I was going to start by offering a warm welcome to this debut issue of The Entrepreneurs but there’s a good chance that you’ve already been a keen follower of this monocle franchise for nearly a decade. So perhaps I should start by reframing things slightly. While this might be a print premiere for this sub-brand devoted to setting up your own stall, it’s first and foremost an extension of a much listened-to programme that’s part of Monocle 24’s round-the-clock audio schedule. With more than 400 shows under its belt, The Entrepreneurs signed on in 2011 and has become a favourite podcast (or live show) for listeners around the world. Indeed, it’s often ranked as one of the most downloaded shows in our line-up.

It was for this reason that we decided to make The Entrepreneurs part of our print portfolio; this latest addition will bring us to a total count of 24 magazines and periodicals across 2019. If you don’t believe me, let’s count: 10 classic issues, the escapist, The Monocle Drinking & Dining Directory, The Entrepreneurs, the Forecast, the Salone newspaper, the Art Basel newspaper, four Summer Weeklies and four Winter Weeklies. If you’ve missed any of these then please drop us a note at customerservice@monocle.com and we will happily send along whatever you’re missing from your collection.

We officially pressed play on a standalone magazine devoted to start-up culture last December. We took stock of our inventory and recognised that there was a gap on newsstands for a chunky annual that feels like a magazine but can also jump off the shelf and sit on a table, alongside more likeable management and busi- ness books. In line with the editorial spirit of the audio version, The Entrepreneurs in print is about launching, sustaining and selling businesses in all forms. For our editors, start-ups are not just technology firms looking to do a quick exit off the back of a less-than-essential app launch, nor yet another firm trying to figure out how to sell us a solution to cover that last mile. From front to back we’ve taken a classic monocle approach to examine how to spot an opportunity and then research, fund, brand, launch and grow it.This means that we’ve taken a global view and spoken to the indi- viduals who’ve launched and sold multiple firms, then aken a step back and done it all over again. We’ve vis- ited the companies that have created spaces that offer flexibility for growth; we’ve also turned over the tables and fixtures you might want to invest in when you’ve got that second round of funding and need to start looking the part.

And on the topic of appearances, our story on the evolution of the working wardrobe reminds all of us that the world works to different codes and timelines. As such, you still might want to invest in some good tailoring if you’re going to succeed within certain sec- tors and territories. And thank heavens! After all, if you’re really running your business from cafés and commuter trains, your daily get-up is a big part of your overall brand.

Along the way we’re going to ask some questions and force you to dig deep into the soul of the enter- prise you’re developing or already running. What does a successful day look like? Have you considered how you might hand the reins over and to who? What about balancing friends, family and health with grow- ing margins? Where should you be running your show from? Do you need to be in Brooklyn or Hoxton or Mitte? Does a major global hub need to be 15 minutes away (it never is) or does it make more sense to be sitting in an inexpensive office that’s a walk to your house – and just two minutes from the jetty where you keep your boat and enjoy a morning paddle? We have a few answers to these questions and, of course, many, many more. Enjoy this print premiere of The Entrepreneurs.You can find me at tb@monocle.com. Cheers and thank you for your support.

1. Everyone talks up the power of urban digital hubs but you can run a powerful business from a third or fourth-tier city – even from a rural outpost.You’ll need passion, good people to work with and a desire to balance revenue with a better quality of life. See the features on pages 50 and 165.

2. Work is changing – and where we do it is too. But the giddiness around shared workspaces hides a truth: a nice office of your own is good for brain and brand. Our Design editor, Nolan Giles, can show you how to pull off a simple corporate look.Turn to page 113.

3. Sometimes the world of work can be fun too; with that in mind, turn to page 80 to see how you do on our animal-branding quiz.