Congratulations! A word we use in many walks of life, but tonight it’s for all Young Enterprise Lanarkshire achievers in front of us! I personally applaud each and every one of you….. Your commitment and drive, your teamwork and of course, your entrepreneurial spirit.

You’ve been on a journey these past months with Young Enterprise Lanarkshire and it’s one that will provide business and life lessons for a very long time!

I’m jealous. Very jealous of the opportunity that is now in front of each and every one of you and I urge you all to grab it with both hands!

This is the time to start your next journey! Time to say, right; I’m going to show the world what I’ve got to offer!  

Let me take you back, way back, many, many years ago and introduce you to a young lad… He wanted to have his own business. He wanted to make loads of dosh! What he learned over the years is that true entrepreneurial spirit is more than simply being in business. It’s more than making money, so much more.

And, along the way, working to these principals, there is every chance that you may just make sack loads of money as you do it!

What you will have is opportunity. The opportunity to have freedom to choose to make a difference.

This is golden years for all of you. You have the energy to succeed. You might think that to be a successful entrepreneur you need to have decades of experience, a big bank balance and an impressive track record. Nonsense!

Never let that get in the way – it’s backed up by plenty of real life success stories.

 

Just look at entrepreneurs such as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, who became a billionaire by age 23 thanks to his idea.  

Sir Richard Branson, a serial entrepreneur who time after time develops his businesses whilst making a difference in people’s lives, started his first two companies at the ripe old age of 17!  

Many of us don’t quite reach the dizzy heights of these two, but they probably never believed they would be quite as successful as they are today, when they started their journey!

Most recently, we witnessed an emerging Young Enterprise entrepreneur, Cally Russel from Mallzee appear on Dragon’s Den and reject a £75K investment offer from Peter Jones, to then subsequently go on and agree a partnership with Samsung Mobile!

Cally is now 27 and has publicly highlighted the skills that Young Enterprise provided him within his journey.

Still not sure if you can do it? Still think age may be a barrier to success?

 Never, ever look at your age as a disadvantage. Instead, look at it as an opportunity.  

So what about the lad we highlighted in the pictures? How did he get on? Well he stands here speaking to you today.

I started my first business at the ripe old age of 14. At school, I designed bespoke T-Shirts and screen-printed them in my parents hut. Buying cheap T-Shirts and making designs that kids in school wanted. I asked what they wanted? What designs, current music/movie designs and took orders and deposits, went out and bought the clothing, made them, made a small profit and invested in more. I even recruited two 4th year pupils and offered commission for orders they got! The 4th and 5th years didn’t want to speak to a wee 13 year old, did they!

 

Everything went great until my head master found out and banned me from selling in school premises!!

 

Lots of lessons were learned.

My next business was when I was around 25. I started a Graphic Design and Print company, which as we grew, we employed around 14 people. A success that leads me to today and my 3rd business.

 

Myself and my Wife now operate Advanceworx, we are a communications company, delivering brand, websites, social media and everything a business needs to successfully communicate with customers.

 

I love being in business. I have a drive to succeed in everything that I do but everything I deliver in business today, has roots from my very early business adventures. That early journey taught me to be committed, it taught me to deliver what I promised and it taught me to develop.

I never quite made sack loads of money, but I have made a good living, I’ve provided solutions for customers and somewhere with Young Enterprise, I have been given the opportunity to enrich peoples lives if even only a little!

For me, that really is what true entrepreneurial spirit is and should be.

I’ve also managed to work myself into a speech that also mentions Mark Zuckerberg and Sir Richard Branson!! I’m pretty chuffed with that!

I’ve enjoyed my journey in business and in life. I hope all of you grasp every opportunity that comes your way!