A teenage entrepreneur has left school to set up his own business after turning his love of rare Air Jordan trainers into an online success.
Elliott Usher, 16, decided to launch his company – The Sole Guyy – after completing his GCSEs at St Robert of Newminster Catholic School in Sunderland. The move comes three years after the seeds were first planted for the venture when he was just 13, using £50 of his birthday money.
At the time he was having to study at home following the implementation of Covid restrictions, but he spent the best part of three years researching online trends. He worked to learn the skills required and in July decided to risk looking beyond the traditional routes into education and employment by setting up his own business, an online store specialises in sourcing and selling highly sought-after trainers in various brands, including best sellers Nike Air Jordans.
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The business has proven such a hit that – within just a few months – he has already sold dozens of high-end ‘hype trainers’ to customers across the globe, with prices ranging from £50 to as much as £6,000. The business was initially started from home, but the young entrepreneur has since agreed with his parents that it would be better to find his own business premises, to keep him focused and also allow him to take some expert masterclasses.
He has now signed a lease on his own office space at the North East BIC in Sunderland, where he is working with the BIC’s tenant business adviser and attending business and networking events to help him grow the business.
He said: “I wanted somewhere where I could have a focus and physically leave the house to go to work and the BIC was the perfect fit. The BIC also offers all sorts of courses, from marketing your business to setting up a website and building your brand, so I’m looking forward to attending those.
“While it may not follow the traditional routes for young people leaving school, I’m still learning, and my family have been really supportive. They basically said ‘just keep doing what you’re doing’. They absolutely understand that there are other choices for young people leaving school and that you should always make choices that make you happy.
“They are very proud of how far I have come at such a young age and support me 100%. I can’t thank them enough for all of their encouragement.”
Debbie Simpson, BIC tenant business adviser, said: “Elliott is a great example of how you can start and grow a successful business at any age with the right attitude.”
