Old boy Aaron Tan stressed the importance of seizing opportunities as they become available when he spoke to QE’s Entrepreneurs’ Club.
His very varied career has taken him all over the world and into widely differing business sectors. Aaron (OE 1996–2003) recounted his experiences, which range from successfully running his family’s restaurant business to training people in the Far East in presentation skills.
Head of Economics Shamendra Uduwawala said: “His insight as an entrepreneur was extremely beneficial, especially as the talk was run more like a lesson in business, with the use of real-life examples. He spoke of how easy it is to start a business and gave the basics on how to do this and then build upon it. It was very inspiring for the boys.”
After leaving QE in 2003, Aaron went to university in Manchester, where he studied Business with Marketing Specialism. He then worked briefly in a road reinstatement company, where in his first three months he negotiated the payment of a £120k debt that was owed to the company.
He went on to spend six years with a multinational aerospace and defence company, before leaving to take over the family restaurant due to his mother getting ill. He managed to make a success of this family business.
Since then, Aaron has opened a photography studio and become a part-time lecturer at the University of Greenwich, as well as a presentation skills trainer: he has helped people in the UK, Vietnam and Malaysia. In addition, he is currently collaborating with others on several ventures, ranging from an educational ‘app’ aimed at GCSE students to an image consulting business which he will be starting soon.
The topics covered included valid reasons for starting a business and the attributes an entrepreneur needs to achieve success. “Stay humble and do not just chase money because that alone won’t help you be successful,” Aaron advised the boys.
He borrowed freely from a number of sources of business wisdom and included in his presentation a quotation from Sir Richard Branson, perhaps the country’s most famous entrepreneur: “If somebody offers you an amazing opportunity but you are not sure you can do it, say yes – then learn how to do it later!”
Mr Uduwawala said: “I think Aaron has lived by that – he has taken on many opportunities and those risks that he has been willing to take have made him very successful.”