People’s Champion Finalist: Towers Design

Start-up name: Towers Design
Founder:  Ben Towers, 16
Started in: 2012
Based in: Kent
Business description: Digital media agency

The Towers Design story:

At the age of 11 Ben Towers started offering website and graphic design services on a freelance basis, two years later, aged just 13 years old, digital media start-up Towers Design was born. Now with a team of 15 freelancers and interns, it’s hard not to be impressed by Towers’ success at such a young age. Having mastered the art of juggling a start-up business with studying (Towers will shortly be undertaking his GCSE’s) the young entrepreneur has attracted over 500 businesses worldwide with clients ranging from small businesses to high-profile clients and celebrities, such as Olympic athletes and Britain’s Got Talent Finalists.

Towers’ achievements do not stop there, the founder is an ambassador for the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) and Young Entrepreneur Networking Association (YENA). He also mentors a handful of fellow young business owners and has recently started addressing the public via keynote speeches.

Towers is quick to point out that his age has sometimes held him back:

“I constantly get people saying to me “why would a successful business owner want a 16 year old to build their website?” In some contexts I understand this but if the service I’m producing is of the same or better standard than my competitors, then why not? […] Unfortunately, I have lost some very large contracts because of my age.”

However he remains determined to overcome the common misconceptions surrounding the enterprise space, and appears to have already tackled criticism becoming “one of Kent’s leading digital media agencies”.

Why Towers Design made our 50:

Having defied age barriers to start Towers Design at the age of 13, Towers’ business success serves as an inspiration to budding young entrepreneurs across the country. The start-up appears destined for big things.

Where to find out more about Towers Design:

Website: http://www.towersdesign.co.uk/