Back to basics: how to be an entrepreneur

Are you an entrepreneur? OK, you're an independent business-person, but to be an entrepreneur you need to have something extra. You know when you're talking to a true entrepreneur - you're not talking, they are. And quite a lot of the time they're talking about themselves.

Karan Bilimoria - since last year Lord Bilimoria of Chelsea - is no exception. The founder of the Cobra beer business enjoys telling his story, as well he might - it's a good story. And now he's got somebody to write it all down.

Bottled for Business is more than a biography, though. Subtitled The Less Gassy Guide to Entrepreneurship it also aims to encourage and educate the reader who'd like to be a Bilimoria too.

One of the defining characteristics of an entrepreneur is, of course, that they are ambitious, they want to expand, they want to make a million - or several. If you're

happy ticking over and simply making a living in your nice little pub that's fine. But you're not an entrepreneur.

If you dream of a whole chain of pubs you've got entrepreneurial potential. But the idea is only one per cent of it. The other 99 per cent is getting it to work. And that's where Bilimoria's guide can come in useful.

Really a cross between a business guru's advice and a biography, Bottled for Business uses his story to illustrate lessons from which you can learn.

As well as that intial flash of inspiration you need the persistence and know-how to get the right people to believe you, and not give in at the first knock-back.

The book covers finance, the importance of a quality product, the need for continuing innovation - and how to turn the inevitable set-backs to your advantage. Bilimoria also explains his reasoning behind putting something back into the community once you're successful, and if you get that far there's tips on how to go global. Not all of it is relevant for the humble publican, but if you really want to get on in business there's plenty of inspiration here.

Karan Bilimoria on...

Creativity

"It is very important to think about creativity not as an isolated activity done in some kind of a creative silo... strange as it may sound, it is a way of life. It is about being constantly engaged in everything you are doing. All the time try to think of original and new and different ways of doing and approaching things."

Luck

"There is an element of luck, no question about it, but you make your own luck as well - you have got to be out there looking for the luck."

Management

"A lot of entrepreneurs are not particularly good managers. There is nothing wrong with that, but if that is the case, recognise it and make sure you recruit the best manager."

Never taking 'no' for an answer

"Your job is to convert that 'no' into a 'yes'. Your job is to convert threats to opportunities. Your job is to convert frustration to opportunity. Your job is to convert obstacles to opportunities. And you learn to do that throughout building a business."

Criticism and praise

"If I am not happy with something I will say so, and explain why. People have got to know where they stand. On the other hand if you are happy with something you must acknowledge it, and I always do it as publicly as possible. Praising someone in front of everybody gives a lot of confidence and pride, it links into everyone having a pride in the organisation."

Recruitment

"We always, always hire for will rather than skill. It is the attitude that matters."

Breaking up

"If you part with people in a business relationship, always do it amicably because you never know when your paths might cross again."

Giving orders

"You certainly can't order people around. It's got to be that people just love what they are doing, know that they have the freedom to get on with things, know that they are appreciated, know that they are part of the whole organisation and also have confidence in their leader."

Being professional

"We have got a wonderful atmosphere here but you must always remember that things have to be professional, and follow best practice."

Disagreements

"You can have the arguments, you can have the debates... I think having that healthy debate is actually a very good thing. But once you have made a team decision then everyone should bind to it and run with it."

Innovation

"It is an attitude of always looking ahead, of not always looking over your shoulder; not being scared of the competition but being aware of the competition, using the competition to spur on innovation... by being constantly innovative by the time people have copied you, you have moved on."

That eureka moment

"Some of my best ideas come through when I am shaving or in the shower in the morning, or while I am on an aircraft. So to be creative I think you always need that balance in life - periods of intense activity, but also times when you are detached from work."

Curries and community

"Indian restaurateurs are pioneering entrepreneurs. They have gone into these areas, invariably as complete strangers, and have had to win customers, to make friends. Most importantly I have always seen them put back into the community and engage with the community, wherever they are. I believe every business can, and should, do that in its own way."

Social responsibility

"It's not just for the sake of it, it's not for being politically correct, it actually makes sense."

Life-long learning

"If you go and attend a course at a business school regularly, for one you are getting away from your business and that stepping aside in itself is beneficial. You are meeting with other business people, so you are learning from each other and each other's experiences and you are learning from whatever is on the course. More often than not, I find that when I come back from these courses not only do I feel refreshed and invigorated but I come up with huge amounts of ideas."

Vision and mission

"Many big companies confuse their mission with their vision. The mission is the 'what?' You can measure it. The vision is the 'why?' The vision underlies everything you do, it is what you live and breathe by, it is your attitude, it is your state of mind."

Being an entrepreneur

"The best thing about being an entrepreneur is the opportunities are endless. And the sky literally is the limit. And it is great fun."

• These quotations are taken from Bottled for Business: The Less Gassy Guide To Entrepreneurship, published by Capstone: www.wiley.com​