Jody Clarke

In 1998, David McKernan left his job, remortgaged his house, and cashed in his pension to fund his start-up coffee company, Java Republic. Now he's tu…

Frances Dickens was working at a US barter company when she realised the firm needed to make changes to make profits in the UK. Unable to make her bos…

Ex-copper Phil Cleary was frustrated by the police's 'one man and his dog' approach to recovering stolen property. So he invented his own tracking sys…

Minicab driver John Griffin lacked ambition until the birth of his two sons. Then he founded his own company, Addison Lee. Now turns over £180m a year…

Ex-accountant Guy Schanschieff set up a nappy laundry service in 1992. Now his company, Bambino Mio, turns over £3m and has 42 distributors in 60 coun…

Ex-City analyst Tom Marchant started his travel company with £20,000 savings. After honourable mentions in glosssy magazines, the company's now turnin…

Jan Ward has always been a risk taker. And it has paid off, as the company she started with £3,000 savings, Corrotherm International, now turns over £…

Ex-marketing director Mary Ann O'Brien was inspired to begin making chocolates while on holiday in South Africa. She got her first big break supplying…

As an MI5 agent, Nick Day wanted a more entrepreneurial careers. So he and a colleague from the CIA set up their own company, Diligence, advising comp…

After having their ideas turned down by short-sighted bosses, Paul Luen and his colleages set up their own business. This year, their company is set t…

Asian specialist Hugh Young of Aberdeen Asset Management tells Jody Clarke how to bet on the Asian consumer.

Average forest plantation prices in Britain have increased 82% in the last five years. And demand for timber looks to be secure. Managed funds are on…

Jody Clarke talks to Byron Wien about his top ten 'surprises' for 2010, including big comebacks for the dollar and Japan.

David Hall turned a small specialist fishing magazine into Britain's biggest independent angling and fishing publishing company.

Fidelity's commission-free fund sale may be angering IFAs, but it is a welcome development in the war against commission-based advice.

Frederick Forsyth began the 1970s unemployed, broke and homeless. With no prospect of a job, he started work on the novel that was to make him his fir…

Almost 95% of the 1,914 funds available in Britain produced a positive return in 2009. However, some did spectacularly better than others. Jody Clarke…

Economist Kenneth Rogoff talks to Jody Clarke about the financial crisis, and what we should prepare for now.

Warren Bennett co-founded his bespoke tailoring business with money he and his business partner raised on their credit cards. This year, their company…

Alec Reed opened his first employment agency at the age of 26 with just £75 in his pocket. Now his company has revenues of more than £750m a year and …

Jody Clarke talks to investment guru Barton Biggs about why he thinks big stocks are the best investment in the markets right now.

Fed up with working long hours for little pay as a chef, Mark Pearson set up discount website MyVoucher Codes from his bedroom. It was soon raking in …

Investors have seen clean energy stocks plummet over the past few years. But that hasn't stopped money pouring into the sector, and some funds have pr…

Philip Gibbs, manager of the Jupiter Financial Opportunities Fund, is buying financial stocks. They're cheap, he says. But they're cheap for very good…

In a bid to boost the economy and repair damage caused by underinvestment, $6.4bn of Obama's stimulus package is earmarked for water projects. That's …

Jody Clarke talks to investment guru Andrew Smithers about which markets are overvalued, and which look best for the long run.

Holly Tucker isn't too worried about the state of the British high street. Her online department store is seeing sales double each year.

Emerging markets investment pioneer Antoine van Agtmael talks to Jody Clarke about today's most important markets.

'Trail commission' - a regular payment made to your adviser by a fund manager - encourages that adviser to hold onto any fund you buy through them. Ma…

Terry Clune started out giving tax advice to students for £25 a go. now his company, Taxback.com, is a 24-hour operation with turnover approaching €90…

Perween Warsi started her Indian food business selling home-made samosas to the local chip shop. Now the high-profile entrepreneur's company is worth …

Jody Clarke talks to adventure capitalist Jim Rogers about commodity investing - and buying land in North Korea.

It's easy to see why high-earning investors are piling into venture capital trusts (VCTs) – the tax breaks are huge. But should you follow them?

Ex commodities trader Nick Jenkins launched his own card copmany in 2000. It took five years to turn a profit, but now his company, Moonpig, sells ten…

The Liv-ex 100 Fine Wine Index is up 9.5% over 12 months. So should you be piling into the fine wine market? Jody Clarke finds out.

When Anna Gibson found the perfect toy to distract her son, she knew she was on to a winner, so she snapped up the distribution rights. Now turnover a…