Young Brighouse entrepreneur to inspire future business owners

Jacob Hill, the Lazy Camper, pictured with one of his tents at his home at his home at Brighouse...7th August 2012...Picture by Simon Hulme

Organised by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), students, business owners and people thinking of starting-up their own business, are invited to attend an ‘Audience with Jacob Hill, the Original Lazy Camper’ and hear first-hand about the highs and lows of starting and running a business, and what it feels like to pitch for investment and rub shoulders with the big names in business.

From a soggy camper at Leeds Festival in 2011, to founder of Lazy Camper and V Festival sponsor in 2014, the former Brighouse High School pupil has achieved a lot at just 22 years of age.

The University of Huddersfield student’s entrepreneurial flair first developed at the age of 14 at high School.

However, it was a frustrating and wet experience at Leeds Festival in 2011 that inspired Jacob to set-up The Lazy Camper.

Thanks to cheap, low quality camping equipment, Jacob’s miserable first experience of camping turned into an idea for a business that he would pitch to Sir Richard Branson and Richard Reed, co-founder of Innocent Drinks – a complete camping kit in a bag.

Now with a string of awards and accolades for enterprise and cash investment behind him, Jacob is planning to take The Lazy Camper global – all whilst studying for his degree in Enterprise Development at university.

Chris Glen, West Yorkshire Regional Chairman of the FSB, said: Jacob Hill was one of the speakers at the FSB’s National Conference earlier this year and he wowed the audience! His funny tale of entrepreneurial exploits at school in Brighouse and pitching to Sir Richard Branson impressed the Conference delegates so much that we just knew we had to book him for a local event.

“He has bags of energy and a real down-to-earth approach that really motivates other business owners.

“Jacob is above all though a fantastic role model for school, college and university students that are thinking or dreaming of being their own boss.”

The free of charge presentation will be held at Calderdale College, Francis Street, Halifax at 5.30pm on Tuesday November 18.

Anyone wishing to attend ‘An Audience with Jacob Hill’ can book a seat by emailing [email protected] or by tweeting @FSBwestyorks