Jamie Dunn is a teenage entrepreneur with big
ambitions, and founder of the Jamie Dunn
Academy. He'll be blogging for us regularly on what it's like
being a young person in business - so we asked him to introduce
himself.
My name is Jamie Dunn, I'm an 18-year-old entrepreneur and I aim
to be a millionaire by the time I turn 20.
I've been in business since I was 12, when I started a market
stall. Ever since my first item sold on my stall, I knew that
business was what I wanted to do - and what I was destined for, in
a way. It sounds very clichéd but it was like one of those moments
when suddenly everything clicks and you just know within yourself
that it feels right - just like when you complete a jigsaw and
everything looks perfect. That's what the feeling of business gives
me.
My name is Jamie Dunn, I'm an 18-year-old
entrepreneur and I aim to be a millionaire by the time I turn
20.
I've been in business since I was 12, when I
started a market stall. Ever since my first item sold on my stall,
I knew that business was what I wanted to do - and what I was
destined for, in a way. It sounds very clichéd but it was like one
of those moments when suddenly everything clicks and you just know
within yourself that it feels right - just like when you complete a
jigsaw and everything looks perfect. That's what the feeling of
business gives me.
After establishing my stall and starting to earn
regular good money, I decided that I wanted something bigger and
wanted to really make a name for myself. But I didn't know where to
start. I didn't do very well in school, and although I managed to
blag a college place I quickly discovered it wasn't the route for
me. And it certainly wasn't going to make me my millions! So I
dropped out of college. Twice.
But then I found my path.
Only two days after I decided to quit and leave
college to set up a student magazine, I found a better opportunity:
The National Enterprise Academy. It's founded and run by
entrepreneur and Dragons' Den star Peter Jones, for young
entrepreneurs. I applied and went through many challenging
projects, tasks and personality tests, and a couple of months down
the line I got the call to say: "You're in." That call changed my
life.
I moved to Buckinghamshire for six months to take
part in the Academy along with 27 other young entrepreneurs from
across the country. As soon as I walked into the Academy I knew it
would change me and give me everything I needed to succeed. And it
did. I became highly skilled in all aspects of business and
developed a number of ideas there that I'm still involved with
today. I met top people from the biggest organisations, and being
in that environment for six months gave me everything I
needed.
Since graduating I have gone on to spread the
message of young entrepreneurship and the power of believing in
yourself. I'm now a mentor, coach and speaker and have recently set
up The Jamie Dunn Academy that acts as an umbrella company for
everything that I do within my business life. I have delivered
speeches for public organisations such as The Prince's Trust and
worked with private companies on how to involve youth within their
business, as well as motivating their current workforce in the
process.
I have been approached by Virgin to take part in
their Virgin Media Pioneer programme and became one of the selected
few sponsored Pioneers to post regular blog videos and share my
journey with other entrepreneurs on the site. I co-host a
successful radio show within Birmingham with a fellow entrepreneur,
Mr. NK. I have plans to develop a project or programme that I can
deliver within schools to help young people believe in themselves
and how to make the best of their talents. I am also now on the
board for Young Enterprise. My reputation continues to grow within
business as one of the best young entrepreneurs in the
country.
I have found that a lot of people say that I am
boastful but I believe that the things I have done so far have not
touched upon what I can achieve in the future. Within everything I
do I spread the message and power of what believing in yourself can
achieve.
So what's it like to be a teenager in
business?
Well, it's always a great mystery to old-school
people who still think that going into the army after school is
people's first option. But now the profile of young entrepreneurs
has started to rise, people are suddenly trying to break the mould,
and it is quickly becoming the 'in' thing to try and do.
Being a teenager and having experienced everything
that a teenager goes through, I know the things that are in place
that aren't doing their jobs correctly, despite trying the hardest
they can and giving their all - it simply comes down to the fact
that most teenagers are oblivious to a different, positive world.
Together I think we can stop that and empower the next generation
to become the best individuals they can be. Believe it. Achieve
it.
After establishing my stall and starting to earn regular good
money, I decided that I wanted something bigger and wanted to
really make a name for myself. But I didn't know where to start. I
didn't do very well in school, and although I managed to blag a
college place I quickly discovered it wasn't the route for me. And
it certainly wasn't going to make me my millions! So I dropped out
of college. Twice.
But then I found my path.
Only two days after I decided to quit and leave college to set
up a student magazine, I found a better opportunity: The National
Enterprise Academy. It's founded and run by entrepreneur and
Dragons' Den star Peter Jones, for young entrepreneurs. I applied
and went through many challenging projects, tasks and personality
tests, and a couple of months down the line I got the call to say:
"You're in." That call changed my life.
I moved to Buckinghamshire for six months to take part in the
Academy along with 27 other young entrepreneurs from across the
country. As soon as I walked into the Academy I knew it would
change me and give me everything I needed to succeed. And it did. I
became highly skilled in all aspects of business and developed a
number of ideas there that I'm still involved with today. I met top
people from the biggest organisations, and being in that
environment for six months gave me everything I needed.
Since graduating I have gone on to spread the message of young
entrepreneurship and the power of believing in yourself. I'm now a
mentor, coach and speaker and have recently set up The Jamie Dunn
Academy that acts as an umbrella company for everything that I do
within my business life. I have delivered speeches for public
organisations such as The Prince's Trust and worked with private
companies on how to involve youth within their business, as well as
motivating their current workforce in the process.
I have been approached by Virgin to take part in their Virgin
Media Pioneer programme and became one of the selected few
sponsored Pioneers to post regular blog videos and share my journey
with other entrepreneurs on the site. I co-host a successful radio
show within Birmingham with a fellow entrepreneur, Mr. NK. I have
plans to develop a project or programme that I can deliver within
schools to help young people believe in themselves and how to make
the best of their talents. I am also now on the board for Young
Enterprise. My reputation continues to grow within business as one
of the best young entrepreneurs in the country.
I have found that a lot of people say that I am boastful but I
believe that the things I have done so far have not touched upon
what I can achieve in the future. Within everything I do I spread
the message and power of what believing in yourself can
achieve.
So what's it like to be a teenager in business?
Well, it's always a great mystery to old-school people who still
think that going into the army after school is people's first
option. But now the profile of young entrepreneurs has started to
rise, people are suddenly trying to break the mould, and it is
quickly becoming the 'in' thing to try and do.
Being a teenager and having experienced everything that a
teenager goes through, I know the things that are in place that
aren't doing their jobs correctly, despite trying the hardest they
can and giving their all - it simply comes down to the fact that
most teenagers are oblivious to a different, positive world.
Together I think we can stop that and empower the next generation
to become the best individuals they can be. Believe it. Achieve
it.