Amid all the gloom, here's one man on the road to success

Life as a financial journalist and broadcaster is not always as cushy as it sounds. It can be wearing. Months of reporting on the banking meltdown, the recession, subsequent job losses and business failures isn't exactly a laugh a minute. Sometimes it can actually make you reach for the gin.

And then along comes Robert Matthams, who makes you realise all is not lost and that the UK can emerge from the recession even stronger.

When he breezed into BBC Radio 5 live's studio four this week it became quickly apparent that this was a young man going places, fast, and, unlike a lot of business leaders who pass through the Beeb's studios, that he could actually speak plain English.

At first glance, Robert doesn't look as though he is going to be troubled spending a vast amount on razor blades in the short term. But his boyish looks belie a sharp brain which has already proved capable of exploiting ideas and turning them into hard cash.

On the morning I met him, Robert had spent the night before picking up a cheque for £10,000 as Shell Livewire's young entrepreneur of the year, which recognises and celebrates the achievements of the UK's finest entrepreneurs.

There wasn't the faintest sign of a hangover; it was business as usual for the 25-year-old who only set up his company Shiply last year. He describes it as a carbon-friendly transport website similar to eBay.

Like all great ideas, Robert's was simplicity itself and self funded. Shiply matches consumers wishing to ship goods across the country with transport companies prepared to deliver them at competitive prices.

He got the idea when a pool table was delivered to his university digs in Manchester. The driver complained that he would have to make the return journey to London empty, thereby wasting fuel and his own resources.

Shiply was born and within no time at all had signed up 5500 transport companies already suffering from the recession and soaring fuel costs. It now has 45,000 customers looking to ship goods ranging from home removals through to boats and even family pets. Shiply matches the customers with various transport companies.

The Shiply website is free to the consumer while the trucking company is charged a maximum of 9.9% on each transaction, depending on the price.

The website means cost can be kept to a minimum and despite its early growth, Shiply still only employs six full-time staff.

During its first year of trading Shiply turned over £60,000 and eventually broke even. This year it should make a profit on turnover of more than half a million pounds. This week it opened a new website in Germany and eventually wants to expand across Europe.

But Matthams admits that expansion comes at a price and Shiply will need to find funding from either the banks or individual investors to make it work.

With his sort of talent, that should not prove too difficult. This man already has a proven track record and the banks would be mugs to cold-shoulder him, or screw him on price. By the way, that cheque he received for young entrepreneur of the year has already been earmarked for marketing Shiply... clearly a man going places.

Who's talking about us...