The BBC explores the inspirational story of two teenagers who you’ll never see begging HR for a raise — because they own the company!
School was certainly ill at odds with the dreams of teenage entrepreneur Andrew Butt.
The founder of software group Enable Software, now aged 20, got a taste for business at the age of 12.
His passion for helicopters led to an offer to ‘make the tea’ at the local helicopter training centre, Heli Air.
“I wasn’t much good at making tea but was very good at programming computers,” said Andrew, who began helping with the company’s software.
After just a year, Andrew realised he had the ability to work for himself.
“If you mix with successful people, there’s a good chance you will be successful.”
But his interests were dismissed by teachers.
“Self-employment wasn’t regarded as a career option in my school,” Andrew said, recounting a teacher’s refusal to allow his own business plan to form part of his Business Studies GCSE.
“They said it wouldn’t work!”.
Eighteen months later he had left school, hired a personal tutor and soon had a software business with an annual turnover of Ł200,000.
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