When David Mairs sold his first business, Ashworth Mairs, for £62m in 2005 it was the largest privately owned loss adjusting firm in the UK. Mairs says he walked away with "100 per cent cash".

• Instead of putting his feet up—"I wasn't ready to spend all my time on the beach"—he's channelled his entrepreneurial zeal into a number of other ventures, including accommodation firm Student Lettings Point. "I saw the state of my son's student accommodation and thought, 'there's a market here'," he says. He also owns aircraft, charter and management service Maiton Air.
• He has turned a hobby into a business. "I've always had an interest in aviation, so I bought my own plane," he says. This opened his eyes to other lucrative opportunities. As he explains: "I found out there was money to be made in aircraft options and that introduced me to the very light jet (VLJ) market. I think there is a great future in air taxis. It's prevalent in the US and parts of Europe, but not here."
• He's honest about what motivates him. "My quest is bottom-line profit, I love making or trying to make money." But he's also prepared to give back. He's pledged £100,000 to fund The Search, a competiton for aspiring entrepreneurs run by the Liverpool Daily Post, the winner of which is announced this month by Cherie Blair. "Historically, Merseyside has low start-up rates. I thought we could come up with something to encourage would-be entrepreneurs who've got the passion but not the funding," says Mairs.
• The Search has attracted support from "all walks of life", according to Mairs. "From religious leaders to the academic community to sports clubs to celebrities—I'm astounded by the backing. The template's there for this to roll out across all counties nationally."
• He isn't afraid of taking risks. Mairs claims he takes calculated risks, is not afraid of failure and has taken on board important business lessons. "I've learnt how to motivate and support staff and that sometimes it's better to walk away from a client than be bullied. Equally, it's more important to make a wrong decision than dither."
• His sons are following in his footsteps, but he is letting them learn from their own mistakes. "My eldest is turning around a failing bar, while my middle son has been at another business for six months that also needs turning around. They're learning about customer service, profit and loss, and innovation. They want to make it in their own right."