OV Mo holds a Business Masterclass for Sixth Form Students

The School was delighted to welcome back OV and entrepreneur Mo Patel (K 06-13 and Old St Alban’s) on Friday 14^th November. Mo spoke to two groups of Sixth Form students, taking them through his journey of forming his supplements business, Mobu, six years ago and turning it into a thriving, growing enterprise. He also kindly shared some helpful words of wisdom for the future entrepreneurs in room.

Mo explained to the students that start-up businesses can make the mistake of striving for perfection in the early days. He thought this was a mistake. Things had to be “scruffy and messy” to start with and entrepreneurs had to learn from their mistakes. Mo went on to share that he had has started his own business as a very small enterprise with just £1000 of his own money, gradually expanding his business ambitions over the last six years, as his revenue had increased.

After COVID, the vitamins and supplements market has been growing, as more people have become health-conscious. Whilst the supplements business is dominated by a handful of business giants, Mo emphasised the importance of not seeing this as an insurmountable barrier: “It is crucial to maintain a positive mindset and believe in your own ideas as an entrepreneur”. In his opinion it was important not to be fearful of the market leaders, rather you should see it as an opportunity that the market was still growing. The crucial thing, Mo said, was to differentiate your offering with strong branding and customer service.

Mo spent 2 ½ hours presenting and answering questions and was inspirational to the Business students and other King’s students who attended. Business teacher, Gwyn Williams (Hon OV) added, “Mo’s passion and energy was truly awe-inspiring. Thank you so much, Mo for helping to inspire the next generation of business leaders!”