Jamie, 18, left school before completing his A levels after becoming hooked on his business dream five years ago while chatting with a fellow scout. Now he hopes his company will turn over its first million within 10 years.
It may sound mad but Jamie, of Golf Avenue, Norton Tower, Halifax, has a mature head on young shoulders.
And his time with the scouts – plus help and advice from Business Link – has helped him approach his business plans sensibly.
Jamie left school a year ago to set up in business developing websites. He has been fascinated by them ever since he was introduced to the basics by a fellow scout at the age of 13. "I was amazed by it and immediately hooked", he said. When he was 15 he became a freelancer trading under the name WY Media, building websites for organisations such as the Calderdale Badger Protection Group.
Now he has set up a web development company called Equentity with partners Paul Hirsch, based in Ohio, US, and Paul Riddick in Teesside. He made contact with both partners on the web and last year he met Paul Hirsch, 30, in Toronto, although neither has met Paul Riddick, 19.
Despite that, they are able to combine their expertise – working together on the web from different sides of the world – to create websites for clients as diverse as Luddenden in Bloom, Callis Mill in Hebden Bridge, which makes lock gates and canal equipment, and the Global Issues Resource Center in Cleveland, Ohio.
They had already worked together to create the International Web Devel-opers' Network in 2004, a free forum for web professionals and enthusiasts to share knowledge and a passion for web design.
Jamie, who left Ryburn Valley High School, Sowerby, last year said: "I knew I wanted to run my own business when I was 15 and was lucky enough to meet the right people to make that a reality. We're well known in the industry on the net and have a good reputation. My aim now is to make that expertise better known to companies in Calderdale.
"Our key focus is return on investment for clients through a number of methods, including website accessibility. All our sites are tested thoroughly in a number of different web browsing environments, and we aim to keep load time to a minimum.
"The company is going from strength to strength. We've just taken on board Colonnade exhibition and display contractors in Luddenden Foot, Nu-Build Conservatories in Golcar and DemoDemo in Toronto which creates high quality visual tutorials for Internet companies."
Jamie says his ambition is to get the company up to a point where it is turning over £1 million a year.
He's had good networking and marketing support from Business Link in Halifax, an organisation that helps businesses start, survive and grow. "Business Link has been fantastic," Jamie said.
Jamie has been involved with 18th Warley Scout Group since the age of six and is now a leader, organising a camp in Kandersteg, Switzerland for Explorer Scouts (formerly Venture Scouts) in the summer. He said: "Scouting has really helped my confidence."
Jamie would love to design a website for Stelios Haji-Ioannou, self-styled serial entrepreneur and founder of cut-price airline EasyJet.