John Caudwell

John Caudwell

 Estimated fortune: £1.5billion

Sector: Telecoms

Start up capital: £25,000

Introduction:

John Caudwell was born in October 1952. He has a partner, Claire, and five children. Originally from the Midlands, his family moved to and settled in Stoke-on-Trent – an area which has always battled with economic and social challenges. John David Caudwel is an English businessman and philanthropist who has made his fortune in the mobile phone business.

Caudwell abandoned his A-levels to become an apprentice at Michelin, and worked for several years there as an engineering foreman while gaining an HNC in mechanical engineering. Whilst working at Michelin he also ran a corner shop and started a mail order business selling clothing to motor bikers, both of which were successful, his motorcycle clothing business so much so that the manufacturer for a period refused to sell him stock because he was outperforming established retailers.

Being both mechanically knowledgeable and commercially savvy, Caudwell's car sales business evolved out of his acquiring cars to sell to his Michelin colleagues.

Reason of growth of business: The billionaire shares some entrepreneurial pearls of wisdom, he says, “going to business can change your life for the better, but it’s fraught with risk and challenges”.

Here are the attributes that you need to be successful according to John Caudwell:

Don’t just focus on the business idea, honestly analyse yourself, if you have the following qualities:

• passion

• drive

• ambition

• resilience

• commercial intellect

• leadership

Then get into the business headlong. Try and make sure it’s a good idea as well! Because the more difficult the idea – the more you’ll need those six qualities!

John was aware of his entrepreneurial and creative streak even as a child, engaging in schemes as varied as growing worms in a box under his mother’s bed which he would then sell to anglers, collecting gift coupons from cigarette packets and...