Whizz kid entrepreneur
Joe Graham is an entrepreneur, inventor, salesman and shopkeeper. He's launched two companies and helped to design and market a brand new product. And he's still only 18.
He's been a museum technician and teacher. He's given talks and networked at Shropshire Chamber of Commerce.
And he's still only 18.
The term 'whizz kid' could have been coined for Joe, except that it would probably embarrass him. There is no hint of arrogance or pushiness about him. What comes across is a thoroughly pleasant young man.
Joe has launched his own business, Mere Mobiles, in Ellesmere. He has taken over a former fashion shop premises and reckons he fills a gap in the local market.
Joe picked up his knowledge of the mobile phone business from the year he spent as a salesman for Orange at their store in Shrewsbury.
"It was a brilliant job and I loved it. The people I worked with were fabulous and are really good friends. Without them, I would not be here," he says, surveying his smart new store in Market Street.
"In the end, though, I was not very happy with the way Orange treat their staff," he adds with a diplomatic smile.
Joe reckoned he had picked up enough knowledge of the industry - he even used to fish discarded Orange sales manuals out of his manager's waste bin to study - to go it alone.
No bank was, however, prepared to fund his venture. "What can an 18 year-old offer them as security? I haven't a home," says Joe, who lives with his parents at Burlton, near Ellesmere.
He had good back-up, though. His father David has a wealth of business experience, as a salesman and, currently, as Membership Manager for Shropshire Chamber of Commerce - and he took out a loan to finance Joe's venture.
Joe also benefited from a business grant from Shropshire County Council, part of a European Regional Development Fund project to help small businesses utilise WIFI equipment and to gain essential business advice and training (Other interested businesses should email peter.ainsworth@shropshire-gov.uk for further information).
Joe has roped in the family - mum Christine and 11 year-old brother William both help in the store.
Educated at Lakelands School, Joe left at 16 and did a vehicle maintenance course at Walford College.
He was then a technician and children's teacher - instructing school parties in skills like pewter casting and laser cutting - at the Ingenuity Museum at Ironbridge. Then came Orange.
In his spare time Joe and his dad like to go kayaking - and that led to another business. They invented a lightweight, folding roof-rack specifically designed to transport their canoes.
The Kayakrack was initially sold over the intenet, though now there are retail outlets in Shrewsbury, Bala and Llangollen. They have sold around 800 so far. Business flair clearly runs in the blood.
