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Steve Bennett is a British gemstone expert, who has since focused on the health industry serial entrepreneur. He is known for his online shopping businesses.

Career

As a young man, Bennett worked in a number of office based computer roles. After losing his job, he set up his own UK company selling computers and later software. This small enterprise later became Software Warehouse, and grew to be a 30 store retail chain in the 1990s. Bennett sold the company in 2000.

With the advent of the internet, Bennett established jungle.com which he later sold for £37 million.

Bennet started several more e-commerce, retail and entertainment companies. He set up jewelry retailer Gems TV in 2004 and The Genuine Gemstone Company in 2007. The company employs about 500 staff members. In 2012 Genuine Gemstone was named to the Fast Track 100 list of fastest growing privately held companies.

As of 2014 the company operates several brands, including Gems TV.

Awards and accolades

• 1997- Software Warehouse wins the first ever Fast Track 100.
• 2012- The Genuine Gemstone Company tops Sunday Times Fast Track 100
• 2013- Steve Bennett wins Ernst & Young UK Turnaround Entrepreneur of the Year
• 2013- The Genuine Gemstone Company wins Jewellery Retailer of the Year

References

1. ^ Fast Track 100, Sunday Times. "The Genuine Gemstone Company Fast Track 100". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 12 March 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
2. "TV shopping channel entrepreneur agrees deal to buy rival". Birmingham Post, 25 May 2010
3. ^ "Software Warehouse's old retail chain shuts doors". Linda Harrison, The Register 8 August 2000
4. "The Internet jungle". BBC News, 21 September 1999.
5. "It's a jungle out there". The Argus. 4 September 2000. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
6. "Gems TV Founder: Why I Sold Then Bought Back My Own Business". Forbes, 30 August 2014 Jason Hesse.
7. "Gems TV review – Spinel, tanzanite, tulelei: there's nothing the charming Bennett family can't sell". The Guardian, Tim Dowling, 3 September 2014
8. Fast Track 100, Sunday Times. "Software Warehouse Fast Track 100". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 12 March 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
9. & Young, Ernst. "Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Turnaround Entrepreneur 2013". Ernst & Young. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
10. Jewellery Association, British. "BJA Retailer of the Year". British Jewellery Association. Retrieved 12 March 2014.

• 1966 births
• 20th-century British businesspeople
• Living people