People used to say that everyone had a book in them. Today there’s a creeping sense that every Jeff, Arianna and Elon is sitting on a business idea that can change the world – and not always for the better. But what makes a worthwhile business and what does it take to nudge people into starting one? Where and how does inspiration strike? And what do they learn along the way?

Metaphors only stretch so far but the publishing parallels run throughout this issue of The Entrepreneurs, Monocle’s handbook for budding business owners and anyone looking to pen the next section of their own story. So where to begin? Well, Jaime Daez of Fully Booked had little to no experience in retail when he began selling the architecture magazines that became the basis of his now thriving business, one of the Philippines’ leading bookshop chains. Good ideas can start small before growing in volume. Just look at Deezer, the Paris-based music-streaming service that pays artists fairly.

We also speak to career-switchers – one of whom traded his dreams of being a rock star to reinvent the toaster (he knows which side his bread’s buttered). We also solicit some advice from fashion firms on when to start, pivot and say a fond farewell. The business life cycle is celebrated too, from the ups and downs to the unexpected twists and turns.

Running your own concern takes graft but humbler company heads admit that there’s an element of being in the right place at the right time too. No, not in California: that moment has passed. Instead, we shine a light on Mexico, where entrepreneurs are rethinking everything from aviation to the art scene. We also visit Côte D’Ivoire to capture a moment of extraordinary optimism and opportunity in Francophone West Africa.

Elsewhere, we meet the CEO penning fresh lines at family-run firm Bic, which makes products that many people have but few feel they own, and the developers creating desirable new workspaces on Wall Street, where a fightback against remote working is in full swing.

We also profile three artisans crafting wares in the hearts of Florence, Tokyo and Stockholm in our visually appealing Expo – it’s about the businesses, of course, but also a meditation on what we all lose when cities become the exclusive remit of those with fat wallets, service jobs or white collars.

The idea of “making it”, of what success actually looks like, remains subjective. Most of the businesses featured across our pages, however, aim to give a little back. Perhaps they endeavour to include their neighbourhoods in their activities, improve the lives of their staff or solve problems without costing us the earth (figuratively or literally). So, whether you’re looking to start writing a fresh chapter or toss away the old manuscript and begin again with a blank sheet, we’ve got ideas aplenty and stories to share. Isn’t it time to turn the page?