cards. Agustsson was also a winner at Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year regional final in 2011.

Who would play you in a film of your life?
“Liam Neeson.”

Armed with a UMIST degree, an MBA from Manchester Business School and a big interest in people, Hudson has built two businesses capable in their own right. Hudson Hill, which has been going for nearly eight years and is growing, is an IT and communications company offering infrastructure and software support. Alongside this is business psychology consultancy Psycuity, which has been developed to help companies recruit the right people. He is also the commercial director of ice hockey team Manchester Phoenix.

Who would play you in a film of your life?
It has to be Peter Kay.

Like the Baccino sisters, Rowan has been through the enterprise programme at Liverpool John Moores. He set up his web design company after graduating in 2007, went through the scheme a year later and was awarded the prize for Business Start-Up of the Year in 2010. Web Revolve started out as a website design agency but, like the industry, has moved into areas including online marketing, search engine optimisation and pay per click. It has a long-running partnership with a US agency and is working in conjunction with Liverpool-based telecoms company Ace Call.

Who would play you in a film of your life?
“Lee Evans – I am incredibly nervous at times but seem to be able to make people laugh.”

The former marketing whizz at Bacardi has come back to the market with the ManFlu company. His product, Hot or Shot, is designed to be a “soothing, comforting drink” for men seeking sympathy from their ills. He says there was an obvious gap in the market for such a product and has secured deals with Sainsbury’s, which sold 40,000 bottles in the first four months, and is in talks with B&M and Tesco. He has faced resistance from larger players in the pharmaceutical market but says he is still on course to double turnover next year.

Who would play you in a film of your life?
“Leonardo DiCaprio – may as well aim for the top – plus women think he is handsome and successful.”

Graduates of Liverpool John Moores’ enterprise programme, the Baccino sisters are rolling out “cosmetic and grooming” vending machines for the washroom areas of bars, clubs and restaurants, which also house HD screens used to sell advertising space to national brands. They are former winners from the Morgan Foundation Entrepreneur Awards and have just sold a stake in the business to scale up their plans. Hi-Tech Media, which has a base in Manchester and London, is on board and the business is set to roll out 3,000 machines across the UK in the next three years.

Who would play you in a film of your life?
Jessica Alba.

Arguably the most famous eatery in Manchester is run by father and son team Carlo and Marcello Distefano. The great and the good of the Manchester business scene can be found taking lunch at San Carlo during the week, but the business is much more than the familiar site on King Street West. There are 500 people employed across nine Italian restaurants in the UK and franchise operations in the Middle East and Asia. The launch of the Chicchetti brand at House of Fraser in Manchester has also been massively successful for the duo.

With Brussels demanding higher standards and David Cameron’s government promising more from the “greenest government ever” renewable energy providers like Liverpool’s Eco Environments are well placed. It’s grown significantly since it was launched in 2007, with third year results showing turnover up 636 per cent to £1.38m as the feed-in tariff became a reality. Buchanan, a business development professional with FTSE 100 experience, is a member of the Institute of Directors and is on a range of advisory panels in this sector.

Who would play you in a film of your life?
“Tom Cruise, due to my willingness to take on Mission Impossible.”

The enthusiastic and well-travelled businessman, Campey, and his team at Counterline, which makes foodservice counters, have been expanding the business through international trade since they bought it out in 2006. At that point most of its revenue was earned in the UK and overseas orders now account for 20 per cent of the business. The plan is to increase that to 40 per cent in the next three years.

He’s a good operator, open to new ideas, and is fully embracing the idea of overseas trade, an important area of growth for UK plc.

Who would play you in a film of your life?
Insider thinks Andy Garcia.

Following a management buyout in 2007 backed by LDC, Forrest in Preston is a business going places. Those in the boardroom alongside Lyons include chief executive Lee McCarron, a 42 under 42er from the class of 2006. Originally a joinery specialist, Forrest has been in business since 1955; it developed into general contracting in the early 1990s and has recently majored on social housing and local authority maintenance contracts. Lyons has worked with big names Eric Wright, First Investments and PJ Livesey.

Who would play you in a film of your life?
“Steve McQueen.”

Before joining BetFred in 2009, Pearson worked at MUTV, where, as head of programmes, he was at the forefront of the channel’s relaunch in November 2006. He was part of the bid team at BetFred that secured the takeover of the Tote. An engaging and lively speaker, he oversees commercial partnerships with sports events and has been at the forefront of introducing social media and mobile commerce to the business.

Who would play you in a film of your life?
“Bill Tarmey, Jack Duckworth in Coronation Street.”

Bullas set up Click Consult eight years ago after deciding to go it alone. His first venture was a website set up to “revolutionise the prepaid international phone card market”, but his focus quickly turned to online marketing. In that time he has grown the team to 75 people and picked up clients including Liverpool One, JJB Sports and Allianz.

In what is fast becoming a competitive market, he offers web development, pay-per-click management, search engine optimisation and social media marketing. He says year-on-year growth in 2011 will be 30 per cent and expects a turnover of £5.5m.

Who would play you in a film of your life?
“Tom Cruise.”

Burton produces a range of “natural, gelatine-free sweets” and has entered one of the fastest-growing areas of the food and drink sector. She says the sweets have been developed with a plant-based bio gum technology and created as a “clean, safer alternative to gelatine that all children and adults could enjoy regardless of religion, diet restrictions or food allergies”.

While the company is in its infancy, the sweets are already available at Booths, Waitrose, Wholefoods, Planet Organic and Holland & Barrett. Turnover is expected to be around the £800,000 mark for this year.

Who would play you in a film of your life?
“Cameron Diaz.”

Stocks buys overstocked goods in the branded and luxury market and sells them on to retailers. Josephson, alongside fellow director Jack Caplin, has built the business to its current turnover of £10m, and cites the recession as a boost. “While many businesses were suffering we took advantage of their obsolete and unwanted stock to purchase it at the best possible price and sell on at realistic prices to our clients,” he says. Commodity hikes are playing their part in increasing some of Stocks’ prices, and the cost of distribution is also denting profit margins, but Josephson remains confident of the future.

Who would play you in a film of your life?
“Colin Farrell.”

The Lancaster University graduate, who set up a business promoting music events and DJs while studying, worked her way up to head of marketing in the bar and restaurant sector before launching Leaf in 2008. She got a further boost last year when Redrow boss Steve Morgan awarded her Best New Business at his entrepreneur awards.

Haywood, like Soliman from Charbrew, is trying to cater to the modern day tea drinker. The cafe on Liverpool’s Bold Street occupies one of the larger units on the street and also hosts live music events upstairs.

Who would play you in a film of your life?
“Carey Mulligan.”

From a living room floor in Liverpool in 2006, Bolton has built a £1m-turnover business installing Christmas lights and decorations in commercial and residential properties. He has worked forWayne and Colleen Rooney, Sharon Osborne and others in the Merseyside and Cheshire footballer set. The company has expanded through a franchise model and has 15 offices nationwide. He employs seven full-time staff in Liverpool, but takes on 30 more when it gets busy.

Who would play you in a film of your life?
“Brad Pitt, maybe.”

Nick and his brother Matthew came into the family business, which was started by their father Chris in 1979, intent on seizing the opportunity to grow. Slingco manufactures and supplies cable grips, used to support or install transmission lines or underground networks. It also makes cables for industrial lifting applications and tension wire grids used to provide overhead access for the rigging and lighting of venues. The brothers started their adventure in the US eight years ago and Matthew now runs the stateside division of Slingco in Atlanta. Nick is based in Whitworth, where the manufacturing plant is located. Overseas sales have increased to 55 per cent of the balance sheet.

Who would play you in a film of your life?
“Vin Diesel, Jason Statham or Bruce Willis. We have the same hairdresser…”

One of the key figures in Manchester’s Northern Quarter, Nicky Rybka-Goldsmith has been instrumental in shaping the physical and cultural vibe of Manchester’s cool urban village. He’s had a track record of starting ventures that have raised the bar, so to speak, for other leisure entrepreneurs in Manchester. These, such as the Bay Horse, Thomas and Cord have all in their own way moved the scene along. Others, such as with Soup Kitchen, he’s sold on but he’s done his bit by making a point.

Who would play you in a film of your life?
“John Malkovich.”

Dar has always worked in the field of change management with the likes of AstraZeneca and Brunner Mond (now known as Tata Chemicals Europe). She started Cheeky Monkey six years ago and labelled her method as “a human approach to innovation and change”. She says: “I have created a concept that, for four years, 90 per cent of people said would never be accepted within mainstream business.”

Dar says her team are pioneers of agile change, helping businesses to make more of their staff, be more creative and make more money as a result. She employs five people and is looking to turn over £500,000 this year.

Who would play you in a film of your life?
“Audrey Tautou.”

As one of the founding partners of Infinity, a private equity and property investment firm in Manchester, Butler has been actively fundraising and doing deals right across the spectrum. In the past 18 months she has raised a £125m fund and worked on three deals valued at £60m. There have been challenges, but the dual nature of the business helps. One of her most recent deals was the backing of new property business Bravo Lifestyle. The company is targeting the development of studio apartments for rent and aparthotels across London.

Who would play you in a film of your life?
“Kirsten Dunst.”

ScottWoodhead started e-commerce business Loving Outdoors in 2009 to fuel his own passion for outdoor life and such pursuits as running, cycling, camping and climbing. As well as selling the right gear, the website is a hub of conversation and interaction and seems steeped in social media. Woodhead previously worked for Garmin and has also set up Fitgency, a recruitment agency for the sports industry, which didn’t work out.

Who would play you in a film of your life?
“David Jason, who played Del Boy in Only Fools and Horses. He has ambition and vision, pulls off a cheap suit, family values are never too far from his motives and he is always looking for the next big thing.”

Hiring Hub is a website that acts as an intermediary between companies and recruitment consultants. The basic model is that companies advertise available posts, and the fee that they will pay, and recruiters tender for the work. The website takes a 20 per cent cut of any successful placement fees. Swan has a background in publishing, while Roberts worked in the field of construction recruitment before they met last year and came up with this plan. It has won start-up accolades around the UK and is projected to do £500,000 in the first year. It’s a disruptive business in the recruitment market and has already gained traction with Morrisons, Laterooms, Iceland and Yell.

Who would play you in a film of your life?
“Owen Wilson and Sarah Jessica Parker.”

Having struggled to find student accommodation, Thompson set up accommodationforstudents.com from the bedroom of his flat in Manchester. Fast forward a few years and the site receives approximately 475,000 visitors a month. His other business is Conferences Group, an online umbrella brand of venue and accommodation finding services. The company was launched in 2004 and, following growth both businesses, has since relocated to premises in Didsbury with a further office open in London.

Who would play you in a film of your life?
“Nick Moran, as there’s a striking resemblance, apparently.”

In 2010 Burne led a management buyout at Manchester architecture practice AEW, an organisation that has built a solid reputation, delivering on the landmark Museum of Liverpool after the original architect left the project; and taking on a range of public and private sector work. Burne is a well-networked man who, along with AECOM’s Phil Cusack, leads the Greater Manchester Chamber’s active property section. He’s also been instrumental in the Ronald McDonald House project at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital: AEW is the scheme’s architect, and Burne completed a mammoth cycling trip in Vietnam in aid of the hospital.

Who would play you in a film of your life?
“Bradley Cooper because he’s used to playing someone with a hangover!”

Steve Oliver has returned to centre stage alongside wing man Walter Gleeson. Following the collapse of Music Zone in 2007, the two have built a different business from the ashes. Entertainment Magpie caters to the UK and European ‘replay’ market, where CDs, DVD and games are bought from consumers through musicmagpie.co.uk, refurbished and then resold through multiple channels. The company is expected to report sales of £30m in the year to 31 May 2011. Earnings before interest and tax are expected to be £4m.

Who would play you in a film of your life?
“Richard Kiel? (Jaws in James Bond).”

Graduates of Liverpool John Moores’ enterprise programme, the Baccino sisters are rolling out “cosmetic and grooming” vending machines for the washroom areas of bars, clubs and restaurants, which also house HD screens used to sell advertising space to national brands. They are former winners from the Morgan Foundation Entrepreneur Awards and have just sold a stake in the business to scale up their plans. Hi-Tech Media, which has a base in Manchester and London, is on board and the business is set to roll out 3,000 machines across the UK in the next three years.

Who would play you in a film of your life?
Jennifer Aniston.