Printer-maker Brother was founded in Japan in 1908. It landed in the UK nearly 50 years ago; in the days of jobs-for-life and pyramidal hierarchies. But under Phil's watch, which started last year, the internal offices have been revamped, the suits are gone, benefits have been made relevant for all, and pay structures have been flipped. On his first day in charge, Phil relinquished his perk parking spot and offered free lunch for a month to the employee who got there first of a morning. The following day, a pimped-out Honda Accord on three wheels sat in the MD's former space – it was a sign of change for 180 staff at Brother UK. “The expectations of millennials and people coming out of university now is very different to what it was 20 years ago,” says Phil. “Leadership now needs to be much more transparent: there needs to be fewer layers and there needs to be open communication throughout the business. “I have changed the philosophy here and now Brother views its workforce differently: we have given people permission to be influential in the business.” To map Phil's journey: he rose quickly through the ranks and was appointed Sales Director during a major Brother reshuffle in 2001. He made the Board of Directors four years later, and in 2013 became Deputy MD. In 2014, he stepped up to Managing Director at just 45 years of age. Today, colleagues are encouraged to self-start too – they're asked to add value wherever possible, taking personal responsibility in delivering excellence (PRIDE) and working in TEAMs (Together Everyone Achieves More). Another Phil initiative was to revamp the company's recognition system. Every employee has the opportunity to be rewarded for their impact in the business, as well as their skillset. It's a two dimensional way of rewarding individual value. In 2015, Brother's primary business is still computer printers, a stable but competitive game. Just as Brother has modernised internally, the company has had to realign its vision for a modernising workforce by diversifying into higher-tech and niche print products, as well as cutting edge office and mobile technologies. “We think about our technology relevant to three themes: digitisation, collaboration, and mobility,” says Phil. “Businesses want to become more digital; they also have to cope with lots more people working on the move, and that means they need to have the best tools for collaboration.” Phil Jones for one is a fan of collaboration. Whether it's engaging his 11,000 Twitter followers, mentoring start ups, or judging award ceremonies, he spends a lot of time with the entrepreneurial community so that he, and Brother, can stay ahead of the curve. It's that universal awareness that ensures Phil is a mainstay of the speaker circuit himself, but he's as comfortable talking soul as talking shop. “I have experiences that have been built up over a 25 year working career,” he says. “I've made every single mistake you could hope to make so I can help a younger person, or a younger entrepreneur, get to their goals faster, particularly when it comes to building confidence in people. “I recently spoke at the Inspire Manchester Conference run by UK Fast and my job was to not to talk about business, but to talk about strategies you can adopt to become the best you can possibly be. That includes having good self-taught, positive self-scripts, and filtering your time to achieve your goals.” Over the years, Phil has been rewarded for his work and his achievements personally and professionally. In 2011, the Institute of Directors gave him the Manchester Director of the Year award, then came the North West Director of the Year accolade amongst others. The wide-ranging changes he presided over in Brother itself helped earn the company a Times Top 100 Employer award, and an Investor In People Gold gong to-boot. And it's this gold standard that Phil Jones brings to Ideas Britain. The multi-award winning businessman is relishing the prospect of ideas beyond apps, which he sees a lot of on his rounds. “If I judge competitions in schools, the final is usually made of three groups that pitch app, app then app,” says Phil. “At Brother, we make electro mechanical stuff - we engineer things - and I love that sort of space. It doesn't always have to be an app - 3D printing, for example, provides all sorts of opportunities for innovation. “I also love social entrepreneurs who are trying to do something bigger and better; those who aren't just innovating in order to make themselves personally rich, but who are trying to make others' lives richer in quality. “For me, it's not all about Unicorns (businesses which reach £1bn in market capitalisation on IPO) or Decacorns (businesses which reach £10bn market capitalisation on IPO) – all of that talk overshadows the businesses that sit in the middle. The ones that I would call racehorses. “Racehorses are brilliant businesses which go from from start-up to scale-up, solid businesses which employ people, contribute positively to the economy and provide a great lifestyle for their owners and those people within them” says Phil. “So, d'you know what: go and build us 10,000 of those in the UK with Ideas Britain.” Thanks Phil, challenge extended. Now, what are you waiting for?!

This is merely the end of the beginning, and the fun starts now. So to my fantastic team - I'll be forever grateful. To the Crowdcube community - I say thank you for believing in us. And to you I say this: Send your ideas and let's change the world. Adam

Although the official launch doesn't happen until October, we decided to open the doors now and give early birds an advantage – it's our first competition with a major partner, so we want to get it right, and we want your ideas to be the best they can be. That's why elite Ideas Britain coaches are on standby to offer the first 100 entries feedback, tips and suggestions ahead of launch ... for prizes that are truly life-changing. Sure, it looks like this is a competition for sport – and it is – but don't let that word (or a dislike of sport in general) put you off. We've had loads of questions already from people saying that they'd like to enter but they're not sure their idea applies for sport. But the chances are that it does. We had an email from a fashion designer – we advised they add a sports line. We had an email from a video blogger - why not use the big screens at sports grounds? We had an email from a charity – what better vehicle for change than sport? We had an email from makers of a new electric vehicle – all sports teams would love to tick the green travel box. We had an email from a nutritionist – who better to trial and spread the message than top athletes? These are just a handful of what you've been sending – and the point is that sport shouldn't be restrictive or put you off. Sport is a broad concept and a huge global platform with which to make changes big and small. So think a little outside the box – and send us your ideas. We're sure they can have their place in sport – and beyond! You can enter on our website and stay locked on our Twitter and Facebook for updates.

We set out to find four aspiring entrepreneurs to compete for the chance to tour four business in Manchester, London, New York and LA. But four became five when judges, so impressed with submissions, added a wildcard pick. The ultimate winner of the five will be joined on their travels by an elite Ideas Britain business coach who'll offer advice and expertise en route to presentations on both sides of the Atlantic. So who do we have! Natalie Terry Natalie is a 23 year old graduate from Swansea who wants to develop a website for current and future university students which provides in depth reviews of universities across the UK. Simon Beniston Simon is a 47 year old from Doncaster who has developed a mobile app that gives users in the UK health information by way of an NHS service finder and emergency locater feature, so that you can be easily found when you need help. It's already on the Google Play store but Simon wants to grow into a global healthcare asset. James Griffiths James is a 25 year old Londoner who is the founder of Mous, a team of three young entrepreneurs who have found a solution to the frustrations of lost or tangled earpieces by creating the world's smallest iPhone case that retract headphones. Emily Karatay Emily is a 28 year old from Liverpool - and the brains behind the ‘New Collective’ concept. This is a millennial-led consultancy which predicts trends and works to co-create business solutions which can act as a catalyst for change. Arlene Barclay The final finalist is 40 year old Arlene from Aberdeen, a lady who has established the ‘House of Halos’ accessories brand. Each of the unique and stunning collections of jewelry has a social purpose, including helping preserve the Arctic ice caps and supporting children in war-torn countries. When the finalists were announced, Dave Stewart, Creative Director of Ideas Britain, said: “Ideas Britain is thrilled to be able to offer a platform like this for these hugely innovative, creative and energetic business concepts. Our objective is to open doors for ideas that have the potential to change the way we think and act, and I truly believe that we have found some outstanding talent in our finalists. “Each has a totally different idea at various stages of development, but Ideas Britain is proud to be able to offer each venture the individual support that they need to fulfill their potential.” Martin McCourt, elite coach at Ideas Britain said: “I’m incredibly impressed by both the initiatives and the individuals selected as the finalists in the 444 competition. That they are so diverse is exactly what is so exciting about Ideas Britain: nothing is off-limits. “Ideas Britain is rare in that it has the resources and enthusiasm to help ideas flourish from a variety of starting-points. They understand that even if an idea is already on the road to reality it can still benefit enormously from the advice and support of seasoned professionals. The overall winner will be announced in July - so lock in to our social channels, and prepare for more exciting announcements. There's one next week that you won't want to miss.

In 2011, Caroline led an amalgamation of the country's regional screen agencies to found Creative England, a new national company dedicated to the growth and development of our creative industries. Creative England has offices and locations north, south, east and west – it's an omnipresent national beacon for talented types who work, or aspire to work, in film, TV, gaming and other creative and digital disciplines. Through advice, mentoring and networking opportunities; through loans, accelerators and big brand collaboration, and through government consultation, Caroline and co work from the ground up to the highest levels of commerce and power to nurture and optimise England's creative landscape. “People think we work for government – but we don't,” says Caroline. “We invest in and support talent and companies – and we use our experience to try and change the environment so people with talent can develop and grow. “Despite the low cost of technology – and the fact the economic barriers aren't half as high as they were when I first started in the industry – there will always be a need to access money, markets and networks. Opportunities in many areas are still hard to come by.” One of Creative England's main goals is to spread funding and opportunities far and wide across the country. The economic barriers to creativity may be lower than ever, but Nesta research published in January found that 43% of creative jobs are still concentrated in and around London. “Talent is everywhere, it's not postcode-constrained,” says Caroline. “So, in terms of encouraging creativity, it’s not useful to have 43% of our creative jobs clustered in one little part of the country. And it's certainly not a good thing culturally or socially.” With that, Creative England hosts and supports activity in all the corners of the country. In June, for example, there are events taking place in Newcastle, Chichester, the Cotswolds, Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester – and that's on top of ongoing, bread-and-butter activity, campaigns and initiatives. When it comes to gaming, Creative England is just as active – and Caroline is excited to be at the coalface of a booming creative industry that she says will grow for “at least ten more years” and is particularly excited about the way in which gamification is being applied across lots of different business sectors – such as health. “Creative England now has relationships with a whole load of clinicians, and all sorts of health businesses, because we saw the power of gaming content and how it can help to develop new products that help GPs – and that really support patient care,” she says. “Gaming engages people and forms a new basis of understanding; it turns a passive user into an active player or participant. So it's absolutely part of the zeitgeist at the moment.” In answer to those who think that the internet has simultaneously opened up creativity whilst shutting it down as a means of making a career, Ideas Britain coach Caroline Norbury believes there's always a bright future in the creative industries – and that untapped areas and markets are always crying out for new blood. In film, Caroline points at the increasing gap between very high budget and very low budget productions, and notes that as yet there isn't much in the middle ground. She also talks up the massive opportunities in educational technologies, wearable tech and the internet of things, especially if the magical and engaging power of gaming is harnessed. But Caroline Norbury is most excited by the prospect of meaningful social and cultural change – change that's very, very close to home. “Because I’ve had to travel a lot in my career I’ve had to make compromises in my personal life,” she says, “I don’t spend as much time with my children and family as I would like to – though they have been brilliant and not complained too much!” “Our ability to live our life digitally is incredibly liberating, but I think there is a clear market for ideas that pull people together – I really don't believe there's a substitute for great live experiences; bringing people together physically. "I also think there's a disconnect between the theory and the practice of time-saving gadgets … I've got loads of them and I seem to spend more and more time working so if anyone has an idea that makes a tiny contribution to solving that problem they might be on to a winner”. So if anyone out there can answer that call. If anyone out there has an idea to forge social or cultural change. Or if anyone out there simply has a brilliant creative idea – then Caroline Norbury MBE, someone who has spent her working life helping others' careers take off, wants to stand in your corner.

1. Get off your phone OK, we didn't have smartphones when I was 20 – we had big Gordon Gekko-looking beasts that needed a holdall to fulfil any 'mobile' obligations. But people said the same back then: those things are distracting. How often do we lose an hour in the news, Facebook, Twitter when we only went in for a quick browse? I went on LinkedIn to find a contact, and spent an hour reading nostalgia masquerading as business advice. So to my 20 year old self I'd start by advising he keep boundaries around the smartphone, it's the new nicotine. 2. Break bad habits while you can Speaking of habits, experience tells me that 30 is a make or break age. If you can establish a good habit, or break a bad one, before 30 then you've made it for life. I'd advise my 20 year old self to use the next ten years to establish good eating, sleeping and exercise regimes – and use the next ten minutes to chuck the fags. 3. Get straight for the maturity curve If habits are set by 30, I reckon personality is settled by 40 and the character you've carved out, warts and all, by decade #4 is the keeper. So to my 20 year self I'd suggest he challenge and conquer those sketchy personality traits while he's still teachable. If he drops the unpleasantries by 40 – he won't have to carry them further into life. 4. The truth can hurt – but it won't kill A lot of the maturing process is, for me, about facing the truth – however uncomfortable – about yourself and your situation. It's tough and it's tricky to tackle your defects, your demons, your situation. My experience is that bad is never as bad as it seems, and that good isn't always as good you hoped for. And that's OK. So I'd urge my 20 year old self to be real and to seek truth in everything – starting from the inside. That's where freedom hides. 5. Opportunity is cyclical The most significant moments in my life came about by chance. I think about how I met Mrs Shaw, or how I came to create Ideas Britain: both were unplanned and happened by wave of fate, coincidence, serendipity. And then I think about the days and weeks of blood, sweat and tears as I tried to change the wind for my sails. I think about the large swathes of time that I chased the dream, the dragon ... and the destination at the expense of the journey. I think that's the advice I'd give my 20 year old self more than anything else: it's all alright, and even when it's not: it is. It sounds corny and like a line in a B-movie, but getting lost in the regrets of yesterday – and the fear of tomorrow – is pointless and soul-crushing. You'll lose the true colour of the present. So, young Adam: adjust your sails to the wind and prepare for an experience. It might not be what you planned with your finite brain - but then the universe has infinite wisdom so why not let it navigate. Oh and on your 34th birthday, don't say it. Don't. You know what I mean.

The recruitment entrepreneur and qualified psychotherapist was 11 when her father's business failed and the family home was repossessed. The event was an A-bomb on her formative years, and the tremors could still be felt as she approached university age. Kathleen always aspired to work in media and was accepted to study advertising at Bournemouth University. But the family's financial health had worsened and funding further education became impossible. So instead of heading to the coast to learn, Kathleen moved to London to work. “The only thing I could do was type, so I got a job as a secretary,” she says. “I was 18 years old and wore catsuits to work – I had no sense of what was appropriate.” Kathleen soon landed a job as PA for one Theo Paphitis, the then founder of Movie & Media Sports – a company selling perimeter advertising at sports grounds in England and Wales. According to Kathleen, the job was “sort-of, slightly media”, so she started to study. Not in a lecture hall but on-the-job. “I was such a pain in the arse,” she says. “I would constantly be asking colleagues in sales if I could come and sit with them; if I could learn what they were doing; if I could go out on a call with them. I was determined to break out so I just made myself useful and kept asking if I could. “Theo really taught me a lot. He was very good at distinguishing between liking someone and doing smart business with them. He also taught me how to negotiate. After 18 months with Theo and co, Kathleen landed a job in media sales, and started a career in which she would stay for 15 years. That first role was with Eurosport, but Kathleen soon moved to broadcasting powerhouse Sky, when a Sales Director granted her an interview on the strength of a cold letter – and a Far Side cartoon. “I guess the lesson here is that there's nothing to stop you going to the most senior person in the company and writing them a really personal, funny letter. Don't tell them about yourself, tell them what you can do for them.” In the following years Kathleen moved on and up the ladder, working in increasingly responsible roles for the likes of Capital Radio, PHP Media, and Saatchi & Saatchi. By 2007, Kathleen was a mum-of-two, top of the game, and flying high as Strategy Director at Virgin Radio. It was an interesting moment to change course – and to override the risk-setting established in childhood. But she had the entrepreneurial itch – and she went scratching into the unknown. Kathleen joined forces with a team of career headhunters to establish Grace Blue, a new recruitment firm that has since become a global pace-setter. “Everybody thought I'd gone completely mad, because I really didn't need to take that chance,” she says. “But I really did find the thing that I'd do for the rest of my days.” Because it was at Grace Blue that Kathleen unlocked a real talent for understanding people's personalities – and then finding candidates jobs that fit perfectly. “I would sit with people in interviews and they would tell me incredible things about their lives,” she says. “I was very comfortable to be told things – and I was excited by it. But when people talked about the death of a relative, or the fact they'd had an affair, I felt I wasn't taking care of them responsibly, so I decided to study it seriously.” Fast-forward a few years and Kathleen, the school-leaver, finally got her degree: Psychotherapy from Regent's University. During her academic studies, Kathleen read research that those who suffer loss or challenges in early life tend to demonstrate sharper 'survival' mechanisms, which often aid entrepreneurial success. Rather than being a natural no-go, flying solo was in fact Kathleen's calling. In 2009, she exited Grace Blue to start afresh with something 100% her own - and The Lighthouse Company was born. “I had no parachute, no safety net – my family clearly don't have any money,” says Kathleen. I literally took the money I made from the shares I'd sold back to Grace Blue and I used that for the first few months of The Lighthouse Company. “When you don't have a fallback situation you'd be surprised what you're capable of doing. When I left Grace Blue, the chairman said to me: 'I know you'll be successful because failure is not an option'” He was right. Kathleen talks of 18 hours days and sacrifices, but five years later and The Lighthouse Company connects the best international candidates with C-suite (CEO, CFO, COO and CMO) positions in the biggest international companies. TLC counts clients like ITV, Channel 4, Facebook, Buzzfeed, Bloomberg and Twitter, and works on both sides of the Atlantic. As an Ideas Britain coach, Kathleen Saxton is a real believer that, like her, anyone can find success so long as they've determination and drive in the tank. “I'm someone who believes your network is your most valuable thing – and Ideas Britain lets people who aren't connected in this way gain access to a network of open minded and open hearted business leaders. “Some people have never had access to the right networks and opportunities – and I'm almost more willing to help these people, because I was there. “I think it's really important to encourage entrepreneurship, and that we encourage people to have self-belief, whoever they are.”

Many players sprung up to fill the gap, but Crowdcube is out in front as the world's leading business crowdfunding site. At last count, Crowdcube's network of 170,000 registered investors had raised £81m in funding for nearly 250 businesses. Ideas Britain is live on Crowdcube now – and you can share in our future success for as little as £10. But for now, here's five crowdfunded ideas we loved! Project: Star Citizen Genre: Video game Date: December, 2014 Platform: Kickstarter Target: $500,000 Total: $82,013,257 Due out on Windows and Linux “soon”, Star Citizen is both a first-person shooter and a trading and quest game. Some 882,000 Kickstarter investors liked the sound of that – and threw money at the project. In fact, in December 2014 Star Citizen was awarded a Guinness World Record for being the biggest crowdfunding success story in any galaxy, ever. Project: Flow Hive Genre: Beekeeping equipment Date: April, 2015 Platform: IndieGoGo Target: $70,000 Total: $12,074,187 This invention took people a little by surprise. Have you ever wanted to harvest your own honey in a new and easy way; that's doesn't harm the bee? No me neither. But still, the great public's appetite for honey – and healthy happy bees – won out on this one. An initial sting of $70K - this project on IndieGoGo turned into a $12m hive of activity. Project: OUYA Genre: Video Game Console Date: August, 2012 Platform: Kickstarter Target: $950,000 Total: $8,596,474 The crowd really went for this low cost Android games console. OUYA allows users to download apps and games straight onto a console the size of a Rubik's Cube – for play on a TV screen with game controller instead of the old phones and thumbs routine. OUYA was released in 2013 and is compatible with 1115 games – and counting. Project: JIVE Bike Genre: Vehicle/ Transport Date: October, 2013 Platform: Crowdcube Target: $150,000 Total: $160,000 Polish postgraduate student Marcin Piatkowski came up with the concept for JIVE Bike whilst studying for a master’s degree at UCL. The first of its kind, JIVE is an electric, folding, chainless city bicycle designed to eliminate all the hassles faced by cyclists and urban commuters. Out now, the bike – which only weighs 15kg despite its batteries and motor – takes two hours to charge, has a top speed of 15 mph, and costs a cool £1500. Project: Kamm & Sons ginseng spirit Genre: Food and drink Date: February, 2013 Platform: Crowdcube Target: $325,000 Total: $325,000 Alex Kammerling decided that there was a gap in the market for a sophisticated, healthier alcoholic drink “that wasn’t a gin or vodka”. After five long years of brewing, distilling, developing and refining, Kamm & Sons herbal spirit drink – with ingredients drawn from the medicinal world – was born. After its crowdfunding success, the drink now props up fine and trendy bars all over - and next stop is the supermarkets.

Scott's investment came right out of left-field, and I fear it wouldn't have happened had we not taken the Crowdcube punt. It goes to show that business can surprise you, that it pays to have faith, and that you should always (mostly) trust your Chairman. So thank you Stuart, thank you Scott, thank you team - and thank you to our investors; the big and the small, the few and the many. We still have a way to go on Crowdcube - so come over for a look, whoever you are, and get involved in Ideas Britain. Let's all share in a story that’s for the us, not just the them. Does that makes sense? It's been a long month. Adam.

I need to set the scene. A few years ago, I was going through probably the most catastrophic period of my life. Death, illness and huge family upheaval were all around – I was in a frequent state of anxiety. During this time I turned to books to absorb new ideas, and to immerse myself in the experiences of people from other times, places and worlds that might help me find perspective. This first book was an inspiring, harrowing remedy. Michael Watson's Story:The Biggest Fight Michael Watson London-born boxer Michael Watson MBE found his calling in the ring – and quickly rose to the sport's upper level. When the bell struck at the end of his 1991 bout with Chris Eubank, Michael suffered a blood clot. He collapsed to the ground, and medical attention didn't intervene until Michael had been starved of oxygen. He spent months in a coma – and was left almost completely brain dead. Four years later he completed the London Marathon. For six days, Michael walked the course - and didn't give up. Such was the discipline, drive and determination carved into the wall of that man's soul - he overcame the odds. Michael's story hit me deep – I had and have NOTHING to be depressed about. Why Die?: The Extraordinary Percy Cerutty 'maker of Champions’ Graem Sims Another inspiring story that realigned my perceptions was that of Percy Cerruty, an Australian athletics trainer whose team dominated Aussie sport in the 1950s and 60s. Ahead of his time, Percy's home-spun system of 'Stotan' training, involved putting athletes on a holistic regime of natural diets, hard training in natural surroundings, and mental stimulation. Cerutty was written off as a nutter and a madman – yet his athletes won big and his techniques soon embraced around the world. Percy was like a Steve Jobs in sport – he didn't implement the same old crusty plan, but went instead another way. He thought outside the parameters of convention – and won. Percy's approach is something I try – and often fail – to embrace every day. Meditations Marcus Aurelius Cerutty's 'Stotan' philosophies were a blend of Stoic and Spartan principles which have their origins in the Roman Empire. Marcus Aurelius, who died in 169AD, was an important Stoic thinker – and his writings are as relevent to me in 2015 as they have been since civilisation began. He was a proponent of embracing life principles to keep the soul healthy - traits such as integrity, honesty and how to use your natural powers for good. These are teachings which don't need a digital upgrade, they're as relevant now as they ever were. Thoughts of a Philosophical Fighter Pilot James B. Stockdale I could go on and on, but the last book whose message coloured my outlook was written by fighter pilot James B. Stockdale, a former Vietnam POW. His is a story of staying true to belief despite inhumane torture and treatment – not caving no matter the punishment, no matter what they dangled in front of him. Stockdale spent four of his eight prison years in solitary confinement - but amazingly he invented a tapping system to communicate with, and inspire morale in, his fellow POWs. The tapping helped he and his peers get through long, dark, lonely nights. These books belie people and stories that don't speak to my life in terms of the who, the where and the when – but the what and the why often contain rich messages of hope that are transferable to my life, my business, my family, my psyche. I know I'm richer for having these people's experience and wisdom in my arsenal - and I thoroughly recommend every word.

James has been in PR for nearly 30 years. Born in Brazil with Scottish ancestry, he moved to London at two years old and has lived here all his life. James spent his formative years at boarding school in England and graduated from Buckingham University before answering the call of the City. When he realised his skills were more suited to relations and management than trends and trades, James joined a fledgling PR company called College Hill during its start-up phase – he exited 15 years later as a senior partner of a huge and thriving business. Leaving the stability of College Hill to start his own company means James Henderson's peerless insight into the deep and complex world of PR is matched only by his knowledge of flying solo in business. “With four children, all at school, I took the punt and mortgaged my house. I didn’t even have any clients because I had non-compete agreements,” he says. “I just rented an office with a sign on the door – so I very much know what it’s like to take that brave step. “For me, failure, or the risk of failure, really doesn’t have a place in business. It’s not something I ever considered. “When encountered with a problem, however enormous, you just look for the solution.” His new business and passion, launched in 2004, was Pelham PR, a specialist in public relations for the financial services. By 2008, Pelham was turning over £6m – and a merger with PR titan Bell Pottinger was completed two years later. In 2012, James led a Bell Pottinger management buyout to become the company's principal shareholder – the boss. Today, he's in charge of 250 staff, including partners, who work cross-sector to advise, manage and execute campaigns for clients in industry, politics, finance – and high profile people. “We do every type of PR here,” says James before citing one campaign he's particularly proud of. “We did some fantastic work on the Jubilee for Fortnum and Mason,” says James. “We led their Jubilee campaign and helped get the Queen, the Duchess of Cambridge, and the Duchess of Cornwall to come to Fortnum and Mason to launch the beginning of the Jubilee. “That really saw Fortnum take centre-stage in the Jubilee celebrations – and it started them on a different level of awareness.” More recently, Bell Pottinger came to manage Centrica during a problem period – and they’re also overseeing both the Sabadell acquisition of British bank TSB and Net-a-Porter's merger with Yoox. “We've just been appointed by the Singapore government in our Asia business,” says James, “and within the Middle East, we've worked with the Qataris in their investments – such as when they acquired Harrods.” That's big business – but Bell Pottinger is no stranger to the start-up space either. James is routinely asked to sit on panels and join accelerator days so those at the beginning of their entrepreneurial journey can absorb his wisdom from a lifetime in the industry. And his advice to new businesses is always the same: PR is essential, and it pays to tell a good story. “No one is psychic” says James, “a startup needs a PR strategy on day one. “Any entrepreneur needs to identify who and where the market is for their product or service, so the advice they need from PR is: how do I amplify my offering to this key market and how do I get a buzz and momentum around what I'm doing? "PR should be rifle-shot at first – very targeted and making as much noise – and generating as much positive coverage or exposure – within your key marketplace as possible. “Costs are everything when you first start - so my advice is to get friends with PR experience to help; and be creative in how you pay them.” As an Ideas Britain coach, James is particularly looking forward to aiding in the evolution of new and innovative consumer products. Just like tech, it's a noisy and crowded market segment but, for James, an entrepreneurial spirit and a unique story will always rise above the chaos. “You've got to make your story sound newsworthy and noteworthy for someone to want to talk about it; blog about it; write about it. You've got to define your product or offering within that context,” he says. “Everyone likes innovation, creativity and something new and relevant, so I think if you can make your story sound entrepreneurial; cutting edge; new; dynamic and very relevant to people's needs – whatever they may be – it'll be better than the rest.” To gain access to James Henderson, an unrivalled talent and leader in global PR, prepare to embrace Ideas Britain – it's launching this autumn.

Our 444 launch competition has closed so hang tight and lock onto our social channels - we've got a decision to make! That's it! Ideas Britain 444 has closed for entries. In the last 12 weeks, we've seen unprecedented interest in the competition with submissions up in the thousands. There's clothing lines, shoes and hats to check out. There's apps, websites and tech accessories to discuss - and there's bikes, electric cars, food, drink, comics, computer games and cosmetics to narrow down as we search for a winner. The victorious person, or team, will soon pitch their idea to 4 influential coaches, in 4 world cities, in just 4 days. It's a life-changing opportunity and our judges have asked for time to appraise the potential of each and every entry. So follow us on Twitter and Like us on Facebook - the announcement's coming ASAP.

It makes sense that many want to break into the industry or build the next big e-thing. The journey is made ever more appealing as we're fed a TV diet that celebrates and immortalises celebrity entrepreneurs. So a cursory look at the tech landscape in the UK shows we're tech-obsessed – and there's no signs of it stopping. While just 1.46 million people – 7.5% of the entire UK workforce – are currently employed in the digital industries, digital job growth is predicted to outperform all other occupation categories by 2020. The UK’s first App Developer Census held that the UK accounts for 32% of mobile app revenues in all the EU. From 8,000 companies, revenue of circa £4bn was generated in 2014. Tech City values Britain’s tech sector at £100bn and if the digital economy was a traditional sector, it would be bigger than UK construction, education, and utilities. Just this week, Prince Andrew announced three winning start-ups at the 2015 inspiring Digital Enterprise Award (iDEA), they were Learnerlane - dubbed the Match.com for tutoring, Yoma Education - an app to help autistic children, and Candle Path - an app which plots the safest route home. Tech, tech and tech. But here's a question: what if you don't like tech? What if you've an entrepreneurial spirit and want to start your own show – but tech doesn't float your boat? The answer: there is hope – and non-tech business models may even have the jump. In contrast to big ticket tech innovations, consumer products often come sans the gargantuan risks. In fact, investments in household products and clothing lines are kept deliberately modest through the start-up phase, so financial planners can better understand products' popularity and scalability. Sure, tech inevitably comes later – but clothing and accessories companies such as Gandys flip-flops, the Cambridge Satchel Company, Girl Meets Dress, Toms shoes, and many more, can testify to the fact that start-up brands don't need wires and code to get ahead; and to win over the public. Then there's consumables: some of the biggest brands of our time started life as niche food and drink products. Starbucks began with one Seattle store, Innocent Smoothies was a fruit stall in West London, and there's a host of small booze brewers cropping up, Glasgow's WEST brewery to name but one. Capitalising on the organic food surge in the early naughties, companies like Graze tapped in just around the same time Whole Foods – which started with one store in Austin Texas – went global. Oh, and who likes Reggae Reggae sauce? There's lines of cosmetics, candles, chocolates, jewellery, bric-a-brac and furniture that began life small, and grew into sizeable business. So even if your product isn't particularly technical, there's still big opportunities and an appetite out there. In the first six months of 2014, data firm Beauhurst reported that equity investments in UK non-tech companies reached “record” levels. In 2014 as a whole, non-tech industries gathered some £700m of investment - in 2013 that figure was just £279m. The Startups Awards 2014 crowned Edinburgh-based craft beer club Beer52 winners out of a field of 35 start-up businesses. Previous non-tech winners of the award include the Cambridge Satchel Company, and Ella’s Kitchen. In their list of 30 start-ups to watch, Entrepreneur magazine names Chicago shoe company Bucketfeet, social entrepreneurial venture the Global Good Fund, and health-conscious clothing line RejuvaHealth as ones to keep eyes on. So if you don't like tech, there's hope – and Ideas Britain is a great place to put that hope. We've already had clothing lines, bikes, accessories and a poo-aid submitted – because flying solo really doesn't need batteries. *denotes the second coming of Apple, circa 1997

Back to Lou's Tavern and *spoiler alert* Fight Club is born as people identify with a man who's punching, kicking and knocked lumps out of … himself. This inaugural Fight Club battle involved one man and his demon – a demon so significant it punched and kicked and fought back. Only at the end could Ed Norton overcome that demon – and by then it was trying to utterly break him. It's a pretty sizeable metaphor – but many people can't recognise the Tyler Durden in their own lives, even when he's punching and kicking. I see Tyler Durden as a metaphor for addiction (if you disagree take it up with Mark Kermode) which is a subject close to home. I find those people who have been chosen by addiction - and who have fought back - awe-inspiring; beacons of hope; unique spirits to keep close by. They say religion is for those who want to avoid hell, while spirituality's for those who've been there – and I love having spiritual people around me. In my experience, addicts and alcoholics who work at their recovery have more perspective than your average bear. Their outlook has been right-sized, they've sweated out much of life's pettiness – leaving little but a spirit; and a desire to seize the day. Some have genuinely been to the edge, and that's a powerful thing – it seems to arm a person with the ability to transcend life's nonsense. Those who have been in a fight know about themselves - and they're people perfectly placed to support you on your journey. In business, if someone presents you with perfection - it's untrue. If someone claims no faults – it's nonsense. We all come with baggage - and overcoming it adds a unique dimension to character. I've met so many in the corporate world who haven't had to struggle, who haven't had to fight, and consequently I find such people get so bogged down in the trivial, the incidental, and the pretence of it all. There's little perspective, humility or grace. Such people have yet to experience a seismic life moment that puts the nonsense, and the BS in its rightful place. I don't wish such a thing on anyone, but I pity people that their story hasn't been enriched in this way. Many of us have a Tyler Durden in our lives - he's one of the toughest opponents on the card. Fighting him off, one day at a time, seems to bestow people with gratitude and serenity - that's an energy any home, family or workplace can learn from. I've mentioned Fight Club so much, it's only fair I close with the words: “It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything.” Adam

And we're a country moving with entrepreneurial momentum. The UK has made big strides in the last ten years, moving from unlucky 13 in the 2009 GEI. In the context of Europe, the UK rules the roost – we've even leapfrogged those digital guru in the Nordics. Sweden, Denmark and Iceland are fifth, sixth and seventh respectively on the GEI list whilst our entrepreneurial activity bests Germany by no fewer than seven places – and France by eight. GEI itself notes that the UK, should it continue on a similar trajectory, may see off Australia and move into third place before long. There's only one thing holding us back: our attitude. When the GEI observed societal attitudes towards entrepreneurship, the United Kingdom – compared to the United States, Canada and Australia – sits a significant 20 points behind. We can match anyone for education and ability, but in aspiration and attitude the UK ranks in at number 17 – well behind the top three, the Nordics, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, Israel, France and Germany. Even for those working in innovation, the GEI reported that the UK “has a deficit in product innovation, process innovation, high growth companies, internationalization and risk capital.” GEI also notes that companies in other nations will register both with strong aspiration – and weak aspiration. But in the UK, our aspiration is all bunched together, timidly, in the middle ground. Back to the positives and the UK's greatest strength in entrepreneurship is, according to the GEI, 'entrepreneurs' ability to provide unique products or services that are not currently offered by other businesses in the same market.' And the report names London as Europe's second city of entrepreneurialism (Copenhagen is first), saying that our capital's 'education, immigration and density' contribute much to our collective innovative might. There's no denying our trajectory, we have an economy in 2015 that's sailing ahead of our neighbours. There's also a telling new thirst for entrepreneurial success - and going it alone. The numbers don't lie. In 2014, the start-up business record was smashed as registrations at Companies House hit a record high of 581,173 – building on the 526,447 and 484,224 recorded in 2013 and 2012 respectively. In 2015, the number sits close to 200,000 so we're on course for another big start-up year. It's also encouraging for 2015 that the number of firms dropping off the Companies House register has fallen 6%. The numbers sound positive – we just need to match those with our aspirations. For that, stay locked on the Ideas Britain blog, and here's a little positivity courtesy of Founder Adam Shaw.

Martin McCourt, multinational leader and Ideas Britain coach

Commuting between London and Bath – and racking up serious airmiles on Montagu business – it's not the life Martin McCourt left school for. His first trade was drawing maps – and today he travels them. One of six boys born to working class parents in Glasgow, Martin's modest upbringing inspired a deep-set ambition that still burns bright. “If you didn't have drive then you weren't going to get anywhere,” he says. “I had ambition from a very early age and I just wanted to get on.” Martin McCourt's first job was as a cartographer for the Ministry of Defence. It was a strange path for a working class teen in central Scotland – most went straight into the heavy industries. But Martin, after MoD training, would be seduced by the white-collar, not the blue, when confectionery giant Mars took a gamble and threw the young 20-something into account management. “I didn't bring much to the party initially,” says Martin. “But it was my big commercial break and the only challenge was to be good at it.” He evidently was. Martin soon moved to Duracell where – over eight years – he migrated through various roles before winding up as Sales Director. From batteries to TVs, Martin became General Manager of Toshiba's audio visual business – and he wasn't even 30. Having scaled the ranks, and the boardroom, Martin's trajectory changed, and what he calls his “off-piste” period began. “I've always been more of the risk taker than the standard corporate animal,” he says. A serious of entrepreneurial ventures commenced and – via buyouts and investing both time and money – the Glasgow-born map maker became prolific in turning ailing businesses into successful teams. Some companies sold at huge profit, others still lead their field today. “In business, people are the most precious of all commodities,” Martin says. “I tap into people, I get onto their wavelength – and therefore I'm good at building teams. “I think a company with an average proposition, product or service can achieve excellence if the people are led properly – if they're properly unleashed. But a great product or service can be really sub-optimised if you've got the wrong leadership, and you've got the wrong people.” Martin believes that people can perform and achieve unbelievable things when they feel good about themselves, yet he finds encouragement lacking in life today – especially for young people. “I'm speaking generally, but youngsters today often find themselves surrounded by people – maybe teachers, maybe parents – who think they're well intended when they pour cold water on ideas and innovation. “Maybe they don't want youngsters going down the 'wrong' path, or experiencing failure. But whatever the motivation, youngsters are quite used to feeling the heavy drag-weight of negativity.” With his own children and stepchildren carving their paths in the world of enterprise – and a lifetime of industry experience – Martin knows how thirsty youngsters are to go it alone. But so many need a push. “You're in that rare percent of the population if you're the guy who can just make it happen,” he says. “The vast majority of people need help; they need direction; they need guidance, they need encouragement. “And Ideas Britain starts with encouragement. It gives people feedback for ideas, they can see their peers voting and connecting with each other and coaches. Ideas Britain is all-encouraging – and that's why it's such a great concept.” Martin believes the positivity and encouragement that's on offer at Ideas Britain will empower youngsters to overcome fear, and take the plunge. For Martin, taking risks, like positivity, should be promoted and embraced and encouraged. “What Ideas Britain is trying to do is to encourage predominantly youngsters to throw their ideas in – and to see if those ideas can materialise. Of course there's risk. “Once you start developing an idea into a product or a service or whatever, there's risk hanging off it every inch of the way. “But risk is the adrenaline rush – that's the excitement, it's preferable than to be safe and predictable, isn't it?” We think so. Off-piste; adrenaline; risk; positivity – serial entrepreneur and Ideas Britain coach Martin McCourt enjoys getting hands-on with businesses that offer something new and different, as much as he's at home making good teams great, and a great teams world-class. A self-defined “ideas agnostic”, Martin has vamped and revamped projects and products across various sectors – so he's excited for the ventures and adventures Ideas Britain will put his way. “I work across multiple sectors, and move into areas I've never been in before. I've found that my general business experience is applicable in these areas. “So I'm simply interested in good-quality thinking, possibilities, and ideas that are going to make a difference – and I'd absolutely love to see young people behind them. “I don't have expectations – I'm open to it all.”