Welcome to the February issue and I hope business is booming as we all welcome the year ahead of us. Here at Entrepreneur Country, we are more excited than ever for what 2013 has in store for our community. Here are just a few things that we hope you'll look forward to;

Serial entrepreneur, business mentor, public speaker and the creator of 3 billion pound iconic brands (First Direct, Egg Banking Plc and Mercury Communications) are just a few of the terms used to describe Mike Harris.

Dear Entrepreneur Country Citizens

So much has happened in the big wide world and in Entrepreneur Country in 2012. Britain became the world's stage for the London Olympics, David Cameron proclaims in almost every one of his speeches that UK entrepreneurs are saving the economy, Vince Cable launched the first business bank, and the recession lingers on.

What I do know is that economic gloom only seems to do one thing to entrepreneurs - it forces them to be more innovative. As a result, this month's magazine is focused around the theme of innovation, and our team of contributors are addressing all the ways in which they are witnessing it manifest. Linda Peters looks at how editors are taking skills learnt in the print industry and applying it to digital offerings like e-commerce channels, whilst Michael Philippe spoke to Entrepreneur Country on how his publishing app lekiosk will help drive sales in print newspapers and magazines. Start-up Viewsy addresses how to digitally innovate in bricks and mortar retail on page 38 and contributors Alan Moore and Nitin Dahad look at the wider scope of innovation in society as a whole (42) and where it arguably begins, in education (54).

Innovation is occurring internationally too, such as in the Arab world which Joe Haslam profiles on page 32. Across the globe we are witnessing a move into the digital age and it is entrepreneurial vision and innovation that is championing the movement. In 2013, I predict that we will see more and more businesses being built that will shift the way society works and create opportunities beyond our imagination.

Which is what made Mike Harris perfect for our cover. For me, Mike embodies innovation, because when the world was pre-internet and the only way to access money was by walking into a bank branch, Mike created a global solution with telephone and internet banking. And as testimony to Mike's hard work, we are now all accessing our money in these two ways because he was courageous enough to turn an established industry on its head. Read Mike's interview on page 8 to find out more on how you can also cultivate an innovative mindset.

And on a personal note, I would like to thank you all for your continued support this year in helping Entrepreneur Country to grow. We are hosting more events, we are introducing more entrepreneurial contributors to our community website than ever and we are constantly working on making our digests more interactive and our magazine even more jam-packed with insightful features. We look forward to introducing even more features in 2013 that will help you run your business more effectively and efficiently.

I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year - see you all in 2013!

Kelly Dolan

Editor, Entrepreneur Country Magazine

TO VIEW YOUR FREE COPY OF ENTREPRENEUR COUNTRY MAGAZINE, CLICK HERE

Hot Hotels are one of the start-ups that attended the recent Dublin Web Summit. I spoke to Conor O´Connor, CEO of Hot Hotels to find out more about the company.

London, along with many other small communities across the globe are now fast competing with the largest and most influential start-up ecosystem in the world - Silicon Valley.

On 15th November 2012 Santander UK held another successful Breakthrough Live event, part of a year-long series which has seen the bank deliver inspirational workshops to hundreds of fast growth SMEs across the country.

Dear Entrepreneur Country Citizens,

The thing I like most about Entrepreneur Country is having a thriving community who are so keen to give feedback. Seeing an entrepreneur tweet a friend to sing our praises, receiving an email from a subscriber telling me about an article they enjoyed or hearing from delegates at our events makes every element of my job worthwhile. It is also a plus that entrepreneurs tend to be the most positive, enthusiastic and inspirational people you will ever meet. I have no doubt that this is why our membership continues to grow and we welcome more and more business owners who choose to check into Entrepreneur Country every day. To new and existing readers, welcome!

This month, my aim was to collate a magazine that reflects the feedback that I receive every month on our business focused features. Many of you wanted to see more interviews in the magazine, so we not only have our cover interview, but I spoke to Social Media Guru Tamsin Fox-Davies, CEO of MOVE Guides Brynne Herbert and our regular contributor Alison Coleman interviewed serial entrepreneur Paul Dunn. You can also find interview snippets with our speakers across our Forum article, as well as direct feedback from our delegates giving you their take on the event.

I am also thrilled to welcome our first esteemed academic on the cover, Professor Simon Best OBE, who wowed the audience at the Entrepreneur Country Forum. For those that didn’t hear Professor Best speak at the event, read our interview with him on page 8 for a fascinating insight into how biotechnology companies are changing society for the better.

I hope you enjoy this issue and I encourage you all to keep feeding back. Tweet me @KellyDolanUK, email me or speak to me in person at our next event in November (more details here) and tell me what you are enjoying and how we can service your business needs even more effectively so that we can create the best business community in the world.

Kelly Dolan

Editor, Entrepreneur Country Magazine

To view the magazine, click here

If you’re a woman, it is more than likely that you’ve had to decide what hair colourant is the least damaging on your tresses or which face cream has been voted best for fighting wrinkles. In the past, your average female has had no option but to ask a girlfriend or hope for the best after purchasing.

This year, self-published author E.L. James’ Fifty Shades of Grey became the bestselling title in British history, selling 5.3m copies since April and contributing to the UK book industry being dragged out of the recession.

Dear Entrepreneur Country Citizens,

As I sat to write this month's letter, I was taken back to the day I checked into Entrepreneur Country not just as an employee, but as a member of a community. On my first introduction to the world of business I had so many preconceived notions - mainly that entrepreneurs must keep all their amazing ideas to themselves and that they are so strong that they don't need to share their story or gain advice. I couldn't be more wrong.