YCEOM ISSUE 4

CEOMONTHLY1ISSUE 4 | FREEY O U N GA young CEO tailoringtrading for successINTERVIEW WITHIsabella Salih-Wisdom

EDITORIALeditor@youngceomonthly.comProduced by:CEO Monthly PublicationsDesign:GB DesignsADVERTISINGads@youngceomonthly.comYoung CEO Monthly ispublished by CEO MonthlyPublications.Opinions and views expresseddo not necessarily reflectCEOMP policy. CEOMPaccepts no responsibiltyfor views expressed bycontributors.Advertisements and readeroffers are not endorsed byCEOMP.Welcome to the 4th Edition of YoungCEO Monthly, the magazine thataims to bring young known andespecially un-known business owners fromthe age of 16-30 to the attention of thepublic.We’ve come to final edition of our magazine for 2014.We hope you’ve enjoyed our previous issues so far as weare looking forward to bringing you more exciting andinspiring stories of young budding entrepreneurs in 2015.In this month’s edition we would like to introduce youto a young lady who is making big waves in the tradingindustry and who also named the youngest CEO inCanary Wharf, London.We hope that her story will inspire you to go on anentrepreneurial journey in 2015 and above all you’llshare it with your friends and family.Wishing you a great Christmas and a prosperous NewYear!George BoatengEditorQuote of the MonthForeword3“Chase the Vision and not the Competition!”YCEOTo be featured in our Magazine© All rights reserved.Reproduction in whole or partwithout written permission isstrictly prohobited. Colourtransperecies, manuscriptsor disks submitted to themagazine are sent at owner’srisk; neither CEO MonthlyPublications nor its agentsaccept any responsibilityfor loss or damage.Unsolicited material shoud beaccomapnied by a stampedself-addressed enevelope.Send an email to info@youngceomonthly.com for more infoContentPage 3 – ForewordPage 4 – Cover StoryPage 7 – Business Advice of the MonthPage 9 – CEO/Company ProfilePage 10 – ClassifiedsPage11 – Reflections

4 Cover StoryA young CEO tailoringtrading for successIsabella Salih-Wisdom, 19, pointing the way forward in businessWhat inspired you to start your businessand when did you start it?I have been involved with teaching myselfhow to trade as well as trading since theage of 14. Rejecting going to universityto go and work within a brokerage firmmade me and others around understandhow much I wanted to pursue a careerwithin the financial markets. Having metmy business partner along my journey, wecollaborated our visions and realised thatthere was a lack of thorough educationalservices within the financial markets anda lack of people who can help others withinvestments and finding the right ways tomake money work for them.What was your background before startingyour business(s)?Background isn’t exactly a picture, Iwouldn’t say I have had the best upbringingbut I wouldn’t say I was deprived.My mother was a single parent for mostof my childhood years and did everythingshe could with what she had for me plus3 other siblings of mine. We’ve been verystrong throughout the 5am boot sales everySunday morning, constantly moving untilour last property which we still currentlylive in now, school runs etc, etc.But one thing this has taught me is Iwouldn’t change that lifestyle for myselfif I could. I am a firm believer of whatis meant to happen will happen and Ifeel that I have had to go through thesecertain bumps in life to appreciate life asa whole, appreciate the support of family

5and appreciate how strong a mother canbe.A lot of people ask me how I have a drive atsuch a young age and my answer is alwaysthe same, I don’t want to see people gothrough some of what I went throughand I am the only one who can changethat, therefore I need to go out there andchange it and provide opportunities toothers so they can be guided in a certaindirection, helping them pursue down thecorrect path.“I have come across so manygifted and talented individualswho have fantastic ideas inwhich I know will definitely excelwithin the market. But so many ofthem fail to pursue and take therisk to step outside their comfortzone.“What do you find to be the best thing aboutthe industry your business is in?I personally wake up every single morningand not really know what to expect withbusiness or trading. So many days I havewoken up to fantastic opportunities andkeys to unlock new doors for the business.the bread and butter. If they are nothappy, the business can excel and flourishmoving forward. So many companies don’trealise the importance of employees arecustomers especially in education, whichis why there can be a lot of negativepublicity associated amongst the currentgeneration and the trading industry.- InnovationI am seen as the innovator of the companyand therefore always finding ways toenhance our services, what we can offerin the future and ways to provide new andexciting opportunities within the future.We have something coming up very soon,which is very exciting and hopefully willbe inspiring for many young individuals oftoday’s society.- Personal DevelopmentAlways enhancing our work and how willdo it will allow us to pursue into our futureplans smoothly. Further positivity regardingthe business will, in the long run, raisefurther capital for the business and helpit to grow organically. This developmentis mostly for us being the forefront of thebusiness and also being the core. Thedifference between any company is theindividual.Myself and my business partner, who hasactually been select as one of the topSomali entrepreneurs of UK, take everyday as it goes but give 110% every singleday, pushing ourselves more and moreand having each other definitely helpsbuilding on our weaknesses and reachingour maximum potential. The best thingabout the business is definitely the people.No price or any words can describe howit feels to see a student’s transition as anindividual throughout our programmefrom doing a course to being mentored byus and helping them find out exactly whatthey want to do it and how we can helpthem to do it.What three areas do you focus most on inyour business?Isabella’s story in the Croydon AdvertiserMay 2014- People (internal and External)the people make up the business, its really

6What is your work ethic like?- Very Transparent- Family-like, the team spend a lot of timetogether allowing us to build together- Relaxed, but still get jobs done especiallyto the best of our abilityHow did you fund your start-up?The funding of the start-up really just camefrom savings myself and partner madewhilst working full-time.If an investor wanted to invest in yourbusiness what would they be investing in?It very much depends on the amountand the returns they are looking for. Butgenerally, it will most likely fund biggerprojects for us further enhancing our brandimage as well as funding for other projectswhich will also help provide opportunitiesfor others to also become financiallystable.What would you consider your mainachievement so far in your business andpersonal life?Personal life: Building a strong team, brandimage and a business.Business: Both partners being selected fora wide range of inspiration activities fromhaving amazing media exposure, beingselected for events and being asked to takepart in inspirational and youth activities.Currently, we have achieved little thingson the way but it was forecasted in ourgrowth plan but everyone will know exactlywhen we feel that we have achievedsomething amazing.Where do you see yourself and yourbusiness in 10 years’ time?Myself: Building the business globally,building my property portfolio, cut downon hours designated to business and anincrease in leisure and relaxation time.Giving my family the life that they’vealways wished for.Business: Organically grown globally,have different segments of the companybeing involved within different sectorsof the financial industry e.g. lawyers,accountants etc, maybe building intoa financial advising firm and owning afinancial investment vehicle of some sort.What is your #1 advice to another youngperson thinking about starting their ownbusiness?Go FOR IT,DON’T LET ANYTHING STANDIN YOUR WAY!! I have come across somany gifted and talented individuals whohave fantastic ideas in which I know willdefinitely excel within the market. But somany of them fail to pursue and take therisk to step outside their comfort zone. Somany young people want fancy cars, nicewatches, and nice clothes but don’t wantto sacrifice anything to receive it. I’mnot saying to do anything ridiculous butdefinitely be smart. At the end of the day,your life is your vision, where you end upwill depends on how clear your vision isand how determined you are to fight forit. Life is definitely what you make of it andonly you can build your dream otherwiseyou will be stuck helping someone elsebuild his or hers.Bespoke will be holding networking eventsgoing into the new year helping young peoplenetwork within different fields and help tryand discover their talents. If people also wantto become more knowledgeable about theirsurroundings and feel that they need to bementored then they can certainly contactIsabella. She’ll be more than happy to help.Bespoke_Capitalwww.bespoke-capital.co.uk

Business Advice of the MonthSteps small businesses cantake to secure future growthby Tim Campbell| founder of the Bright Ideas Trust7Adapted from is4profit.com Copyright © 2000 - 2014 | All rights reserved1. Make the most of your small sizeNo business can afford to remain staticin the products and services it offers,whether large or small, but small businessesare particularly well-positioned to reactquickly to changes in their industry or theeconomy, without the need for hundreds ofmeetings. If they spot a gap in the marketthey have the flexibility to be fleet of footand capitalise on it. Perhaps this is whyone in three small business owners (31%)are planning to develop new products orservices in the next six months, accordingto T-Mobile research. Making proactivechanges to refine your business model willensure you move beyond survival and intogrowth mode.2. Take a ‘glass half full’ approachWhen asked about the future of theirbusiness, the majority (58%) of UK smallbusiness owners feel positive. It may besurprising to some that small businessesare optimistic about the coming months.As a small business owner myself, I am farfrom surprised because I know that to besuccessful, you need to see opportunitywhere others see challenges and rewardwhere others see risk. Looking to economicchange as a chance to revise plans,update services and build stronger linkswith existing customers involves a proactiveapproach and an optimistic outlook.3. Use all available resourcesare here to help. All of these measuresshould instil confidence in the minds ofsmall business owners, helping them notonly to get started but also to expand.4. Put your heads togetherCollaboration is a key way small businessescan continue to grow and it wouldbe great to see more small businessescollaborating to diversify the services theyoffer. Networking with other local smallbusiness owners will help you look beyondyour own four walls to see what commongoals you can take to fuel growth.5. Stay focused on customer needsFinally, I would argue that as long as theneeds of the customer are at the heartof any new developments in productsor services, there is a good chance ofsuccess and growth for a small business.It is all too easy to get carried away withnew ideas and innovation, without askingyourself whether they really are necessaryto success. Alarm bells should be ringing ifyou can’t see how any new changes willactually benefit your customers.I firmly believe that the UK is a good placeto start a business, with lots of resources andsupport available. The new StartUp Britainscheme, for instance, promises supportranging from free Google advertising todiscounted business insurance. The Budgetannounced a reduction in taxation and thefunding of new ‘enterprise zones’ acrossthe country, amongst other measures tohelp small businesses grow. Contracts fromsuppliers are getting shorter and moreflexible and business angels and investors

It pays to be a virginBusiness / CEO Profile 9Having started Virgin as a mail order record retailer in 1970, Richard CharlesNicholas Branson born 18th July 1950, founded Virgin Records and openeda record shop on Oxford Street, London. After building a recording studio, TheManor, the first Virgin artist, Mike Oldfield, recorded andreleased ‘Tubular Bells’. Virgin Records went on to signhousehold names from the Sex Pistols to The Rolling Stones,becoming the biggest independent label in the world.Since starting youth culture magazine Student aged16, Branson has found entrepreneurial ways to provokepositive change in the world. He started a Student AdvisoryCentre aged 17 to help young people overcome issuesranging from abortion to sexuality. He set up the VirginEarth Challenge in 2007.He founded Virgin Atlantic in 1984 which has now established itself as a leadingglobal airline. Virgin Australia, Virgin America, Virgin Holidays, Virgin LimitedEdition, Virgin Trains, Virgin Hotels and Virgin Galactic have followed in travel,while expansion elsewhere has seen Branson become the only person to buildeight billion dollar companies in eight different sectors.Branson has challenged himself with many record breaking adventures, includingthe fastest ever Atlantic Ocean crossing, a series of hot air balloon adventuresand kitesurfing across the English Channel. He has described Virgin Galactic,the world’s first commercial spaceline, as being “the greatest adventure ofall”. Space travel has been a dream for Branson since he watched the moonlandings on TV, and he registered the Virgin Galactic name in 1999. Testing forcommercial service is underway, with Branson planning to join his family on thefirst space flight.He is also a record breaker online, voted the UK’s number one Twitter user, theworld’s most social CEO and the world’s most followed person on LinkedIn.Branson maintains a daily blog on http://virgin.com discussing everything fromentrepreneurship, conservation and sustainability to travel, music and humour.He has more than 11.5 million followers across five social networks. He has alsowritten six books, including autobiography Losing My Virginity.Branson was awarded a knighthood in 1999 for services to entrepreneurship.Today Virgin is one of the world’s most irresistible brands and has expandedinto many diverse sectors from travel to telecommunications, health to bankingand music to leisure. There are now more than 100 Virgin companies worldwide,employing approximately 60,000 people in over 50 countries.Currently Branson’s net worth stands at £3.1 billion / $4.1 billion / €3.3 billion.Adapted from virgin.com

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Time To Reflect3 lessons every Entrepreneurcan learn from Christmasby Victor Azubuike | pensivevictor.blogspot.comIt’s the most wonderful time of the year and I’m sure, if notnow but you will soon be infatuated with the Christmas spirit.From the time we spend with our loved ones to the presents wereceive from them; it truly is a time like no other.But did you ever think of the lessons Christmas could teachus in relation to our business(es)? Since we are in the spirit ofgiving I’m going to provide you with 3 key lessons in businessChristmas teaches us and if practiced could greatly benefitour business(es).1. Quality over quantityOne of the mistakes that us entrepreneurs sometimes seem to make is confusing quantitywith quality. Distinguishing between the two is extremely vital if we seek longevity forour brand(s). Christmas is a period of quality; quality is demonstrated from the timewe spend with family and friends to the gifts we buy showing our love towards them.Seek to provide an enriching experience to each and every person that comes acrossour company. Let’s not work on the number of customers we’ve served but rather thequality of service we’ve offered. As the saying by SAP Ad goes “Your best customersleave quite an impression. Do the same, and they won’t leave at all.”2. Your target market value authenticityChristmas is a period of authenticity. Buyers love brands that are authentic and treattheir customers as real people who live lives rather than receipt numbers. Brands thatunderstand what the festive period mean to their customers and seek to incorporatethis into their company strategy or business plan will see their stockings filled.John Lewis is a perfect example of the authenticity we adore from their Christmasadvertisements that grace our TV to their customer service we receive when trying tolocate a last minute Christmas present, they clearly get what it means to value theircustomer and reproduce the authenticity we admire about Christmas.3. Enjoy the processIt may not seem like this to you at the moment, with all the late nights and earlymornings, which may be a painful reminder of the burden you placed on yourself byfollowing your dream of setting up shop. Starting a business can be similar to Christmas– running around trying to secure the presents for your close ones, friends and thefamily members you don’t really want to upset; buying the Christmas dinner whilebattling the freezing temperatures that accompanies December. It is not an easy taskbut once all settles and your sitting around the table enjoying the best moments of thefestive period – you understand why you went through all the hassle and it all seemsworth it.Wishing you a great Christmas and a prosperous New Year!11