Young entrepreneur funds university costs with online components venture

A Midlands student has launched his own successful e-commerce website selling IT components for big brand names including Apple, Asus and Samsung.

Thomas Jenkins, age 19, launched his business in June 2011, within weeks of completing his BTEC National Diploma in IT at Burton and South Derbyshire College. By the time he moved to Gloucester in September to start his university course, he was successfully operating his own online business - www.thomasjenkinscomponents.com

More Information

Thomas originally caught the self-employment bug when he entered an enterprise competition at College alongside fellow members of his course. He said; “Studying at Burton and South Derbyshire College was a delight; the staff were friendly and the module I most enjoyed had to be the enterprise project. I could really express myself and my ideas to the group and I found that my idea could be very profitable.”

From the age of 16 and throughout his time at College, Thomas worked as a system developer at a local company and this helped him to develop the contacts and industry knowledge to get ahead.

Thomas Jenkins Components was officially registered as a business in mid-June 2011 just after Thomas completed his full-time studies at Burton and South Derbyshire College. By month two, he was making a profit and developing a reputation through his e-bay shop, and by September he had created his own e-commerce site and secured a license as a reseller for companies including Apple, Samsung and Asus. The business is now generating a healthy profit while Thomas has taken up his place at the University of Gloucester studying a BSc in Business Information Technology.

Thomas says; “I aim to make everything I sell cheaper than the bigger stores. I want to give the consumer the best deal… and I want my business to be successful.”Of his future business plans, Thomas says “I want to have a good life and creating a business that I know will work is great. This is only the start; I hope to become one of the leaders in the industry and my future plans are to set up another business which helps people set up their dreams.”

Thomas is modest about his achievements to date, saying; “Basically I’m just a really self-motivated person. I always work to achieve my goals and doing something I love is amazing.”

Catherine Whitehead, Programme Area Manager for Technological Industries at Burton and South Derbyshire College, said; “Thomas has been an astute and hard-working student and we’re delighted that the course has helped to give him the confidence and entrepreneurial flair to start his own business so soon after completing the course.” She added; “We have no doubt that Thomas Jenkins Components will be a big success.”

Core Facts

Burton and South Derbyshire College has an annual turnover of £27 million and serves students in Staffordshire, Derbyshire and the West Midlands. The College enjoys particularly strong links with employers in the Manufacturing, Construction, Engineering, Hospitality and Catering industries across the Midlands region. The College leads the ESF-funded “Skills for Midlands Growth” project; coordinating and delivering a £2m redundancy support package for companies and individuals in the Midlands.