Personality profile
Lloyds bank queried the 200+ transactions
“Then I had a brainwave. I called
Canterbury College and asked if I could be an apprentice in my own company. After a lot of phone calls and admin, I started working for myself on December 14 last year.”
Ben needed an “adult” director on
board to act as his mentor and brought in Neville Gaunt, the North Kent chairman for the Federation of Small Businesses.
Their initials – NGBT – led to the
formation of Ben’s latest company whose initials fortuitously interpret as “Next Gen Business Team”.
This company will help young people
become ‘work ready’ by opening their eyes to the facts about business and employment – lessons Ben had to learn the hard way.
Filling in his tax return is just one of
many obstacles Ben has encountered during his short time in business – chiefly because of his age.
It started when he was 14 and Lloyds
bank queried the 200+ transactions which had passed through his child’s bank account in just one month.
“When I said I was running a business, they immediately froze my account.
the first of many hurdles placed in Ben’s way. But he battles on, nudging his way ever closer to the magic date in September when he turns 18 and life should, in theory, get much simpler.
Although he will need to take out public liability insurance then. “Under 18, you can’t be liable.”
He’s clearly done more than his homework.
For two months, I had people stuffing bundles of cash through my door because there was no other way they could pay me
It was a nightmare. For two months, I had people stuffing bundles of cash through my door because there was no other way they could pay me. Even now, we struggle with taking online payments because you have to be 18 to use things like Paypal and Worldpay.”
Then there was the question of his national insurance number.
“I spent four hours on the phone to He said: “We spent a whole year at
school learning about drugs. I’m not saying it’s not important, but as 80% of my classmates will at some point have to complete a self-assessment tax return, I think that would have been a far more valuable lesson.”
HMRC trying to register to be self- employed when I was 15. But they needed my NI number – and you don’t get that until you are 16. We were just going round and round in circles, form after form asking for the same thing.
“Eventually, they realised they had the number all the time - it just hadn’t been activated.”
Lesser mortals would have fallen at
As a child, Ben was bullied by his classmates for trying to do something different - so he genuinely understands and cares about the problems encountered by young people in schools today. As Celebrity Ambassador for the anti-bullying charity
BulliesOut, he mentors those that have experienced bullying and other hardships in their lives. BulliesOut provides help, support and information to
8 Mid Kent Living If you haven’t already come across
Ben in action online or on TV, he can currently be seen as the youngest mentor in the series “Pocket Money Pitch” – a kind-of cross between Dragon’s Den and The Voice – seeking out young entrepreneurs of tomorrow on CBBC.
The 10-week series, screened on Mondays at 5.30pm, was filmed at Media City in Salford and Ben is now proud to count BBC Breakfast’s business presenter and series host Steph McGovern among his closest chums.
The affable chap seems genuinely
blown away by his sudden rise to fame and to be receiving accolades from the likes of Richard Branson who has famously described Ben as “one of
individuals, schools, the workplace, youth and the community about bullying and how it can be prevented. The role has brought Ben face to face with some of the UK's most powerful politicians, including former Labour leader Ed Milliband. Ben said: " I was bullied for trying to do something different and run my own business. I am so pleased to be an Ambassador of BulliesOut and to promote the excellent work they deliver".
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