Peter Jones

“I passed my Lawn Tennis Association coaching exam, and I persuaded my local club to let me use a court after school and on Saturdays.”

“I've played a massive and growing part in making business glamorous and even, yes, sexy.”

“I want my kids to be polite and respectful, stand on their own two feet.”

“You've got to do the research. You've got to understand the market place, know your competitors.”

“In the 1980s when I was growing up in the Berkshire town of Maidenhead I was heavily into tennis. It was the era of Borg and McEnroe. I used to spend hours hitting balls against a wall, imagining I was beating them both.”

“Business is about more than just money. It's about being creative and innovative.”

“I have seen celebrities whose friends change as they become more successful, but my friends haven't changed over 30 years. I've still got some of the friends I had when I was 14 and I see them regularly with their families.”

“I want enterprise and entrepreneurship embedded in the national curriculum and will continue to lobby government until it happens.”

“I never thought I'd be a TV entrepreneur.”

“Throughout my career, some of my best hires have been people who have bypassed the traditional route of university and learned their skills through apprenticeship schemes or alternative education courses.”

“American Inventor', a show I came up with launched in 2006. It's all of America's greatest and wackiest inventions rolled into one with a judging panel including the legendary George Foreman.”

“I've got my own businesses I run every day and I like to think I'm a nurturer rather than a firer, but the reality is, if somebody continues not to succeed and do the right thing for the business they lose the job because they are affecting the livelihoods of others.”

“Britain lacks that fundamental belief that anyone can make it. What we need is a British dream. Let's give young people the courage and ambition to go for it.”

“When people pitch me their ideas in a T-shirt and jeans it shows they can't be bothered.”

“I always substitute the word 'feedback' for 'failure.'”

“The more people you meet, and the more people you have influence over your business can scale quicker.”

“It was tennis that got me started in business. When I was 16 and about to embark on my A-levels, I set up a tennis academy and became one of the youngest qualified tennis coaches in the country. It did well; by the time I was 19 I was able to buy my first house.”

“All young people can benefit from practical business knowledge but especially those from the poorest parts of the country.”

“Whenever I invest, I invest in the person as well as the business.”

“One of the biggest reasons entrepreneurs don't succeed is because they have too many chiefs. You've got to bring in the right people to make the right decisions.”