Latest articles by Jody Clarke
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How I rode celebrity coat-tails to riches
Features Nick Robertson used family connections to set up a business selling products similar to those used or worn by celebrities on screen. Now his company is bringing in £73m a year in sales.
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Oil minnows are now on the takeover menu
Features It's not just the oil price that's tanking, shares in small oil and gas exploration companies have nosedived, too – and there is worse to come. The majors see this as a chance to snap up their struggling smaller rivals, as Jody Clarke explains.
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The health drink that won a cult following
Features Stuart Jeffries gave up his marketing job in the glamour industry to focus on making tasty shakes for athletes. Now his company turns over £3m a year - and he's just getting started.
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How a dancing George Bush made me £19m
Features Rob Small started his online games website with an interactive, dancing George W Bush. Now, seven years later, his site turns over £19m.
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The fight that led to the creation of YouGov
Features An altercation with a Socialist Workers Party activist led Nadhim Zahawi to set up political pollsters YouGov in 1999. The company went public in 2005 and now boasts a market capitalisation of £50m.
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Structured products: not so safe after all
Features Structured products were meant to offer the best of both worlds. But a serious threat to your capital is now becoming clear to some investors. Jody Clarke investigates.
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Darryl Wade: why I didn't listen to the naysayers
Features Darrell Wade wanted a travel firm which offered the low cost of a tour but the flexibility and adventure of independent travel. So he started his own, and now turns over A$120m a year.
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Money-market funds 'break the buck'
Features Last week the oldest money-market fund in the US 'broke the buck' – i.e. it returned less than investors had put in. Similar funds operate in the UK. So are they really the place to be putting your cash?
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Catherine Cook: The brainwave that made me $10m by age 18
Features Three years ago, Catherine Cook – then 15 - and her brother – then 16 - had an idea for an online school yearbook. With help from their dotcom-entrepreneur brother, their company myyearbook.com is now reaping $10m a year in ad sales.
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Profit from the rise in pedal power
Features Amid high petrol prices and shrinking incomes, the humble bicycle is enjoying a return to popularity as a cheap and healthy way to get from A to B. Jody Clarke gives three very good reasons why the bike boom is here to stay, and chooses one stock that he believes is going places.
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David Sprigg: impressive debut on the business stage
Features David Sprigg gave up a steady bank job to set up a string of stage schools for children. Twenty years later his company, Stagecoach Theatre Arts, notched up sales of £6.4m in the first half of this year.
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David Milne: single-minded scientist cashing in his chips
Features David Milne began designing silicon chips at an offshoot of Edinburgh University. 30 years later, his company Wolfson Micro is turning over more than $200m a year.
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Stunning sights on an African safari
Features Get back to nature and see some of the stunning sights of Zambia
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How I made a killing at the bookies
Features Ian Yates won his first bet at the age of eight. After a rocky start when competitors nearly put him out of business, the ex-politician is now head of a string of bookmakers across Ireland and Wales.
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Why the future is nuclear
Features The dream of renewable energy is giving way to the realities of nuclear power. Jody Clarke explains how this makes for good investment opportunities, and picks a selection of stocks for your portfolio.
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Daniel Lee: The man who modernised prescriptions
Features Daniel Lee left the family pharmacy business in 1999 to go it alone selling mail-order medicines. Now, online sales have hit £12m a year, and he has ambitious plans for the future.
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How I beat redundancy and recession
Features Robyn Jones was made redundant in 1991. With the £2,500 payoff she started her own business. Now she is the head of a multi-million pound catering firm - and is very rich indeed.
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Why house prices could fall by 50%
Features If there are any die-hard bulls left in the UK's housing market, the latest Rightmove report on prices will surely have given even them pause for thought, says Jody Clarke.
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Alexander Amosu: 'I made £6 first day and grew from there'
Features While playing around with a mobile phone, Alexander Amosu started composing ring tones. Soon there was a queue of customers at his front door. The business he started in a Wood Green bedroom was sold for £9m four years later.
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From a pit stop to business in the fast lane
Features Jonathan Wright gave up trying to be a racing driver in 1982 to work in recruitment. Now, as the head of a £28m a year recruitment firm, he has no regrets.
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Airlines: would BA and Iberia make a happy couple?
Features Is the proposed merger of British Airways and Iberia a marriage made in heaven? And is it a sign that it is time to get back into airlines? Jody Clarke gives his verdict on the possible tie-up.
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How to get cool profits from global warming
Features Climate change needn't burn a hole in your pocket. Jody Clarke explains the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme and gives his tips on how to play the carbon trading market.
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Why oil shippers are headed for choppy waters
Features The construction boom in double-hulled oil tankers means there will soon be too many ships chasing too little oil. But there's still money to be made from investing in shipping, as Jody Clarke discovers.
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How a holiday in Tampa made John Madejski a millionaire
Features A visit to America opened John Madejski's eyes to the potential in advertising used cars. With £2,000 he launched his first magazine; now he's the millionaire owner of a football club.
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