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封城找出商机！他靠「卖小东西」 1天赚1.6万美元
联合新闻网
01/26/2021
英国广播公司BBC报导，当地20岁男子格列佛（Ben Gulliver）在封城期间贩卖人们急用商品，一天最多赚1万2000英镑（约1万6650美元）。
原本担任美发沙龙店经理的格列佛，放无薪假时认为是「发展副业」的最佳时机，于是他浏览YouTube影片寻找创业灵感，最后决定贩售人们最迫切需要、但封城时难以取得的商品，好比洁牙设备、健身器材，DIY小物等。
格列佛自曝从小就想当老板，「求学阶段会花15便士买棒棒糖，再以1英镑卖给同学。」
格列佛说自己总是很积极询问关于做生意的问题，甚至16岁就去日本出差：「当时很想家，但那次疯狂的经验让我学到很多，最大收获是要创建人脉。」
格列佛售出数千件洁牙商品后，将整个业务以6位数卖给美国投资者，目前他已辞了原本的工作，全力发展健身器材以及其他产品的网络销售业务，甚至已有「稳定的收入」能雇用朋友帮他做客户服务。
格列佛想帮助年轻人创业并提供他们建议，认为他们只欠一个前进的推力：「只要有笔电、电话跟网络就能创业。」格列佛并鼓励想创业的人别放弃自己热情之所在，因为「人生可能在一夜间就彻底改变。」
Lockdown entrepreneur Ben Gulliver urges others ‘never give up’
BBC NEWS
01/26/2021
A 20-year-old entrepreneur who has made up to £12,000 a day during the pandemic has urged people not to give up on something they are passionate about.
When Ben Gulliver was furloughed, he started selling much-needed products to people in lockdown.
He sold thousands of teeth cleaning devices, which proved helpful when dentists closed, before moving on to gym equipment and even coffee cups.
“It shows how much can change in a year,” said Ben, of Worcestershire.
‘Change your life’
Ben had been working as a manager at Advanced Hair Studio in Romford, east London, when the UK went into lockdown.
He was furloughed from his job and started making plans to go it alone. It is possible to work elsewhere while on furlough, if the terms of your contract allow.
“This was the perfect time,” he said. “I started researching on YouTube to see what business ventures I could do.
“I thought, ‘what products are good to sell? A product that solves a problem’.”
He decided to start selling things he felt people needed the most, sourcing teeth cleaning products from China, as well as gym equipment, DIY products and coffee cups.
His entrepreneurial streak shone through, even when he was a schoolboy.
“I always knew I wanted to work for myself,” he said. “When I was in school, I would buy lollipops for 15p and sell them for £1.”
As a teenager he got a placement working with Neil Westwood, whose Magic Whiteboard business in Worcester is one of the biggest successes from the BBC’s Dragons’ Den.
“I was always keen, asking questions about business,” Ben, from Kidderminster, said. He even went on a business trip to Japan, something he describes as a “crazy experience”.
“I was only 16. I felt homesick, but I learned a lot about the industry. The biggest lesson I learned was to make contacts.”
Ben quit his job when his business took off. “On a good day I can make £12,000,” he said.
He sold the tooth cleaning business to an American investor for a six-figure sum after selling thousands of items during lockdown.
For some of those sold, he received negative reviews about quality and communication, something Ben says he is learning from.
The business model Ben has used is sometimes referred to as dropshipping, which while legal has faced criticism including over the quality of products that customers receive.
“I always check the quality of the products first. I get samples and then if I’m happy with the product I order a big bulk,” he said.
He is continuing his fitness equipment business and selling other items online and has even been able to employ one of his friends in customer services, giving him a “stable stream of income”.
“I want to help young people start up their businesses and give them advice. All they need is that push to get started,” he said.
“As long as you have a laptop or a phone and the internet, you can create a business.”
And his advice for those wanting to follow their dreams?
“Never give up on something you’re passionate about, because it can just happen overnight and pretty much change your life.”
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-55707027