Enter The Teenage Entrepreneur

July 10, 2013 - PRLog -- Abdi Gulied has just finished his A Levels. He is 17 years old and lives in Acton, West London and now has the Summer to wait to see if he gets the grades he needs to continue on to do his A2s. Nothing unusual there, you might think. Except, whereas many of his contemporaries may be looking forward to a summer doing very little, except visiting some of the less savoury of Europe’s holiday resorts, Abdi is preparing for a business trip.

Abdi, you see, is a teenage entrepreneur. A proud British Muslim, he was brought to the UK from overseas as a very small child and, driven by his family's emphasis on education and on being able to support yourself, he is already building an impressive business empire.

The business portfolio started with White Star Academy, which offers affordable private tuition in anything from Key Stage One subjects in school to working with students undertaking English, Law and Maths degrees. In less than a year, White Star has expanded internationally and continues to do so.

Working with youth is a recurring theme in Abdi’s businesses, which also include LSP Management, which provides representation for young musicians and event management company Pic Me Entertainment. He is also working with local authorities to develop new strategies of improving and encouraging social enterprise. This includes delivering workshops for the authority that can create opportunities to benefit the local community.

“What excites me about business is the ability be free. None of the usual barriers apply; all that matters if whether you have the wit, the passion and the desire to be successful,” says Abdi.

“I really believe that, with a little hard work and business acumen, then you can be the person you always wanted to be. If you aspire to make a difference to people then business can give you the ability to provide opportunities for others. You don't get that feeling necessarily when you’re working for other people.”

But isn’t that a lot to take on for such a young man?

“I love the thrill of taking risks. I’m a gambler. I’ll take a chance if I calculate that the risk is a risk low enough for me to take the damage and recover. I love the stress of having to work hard in the middle of the night preparing for a meeting the next day.”  

Abdi admits some of his friends think he is “crazy” but, he says, they are also the people who support him the most.

“Deep down they believe that I have set myself a really high bar; so high that maybe I won’t reach. But they have also told me that they will be there for me if I fail and also, if I succeed, that they will be inspired to try for themselves. What can I say? I do things in a different way. I’m not the classic stereotype of a young British Somalian.”

Abdi’s is a journey that has not been without its challenges. He struggled initially to find people who could really back his vision and provide the practical assistance to help him expand his business. He confesses to being a bit fed up when people chuckle when they hear his age and he knows they aren’t taking him seriously.

“I want to change that once and for all. It’s about time young people are taken seriously. When a young person commits crime they are treated like an adult but when you’re in business world, you get treated like a kid.”

And the future?

“In ten years’ time I'd like to have played a part in developing a morally well-adjusted generation whose efforts and work is valued. I want to visit schools and colleges worldwide and provide support for young people who are passionate about business get the start they need. If they are unfortunate to have a low income I want us to be the ones who provide the life changing opportunities. Business may be about making money but what use is being happy if somewhere in the world a child or a family doesn't have enough money to eat. I can’t live with that.”

You wouldn’t bet against him achieving it either.