#NEENTREPRENEURS
Andrew Tomlinson
ANDREW
TOMLINSON ANDREW JAMES.
“I didn’t do particularly well in school and as a result doubted myself academically, so I was glad to complete the degree and see it all the way through. This really proved something to myself and showed me I had nothing to be afraid of in the business world.”
ANDREW TOMLINSON LEFT HOME AT 17, WITH NO REAL QUALIFICATIONS AND DID A NUMBER OF JOBS, MOSTLY WORKING IN FACTORIES. It was three years later when he set up his first business in the food manufacturing industry, with support from The Prince’s Trust: “It was quite the four year journey for me as I employed 14 staff, and secured big contracts, but, unfortunately, I was forced to sell the business at the age of 24.” It was at this point that Andrew decided that he needed to gain more knowledge about how to run a business and understand finance, so he enrolled at the University of Sunderland to study a Business and Finance degree, which he later completed at Northumbria University. Andrew freely admits that he has had his fair share of ups and downs, and that it is the low points that have allowed him to take stock, learn from his mistakes and make positive progress. It was prior to setting up his own business that he experienced his lowest point: “I really didn’t have much money – eating cold spaghetti and raw onions! I thought to myself, there is nothing lower than this! From there, I took on a number of sales and logistics positions, which were great learning experiences that stay with me to this day, leading to the creation of Andrew James.”
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