IT took losing everything to help entrepreneur Chris Moore become a business success.

He thought he had reached rock bottom when he suffered a near-death experience and then lost his office space and his money.

But now the 29-year-old is fighting back with plans to expand his web design agency to London and the US.

Chris said: "I wouldn't change it for a second. Those mistakes are some of the best things that have happened to me because I've learned so much."

This time last year, the entrepreneur was being thrown out of his office with £3 in his bank account and only two clients on his books.

Having left school with no qualifications, he always knew he wanted to work for himself but had little success when he was younger.

He worked in an array of jobs, including as a trainee auctioneer and removal man, but in 2008 he found himself unemployed and with little work prospects.

At that point a family friend suggested he could try to sell websites, and if he was successful he would help him make them.

Chris instantly took to the streets of Hamilton, and on his first day he made £2000.

"I didn't have a clue about websites, I didn't know what I was doing," he said.

"We managed to build up clients and make a bit of money in the beginning.

"My friend's little girl got really unwell though, and he moved back home so I was left with these clients.

"The first year was really tough.We didn't make loads of money but I managed to keep my head above water."

As things were starting to pick up, on his 25th birthday Chris had an unexpected turn for the worse.

"I had a hernia so I went in for the operation to get it sorted," he said. "I woke up afterwards and my whole body was sore...I fell asleep and woke up a few hours later in even more pain.

"I passed out and when I woke up it was frightening - I was in absolute agony."

During the operation, an artery had been cut and Chris' body was quickly filling up with blood.

"It was excruciating," he said. "I had an hour left before I was dead.

"I asked one of the staff if I was going to die - they didn't answer my question.

"They told me something would hurt and shoved a tube down my throat, then I passed out again.

"When I came round I had a tube in my side, stuff in my arms, a catheter...There were tubes everywhere. I could barely move.

"It dawned on me how close I came to death, and it was the most frightening experience of my life."

Chris spent a week in intensive care and had to learn how to walk again.

He then spent three months recovering before turning his attention back to his company.

Chris said: "The business was still going and we were doing okay at that point but sales went down as I couldn't go out to see anyone."

After a while, Chris decided to change his business model and instantly his profits crashed.

He added: "I nearly lost absolutely everything. We tried to change the system we used, my designer left, I tried to get people to pay up front instead of using a payment plan but it didn't work.

"This time last year I was getting kicked out of my own office, I had about £3 and two clients."

Chris contacted a business coach who helped him start from the beginning.

He began working from coffee shops on his own, and started all over again with his new web design agency Trick Creative.

He added: "The best thing I've done is to get a business coach. We looked at all the mistakes and found solutions for them. I went out and hammered sales, and the company quadrupled in size in one year."

In the last year he has increased his team from one person to four paid employees, and has taken £350,000 in sales. His new goal is to earn £500,000 in the next year and he hopes to open an office in London, and eventually America too.