John Timpson CBE is one of the UK's most successful businessmen. He is Chairman of the eponymous high street cobblers, key cutters, engravers and watch repairers, with more than 1,300 branches throughout the UK and Ireland and a turnover of £180m.John is hugely admired across the business world for the 'Upside Down Management' techniques that put the growth of the business in the hands of its employees or of John's colleagues, as they are called.John's Daily Telegraph column, 'Ask John', has been dispensing straight-talking, no-nonsense business advice for more than five years. This book collects and expands the very best from that column for the first time.From why low cost will never be a real substitute for proper customer service to the etiquette of employing interns, John's honest, common-sense business advice should be required reading for anyone running a business whatever the size.

John Timpson CBE was born in 1943 and educated at Oundle and Nottingham University. In 1975 he became Managing Director of William Timpson Ltd, the business that had borne his family name since 1865, and he is now sole owner of the company, which has a turnover in the UK of £180m per year.His last book, Upside Down Management (Wiley, 2010) was described by the Financial Times as 'A practical and inspirational manual for anyone who runs a business'. Timpson and his wife Alex have been foster carers for 31 years, during which time they have fostered 90 children. He lives in Cheshire.