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- Meet Teenage Entrepreneur, Adam West
Who is Adam West? Adam West is a young, highly driven and ambitious 17 year old entrepreneur from Dorset, who has run multiple business from the age of 9. Adam became an entrepreneur at age 9, setting up a car washing business within his local area, which made him great pocket money at the time. The young entrepreneur then went on to set up a small food stall at his local market, selling food such as fudge, cakes, sausage rolls and much more. However, Adam faced his first fail in business as he did not do as well as he first hoped. Soldiering on, Adam went on to form "The Dorset Hamper Company" which was invested in by the Peter Jones Academy in 2016. At age 15, Adam was selling hampers full of local Dorset food nationwide. Within 6 weeks, the company was operating at nearly a 74% profit margin. After 6 months of successful operations, Adam closed the lid on the hamper company to move on to bigger and better things - especially as the hamper industry was seasonal. What is Adam doing now? Before he had even completed his A-Levels, Adam had set up a marketing company - he has since put this on the back burner in order to complete his studies from home. Currently, the young entrepreneur is operating as a freelance web designer for small companies and sole traders to generate income whilst he studies. However, he hasn't stopped there, he is also in the process of setting up another business within the drinks industry - he believes this idea will take the industry by storm! What is Adam's tips for other young entrepreneurs? Being involved in a variety of businesses from a young age, Adam is full of advice for other young business minds: - You are never too young - Say yes to every "entrepreneur" opportunity, even if you don't exactly know how to and learn how to do it later - Invest in yourself by the means of reading and self development - Act and hold yourself as if you already have made millions in the industry you are in - i believe it gains you credibility. What are Adam's goals for the future? Adam is working hard to become a multi-millionaire in his 20's, he would then love to give something back to the community. Adam understands how important it is for young people to get guidance from an early age as he was kicked out of school last year due to his poor behaviour which stemmed from his frustration of not being able to express his active, entrepreneurial mind. "I want to give back to underprivileged young entrepreneurs" If Only They Knew wish Adam West the best of luck with his studies and his future business ventures. Follow him on Instagram: @AdamLukeWest
- The Miserable Millionaire - What Can We Learn From Him?
I recently read an article on the NY Times, which told a story of a man who works in a hedge fund and was making $1.2 million a year. However, despite the ridiculous amount of money he was making, he was miserable. This then made me think... What can we learn from a miserable Millionaire ? Charles, the author of the article, attended a reunion with his former Harvard classmates and was shocked to find that many of them were unhappy - despite their successful careers. Some of the alumni consisted of hedge fund managers and executives (which would equate to tens of millions of dollars of net worth under one roof), this was also mixed with ex-students who were living content, not overly lavish, lifestyles. A contrast was clear between the two groups of super successful professionals and the content individuals. The higher earners expressed their consistent concerns with missed promotions, unhappy children and divorces. However, one of the stories stood out for Charles, this was the story of a man who was earning $1.2 million a year but hated going to the office. If he wasn't constantly being undermined by employees and battling for promotions, he was attempting to merely keep his job by hitting his ridiculous daily targets - having to hit specific financial goals which would carry over to the next day if they were missed. The miserable millionaire expressed his concerns to Charles, recognising that he is privileged to earn his salary but after 12 hours of work a day, it does not seem worth the trouble. “When I die, is anyone going to care that I earned an extra percentage point of return? My work feels totally meaningless.” He felt he was locked into his job as a pay cut would eliminate him from the lifestyle that he had become accustom to. Is being rich and depressed common? Charles looked into data on the attitudes of American professionals. In the 1980s, just over 60% of workers questioned were satisfied with their jobs, this has declined immensely since then - with only 43% of workers claiming that they were satisfied in 2010. These figures were collected by nonprofit research firm, the Conference Board. Similarly, CV-Library released statistics from the UK that show over a third of the nation's professionals are unhappy with their roles. So, what has the miserable millionaire taught us? I believe that the key lesson from this story has been to chase your passion rather than chasing money. If you are working in a world that is surrounded by things that you are passionate about, then at the very least, you will have little money and a lot of happiness. However, there is often a misconception that working in a field that you are passionate about cannot bring a lot of money - this is wrong. In today's world, where more and more people are chasing their dreams, aided by the rise in digital platforms such as Youtube and Instagram, we can see more people making money from their passion than ever before. For example, some of the biggest Youtubers are making up to $17 million a year by pursuing and sharing their passion to the world. “I’m jealous of everyone who had the balls to do something that made them happy" Are you happy with your job? Do you make money whilst following your passion? Let us know in the comments below and if you are an entrepreneur, feel free to reach out to us and you could feature on our site. This post was adapted from Charles Duhigg's "Wealthy, Successful and Miserable" article which can be found on the New York Times.
- Meet The Teenage Boy Who Makes Over £15,000 A Year Selling Toys
Who is the teenage boy that created a toy empire making over £15,000 a year? Tommy Howard is a 14 year year old schoolboy and entrepreneur from Hawkchurch in Devon, who has built an online toy shop which now turns over £15,000 annually. Tommy stocks over 1000 products which are shipped world wide. ‘If Only They Knew’ also spoke to Tommy about his top tip for young entrepreneurs, read further to find out what that tip is. Tommy got the idea 2 years ago when his younger brother asked for a £35 toy for his birthday but Tommy realised he could purchase a bundle for much less than what the toy was worth alone. Using the money he received from selling eggs at his family farm, Tommy bought his first batch of products and reinvested to keep the business going. Tommy sold over a thousand foam guns, which led him to officially launch his eBay shop called Dog In A Box (named after his pet, Oreo) which now sells a variety of toys. The 14 year old entrepreneur works highhandedly to fulfill around 70 orders per week, which allowed him to earn a profit of £6000 last year - mostly from his perfecting timing of supplying paddling pools during the heatwave. What problems has Tommy faced whilst running his business? Due to his age, Tommy has had some people not take him seriously which has impacted his supply as some sellers on eBay have made it harder for him to purchase their products by refusing to deliver, however, Tommy's Dad would then make the purchase separately in order to get the delivery. "People shouldn't think because I'm young I can be taken advantage of. I know my stuff!" Tommy fought through the challenges and went on to register has a business on eBay in March 2018 and ordered over 200 different kinds of products from wholesalers and his Dad Charlie, even converted their milking parlours at their farm into a store for his products. What can young entrepreneurs learn from Tommy? Young entrepreneurs can learn that if you want to be successful in an area of business, you must not only understand the market but also be proactive in researching it constantly and preparing for the next big thing. Tommy did this by finding out about a new product called Glove-A-Bubbles that were releasing TV campaigns which would boost their sales. Knowing this, Tommy placed an order for 72 units of the product and sold over 34 units very quickly, he then went on to place another order for 122 units to capitalise on these sales. However, suddenly his sales dropped as the manufacturer of his best-selling product ceased advertising, but this taught Tommy a valuable lesson in the business world: "There's no guarantee in business" Tommy made a comeback with his paddling pools and will continue his journey as a young entrepreneur, learning valuable lessons along the way. If Only They Knew spoke to Tommy who said the main thing he has learned since starting his business has been that: “You have always got to be ready for the unexpected as anything can happen at any stage”. Tommy also reflected on his struggles to buy new stock which made him really want to give up, however he kept pushing and made it through the dark moments of owning a business. “You have to persist through the worst days” Tommy’s tip for young entrepreneurs is “to not be afraid to start“ and for the young entrepreneurs, “you don’t have to always wait until you’re an adult”. If Only They Knew wish Tommy the best of luck with his business, ‘Dog in a Box’. Follow Tommy on Instagram: @tommy.howard.ebay and finds his website at www.doginabox.co.uk
- Celebrity Apprentice 2019 Is Here!
Celebrity Apprentice 2019 is being run as part of Comic Relief’s Red Nose Day. The line up is full of celebrtities jumping into the business world right into the firing line of Lord Sugar. There will be two episodes which will see the boys compete against the girls, with Lord Sugar judging their performance alongside Baroness Brady and Claude Littner. Who are the Celebrity Apprentice stars? Amanda Holden Actress and presenter, Amanda Holden, best known as a judge on ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent. Ayda Williams Ayda recently became a judge on X Factor alongside her husband, Robbie Williams. Ayda has also been a panelist on Loose Women. Kelly Hoppen Kelly is a South African born, interior designer who was also a Dragon on BBC’s Dragon’s Den. Rachel Johnson Rachel is not just a journalist and presenter, but is also Boris Johnson’s sister. Tameka Empson Tameka is best known for her role as Kim Fox in EastEnders since 2009. Tameka also took part in Strictly Come Dancing 2016. Omid Djalili Omid is an actor and comedian who has starred in a plethora of blockbuster films, including Pirates of the Caribbean. Richard Arnold Richard is best known for his role as the entertainment editor for ITV’s Good Morning Britain. Rylan Clark Rylan came to the British public’s attention in 2012 when he appeared on The X Factor. Rylan then won Celebrity Big Brother 11 in 2013 and has appeared as a presenter on many TV shows. Russell Kane Russell is a comedian, presenter and a novelist. He has appeared on various TV shows, including The Apprentice: You’re Fired! Sam Allardyce Sam was a professional football player and then went on to become a football manager, managing the England team for a brief period. When is Celebrity Apprentice being aired? The Celebrity Apprentice will be aired as part of Comic Relief’s Red Nose Day efforts. Watch the 1st episode of Celebrity Apprentice on BBC 1 from 8pm to 9pm on March 7th and the 2nd episode on March 8th 2019 in which the winners will be announced - you can also catch up on BBC iPlayer.
- Meet Gemma Hallett, founder of miFuture
What is miFuture? miFuture is a company which aims to solve career issues for Generation Z, using a smartphone application in which users can apply for jobs, training, courses and volunteer positions. It came about after the founder, Gemma Hallet, realised that in order to help the target market (Generation Z) then the company would have to listen to the young people and give them the control that they deserve. Their goal is to help 100,000 young people move towards employability and prosperity. Who is Gemma Hallett? Gemma Hallett was a PE teacher and an international rugby player, but she left these passions behind in order to focus on miFuture. After leaving teaching, Gemma spent 3 years looking into Generation Z and engaged with schools, employability projects, housing associations, schools, community first and PRU groups, spending concentrated time with the young people. I absorbed everything; how they engaged with their digital environments, completed online tasks, their frustrations, and the barriers they identified. By involving them, I focused on the real problems and redefined what miFuture, the solution, needed to be. After years of research, Gemma and miFuture adapted to their market with multiple changes: completely discarding some of their functions, changing to an app-only platform and ensuring the app has 1 clear and specific purpose - to help the user move toward employability. Who better to explain more about the company then Gemma herself: If Only They Knew wish Gemma and the miFuture team the best of luck in helping Gen Z find prosperity.
- What is Tiger Bites Bao?
Tiger Bites Bao is a restaurant serving Asian-fusion street food mostly in London, but have entered some other areas across England. Tiger Bites Bao is run by Scott De Lima (Scotty Stacks from music group The Manor) & Lacey Miles. The restaurant started off in 2017, serving their street-food in pop-up locations. Scott was going to buy a house, but instead chose to invest in a wagon for the team to sell their food out of - proving just how invested in this business he is. The team appeared on BBC's "My Million Pound Menu" hosted by Fred Sirieix on BBC 2 (12.02.19) which saw three restaurants compete for a large investment from food enthusiasts. Tiger Bites Bao were picked by the investors to be the strongest out of the three restaurants, but they still had to prove themselves to be ready for an investment. Tiger Bites travelled to Manchester and catered for a full restaurant, proving themselves to not only be an effective team but also a viable business. The investors were interested in the potential advancements of the company, including elements such as food quality and delivery logistics - but did any of them invest? Yes, Tiger Bites received an investment from one of the best investors they could've found - co-founder and CEO of Deliveroo, Will Shu! Will loved the idea of having Tiger Bites in Deliveroo's catalogue as he felt the companies could work together on the delivery side of things. Will Shu gave his thoughts on the collaboration: "I’m really pleased to give [Tiger Bites] the space to grow their business and bring great food to more people, helping them on their journey to opening a bricks and mortar restaurant." If you would like to see Tiger Bite's in action, you can watch the episode on BBC's iPlayer. Tiger Bite Bao's latest residency will be at newly opened cafe/bar 'Rotate' which is in Shoreditch (Rivington Street), you can find them there on Friday 15th February 2019 from 5pm - they are offering free buns and drinks for the 1st 100 customers, so don't miss out! Take a look at some of Tiger Bite Bao's food & keep up with their fast journey and see various items from their menu on their Instagram: @TigerBitesBao: If Only They Knew wish Tiger Bites Bao the best of luck with their journey.
- Bugzy Malone's Top Tip For Success
Who is Bugzy Malone? Aaron Davis is better known as Bugzy Malone, one of the UK's biggest grime stars, hailing from Manchester, England. What is Bugzy's story? Growing up in Manchester in the 90's, Bugzy was involved in various troublesome situations but used boxing as a form of escapism. Since then, the grime star has become a huge advocate for young kids to stay on the right path by getting into sports, specifically boxing. Bugzy Malone spoke to SportsBible about why he turned to boxing: "I think I needed discipline at the time because I was getting into a little bit of trouble" Why turn to music instead of boxing? Instead of following a professional career, the skilful boxer put down the boxing gloves and decided to pick up the mic as this is where his hunger lied, the King of the North told SportsBible "there are few key components in a champion boxer and one of them is hunger. I've used my hunger up in my career in music". What keeps Bugzy going? Turning to music has proved to be a successful move as Bugzy was quickly gaining respect and recognition from the UK music scene, but Bugzy's career really blew up after having musical clashes with grime artist Chip (formerly known as Chipmunk) as the UK saw Bugzy's skill. His success has allowed him to heavily invest in his training once again. "I'm up at 7 and I've at the gym for 9, then I do a 6 to 8 round circuit and maybe 4 to 6 round sparring. Then some floor work for core, maybe some sprints" What is Bugzy's tip for success? Bugzy's workout routine is crazy, beginning with his healthy breakfast or shakes and consiting of various workouts and meals until the late evening. One of his motivations for adhering to this tough routine and also his tip for success is intimidation. "I try to keep myself intimidated. I try to approach fear head on, I feel like that keeps you alert and aware. It keeps you going. Things like fear are key components in becoming a success. If you take them out of the equation then you become unmotivated and quite content, comfortable. That's a dangerous place to be if you want to be a successful person." "If you compare it to a computer game, you start on level one and level one is reasonably easy," said the Drama star. "And then you go on to level 2, it's reasonably easy. Level 3's easy-ish, level 4 you might die a few times and you find that the intensity builds up and by the time you get to level 10, you're savvy within the game." Bugzy Malone has become a household name within the UK music scene, as well as entering the clothing market with his own clothing line "B Malone" which can be found in JD Sports - one of the many reasons he supposedly holds a networth of over a million pounds. Looking through Bugzy's Instagram is like looking at images from Grand Theft Auto, he has the cars, clothes and the house, but in order to achieve this he has had to stay very dedicated to his craft and never stop hustling. Follow Bugzy on Instagram if you haven't already: @thebugzymalone If Only They Knew Bugzy Malone... This article was adapted from SportsBible, 2019
- Meet Kwame, the 15 year old entrepreneur
15 year old Kwame (@jdyn_1st )his friend Ridz were always intrigued by the streetwear companies and the culture as a whole. That's when their entrepreneurial minds kicked in & they took the risk of starting their own brand (@yxn.yvng ) just to see how much they could achieve & because of their passion for designing their products. Their aim is to inspire young people to follow their entrepreneurial ideas, they also support musicians & athletes by trying to put them on the right path to do something great!
- Meet Stevo The Madman
Who is Stevo The Madman? Stevo is an internet sensation, famous for his hilarious skits & comedy across the internet, such as those on his Snapchat (@stmm) The online personality has built a huge following of fans who are called 'Spartans', as well as his own clothing brand based on that name. Stevo has ventured into many other projects, like his podcast on Rinse Fm or the football based YouTube show 'Filthy Fellas'. ⚽️ The star has 50k subscribers on the 'Filthy Fellas' page, 217k instagram followers, 40k Twitter followers, 20m vine loops & a ridiculously big following on Snapchat & has been nominated for the 'Best personality' award from the 'UK Entertainment Awards' (go vote for him)! ... @ueawards 🏆 We're sure that Stevo's growth in the online entertainment industry will continue to grow, with more & more great projects being introduced & developed. Thanks Stevo for the crazy & entertaining stories on Snapchat 😂😅. It's all inspiration for people to do what they love!
- Here's How to Make Crazy Augmented Reality Business Cards
If you've ever been to any business convention ever, you'll realise how many people have business cards and how important it is for these to stand out. Here's one way to ensure your business cards not only stand out, but also are updated with a bit of today's modern technology. Augmented Reality (AR) is a great way to improve the look of your business card. But you don't need to be a genius to introduce elements of AR to your business cards - all you need is a business card and a smartphone/laptop. 3 Steps to Create Augmented Reality Business Cards: Step 1: Create a business card. This may sound obvious but it is crucial that your business card is well designed in the first place in order to get attention in the first place. Using a programme such as 'VistaPrint', business cards can be easily designed and ordered to your liking - many other websites are available. Step 2: Introduce AR. Now, this is the part where you may think you need to go and hire a computer professional to create and implement the Augmented Reality side of things. This may be the necessary step if you're looking for an advanced, custom 3D model for your business card. However, if you're looking for something simple, you may find something on an application such as 'HP Reveal' and other similar programmes which can be accessed via a website browser or via a smartphone application. Using a simple app' such as this, you can simply take a picture of your business card, select a 3D model or even upload your own image or video which will be factored in as part of the AR element. Step 3: Get out there & show the world your modern design. Once you have decided on a design, simply upload the project and job done. You now have a business card that will be recognised by certain AR platforms such as HP Reveal. Here are some examples of basic AR business cards which were created in a matter of minutes... Take a picture/video of your AR business cards and tag us on Instagram (@IfOnlyTheyKnewUK).
- Real or marketing ploy?
Teenager Robert Mfune was featured in several articles online regarding his great success of trading binary options, allowing him to go from working at McDonald's to owning a golden Bentley. However, some people who viewed these articles were dubious of the young boys success. Many wondered how someone on a McDonald's wage could increase their wealth tenfold in order to be able to own a golden Bentley. However, another story online reported that Robert crashed his courtesy BMW M3 4.0 whilst his Bentley was being wrapped... Today, we've seen that Robert is quite low-key and owns a binary trading company... Leaving many to wonder if the golden Bentley and the expensive crash were all part of a very clever marketing ploy to get more exposure of not only his wealth but his company. To find out more about where the concerns came from, feel free to check out: https://www.financemagnates.com/binary-options/analysis/uk-tabloids-get-duped-binary-options-affiliates/
- From offender to Selfridges supplier
Jemal Peters, 30 Years old from South London, is the owner of Big J’s Kitchen, a company that sells street food! 🍳 Jemal’s father walked out when the young entrepreneur was just 7. His mother also got seriously ill when Jemal was just 10! Going to school hungry & seeing everyone else with lots of things are a few of the reasons which drove Jemal down the wrong path! 👎 Jemal dabbled between selling drugs & working in a barbers, sweeping the floor. 💈 He spent his 16th birthday in a cell! The real change around was when his daughter came into the world 👶 In 2012, he started the business with help from Sarah Willingham from the Dragon’s Den! 🐉 The duo partnered up after Jemal cold-emailed Sarah! 😱 This led to the brand dominating the London Cocktail Club kitchens - which is co-owned by celeb chef Raymond Blanc! 👨🍳 Jemal’s company has been a top 5 seller in Selfridges! 🏆 He also puts some of his profits into the ‘Or? Project’ which helps young offenders and young people on the verge of offending get into the world of business! 👏 @bigjs_uk @bigj_uk











