Michael Mothner started working on Wpromote, a search engine optimization (SEO) company, in 2001, but he didn’t really fully take it on till 2004 after an infamous interview for a position at Goldman Sachs in New York.

When the MD of Goldman asked Michael about Wpromote, Mr Mothner replied he had had some success with the company in which he had started. To this the interviewer said, “So why, with this success, do you want to join Goldman?”

At this point Michael stood up and said, “You know what? You’re right. I don’t think this job is right for me.’”

This was the beginning of a journey that would lead Michael to being owner of a company that is on target to registered $12million in sales this year.

His decision to walk out on that interview obviously paid dividends. He could have easily settled for a comfortable desk job at the highly prestigious Goldman Sachs, but that would have been boring now, wouldn’t it?

Wpromote has grown rapidly since 2004 when sales were $500,000. In 2007 sales had increased to $6.2 million and they are hoping to rake in double that figure by the end of 2010.

Even after the economy went south, Mothner continued forward like a steam train, vowing to run the company as he would if he will own it forever.

Utterly Horses is a company that provides different type of model horses to horses accessories, this concept began from a young girl who was a staunch Model Horse collector – Becky Benfield.

Becky has been totally besotted with model horses from the young tender age of 12 due to her parents buying her model horses from above.

These model horses came from the company “Breyer Model horses”. Being a mere collector of such products wasn’t satisfying enough for Becky as she began to enquire regarding there being a Breyer Model horse stockist in UK.

Fortunately for her, there was a Breyer Model horse stockist underneath the name “Wentworth Collection”.

Becky contacted Wentworth collection and requested to volunteer her time as a sales representative, her desire was granted regardless of her young age.

Her age wasn’t seen as a boundary as she succeeded within her profession as a sales representative, and managed to make a high sale result from Breyers Model Horses within Local County shows.

Her knowledge, determination and energy surprised the existing owner of “Wentworth Collection” passed on Wentworth Collection as an heir to Becky Benfield.

The opportunity was grabbed with both hands. The Wentworth Collection and Utterly Horses (collection of her own Breyer Model Horses) became a combined company, underneath the title “Utterly Horses”, all at the age of 16 whilst she was sitting her GCSE.

Utterly Horse has been confirmed in having many more developments, including an expansion of utterly horse for its fans, also the thoughts of Utterly Horses being available on podcast and so have been discussed.

Utterly Horses are definitely galloping over every hurdle with an aim for success.

When Susan Gregg was 17 she was heading off to Carnegie Mellon University, but she found her closet packed full of vintage clothes and shoes that she had collected.

So she decided to get rid of them, and what better way than to open an online boutique. That year, Susan began ModCloth.com right from her dorm room. She would often drive from uni to her southern Florida hometown to pick up more stock.

Soon the site was overwhelming, 60,000 visitors per month wanted more. That’s when Susan realised the potential of the business. She started looking for designers and suppliers, eventually finding a trade show in Las Vegas via Google search. Susan went to the show with the intention to find herself a designer, which she did.

Susan still needed to raise the capital to pay for her rising costs, so on the advice of her boyfriend she took out $50,000 in credit card debt with the rest coming in the form of loans from her boyfriend’s family.

It was a big step to take, but ultimately these are the risked you have to take if you want to make it big.

Since her original idea in 2002, she has come a long way, but it wasn’t until 2006 when she hired designers to create an original collection for the site, that things have really taken off.

As it stands today the site is getting over 2million visitors per month and ModCloth is looking to surpass the $50million mark in sales this year. Susan has also managed to raise $20million in new funding so that she can open up offices in San Francisco and Los Angeles as employees near 150.

Susan’s personality shines through when you look at the business, ModCloth is a social commerce and she makes sure that customers feel involved whether they are buying or not. There is even an opportunity for the customers to choose which styles go into production.

This is the kind of thinking that will help Susan continue to grow ModCloth well into the future.

Hi guys, today i have an interview with trevor ginn, the founder of hello baby – an online baby store.

Hey Trevor, how are you doing? Great to have you on YHP. Can you give us some background information about yourself?

Previously to starting Hello Baby I was working as an eCommerce consultant, mainly advising on online marketplaces and search engine optimisation. I have been working in the internet space for around 10 years which has been quite up and down.

For some reason I am attracted to start-ups and most of the companies I’ve worked for are no longer around! This has been a great opportunity to learn from the mistakes of others.

So tell us about your business Hello Baby, how did that start up, what is the story behind it?

With eCommerce growing at around 20% per year, my clients were doing very well and this frustrated me as I felt that I knew much more about online marketing they did. So I decided to put my money where my mouth was and launch my own online business.

I did a lot of research into different retail sectors in order to decide on the vertical in which to start a business. The data we used was eBay historical data as this gives actual sales data at the product level. I had a number of different criteria for choosing a sector, for example, it had to be something I knew about, be non-seasonal and have the opportunity for good margins. My research led me to believe that the nursery industry presented the best opportunity.

I had also recently had my first daughter and the amount of money which all new parents seem to spend on stuff was also an inspiration!

How did you raise funds to start it?

So far we are self funded. We have kept our start up costs very low by choosing very cheap office space and drop shipping a large proportion of our stock.

Who are your target markets?

Our main target audience is new parents, but we also stock gifts such as old fashioned wooden toys which are great for anyone who is looking for a present for a new baby.

How has the journey been so far?

Before starting this business I knew a lot about online marketing and websites in general, but almost nothing about other vital areas such as purchasing products, dealing with customers and fulfilment. It has been a very steep learning curve! Luckily we have a very good back end system which automates a lot of the processes and saves a huge amounts of time.
Growth has been very healthly and sales are up 20% this year, despite the recession.

Our turnover is currently around £40K a month and we making a comfortable profit. I expect our profitability to improve as our volumes grow and we can benefit from economies of scale and better prices from our suppliers.

Tell us a moment of doubt, a time of struggle starting your business, what made you carry on rather quitting?

I haven’t really had much room for doubt as sales have been growing steadily from day one. We had some problems with online fraud about a year ago and lost about £5000 which was a horrible experience. I did, however, manage to persuade our card provider that it was in fact their fault and got all the money back.

What would you say has been your most memorable moment so far?

We have recently launched an iPhone app which has had about 20,000 downloads, has been featured in all the national baby magazines and drives around 500 unique visitors to our site a day. The app is available for free from the iTunes store.

What have been the key lessons you’ve learnt since starting your business?

When I first started the business I was trying to economise on everything. Whilst keeping costs low is wise, it can slow things down. I also got friends to build my website at ‘mates rates’ which was very cheap but took forever. I now understand that is it not always best to go for the cheapest option and speed to market is really important. I should also have employed staff earlier as to start with I was doing everything on my own.

What have been some of the key techniques you’ve used in developing and expanding your business?

The traffic to the website comes mainly from natural search, although we are now launching a paid search campaign. We also sell a lot of stock through eBay and Amazon marketplace. Offline we do some in house PR and offer discounts to nurseries, hospitals and other trade organisations.

Is the business been profitable so far?

The business is profitable, but we need to improve the sales a lot before I can start to draw a proper salary as most of the profits go back in the business. We are constantly expanding our range and soon we will be launching a revamped website.

Rather than renting a physical shop to sell your products, what are the benefits/advantages of starting an online shop?
Online shops are much, much cheaper to set up and run than physical shops. They are also open 24/7 and can be accessed from anywhere in the world. However, with a traditional shop the customer can look and feel a product and take it home with them today.

Online, the customer must rely on the photograph and wait for delivery.

What do you do to relax from business? I know running an online shop is not an easy job, i have friends that run online shops and they tell me all the time how stressful it is.

Running your own business is very hard work and it is quite difficult to switch off (I am doing this interview at 9p.m. on a Saturday night). I have two small children which provide a sense of balance and stop me working too hard.

What should we be expecting from you in the future?

In 5 years time we have plans to be a £5 million turnover operating in several European markets. We also want to take the knowledge we have gained building Hello Baby to launch in other sectors.

Before we leave you, do you have any tips for young entrepreneurs starting up?

Budding entrepreneurs should consider stating a business with proven business model (i.e. someone has done it before) and start small if they have to. Online retail is great in this regard as online marketing places like eBay and Amazon give quick access to customers and transactional website can be set up quickly and cheaply. We started off with about £1000 worth of stock and an eBay store and took it from there.

Thanks for your time Trevor

Michael Costigan is a serial entrepruneur, who is just as interested in encouraging others to succeed, as he is in his own success.

Micheal has 3 succesful start ups to his name and he is just 17 years old.

A social entrepreneur, Michael also is a public speaker and is dedicated to helping teens with their issues. His website speakingofmichael.com is dedicated to improving communication between parents and teens to better help them make decisions. Here he has made himself a valued brand and his communication skills are his product.

At 13 the young entreprenuer began madFusion LLC, mad standing for Marketing, Advertyising and Design. The service is aimed atprovide graphic design, business strategy and social media consultancy to the young and up coming entreprenuers of this generation.

Mr Costigans work was recognised by the Youth Venture organisation who offered Michael a grant to help with continued development of the business.

During his close partership with Youth Venture, Michael developed an ability as a public speaker. As his interest for entrepenuership grew, so did his view toward the potential growth of global technologies. This led to the foundation of Think Top Down, a company that looks into software development for the iPhone.

Micheal continues to look forward and helping others. His latest endeveour focuses on adolesent psychology. His communication and leadership skills have been a driving force in his success at such a young age. He now has the opportunity to speak around the world and is still continously learning as he imparts his own knowledge to help others.

“In order to understand, you must listen”
Michael Costigan

Joey primiani is a 21 year old entrepreneur, his prime goal is to make life easier for the masses through pioneering product design. He also says he is obsessed with “making universe denting things”.

This determination to create something new and different has been crucial in his design success.

Primiani has always been creatively and technically gifted and this was the basis of his first company which he started aged 8. The companies primary activity was web development and design which is based in the technology capital silicon valley where he can develop his work further in the presence of similar individuals.

He has also worked as an user experience design intern for Google where he designed new products for the iGoogle homepage which many of you may be familiar with. He has previously worked as an intern at many design companies where he has been able to gain experience.

He is currently working on a new type of technology company, a “movement” that is the powerhouse of innovative new tools that empower people with knowledge and creativity.

If you are a startup entrepreneur and you are in London this Friday then you have a chance to be interviewed for the new “Butcher’s Bunch” (it’s a working title…) slot on TechCrunchTV appearing in September.

They will be interviewing entrepreneurs and people on the tech scene across Europe for TEchCrunch TV. But to start off with, we’re doing some quick interviews at the new co-working and events space for tech people in London, TechHub

How’s it going to work? Simple: come along this Friday any time between 11am and 4pm and they will interview you. It’ll be first come first served basis, There’s no guarantee you will make the final cut but.. you have to be in it to win it… right?

This is all going to get a little more organised in time, but in the meantime, come on down, your five minutes of fame awaits you…

By Honey Carew

If it’s possible for a young child to rule a country at the age of 9, it is surely possible for Mr Anstandig to start a radio station of his own at the age of 9.

After being turned down, from left right, centre – age didn’t stop Daniel from soaring higher than the average.

His station WDGA began in his home basement at the age of 12, he was acknowledge by a local station, WELL-AM and given a chance to host a one – hour weekly show for children, as well as participating in John Carroll University radio station with extra classes by its tutors.

Doing radio shows was just Daniel’s beginning, he started to progress to online Internet radio which brought him a high level of recognition locally and internationally.

He is currently the president of McVay New Media Consulting, which is media station full of consultants offering their services to companies.

Mr Anstandig has also offered advises to the wall street journal, CBS News Clear channel R&D and many more known organisation.

He is also a co-founder of Listener Driven Radio, which is a software company for empowering broadcasters to become more familiar with crowds.

Daniel Anstandig has been nominated as the #1 Young Entrepreneur by The Youngbiz Magazine, he also been highly recognized by the billboard magazine as one of the “Radio’s Biggest Innovators”. Such talents are not limited to one area alone – Daniel continues to soar higher than the average.

Drew Houston is the founder and CEO of Dropbox. At the age of 25, MIT graduate Houston, has a successful website which earlier this year passed the 4 million users landmark.

Dropbox has grown rapidly since being publicly launched in September 2008 and now has 24 employees on the team.

His passion was to make a product that rocks and can be in the hands of millions. So what is Dropbox? Well it’s essentially an online folder where files can be dropped and then shared over the internet with any computer you choose. Well now he is living his dream. Dropbox, a web 2.0 file hosting service has won multiple awards from places like CNET and PC Magazine.

The company is swiftly expanding having just launched its official android application, iPad/iPhone apps and new mobile API.

Dropbox was originally founded in 2007 and received investment from start up funding firm Y Combinator. Getting investment can often be the hardest part but Drew makes it looks easy, helped by having a great product. These days Dropbox is healthily funded by Sequoia Capital, Accel Partners, and Amidzad.

So why does Drew believe his company has flourished? Well he feels it’s down to keeping the company lean and frugal while staying close to the customers. He ensures that the Dropbox team focus on what they do well.

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Quick Lingo is a professional translation and interpretation service provider to the corporate community and public sector.

Matt Roberts is the co-founder of Bean2Bed, A company he started with his friend Irfan Badakshi in his second year at Aston University.

He grew up in Camberley which is in the South of England about 15 miles from Windsor Castle and an hour from London.

They originally came up with the idea for Bean2Bed (Bean2Bed provides space-saving, comfortable beanbags that transform into a bed in under 30 seconds) after a weekend birthday party, a bunch of friends sleeping all over and someone said he recalled ‘I wish I could flatten out this beanbag chair and sleep on it,’

After running with the idea for two years, Robert and Irfan decided to take the next step, meeting with designers, producing prototypes and making sure everything went according to plan.

They ended up maxing out their student loan, but finally Bean2Bed was launched at a home show in July 2005 at earl’s court.

The finished product is, in effect, a mattress filled with crumb foam that stuffs into corduroy, denim, faux suede, or imitation furs sack the size of a beanbag chair. One minute it’s a comfy chair in the corner, and then presto, it’s a bed.

They have since sold thousands of Bean2Beds, which cost $285 to $475, currently available on Amazon.co.uk and more than a hundred stores in Britain. Not bad for an idea that started from a weekend birthday party and the company has also won many prestigious awards such as:

2006 Winner of Shell Livewire’s Young Entrepreneur of the Year (Midlands)
2006 Birmingham Best Business Awards – Work-Life Balance
2006 Business Week’s Europe’s Best Entrepreneurs under 25
2007 HSBC Start-Up Stars Award
2008 Midlands Business Award
2008 Corkscrew Events Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award and Runner up for Best Business Idea
2009 Business Insider Magazine Top 42 Under 42

Bean2Bed’s turnover recently hit £3m