Who wants to be a millionaire? You do. And that feeling is going to grow and grow over the next few months as you sit in front of the television, hurling abuse at the dozen or so imbecilic loudmouths who are battlingfor a lucrative contract with Lord Sugar.

Save your breath. Not because these people don’t deserve your scorn (they really do), but because it turns out that you’re right. They really are the stupid ones. Getting rich in 21st-century Britain isn’t about going on television or working for someone else. It’s about having a money-making idea and running with it.

And if you don’t believe us, then take it from Alex Tew and Fraser Doherty, just two of the many, many British millionaires under the age of 30. Want to be as cash-rich as them? Then read on, as the youthful entrepreneurs reveal their tips on how to earn that first, big, fat, juicy £1million…

1. SHARE YOUR SECRET
'The chance of you confiding in someone who has the skills, time and motivation to rip off your idea is extremely rare, so don’t be scared to lobby people,' says Alex. 'If you share your idea, you’ll get input and feedback about how you can improve it, thus increasing its chances of being a success. The benefits of sharing ideas far outweigh the potential risks of someone stealing it.'

2. THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX
'Don’t assume an idea will just present itself to you,' instructs Fraser. 'Sit down and spend a day or two thinking about it. Write down what annoys you and how it can be improved. If I thought about all the things that annoyed me today I’d probably have 100 new ideas already!'

3. DO IT BETTER
'How often do you visit a restaurant and think it’s great?' asks Fraser. 'Or buy a pair of shoes and think they’re the best shoes ever made? Not very often, I bet. So if you consider that many things are done badly and can be improved upon, you’ll come up with a business in pretty much anything you want – and you can do it better.'

4. TRIAL, NO ERROR
'Opportunity is created just by trying something out,' says Alex. 'For example, I started a website purely for fun, but as it got three million visitors in the first few weeks I thought there could be more to it. Many businesses are formed as a result of seeing an opportunity that is already in front of you.'

5. GO STEADY
'Start small and try out your idea on a few customers first,' reveals Fraser. 'People worry that they’ll never be able to raise the money to get started, but don’t panic. All you need is an idea, then you’ll find people that have the money and experience to help you make it happen, as they’ll hopefully believe in the idea, too.'

6. KEEP IT SIMPLE
'Don’t over-think things,” states Alex. 'You’ll deal with people who have short attention spans that don’t have time for complex ideas. You’ve only got a moment to catch their interest so take note of this acronym: KISS – Keep It Simple, Stupid.'

7. ALERT THE PRESS
'I penned my own press release for my million-dollar website,' recalls Alex. 'And within a few days of it being picked up byThe Guardian and the BBC I’d earned $3,000. It soon drew worldwide attention and within four monthsI had made $1m. The more people that know about your idea, the better, so utilise the media.'




8. BE SENSIBLE
'Be prepared to take risks but don’t go mad,' warns Fraser. 'I meet people who remortgage or even sell their house to invest in their idea. That’s the craziest form of entrepreneurship. Never do that! There’s always a way of financing your idea without risking everything first.'

9. FAILURE?WHAT FAILURE?
'Every successful entrepreneur has tons of failures,' admits Alex. 'So if you fail, don’t drop your head but instead take it as feedback. It just means you’ve got one less thing to waste your time on. Having said that, if you’re still cocking up in 20 or 30 years’ time you should maybe try something new!'

10. CUSTOMERS COME FIRST
'It’s a cliché, but always listen to the customer,' says Fraser. 'If I’d been told my product was a bad idea then
I would have been crazy to continue with it. Forget what everyone else says and what you might think, customers are the only people that matter.'

11. SEEK ADVICE
'Talk to people – friends, family, potential mentors already in business,' advises Alex. 'Start Up Britain has offers from companies who want to help people. Business Link has great advice and the Prince’s Trust can offer financial help. There are a bunch of resources out there to help you, you just need to look.'

12. PATENT? PAH!
Dragons’ Den makes us think every business has to have a patent,' acknowledges Fraser. 'The truth is 99 per cent of businesses don’t have one and it’s not something you should waste your time on. Put your energy into building a brand and good relations instead.'

13. POWER OF THE WEB
'The net is the ultimate shop window,' reckons Alex. 'You can launch stuff for nothing and quickly reach millions of people. This is the future and there are loads of tools online to help you reach your goal.'

14. EMBRACE YOUR PASSION
'Don’t assume you can only make money if you study accountancy, medicine or banking,' argues Fraser. 'You can be successful in whatever you’re passionate about. Say you love worms, for example. There’s no stopping you from being the world’s foremost authority on worms. Who knows how much cash you can make out of that?'

15. AND FINALLY, DON’T BE A TW*T
'There’s a misconception you have to be ruthless to make money,' sighs Alex. 'But if you pretend to be some hotshot who knows everything, buyers will be less receptive to your idea. Being focused and making hard decisions is part of the job but you don’t have to be ruthless. It’s not all like The Apprentice.'

ALEX TEW

How he made a million
Created the Million Dollar Homepage website, where buyers paid $1 per pixel to advertise on it. Made his first million aged 22.

How did you feel when you made your first million?
I looked in my account and thought, 'Wow, that is a sh*tload of money!' Within a month I’d bought a £16,000 Mini. I wanted a £40,000 Audi but my dad talked me out of it.

The misery! Have you splashed the cash since then?
I spent £1,000 on a laptop, brought a 50-inch plasma, a stereo, a whole new wardrobe and a bunch of furniture. Then I realised how much crap I had and put it all in a lock-up.

Even the plasma?
Er, no. I kept that!

How much cash have you got on you right now?
None. It’s all about the card. When I was at uni it was fun to draw £300 out of an ATM but at the end of the night it would all be gone. You only lose cash when it’s in your pocket.

Do you ever buy budget products?
If there’s a 2-for-1 deal at the supermarket then I’m going to take it, but if I want Tesco’s Finest it’s nice to know I can have that, too. You don’t really want to be worrying about every penny you spend.

OK – key question: is having money the secret being happy?
You actually can spend half your time figuring out what to do with it! Should it go to charities, friends and family? Or should you buy property? Having said that, it’s better than being broke, isn’t it?

FRASER DOHERTY

How he made a million
Reinvented his gran’s jam recipe and sold it to neighbours. SuperJam is now in major retailers all over the country. He made his first million aged 19!

At what point did it hit home you’d made big bucks?
When I was on the front page of The Sun with Susan Boyle! That’s arguably my proudest moment.

Has it been an easy ride to the top?
After a year’s work I had to throw everything in the bin and start again. Our logo was initially based on a comic book idea with the 'S' on Superman’s chest replaced with a strawberry. The buyers didn’t quite
go for it.

What’s been your most outrageous purchase?
A VW Camper van. It’s 40 years old and the happiest car there is. Not as outrageous as you might think, right?

Wild! Anything you aspire to own?
I’d love to open an ice cream shop. Perhaps that has something to do with being Scottish and having miserable weather all the time.

Does being Scottish also make you a penny- pincher?
Ha ha! People have that preconception so I like to prove them wrong. I’m not tight or flashy, but when I was younger
I couldn’t really do the things I enjoyed. Now I can!

So you get the rounds in on a night out, then?
I’m fortunate enough to be in a position where going out with mates is never too expensive. We don’t talk about jam in the pub, though!