STORY
Tuesday, Nov 15, 2011
AsiaOne
Boy, 8 is now an Internet tycoon
Some people are simply meant to be entrepreneurs. Harli Jordean is certainly one of them - at the tender age of eight.
Believed to be the world's youngest CEO, the tiny tycoon started his own marbles company, Marble King, at primary school, and it soon became an Internet phenomenon.
It all started when older boys nicked his stock of marbles that he trades with his friends at the playground, reported The Sun.
His 51-year-old mum, Tina, tried to help him replace them, but realised that no one on the Internet could help.
The tot then begged her to let him start his own Internet company, and with that, his marble empire was born.
So while most of his pals are playing, he is instead liaising with suppliers, buying stocks and handling orders for Marble King, his thriving, two-year-old business.
The London-based kid told the paper: ""My dream is to have a chain of stores like Hamleys - it will be one of the biggest toy stores in the world but selling all sorts of marbles.
"My friends love that I have my own business. At first some of them didn't believe me - but they do now. They are some of my best customers.
"I love marbles and I love having my own marbles company."
A simple tub of marbles at Marble King goes for 7.99 pounds (S$16.40), while a limited edition Duke of York solitaire tables can set you back 599 pounds.
In an interview with The Sun, his mum, Tina said: "Harli has been obsessed with marbles ever since he was six.
"His obsession became so big we started calling him the Marble King - so when he wanted to set up a website it was the natural name for it.
"I never thought it would become so popular - we are struggling to cope with the number of orders at times.
"I helped him set up the site, but he's now trading with the world instead of just the playground all on his own, he has a hand in everything.
"As a boss he is very amenable and has his own ideas of how to do things."
With thousands of pounds a year as turnover and with orders from as far as the US, Harli has employed his mum and two older brothers to help him cope with the demand.
The businessman, who loves being the boss, thinks delegation is the key to success, and told The Daily Mail: "I like being the boss, but I like to get others to do some of the work so that if something goes wrong it is not all my fault."
But lest people think he's just a figurehead, his mum says he's quite hands-on.
She told The Daily Mail: "Harli has a hand in everything. He picks out stock at the suppliers and when orders come in he handles it all, packing, sending - everything.
"All I do is the accounts and try and reel in his overenthusiastic ideas.
"He's very dedicated even getting me to drive him to deliver a package when we realised it wouldn't get there on time in the post."
His next goal: his own Marble King-produced marbles.
Tina relates: "At the minute he is pestering me about creating his own Marble King marbles - so that could well be the next step for him."
Tuesday, Nov 15, 2011
AsiaOne
Boy, 8 is now an Internet tycoon
Some people are simply meant to be entrepreneurs. Harli Jordean is certainly one of them - at the tender age of eight.
Believed to be the world's youngest CEO, the tiny tycoon started his own marbles company, Marble King, at primary school, and it soon became an Internet phenomenon.
It all started when older boys nicked his stock of marbles that he trades with his friends at the playground, reported The Sun.
His 51-year-old mum, Tina, tried to help him replace them, but realised that no one on the Internet could help.
The tot then begged her to let him start his own Internet company, and with that, his marble empire was born.
So while most of his pals are playing, he is instead liaising with suppliers, buying stocks and handling orders for Marble King, his thriving, two-year-old business.
The London-based kid told the paper: ""My dream is to have a chain of stores like Hamleys - it will be one of the biggest toy stores in the world but selling all sorts of marbles.
"My friends love that I have my own business. At first some of them didn't believe me - but they do now. They are some of my best customers.
"I love marbles and I love having my own marbles company."
A simple tub of marbles at Marble King goes for 7.99 pounds (S$16.40), while a limited edition Duke of York solitaire tables can set you back 599 pounds.
In an interview with The Sun, his mum, Tina said: "Harli has been obsessed with marbles ever since he was six.
"His obsession became so big we started calling him the Marble King - so when he wanted to set up a website it was the natural name for it.
"I never thought it would become so popular - we are struggling to cope with the number of orders at times.
"I helped him set up the site, but he's now trading with the world instead of just the playground all on his own, he has a hand in everything.
"As a boss he is very amenable and has his own ideas of how to do things."
With thousands of pounds a year as turnover and with orders from as far as the US, Harli has employed his mum and two older brothers to help him cope with the demand.
The businessman, who loves being the boss, thinks delegation is the key to success, and told The Daily Mail: "I like being the boss, but I like to get others to do some of the work so that if something goes wrong it is not all my fault."
But lest people think he's just a figurehead, his mum says he's quite hands-on.
She told The Daily Mail: "Harli has a hand in everything. He picks out stock at the suppliers and when orders come in he handles it all, packing, sending - everything.
"All I do is the accounts and try and reel in his overenthusiastic ideas.
"He's very dedicated even getting me to drive him to deliver a package when we realised it wouldn't get there on time in the post."
His next goal: his own Marble King-produced marbles.
Tina relates: "At the minute he is pestering me about creating his own Marble King marbles - so that could well be the next step for him."
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