It’s time to highlight some of the young entrepreneurs in the uk, that we believe you should all keep your eyes on for 2011, we’ve tried our best to come up those entrepreneurs we think are going to hit the big time success or get lots of mainstream media attention, if it hasnt started already.
You might feel i’ve missed a few entrepreneurs of the list, feel free to let me know about them and why you feel they should be in the list or what entrepreneur/startup you have your eyes on in 2011 in the comments section.
I am only human, which means i might not know every startups or entrepreneur in the UK.
Suleman Sacranie - 99PSHOPPER
He sold his first company after applying and getting through the bbc dragon den online.
He started his second company 99pshopper in his 1st year at university, he later decided to drop out of university and focus on company full-time. His company is already showing huge potential, its profitable and it continues to grow.
99pshopper.com is an online shopping website where users can buy items for 99p or under, normal high street products are sold for 99p, products are also delivered to household around Europe.
Jamal Edwards - SBTV
Jamal started his own film company at the age of 16, just casually fiming grime artists locally, and since then has grown to film most of the biggest artists in the music industry. Now at 20 years, he is on the verge of pushing SB.TV Further globally.
He is certainly changing the direction of the platform, from just a hobby to a business. Jamal has grown SB.TV into a company with 7 employees, more than over 25,000 subscribers and over 30 million hits on its youtube channel.
SB.TV is a new, innovative and exciting, ‘music and lifestyle’ media platform with a ‘Global’ reach.
Jess Ratcliffe - Gaboom
A gamer from an early age, although she came up with her first idea of gaboom at age 15, until she started university. She founded gaboom (aged 19) whilst studying Management (BSc) at Royal Holloway, University of London. Jessica Ratcliffe is a founding committee member of Royal Holloway Entrepreneurs.
She appeared on BBC TV show, Dragons Den. she has raised up to £50,000 for her business so far. She is currently taking time from university to focus on gaboom full-time.
GaBoom is a user-to-user video game exchange, where you can get the games you want using the games you own, by swapping them with other users.
Sabirul islam
Sabirul got his first taste of business at 13, working for cousin, he got fired within 2 weeks. Got into the entrepreneurial life at 14, designing calendars for teachers in schools. Became an investor at 16.
Sold 42,500 copies of his book “World at your feet” in 9 months, speaking at 379 events, 333 secondary schools.
Now 20, he looking to speak in 20 countries in 12 months. In November, preparing for the launch of his Teen-Trepreneur Board Game which will be selling globally.
James King - Find Invest, Grow (F.I.G)
Upon graduation from the univeristy, after being frustrated with the lack of options he had trying to raise funds for his startup, james decided to start FIG(Find, Invest, Grow) in sept of 09.
FIG (Find, Invest, Grow), a new start-up company launched to help young entrepreneurs fund their business projects in the form of investors and outsourcing. FIG helps students and business graduates alike, create their projects in earlier stages by finding them investors as it is hard to obtain the resources with such little experience.
Jessica Grosvenor (Freelance Training & Consultancy)
Prior to starting her business, The 25yr old entrepreneur from Wolverhampton was a Freelance teacher for 5 years. Within six months of starting the business – Freelance Training & Consultancy, it turned over £1.46 million.
She won the Shell LIveWIRE Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2010, walking away with £10,000 in cash prize and valuable business contacts and press.
Her company offers bespoke training across Health and Social Care and Leadership and Management using NHS qualified nurses and assessors who have been made redundant due to the reduction in NHS facilities.
Emma jaynes parkes and Viviane jaeger - Squid London
Emma-Jayne Parkes and Viviane Jaeger launched their product design business, SquidLondon, while studying at the London College of Fashion.
The early days at Squidlondon saw them sell all their 100 limited umbrella in just 11 days after they were featured on the sunday times. Since the pair graduated in 2008 the business has taken off. They sold 10,000 umbrellas in the first year and are on track to sell 20,000 this year.
Christian owens - Branchr
He started his first business aged 14- website mac box bundle using his pocket money, the website has taken £700,000 since its launch in 2008. He then launched advertising pay-per-click company ‘Branchr’ a year later and worked on the business after school and at weekends.
His company Branchr made £500,000 in its first year – aged just 16, the site counts william hill and myspace as its client. Christian, from Corby, Northamptonshire, currently employs eight staff – all adults – around the UK and America as sales and technical assistants, and plans to open two Branchr offices in the next year.
He has vowed that he will not stop building branchr until it is worth £100million.
Gerard jones - The Gérard School of Football
Gerard decided to launch the Gérard School of Football at the age of 19 after getting released from his club.
He decide to pursue a career as a professional football coach rather than continuing as a footballer although he had offers to play in USA on scholarship and some local pro clubs, he knew he would be a better manager.
He was later featured on BBC with bookmakers ranking me at 1000/1 to become the next England Manager.
Gérard School of Football (GSF) provides specialist football coaching to boys and girls of all abilities aged from 5-14, now regarded as the North of England Premier Football School having reached Top 7 in the UK for Best Local Activity for Children Aged 5-12.
Joel Gascoigne - Founder of onepage
Graduated from university of warwick – Master of Engineering in Computing Systems. Joel decided to start the company towards the end of his degree.
OnePage is like your business card, but online. you can access this card with your mobile phone. When you meet someone, instead of handing over a printed business card, you send the person your OnePage. That way, you save the person you are giving your contact card , having to type out your details when he/she gets home.
Artur Majsterek - 1eat
Artur started his first big venture at 16 which was supposed to find employment for all the poles wanting to work in UK in the catering business. He decided to try banking, interning with citi. After starting university, he decided to go back into the entrepreneurial world, starting a speed dating agency which he broke evem with.
He is the former President of the London School of Economics Entrepreneurs. Currently studying management at LSE University, Artur is putting most of his focus on 1eat, he has visited 42 countries and he hopes to visit 100 countries. 1eat is a service that offers discounts in hundreds of restaurants across London.
Creative nerds - DIRUJAN SABESAN and SAM THORNTON
The company that started as a little online venture in 2009, and as grown into a powerhouse in the UK. Now recognised as a household name in the web design & development industry, doing web, print design for some of the top music artists in the UK.
With partners such as universal music group to their list, Creative nerds are definitely a company to keep your eyes glued to.
Edwin Broni-Mensah - GiveMeTap
Edwin is currently a student at Manchester university studying for an Applied Maths PhD. Edwin’s first-class degree in Mathematics and Computer Science, which led to him being awarded a straight scholarship to study his PhD. He was named the most outstanding black student in Britian!
An award organised by the Future Leaders magazine, sponsored by Barclays Capital, Deloitte and the University of Cambridge.
GiveMeTap is the eco-logical way for people to stay hydrated on the go. Restaurant or café owners sign up as ‘Provider’ to supply free access to clean tap water to those who carry our branded life-time aluminium bottles.
Edwin said he hopes to work full-time on his company, with the aim of offering his bottle’s services at the 2012 Olympics.
Josh Magidson and Ed Green - Eatstudent.co.uk
Josh and his business partner started the business back in 2006, studying at the university in Nottingham.
After graduating in 2008 they decided to take the business and website up a notch, developing the website into a genuine business, completely redeveloping the site, radically changing our business model and revenue streams, and expanding to new locations. They’ve just sold the website to the e-commerce giant Just Eat for £500,000.
The website, eatstudent.co.uk, allows students to view local takeaway menus and order food to be delivered straight to their halls of residence.
Jessica Rose - London jewellery school
Jessica Rose is the 23 years old founder/director of the London Jewellery School, the largest independent jewellery-training provider in the UK. The Jewellery School runs 100’s of jewellery making classes throughout the year, which includes everything from beading and wire-work.
She decided to take the leap and leave her job at 20 to set up making and selling jewellery full-time without a degree. The business that started as a community hall in Dulwich, South London only ran one class every month and now runs over 50 classes every month throughout the year. In January 2010, the business changed location moving to London’s famous jewellery quarter, Hatton Garden.
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