Theo Paphitis

“Online is not contributing in the same way as the high street in terms of business rates and to the local community.”

“Business isn't complicated; we complicate business.”

“Small does not mean insignificant.”

“The more we learn about dyslexia, the more able we will be to help those with it.”

“The wider the exposure that we give children of the real working world, the better.”

“Young people are the entrepreneurs of the future, and we should be looking to them as one of our sources of innovation for the high streets of tomorrow.”

“I used to see Triumph TR7s and E-Type Jags, and I used to think, 'One day, I'm gonna have one of those.' I remember seeing an E-Type and walking round it 40 or 50 times.”

“Businesses might have been helped by the ability to promote themselves on the Internet, but they have also been hit by the web's encouragement of time-wasting by their staff.”

“In Cyprus, our house was right on the beach. I could walk out of our front door, cross a road, and there was the sea.”

“People in emerging markets want to do business with the U.K. I don't see why the U.K. should be penalised for this.”

“Save money; never rely on other people to lend you money. We call it having 'walking the streets' money - money in your back pocket or bank account that belongs to you.”

“The minute I stepped foot on the shop floor and started serving in a retail environment, I knew it was the career for me. I was a shop assistant for just one day, and I thought, 'This is it. This is the rest of my life. This is all I want to do.'”

“It's very difficult for an entrepreneur to let go. It's very hard to sell a successful business. People sometimes hold on until the business has no value at all.”

“I was lucky enough to find my passion early - in retail - and I have done well but, most importantly, loved doing it.”

“Take calculated risks and limit your downside.”

“The statistics for investing in small businesses are such that the vast majority fail.”

“Immigration has been good for this country; I know the value of it - hopefully I've given something back.”

“Every successful high street needs a catalyst that starts making people want to come there, and independent shops can be that catalyst. If you want a new idea on the high street, you'll probably find it in an independent. I know I shouldn't say this, but new ideas rarely happen in chains. What we do is adopt it once we spot it in an independent.”

“I love the English language, but I'm crap at it, so I might as well do what I'm good at. The same goes for my kids, who are also dyslexic. I won't pressure them to do anything. They've each got a trust and a mortgage-free property, which is a lot more than I had, so I know they will always be fine.”

“I'd like to think people know what I stand for, which is straight-talking honesty and telling you not just what you want to hear but where it is at.”