Zone3

Running a small business is no mean feat, but training to become an Olympic triathlete while running not one, but two businesses, is doing something really special. James Lock started Zone3 when he was still at uni, squeezing in product development and negotiation with Chinese manufacturers around getting a first in engineering. Still only 24, he's now outcompeting big-name brands thanks to his insight into an athlete's needs and spending upwards of two years fine-tuning each product. He sells direct to customers at the moment, with contracts for retailers to resell later this year and plans to expand internationally in 2011. He's running a second business, Custom SCR, that designs and manufacturers triathlon gear on behalf of big-name brands to support his plans until his own brand is well-established enough to stand alone. James hasn't spent a penny on marketing, instead relying on articles covering his achievements and product reviews in sporting magazines - Zone3 often gets rated number one. The fact that several top-league international-level triathletes are wearing Zone3 kit (himself included) doesn't hurt either.

• Running two businesses while training to be an Olympic triathlete
• Tripled sales orders year on year
• Resourcefully set up second business to support plans for new brand
• Products receiving higher praise than long-established brands