After feedback from Lammo readers last month, I’ve decided to launch a new regular feature – “How they made their fortune”, taking a look at how some of the UK’s most successful business men and women made (and in some cases lost) their millions.

We’ll be taking a look at the methods, and perhaps more importantly the mindset of the super-rich, and hopefully you’ll be able to take some inspiration from those who have been there, done it and sold a hundred million T-shirts…

To begin with, I’ve hand-picked a few of my personal favourite entrepreneurs – people who have helped to inspire and motivate me, or are just really interesting or memorable people who have made an impression on my business brain. If there’s a particular entrepreneur you’d like to see featured, then please leave a comment below, or drop me a message.

We kick off the series with Karan Bilimoria, whose story is particularly relevant right now – cast your mind back to the last time the UK was just heading into the grips of a recession, and a twenty-something Indian bloke living in a tiny flat in Fulham had an idea…

Karan Bilimoria CBE, best known for founding and chairing the Cobra Beer empire, was a talented academic before enjoying success as one of Britain’s youngest entrepreneurs, a journey he began when he was just 27 years old. However, his venture into the world of business was anything but an easy ride to the riches that we now associate with premium extra smooth Cobra beer. Indeed, Bilimoria’s story is especially relevant during the current erratic economic climate, since he began his business enterprise from a Fulham flat when the UK was on the brink of recession in 1990.

Born 26th November 1961 in Hyderabad, India, He shone academically, receiving a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Osmania University in 1981. Following his appointment with Ernest and Young as a chartered accountant, he studied for a Bachelor of Arts degree in law at Sidney Sussex College, University of Cambridge. The Cobra beer king admits that despite receiving an excellent grounding in business through his accountancy training, nevertheless, he started out in the business world with no knowledge of the market place, no encouragement from family and friends in India and with £20,000 of student debts. However, like all entrepreneurs before him, Bilimoria battled against the odds to come out triumphant, an achievement due to his passionate belief in his product and his persistence to overcome what ever difficulties lay in his path. He was determined he was never going to give up in his pursuit of presenting a curry loving nation with a complimentary curry beer. Fully aware of the risks he was letting himself in for he was steadfast in treating any hindrance he faced as simply another challenge to be overcome. All negatives were turned into positives, an attitude which Bilimoria learnt first hand through experience.

Bilimoria founded Cobra Beer in 1989 with the aim of creating a more complimentary beer to enjoy with curry dishes, ideally a less gassy lager. Difficult times lay ahead, including having to borrow money for his first company car, and having to carry heavy paletts of Cobra beer (which weighted a tonne each!) up to his offices that were located up two flights of stairs in a roof conversion on the Fulham Palace Road. The offer of free usage of a cellar from a local newsagent was an act of kindness that helped spur the company onwards in the long hard slog of generating significant business sales and no doubt saved Bilimoria’s spine from permanent damage. Cobra was produced in Bangalore during the first 7 years of its life. Today, it is brewed under license by Charles Wells, the UK’s largest independent brewery. Ten years later in1999 the company diversified into wine.

In 2004 Bilimoria received the CBE for services to business, including his involvement as a business adviser and his encouragement towards future would-be entrepreneurs. Cobra beer was ranked in the Sunday Times top 50 SMEs to work for in this same year. In 2005, he became Chancellor of Thames Valley University and in so doing, became the UK’s youngest university chancellor at that time. Also in 2005, ICAEW presented Cobra beer with its Outstanding Achievement award. By 2006, the company had a turnover of £96 million at retail value and Bilimoria was bestowed with a cross-bench life peerage by the House of Lords Appointments Commission, thus becoming Baron Bilimoria of Chelsea in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and the first-ever Parsi in the House of Lords. In 2008 he was awarded the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman by the president of India.

Balimoria still retains a 72% stake in Cobra Beer. The company has recently signed a deal with Polish brewer Brower Belgian to boost production for the European market, as well as entering into a partnership with the Mount Shivalik Group, India’s largest independent brewing company, who will brew Cobra beer under license in India.

Dear to the Cobra beer King’s heart is social responsibility, always reaching out and giving something back to the community. To date, Cobra Beer has donated some £100,000 worth of beer to various charity events. Such generosity, of course, serves as an excellent marketing opportunity. Bilimoria maintains that it is not ruthlessness that it the key to being successful in business. Rather, it is building a great business team through trust and respect, so that a solid foundation is laid on which a successful business may be built. While he collects business awards like some people collect beer mats, here is an entrepreneur who owes his success not just to hard work, perseverance and good team management, but also to Sir Winston Churchill’s motto in life: Never give up. Never ever give up.

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