Mr Peter Jones founded Phones International Group in 1998, providing mobile cellular solutions to a broad range of clients. The core of the business was a distribution model he created called Single Brand Distribution. These days, the business operates under the brand name of Data Select. The company is a major factor in the growth, accounting for £14 million ($28 million) of sales in the first year of trading and £44 million ($88 million) by the end of the second. Other related companies have also grown within the group, including Generation Telecom, which was sold to one of the world's largest companies for millions of pounds within two years of starting up.
In recent years, Phones International Group has been recognised as one of the most successful UK businesses. The Times/Ernst & Young recognized Mr Jones as Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year in 2002. The group was identified as the 13th fastest growing business in The Sunday Times/Virgin Atlantic UK Fast Track League Table in 2003.
Today, Phones International Group counts every leading brand in the mobile industry among its business partners, whether as a supplier, customer or collaborator on a number of initiatives and activities geared to driving growth. Group turnover is around the £150 million ($300 million) mark.
His business interests now span many other areas than just telecommunications, including incentives and gifts, entertainment, publishing, property and television. In 2005, he was invited to join the panel of the hit ground-breaking BBC Two show, Dragons' Den. In 2006, he worked with Simon Cowell to create a new business reality format show for America's largest network, ABC - The American Inventor. It first went on air in early 2006 and has since been recommissioned and sold elsewhere in the world. Mr Peter Jones has now signed a major two-year deal with the UK broadcaster ITV, and developed his own show, named Tycoon. (I have shares in this company, and this company will become a major success). At the end of 2006, The Daily Telegraph listed Mr Jones as one of the top ten entrepreneurs in the UK aged under 40. In the summer of 2005, Jones teamed up with another Dragons' Den star, Theo Paphitis to buy the gift experience company Red Letter Days from fellow panellist Rachel Elnaugh. The company, which collapsed under Elnaugh's ownership, has been turned around and is now trading profitably again.
Peter also created Wines4Business.com, an online retailer specialising in the sale of wine and champagne to corporate clients, as well as Celcius.co.uk, a specialist recruitment business. He has many investments from the BBC show Dragons’ Den including Wonderland Magazine, a new luxury lifestyle magazine, The Generating Company, a contemporary circus company, i-Teddy and Reggae Reggae Sauce among others.
Through his appearance on "Dragons' Den", Mr Jones has invested in several start-up ventures including style magazine Wonderland and Square Mile International, which provides data services for marinas. He owns a TV production company, called Peter Jones TV, and his business portfolio also includes a range of property investments.
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