AN Entrepreneur is hoping his success can inspire the young people of Suffolk to achieve their goals.

Former Leiston High School pupil Daniel Rolph, who still lives in the town, started his own online casting business three years ago and has never looked back.

The 23-year-old runs Stomp Models, an internet platform that allows models, actors and dancers to connect with casting directors and production companies.

Daniel said that when he started he was so young the banks would not lend to him and he had to work two jobs and get help from web designer friends to fund the start up of the agency.

The business turned a profit in its first 12 months and is now worth an estimated �150,000, with its web pages attracting half a million hits per month.

In this current economic climate Daniel attributes his success to three things – hard work, focus and research. He now wants to inspire other youngsters to follow their dreams.

“I wasn’t academic in high school, but I always knew I wanted to make something of myself.

“I researched companies in detail online to see how they had become successful then I would look at what I would do to make them better.

“I then applied all my learning when I started my own business.”

The business is such a success that Daniel now has the likes of satellite TV channel MTV and the production company for ITV2’s The Only Way is Essex as his clients – regularly choosing from a talent pool of more than 600 performers registered on the website.

The nature of his business means Daniel has a lot of celebrity friends which has resulted in a following of more than 200,000 people in just four months on social networking website Twitter.

His fans like his down-to-earth tweets and he has now designed a fashion range for followers to buy, already selling 300 garments.