2. Shortlist Media

Founders: Mike Soutar and Tim Ewington
Website: www.shortlist.com

While the publishing world cowers in the face of plummeting newsstand sales and advertising spend, Shortlist Media is striding ahead. The company, which produces the most widely circulated men’s mag in the country, Shortlist, and its sister publication Stylist (both handed out free to commuters across UK cities once a week), will turnover well in excess of £10m this year and is within touching distance of profitability – an awe inspiring feat for a print business that only launched in 2007.

Going some way to explain the company’s impressive fortunes, the founding team reads like a who’s who of the publishing industry and includes the former editorial director of media giant IPC Media, and the launch editor of Nuts and Men’s Health.