I find it astonishing how many people dream of becoming Internet Entrepreneurs. So many go online on line in the the hope of generating an income from building an internet business, yet so few seem to succeed.
Part of the problem, as I see it, is that anyone can become an online entrepreneur, all you need is a computer and an internet connection. But then most who proceed to build some form of online business seem to come along with nothing original, they just follow what others have done, and worse try to copy them completely.
Those who are successful help to shape the future of online business by being innovators. They are pioneers who develop totally new ideas and processes that shape the future of their market place.
One such entrepreneur is Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon. What an unbelievable example he is. But I want to start this series of articles with Oliver Cookson. He is the entrepreneur who founded online sports nutrition brand Myprotein with a £500 overdraft in 2004 and went on to sell it to The Hut Group for around £60m.
While at the helm of MyProtein he turned it into a £16m-turnover business employing more than 50 staff and selling over 250 products across the UK and Europe. Many people see the business as just an online company but it is much more than that. They manufacture and distribute protein powders and other supplements. Oliver Cookson built the business, including his powerful website while doing a full time job and turned it into the leading online sports nutrition brand in the UK.
Oliver Cookson’s story not only demonstrates the results that you can gain from working hard and relentlessly but as importantly, as I try and educate others to understand, he clearly shows that when you drive a business powered by your passions then you have a winning formula.
He says how much he loves working on computers, something that had been the case ever since he got his first computer. Then there was his love for working out, something he did for himself on a regular basis which he supported by taking supplementation. Bringing these things together he built an incredible business. And it looks as though he is setting out to do it all over again.
I’m enjoying following him on Twitter @gonutritionuk and reading his blog about his new sports nutrition at http://www.gonutrition.com/community/blog/.
What he has achieved already who can doubt he will be doing it again!
