BUSINESS bosses don’t like being preached to – but that hasn’t stopped Brighouse entrepreneur Carl Hopkins from delivering a sermon or two!

Now the award-winning marketing specialist and business speaker has produced a book, The Gospel According to Uncle Carl – a collection of hard-hitting question-and-answer pieces, which he first penned for marketing industry magazine The Drum.

The articles provide straight-talking practical advice for businesses – combining real-life anecdotes, commonsense suggestions and humorous observations to get the message across.

The answers are delivered with tongue firmly in cheek.

In his introduction, Carl comments: “The letters are from agency owners and agency staff. Therefore, this collection has been put together to adorn every agency toilet in the land – so that in those dark quiet cubicles and moments of contemplation, you may realise that we are not alone. There are others who are as confused, bemused and ****** up as you are.”

The questions posed to “Uncle Carl” cover such wide-ranging topics as office romances, office politics, unpopular bosses, misuse of the internet during office hours, dealing with difficult clients and the advantages of opening “satellite” offices “down south.”.

Carl’s marketing and business experience spans 25 years and includes a starring role in Channel 4’s Secret Millionaire where he spent 10 days in the north-east colliery town of Easington – and ended up giving £42,000 of his own money to worthwhile causes.

He began his career in 1984 when he joined Bradford-based Judith Donovan Associates.

He rose through the ranks and took over the business in 2000 as managing director following a successful management buy-out.

From 2000 to 2005, Carl expanded the agency from 48 to 75 staff, taking turnover from £9.6m to £19.4m and tripling its profits.

In 2003, he co-ordinated the takeover of Warrington-based advertising and PR agency Blueprint and became chairman in 2005 until the sale of the business two years later.

He now runs kloog, a “business angel” service where he shares some of the experiences garnered during his career with other businesses and offers services including business audits, business investment, mentoring and workshops in areas such as sales, marketing and creativity.

Carl has also launched a number of web-based businesses, including JumbleAid.com and agencybods.co.uk

He is also the only male director of Forward Ladies, a not-for-profit networking organisation supporting more than 3,500 female entrepreneurs. Carl is also an ambassador for Make Your Mark, a national campaign to foster enterprise among young people.

The Gospel According to Uncle Carl is priced at £4.99 and available from Amazon.co.uk or through www.kloog.co.uk/uncle-carl