Interview with Young Entrepreneur Emma Jones

Sarah:  Please tell me, how you got started and where other kids starting a business and parents can find out more info about you.

Emma:  My first experience in business when I was around 12 years old. I started to sell old DVD’s and books from around the house on eBay and Amazon. I had also always been a keen viewer of TV shows such as Dragon’s Den and The Apprentice and started to read a number of books and autobiographies that showed me the insight of business’ and most importantly showed me that it didn’t matter about my age when starting a business. Over the next few years my passion for business increased and I decided to start my first business – SeamlessApparel (www.seamlessapparel.co) earlier this year when I was 15 years old. I also run a blog based around design called PixelBatch (www.pixelbatch.com). You can find at my online portfolio (www.emmajones.me) and twitter (www.twitter.com/emmajones96).  I have another business that will launch in February (www.sketchandstitch.com).

Sarah:  Where did you come up with your idea and what investigation did you do to help you know that this would be a great business?

Emma:  I knew that to create a successful business I needed it to be based around my passion – design. I then thought about starting my own design firm but the market was so big and would have been hard to break into at such a young age – although I will try sooner or later! I remember seeing tees in shops both online and around town and thinking that I could do that! This was the perfect idea and I was settled. I began to research and found the niche in the market. The next step was to design and then to find a supplier and printer. Once this was done SeamlessApparel was launched short after (June 2011) and I have loved it ever since.

Sarah:  What do you think are the most important skills you have that help you in business and that other kids starting a business would need?


Emma:  I think that the skills required when being so young in business vary depending on the person and the area of business they are going into. Although I believe there are a number of skills that would help all young entrepreneurs. I think that one key skill is the ability to be prepared to work hard and be committed to your business. Communication is vital – not everyone will listen and take you seriously being so young in business so communication is a key skill for everyone.

Sarah:  What were the biggest obstacles, problems you had in getting started as a kid in business?


Emma:  I think there will always be a number of obstacles for young people to overcome when starting in business. A lot of people do not take young people seriously as they believe you will not be able to make it or start a successful business – however we all know this is not true and all I would say is to not let your age hold you back and to not listen to the adults telling you that you can’t do it. It will take a lot of work to prove yourself in the community but there no reason anyone young can’t do it.

Sarah:  What about college?  Are you planning on going? Do you think that college is necessary for kids in business?

Emma:  I am currently in year 11 and studying for my GCSE’s at school. At the moment I can’t see my self going on to college and doing A-Levels. I feel that the experience is more important in business than the qualifications. Would it be better to spend two years studying from a book or two years of experience in the real world of business? Sure I understand that attending school, sixth form than uni will make getting a good job easier but I don’t think that education is everything nor the only route.

Sarah:  What kind of expenses or start-up costs did you have when you started your business and where did you find the money or capital to start? Have you found that there are places to help kids starting a business to find funding?

Emma:  One misconception that many make about young people in business is that their parents have funded it all for them. This is not true. The main cost I had when starting SeamlessApparel was the initial stock and this was purchased from money I had saved and doing odd jobs to earn that extra bit of cash. The only expense for PixelBatch was a £6 domain. I also saved a lot of money by doing all the web design, design and marketing myself for both my start ups. I was always continually thinking about ways I could bring the start up costs down.

Sarah:  What have been the best surprises that you found in starting a business?

Emma:  There have been a lot of surprises when starting my business’. For me two have stood out. The first is the amazing and inspirational people I have met who are also running business or just have an interest in business. The second is the positive response I have had from everyone – I love getting an email or tweet from people supporting me and my brands.

Sarah:  Do you do EVERYTHING by yourself or do you have people on your team that work with you?  If so – how did you find people to help you along the way?


Emma:  Currently, I run SeamlessApparel and PixelBatch solely by myself. I design, pack, ship and deal with all the business aspects of SeamlessApparel and I blog and run PixelBatch. I do have a number friends that are always there to bounce new ideas off. There have been times when the work load has got too much, but that is all part of running a business!

Sarah:  What ideas and approaches do you use to market your business and what do you find works best for you in getting the word out about who you are and what you are doing?

Emma:  Since I was on a limited budget when starting my business, social networking has been key to marketing my business. Also Twitter and Facebook provides a great way for customers to easily get in contact and keep updated. Social networking is about communicating with your customers and making them feel as if they are part of the brand not just one customer.

Sarah:  How do you balance it all?  Do you find that you still have time to be a kid or is it all about business?


Emma:  I’ve never struggled with balancing my business’ and having time to still being a teenager. I always have time everyday to just relax and enjoy myself. The only difference for me is when my friends are sitting on Facebook or watching TV in the evenings – I will be usually working on my business but I enjoy it all so wouldn’t really call it work!

Sarah:  What is the best business advice or tips you would like to share with kids who want to be CEO kids?

Emma:  All I would say is that if you want to start a business – start one. Make sure that you choose something you are passionate about. Also, don’t listen to people telling you that you can’t because you are too young. Just think about many of the most successful entrepreneurs such as Richard Branson or Mark Zuckerberg started young. Most importantly just enjoy it and have fun.