PAUL BURNS is Emeritus Professor of Entrepreneurship at the University of Bedfordshire Business School, UK, where he previously held the posts of Pro Vice Chancellor and Dean of the Business School. Over his 40-year career, he has been an academic, an accountant and an entrepreneur, giving him unrivalled academic and practical insight into the entrepreneurial process.

Paul Burns started his academic career at Warwick University Business School, UK, where he set up their first Small Business Unit. He has since held posts as Professor of Small Business Development, Cranfield School of Management, UK, Director of the 3i European Enterprise Research Centre, researching small firms and entrepreneurs across Europe, Visiting Fellow at Harvard Business School, USA, and Visiting Professor at the Open University Business School, UK, where he developed the multi-media Small Business Programme screened on BBC2. He is Fellow and a former President of the Institute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ISBE) and a chartered accountant, having worked for Arthur Andersen & Co. with many growing businesses. For four years, he ran his own firm, Design for Learning Ltd.