In the past couple of years technology has been a major driver for new ventures that have had game-changing effects, particularly in industries that have taken advantage of innovation and connecting with clients.

It is no coincidence that in our production trip to San Francisco this year we found ourselves face to face with some of the tech industry’s most innovative entrepreneurs who are revolutionizing the idea of customer service: from cloud-inspired ventures, to paying someone to buy your dog food, or converting videos into a viral hit, technology has continued made 2012 a big year for big steps in the world of business, and in the following we present some of the best cases from Silicon Valley and the world. 

With a presentation worthy of a rock star status within the business community, Richard Branson, CEO of Virgin Group, took to the stage at last week's World Business Forum in New York for a conversation with his friend Mark Thompson that was at the same time fun and inspirational.

An unconventional dreamer and risk taker, as well as being one if the world's most admired and successful entrepreneurs, Branson grew Virgin from a record label to a conglomorate of different industries:  energy, mobile phones, finance, travel, even space travel...  An adventurer and record breaker - on land, sea and in the air - Branson's interests also extend well beyond the business environment.  Here we present some of the secrets to his entrepreneurial success that he revealed during the World Business Forum.

In times of economic crisis, the majority of companies think they have no choice: “We must cut back on employees.” However, the founder of one of the most successful hotel chains in the U.S. has a very different perspective, and Joie de Vivre Hospitality has actually tripled annual income between 2001 and 2008 as a result. In the following article by Francisca Pouiller extracted from WOBI magazine, discover how Chip Conley invests in, and is conscious of, the joy of life in each individual employee and in return receives high performance and increased profitability.

How do you go about starting a business at the age of just 17?  It certainly sounds like a challenge, and a pretty daunting one when faced with much larger competitors with much deeper pockets.  But it was a challenge that Pau Garcia Milà young Spanish entrepreneur and speaker at this year’s World Business Forum in Mexico, faced with relish, employing a simple yet effective strategy to triumph over bigger rivals.  Read on to learn more...

For those of you who have recently launched a new venture or are at the point of doing so, it’s natural that you would be experiencing moments where there seem to be more questions than answers.

Leah Busque surely felt the same when she launched her start up, the social network Task Rabbit.  Today, however, her online platform which lets people sub-contract tasks to their neighbors has become a successful and profitable business.  Based on her experience, Busque here shares her five pieces of advice for entrepreneurs taking their first steps.