Nine-year-old Bedfordshire entrepreneur sets up third business

Henry Patterson, 9, is on his third business venture in two years

A nine-year-old Bedfordshire boy who set up his third business venture in two years is already in profit.

Henry Patterson, from Bedford, sells his children's sweet collection from an online shop.

He received more than 100 orders in the first month and hit his £10 profit target in the first week.

Starting his first enterprise at seven, trading bags of manure, a year later he set up a store on an online auction site, selling items from charity shops.

The schoolboy said business is "kind of fun".

Henry sells his specially designed jars of sweets, branded Not Before Tea, on his mother's online retro sweet shop.

He explained his idea came about because she did not offer anything specifically for children.

"As a child I was a good person to design a range specially for them," he said.

"I wanted what went into each jar to be exciting and really fun."

His ideas also include stickers for adults to give to the children, when they have brushed their teeth after eating them.

Big plans

Henry designed the logo and did his own marketing but said the most difficult thing had been pricing the items.

"It's hard deciding how many items should go in each jar and adding it all up, you have to have exactly the right amount," he explained.

He gets 5% of everything he makes, but also has big plans for the future.

He explained that he wanted to develop the sweet business until he was at least 16 before using what he had made to set up another venture.

"I don't know what yet, but I have an ambition to be a film maker," he said.

He said his parents were "amused" by his efforts but really supportive.

"I really do appreciate their support because it would be so hard without them," he said.

"My friends really love it though, because when they come to play I can give them free sweets and they are really impressed."