Duane Jackson
Duane Jackson, founder of Kashflow, on business mentors, Bill Gates and bling.
Name: Duane Jackson
Age: 31
Company: Kashflow.com
Turnover: On track to hit £2m this year.
First job: Door-to-door sales, flogging special paint to protect brickwork. Commission only!
Dream job: Running a second-hand book shop.
Car: None. I’ve not had the time to get my licence so my wife is my chauffeur.
Economy, business or first class: Always business class – until I see the price and I change my mind and go economy.
Most extravagant purchase: A watch with 12 diamonds for the numbers.
Most-played song on your iPod: “Witness the Fitness” by Roots Manuva.
Best business book: How to Get Rich by Felix Dennis.
Worst business moment: Realising I’d just wasted six months on a fruitless fund-raising exercise that we didn’t even need to do.
Proudest business moment: Meeting Bill Gates and asking him why he wasn’t following the web-based software model. He wasn’t impressed – but Microsoft is now following the model. I like to think I inspired him.
Your business mentor: Lord Young. He’s been amazing at guiding me through growing the business and avoiding pitfalls. He’s a very wise old man!