Lloyd Williams

Introduction

Sometimes things don’t always go to plan, so when Lloyd broke his shoulder twice during sports activities in the last year, he could easily have given up on running a business alongside school. 

Instead, he turned his attention to thinking of new ideas, and helping his younger sister sell loom bands for charity, using skills in advertising and managing money he’d learnt from his own outdoor services business cutting grass and washing cars. 

There’s something natural for Lloyd about running a business, and although making money is great (he tends to invest it back into the business to buy equipment, or spends a little on something he’d like) it’s the thrill of running it that he enjoys most.

Read Lloyd’s story to discover what’s special about running a business as a young person, and why enjoying what you do really matters…

Why did you decide to start a business while still at school?

Lloyd has always been interested in starting a business from a young age – for him it seemed the most natural thing to do. While his friends played with toys and games, he was the one who wanted to invent and create them. He saw the value of making money too so that he didn’t have to rely on others. “Making money from my business means I can buy the equipment that I need, and I don’t have to rely on others when I’m older.”

What support have you received from family or others when starting out?

Lloyd’s family, friends and wider community have been amazingly supportive of all his business ideas and activities. His parents encourage him to pursue his ideas, and have helped him by sourcing equipment such as a lawnmower to get him started. They have also supported Lloyd’s younger sister by offering to ‘match’ whatever she raises for charity with loom band sales, so there’s a real incentive for her and Lloyd to do well at that!

What plans do you have for the future?

With Lloyd now in Year 9 he knows there will be more pressure from school studies, but loves doing volunteering work through his Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) award helping coach rugby for under 12s. He plans to go back to offering grass cutting and washing cars over the Summer but also has an idea for a clothing business too, so definitely not someone to sit still! When it comes to juggling his school work and businesses, he knows that will be difficult, especially when GCSEs come around, so he plans to talk it through with his parents and come up with a plan. It’s clear, however that for Lloyd, running his business is something he really enjoys and sees as ‘chill’ time and there’s no sign of him slowing down just yet!

What advice would you give to a young person thinking of starting a business while still at school?

Doing something that you enjoy is really important, and of course simply giving it a go will help you discover whether it’s right for you.

“Just do it – you can’t succeed unless you try!”

“You have to enjoy what you’re doing, or it won’t work.”

Lloyd’s love of running a business has been with him from an early age and it’s clear he’s not just full of ideas, but also gets on and tries them out! We have no doubt that the skills, experience and character he is developing through running these businesses means he will be successful, whatever he goes on to do!