A Salisbury businessman who left his labourer job now makes as much as he did in a year in one month.

Ben Herridge, founder and owner of second-hand online clothing retailer Heatfromthespire, went from earning £20,000 a year to more than £20,000 a month.

The young entrepreneur has grown from success to success since leaving his job as an apprentice bricklayer, but it was not all plain sailing.

Speaking to the Journal, the 21-year-old said: "I once bought £2,000 worth of clothes and they never turned-up!"

Although he started in a troop of four, Ben quickly had to navigate the world of online selling alone. 

"I got stung left right and centre," he said.

Ben started his business in lockdown and ran it from his bedroom (Image: Ben Herridge) Beginning his journey in lockdown, the Salisbury businessman was a part of the explosion of small businesses set up by people in the Covid-19 pandemic.

Then a teenager, Ben said he became 'really, really bored' and decided to turn his boredom into something productive. 

Initially interested in earning some pocket money, Ben discovered the lucrative potential of reselling used designer clothing.

Although inconsistent in the first few years, he made the life-changing decision to become a full-time businessman in January 2023, just after his Christmas holiday.

He said to himself, "I'm just not doing this [bricklaying] anymore. I'd wake up in the morning and I would've made my weekly wage overnight."

The Watford supporter said his parents were hesitant to support him, at first, and were worried about him losing the security of his job, but he believed the risk was worth taking.

He said: "I don't have anything to worry about, no rent, no mortgage.

"If it goes wrong, I'm still young enough to find something else to do."

Since starting-out with £300, Ben has built a business with a sizeable online following. He has amassed 50,000 followers on Instagram, 70,000 on Twitter (now X), and 130,000 on TikTok. 

The business, starting in his bedroom, moved to his parents' dining room, before he was told to go and find somewhere else to go.

It was when Ben purchased his first premises that he felt like he had made it, commenting: "That was one of my proudest moments."

Ben has ambitious plans to expand his online retail business and to open a physical store in Salisbury in the near future.

Despite building a business with an international reach, he was keen to stress that he wanted to support his local area.

Speaking about the price of commercial rent, the Journal asked if Ben had anything to say to Salisbury Council, or potential landlords.

The young entrepreneur laughed: "Not really! It's an expensive sort of area. It's just one of those things."