Gavin Wheeldon
Encyclopedia
Gavin Wheeldon is a British Businessman, self-made millionaire and entrepreneur
from the Manchester area who has been on TV programmes such as The Secret Millionaire
and Dragons' Den (UK)
.
Gavin was born in Leicester
, UK but during his life has moved 16 times around the world and the UK including Canada
, South Africa
, Namibia
and Salford.
Gavin started working life at 11 by doing odd jobs like cleaning windows and tidying gardens. By the time he was 14 he was working evenings and weekends in Telesales for a kitchen company.
After leaving school Gavin went on to do a Btec in Computer Studies while continuing to work by selling windows and then, at the age of 19, going on to become Sales Manager for a Government Magazine selling advertising space. It was leading on from this that Gavin started his first business venture, Government Information Bureau. However, this business failed and Gavin returned to work for an IT Company dealing with Content Management Systems and later moving to a language translation company based in Leeds, UK.
After gaining experience working in the language translation
s industry Gavin spotted a gap in the market as no companies at the time were making the most of technological advances. This led to the launch of his own business, in 2003, which in 2009 had an annual turnover of £6.2m GBP. The company's accounts show it made a profit £77,000 after tax in 2009. The accounts say that it "meets its day to day working capital requirements through a mezzanine funding arrangement" paying a 10 percent interest rate, secured against all of the assets of the company.
In January 2010 Oldham Council set up a Business Leadership Group, of which Gavin is a member. The group comprises 14 local business owners who are giving their own free time to advise Oldham Council and local regeneration body Oldham Partnership on economic policy matters.
Also in 2007, Gavin was awarded Institute of Directors
Director of the Year Award and in December, gained the IoD Diploma in Company Direction.
In April 2010 Gavin's company was awarded The Queen's Award for Enterprise.
program The Secret Millionaire embarking on a 10 day secret mission to Rhyl
, North Wales. During which time he visited several volunteer groups and charitable individuals. To the present day, Gavin keeps in contact with the organisations and individuals he met whilst taking part in the program.
As a self-made Business Man, Gavin believes in giving back to the local community as well as on a global scale. From giving talks at local primary schools to sponsoring children in India to pay for their education.
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
from the Manchester area who has been on TV programmes such as The Secret Millionaire
Secret Millionaire
The Secret Millionaire is a reality television show which originated in the UK, in which millionaires go incognito into impoverished communities and agree to give away tens of thousands of pounds . Members of the community are told the cameras are present to film a documentary...
and Dragons' Den (UK)
Dragons' Den (UK)
Dragons' Den is a British television series, hosted by Evan Davis. The format of the show is owned by Sony Pictures and is based on the original Japanese series, which has been sold around the world...
.
Gavin was born in Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
, UK but during his life has moved 16 times around the world and the UK including Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, Namibia
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
and Salford.
Gavin started working life at 11 by doing odd jobs like cleaning windows and tidying gardens. By the time he was 14 he was working evenings and weekends in Telesales for a kitchen company.
After leaving school Gavin went on to do a Btec in Computer Studies while continuing to work by selling windows and then, at the age of 19, going on to become Sales Manager for a Government Magazine selling advertising space. It was leading on from this that Gavin started his first business venture, Government Information Bureau. However, this business failed and Gavin returned to work for an IT Company dealing with Content Management Systems and later moving to a language translation company based in Leeds, UK.
After gaining experience working in the language translation
Translation
Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. Whereas interpreting undoubtedly antedates writing, translation began only after the appearance of written literature; there exist partial translations of the Sumerian Epic of...
s industry Gavin spotted a gap in the market as no companies at the time were making the most of technological advances. This led to the launch of his own business, in 2003, which in 2009 had an annual turnover of £6.2m GBP. The company's accounts show it made a profit £77,000 after tax in 2009. The accounts say that it "meets its day to day working capital requirements through a mezzanine funding arrangement" paying a 10 percent interest rate, secured against all of the assets of the company.
In January 2010 Oldham Council set up a Business Leadership Group, of which Gavin is a member. The group comprises 14 local business owners who are giving their own free time to advise Oldham Council and local regeneration body Oldham Partnership on economic policy matters.
Awards
In 2007 Gavin's business was awarded the AXA Small to Medium Business of the Year at The National Business AwardAlso in 2007, Gavin was awarded Institute of Directors
Institute of Directors
The Institute of Directors is a UK-based organisation, established in 1903 and incorporated by royal charter in 1906 to support, represent and set standards for company directors...
Director of the Year Award and in December, gained the IoD Diploma in Company Direction.
In April 2010 Gavin's company was awarded The Queen's Award for Enterprise.
Charity
In 2007 Gavin took part in the Channel 4Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
program The Secret Millionaire embarking on a 10 day secret mission to Rhyl
Rhyl
Rhyl is a seaside resort town and community situated on the north east coast of Wales, in the county of Denbighshire , at the mouth of the River Clwyd . To the west is the suburb of Kinmel Bay, with the resort of Towyn further west, Prestatyn to the east and Rhuddlan to the south...
, North Wales. During which time he visited several volunteer groups and charitable individuals. To the present day, Gavin keeps in contact with the organisations and individuals he met whilst taking part in the program.
As a self-made Business Man, Gavin believes in giving back to the local community as well as on a global scale. From giving talks at local primary schools to sponsoring children in India to pay for their education.
External links
- Dragon's Den Series 4 Episode 4
- How I made it: Gavin Wheeldon of Applied Language Solutions
- National Business Awards – 2007 Winners and Finalists
- Business Link - The Queen's Award for Enterprise, International Trade 2010
- Channel4 Secret Millionaire
- Gavin Wheeldon Leeds Metropolitan University
- Applied Language Solutions
- Oldham Chronicle: Look overseas to boost growth