AN entrepreneur from Ansty has been hailed for her contribution to supporting the next generation of successful businessmen and women.

Lara Morgan is among 100 people to be named by the Centre of Entrepreneurs for giving most back to start-ups. Listed alongside other preeminent entrepreneurs such as co-founder of Carphone Warehouse Sir Charles Dunstone, Lara was recognised for the help her business, Company Shortcuts, provides to fledgling businesses to increase sales.

In 1991, at the age of 23, Lara started her first business, Pacific Direct, manufacturing and selling brand licensed toiletries to the hospitality industry.

She famously took all her staff to Barbados to celebrate the company's first £1 million profit, before selling her majority stake in the business just three years later, in 2008, for £20 million.

A UK founder of the Young Entrepreneurs Organisation, Lara ploughs her profits from Company Shortcuts into The Company Shortcuts Trust, sponsoring ambitious enterprise leaders’ course costs to support their growth acceleration.

She said: “During the time I built my first business I always asked other professionals, experts and leaders to give me the benefit of their time and experience, and after being given time and support so generously by many people and I feel I owe it to others to share the experiences I have had. I am less qualified than most so I have had to constantly learn new skills to achieve the goals I set myself, and, by sharing the experience of youthful endeavour because I started so young, I hope others will realise they can do the same.

“I was brought up to believe that you get far more out of life from putting effort in.

“I have always gained payback for whatever time, talk or enterprise involvement, and I gain and great deal of enjoyment by perhaps taking some of the pain out other individuals' journeys to try and build successful companies.”

The chairman of Centre of Entrepreneurs, Luke Johnson, added: “Among the most powerful influences on budding entrepreneurs are strong role models, setting examples of how to succeed and how to recover.”

The list was compiled in partnership with Maserati.