60 seconds with Duncan Bannatyne

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Mumpreneurs & Mums at work

Published on Tuesday, 12 February 2013 09:00

Last Updated on 12 February 2013

Monica Costa

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I recently met Duncan Bannatyne at the First Aid Awards and asked him a few questions.

If you were Mayor of London for the day, what would you do to improve things for entrepreneurs?

I wouldn’t do anything. If you are a entrepreneur you will find a way through, you will find a way to be great.

Who inspired you as a boy?

I used to see trucks driving past with people’s names on them and Ltd. afterwards. I wanted to know what that meant and, of course, I found out it mean they were companies. Then I would see stories in the paper and on the television about people who’d made it. Some of these people said that anyone can do it and I knew I wanted to.

You started with an ice-cream van!

Yes!

You have written many books about business. How do you have the time?

Well, one of the books is about time management so I have have plenty of time.

Who do you most admire?

The man alive today who I admire most in the world is Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow. He started a charity called Mary’s Meals that feeds 650,000 children around the world. He started the charity in Malawi and since then I’ve been to Haiti and parts of Africa with him.

Why do you choose to support of the charity now called Casa Bannatyne in Târgu-Mure?

Well, I met Magnus and was very impressed with him and I saw what he was doing in Romania. I opened an orphanage next to his and we worked together on that. Then he started feeding children. He asked me to feed five schools in Africa, which I do.

How did you get involved with St John’s Ambulance?

I was just asked because I had a medical incident about two months ago so here I am.