Solent: University of Portsmouth student graduates from nursery to boardroom in one leap

When he was six years old Emmanuel Merody tried renting out his Teddy bears to classmates.

He didn’t make any money.

At nine, he fared a little better when he started his first e-business, buying and selling cards online. He made £150 in three weeks.

At 13, he set up a business selling virtual goods, including information guides, and earned £2,000 in a few months.

He was always going to be a businessman.

This week, Merody, 21, graduates from the University of Portsmouth with a BA in business enterprise development. There won’t be much time for throwing his mortar board in the air though, because tomorrow he’ll be back at work as managing director of his wholesale distribution company, EarthCroc, a furniture trading company with an annual turnover of £600,000, and managing Exustar, which buys and sells specialised bicycle accessories.

He set up both, his first registered companies, in his own name in the past 18 months while studying for his degree, and is now looking for investors to help him expand further.

He said: “By the time I was in my teens I had a lot of experience setting up and running small-scale e-commerce businesses, but I wanted to study entrepreneurship, so I searched the internet for courses.

“The one at Portsmouth Business School was teaching what I needed. I learned about supply chain management, operations management, you name it. I also had a year’s placement in industry, which was very useful.”

He gained a first for his unit on supply chain efficiencies for small business, something which came in handy for his business life outside of the lecture theatre, and came second out of 90 students from five universities in an enterprise competition.

During his holidays, Merody also worked as an intern and a management trainee in various companies, including at one owned by his father. Among other things he learned how to design websites and, the cornerstone of any business, how to sell.

He said: “Placements and real-world business experience are what give you the edge. E-commerce is a very simple business model and a very profitable one, but I think you also need hands-on business experience to make it work.

“I’m proud of what I’ve achieved. Exustar will one day be one of the leading cycling brands and it has already sold over 100,000 bicycle pedals and shoes. I believe that with hard work and determination anyone can achieve success.”

The BA in Business Enterprise Development at Portsmouth teaches subjects including financial accounting, business law and ethics, strategic management and building new product ranges. Merody said he was able to put everything he learned into practice, building his two companies from scratch.

His tutor Dr Zoe Dann said: “Emmanuel is extremely modest. What he has achieved is exceptional and demonstrates how persistence and focus are the key to achievement.  He is superb role model to inspire other students to take up enterprise.”
Emmanuel is open to new ideas and investors and working with other companies.

He can be contacted via email on em-cards@hotmail.com