81. Bodyflight Bedford

Founder: Paul Mayer
Website: www.bodyflight.co.uk

Paul raised £1m in private investment to start his indoor skydiving simulation centre in 2005. He’d come up with the idea after a skydiving holiday and it’s a far cry from his days as a software developer. The actual centre is based on the site of an old science research facility. Paul’s team refurbished a derelict wind tunnel with propellers and motors and Bodyflight was born. “Running the business doesn’t really feel like a job most of the time,” he boasts. “It’s too much fun.”