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UK’s youngest businessman is confectioner to the stars

There is nothing unusual about mother and son business partnerships, of which Rebecca and Henry Patterson are one. The duo run their own online sweet shop, Sherbet Pip, which was set up in early 2012.

What makes Rebecca and Henry Paterson different from the rest is that Henry, nine, is the UK’s youngest businessman.

Sherbet Pip and their kids’ range, Not Before Tea, creatively designed by Henry, have had their fair share of the limelight. Henry has supplied his sugary creations to the likes of The Rolling Stones, Rihanna and Justin Bieber after their shows.

Despite their glamorous clientele, Henry and Rebecca are looking to develop their business through face-to-face selling opportunities like markets and craft fairs. Like many businesses of their kind, they found that at retail events, they missed out on sales with customers who didn’t have cash. Rebecca says, “If they don’t have cash, customers often promise to buy online when they get home, but they rarely remember.”

That was before they started using new mobile payment solution, Intuit Pay. Simple and easy to use - “I managed to show my husband how to use it in about one minute,” - it allows them to take card payments on the spot and has changed things for Rebecca and Henry.

“Taking card payments has helped to maximize sales for us,” Rebecca adds, “particularly at events where customers aren’t expecting to make purchases on gifts.”

Mobile payment is helping to revolutionise how people pay for goods. It’s an easy and secure to use alternative for small businesses looking to take card payment at a low cost, and ensures they never miss any of those vital sales. “I hardly ever deal with cash now that I can take card, and I have seen profits soar as a result,” Rebecca states.

At just nine years old, Not Before Tea is Henry’s third business venture and, with the help Intuit Pay, he is already well aware of the sweet taste of success.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Intuit .