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" I'm not a risktaker. I'm the total opposite. "

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" If someone underestimates you because you are warm and approachable, then you have an advantage over them. "

" I didn't have a great childhood, and neither did Debbie, my wife, so we both try to give the kids not only the material things we never had but also the hugs and the love. "

" My family come from Cyprus. Both my father and my grandfather worked on the British bases there, and as the British government granted independence to Cyprus, they granted British passports to those who worked with them. "

" In my early teens, I was working in a Wimpy Bar and delivering cab company cards to make cash. I also ran a tuck shop at school. I struggled academically because of being dyslexic. When I saw other families and what they had, it inspired me. I thought, 'I can get that, too, if I work hard.' "

" Making the first million is hard; making the next 100 million is easy. "

" A small business can survive for a while without making a profit, but if its cashflow dries up, the impact is fatal. "

" My family's challenges meant we lived hand to mouth. There were weeks when we had neither electricity nor heating. "

" There are huge misconceptions about people on benefits. They are labelled scroungers or cheats. The reality is that many who need that level of support are working, but their income is not enough to get out of debt or pay for basics like food and household bills. It's so close to the way I grew up. "

" I'd rather be rich and miserable than poor and miserable. "

" Souvenirs always tend to look great when you see them in some exotic souk but awful when you finally get them back home. They tend to start in my study and eventually get demoted to the garage or the loft. "

" I was lucky enough to find my passion early - in retail - and I have done well but, most importantly, loved doing it. "

" I am the most conservative person you will ever come across, and that's because I'm good at reducing risks while leaving the potential rewards high. "

" Take calculated risks and limit your downside. "

" If you look at all the investments made during 'Dragons' Den,' the ratio of those that make it to those that don't is actually extremely high. "

" What's crucial in a High Street store is a compelling reason for people to shop there. Shops must offer excellent customer service - and 'theatre' is a must. "

" The government must recognise that taxing retailers differently is reckless. "

" I know I have been lucky in business, and I am keen now to spread goodwill to others, of course not forgetting that very often, you make your own luck by making use of every opportunity. "

" In the 1960s, my first-generation immigrant parents were gifted the olive branch of a blue British passport when working for the British Army in Cyprus. It completely transformed the Paphitis story. "

" Wherever I go in the world, I put aside several days to go visit the stores. "

" I'm a very considerate spender. I'm a shopper, and I do spend money, but I think about it first. "

" For me, the high street is a key part of how we live, what sort of community we are, how we get our news, and how we get our gossip. "

" When making an investment, the people are more important than the product. "

" I've always maintained the basic business principles of keeping it simple, doing your homework, hard work, and common sense. "

" People in emerging markets want to do business with the U.K. I don't see why the U.K. should be penalised for this. "

" What I've achieved with Boux Avenue is what I always wanted to achieve with La Senza. "

" Small does not mean insignificant. "

" A lot of multinationals have long, drawn-out processes and are pretty useless at putting products on the shelves quickly. "

" The high street is not a retail thing: it's a social thing, part of the British lifestyle. And I say that as someone who started his life on Limassol high street in Cyprus. "

" Without hope, the very fabric of our society will fall apart. "

" In Cyprus, our house was right on the beach. I could walk out of our front door, cross a road, and there was the sea. "