Entrepreneur to star in TV reality show

Martin Webb made his fortune four years when he sold C-Side, the Brighton-based leisure company he co-founded on a shoestring in the early Nineties.

His 28-venue empire included The Zap and The Beach clubs in Brighton and had annual profits of £2.3 million and a turnover of £20 million by 2001.

Now the Brighton University graduate has been signed up to give other entrepreneurs some hard-hitting advice on the next series of Risking It All, to be broadcast next month.

The programme is produced by Richochet, in Old Steine, Brighton, and attracted rave reviews - and an audience of three million - in its first series last year.

Martin, 40, said: "I've spent my entire career thinking up, setting up and managing businesses. Most have been successful but the ones that went wrong taught me the biggest lessons.

"There's nothing like the buzz of knowing a business plan is working. It's not the money that motivates me, it's the pure adrenaline rush of knowing all the planning, worry and hard work are paying off.

"You need plenty of luck to make a business work but you have to make your own luck through meticulous planning and loads of plain hard work."

"I've made plenty of sacrifices . A job is a job but running a business is a lifestyle. Discipline is essential. If you're not going to be able to force yourself to do that VAT return on a sunny Sunday afternoon, then forget it."

In 1999, Martin founded Brighton radio station Surf 107 - now known as Juice 107 - and in May last year opened the Robin Hood in Norfolk Place, the UK's first charity pub.

Martin has recently launched Dekorart - a web-based fine art digital printing company which has a gallery in Upper North Street, Brighton.

He said: "The great thing is there's no boss, no career structure and nothing to hold you back but your ability and desire to succeed. If you're hungry enough, absolutely anything can be achieved."

Tuesday, August 16, 2005