Nothing is harder than being an entrepreneur: self-sacrifice, countless hours, true diligence and undying commitment. I interviewed the following accomplished entrepreneurs, who excel at what they do and have been handpicked by the media as ones to watch. Here, they reflect on their past mistakes and share some of their insights with their B2B counterparts when it comes to e-commerce, IT, funding, delegation, sales and scaling too fast.

Many people in corporate roles fantasize about breaking free and launching an entrepreneurial venture. Three years ago I took the plunge and did just that, leaving behind a senior role in management consulting to start a talent marketplace for freelance consultants. Unfortunately, my business model didn't gain traction, but the experience was the best thing that ever happened to me professionally speaking.

I sat down with Bruce Croxon from Dragon's Den and Round 13 Capital to talk about his perspective on the state of funding. We speak about some of the biggest traps people fall into when pitching venture capitalists.