My son was selling drinks to tourists and tennis balls to students when he was young.

He clearly had entrepreneurial drive even when he was young. Are entrepreneurs born or made…..now that is a Big question rolling around in my mind since attending a terrific event featuring budding young business talent.

First I want you to know I am a trendsetter at last!  It’s true.  I began tweeting at the Peter Jones Enterprise Academy Graduation Awards ceremony yesterday and was partly instrumental in the event becoming a top trending tweet.

Jonathan Davey would be very proud of me.  He has helped me learn about Linkedin and spurred me on to tweet more when he appeared on the business programme I do on Marlow fm called Biz Buzz.

When I found that Amersham and Wycombe College were doing well and turned out to have the national Entrepreneur of the Year in their midst I was desperate to make my pleasure known.  The tweet not only appeared on the stage at the Freemasons Hall.  It became a favourite by the winner and his college.  How cool is that?  A trendsetter and a favourite in one hit.

I am hoping to interview the winner on the programme alongside other impressive young people who are proving to be exceptional business people and potential business leaders of tomorrow.

Now I am beginning to get the hang of tweeting the world it seems is my oyster.  I am pretty chuffed.

The Freemasons Hall in London was almost bursting at the seams with business leaders of tomorrow who have had a kick start from the Peter Jones Enterprise Academy at getting their bright businesses ideas off the ground.

Scores are living the dream and seem destined for a bright tomorrow.  Those who impressed me personally include the teenager who turned down an opportunity to go to university to speed up his  business idea of exporting desirable second hand cars to South Africa.  He says the Academy has accelerated his business acumen and turned his dream into reality.  He is well known now in Zimbabwe where he has the most custom and surprised me with the news that he makes frequent sales visits.  He has ambitious growth plans and it is clear that this is not a cottage industry.

He was one of the finalists for Entrepreneur of the Year at the Graduation Ceremony and is clearly someone who would have done well on his own as an entrepreneur but is benefiting from the hothouse business environment.  He told me it was better to have a go at growing a business while young and not bogged down by family and responsibilities.

Another story which stole the show was that of Jessica Dixon who developed a serious and life threatening illness during her studies. She told me doctors thought she would be paralysed for life.  But she fought the illness and fought to rise to the top of her course. It was hard work and a major achievement.  No wonder the Academy awarded her the Inspirational Student of the Year award.

I was bursting with pride at the enterprise and effort the course has achieved this year.  I personally helped students at BCA by providing inspirational business leaders and business owners to present to them and advise them.  I am glad that a team from the college at Burchets Green, Berkshire made their mark by receiving a BTEC Level 3 Diploma in Enterprise and Entrepreneurship. Congratulations to the students who are on the road to being the next generation of business leaders either in their own businesses or in more established, maybe corporate ventures.

Carla Delaney Communications
Business Writer of the Year Award Winner
01628 526456