Nathaniel Peat

For many people a dream with an £80,000 price tag would never be anything more than a dream. For Nathaniel Peat, who aspired to train as an airline pilot, the financial barrier was just another challenge he knew he could overcome.

Nathaniel began to consider setting up as an entrepreneur in order to raise the money for his pilot training. When he realised that he could use his skills not just to realise his dream but also to address the major issues of youth safety and empowerment, the Safety Box was born.

Where did the idea for the Safety Box come from?

The idea was born out of the great need to proactively address the growing concerns of anti-social behaviour, bullying, low self esteem and knife violence within society. I was driven to help foster a mindset of achievement, helping youngsters to break down barriers and strive towards success.

Tell us about your pilot training.

One of my aspirations was to become an airline pilot. Coming from a black working class family it was highly unlikely I would be able to find the money to pay the enormous cost of training (which is around £80,000).

Upon completion of my degree I moved to Florida where I achieved my pilot licences. When I returned to England I needed finance to continue my aviation studies for Europe. The next move for me was to set up a business. I wanted to create a business that would not just be about making money but something that would address social issues and empower young people. I still have a little more training to complete here in Europe, but for the moment I am focused on developing the Safety Box and another business venture called Focus Vue Imaging.

Were you always so entrepreneurial?

At university, I used my skills to try to earn extra money which I would be able to save and use to pursue my goal. At 18 I founded my own karate school (www.brunelkarate.com ) and began to earn £30 - £45 per hour teaching karate. In addition I began to teach fellow students how to play the saxophone at £20 per hour. This meant I was earning more than most of my friends working on the weekend, who were only earning £60 for two days work.

What would your advice be to someone thinking about setting up their own business?

Make sure you have a good action plan, you need to plot a clear route towards your goal, after that just go for it - the only limitation is yourself. There is only one place you will find success before work and that is in the dictionary. So make sure you work hard, get your business plan written, open your bank account, get yourself registered and then strive toward your dream, never let it become a regret. Think of the idea and then just do it!

How would you encourage someone to ‘take the plunge’ and overcome a fear of failure?

There is no such thing as failure, there is only experience. Don’t be frightened and expect things to go wrong but don’t focus on what may fail, focus on how you can stop it from failing the next time. This is all about having determination. The more determination you have the easier you will be able to get through the fear of failure. Remember that the road towards success is normally dotted with many bumps along the way. See those failures as bumps and part of the progress towards your success. Your break through will happen as soon as you stop being frightened! Reach for the sky!

Nathaniel Peat tells his inspiring story and gives his top tips for future entrepreneurs!