Date: 10 November 2025
Author: Jess Clark
“YouTube is not just for young creators or kids. In fact, it can offer monetisation opportunities and even full-time businesses for people at any age. I would encourage my teenage daughter to explore this path if she was interested.”
YouTube has become a credible and viable career option for people of all ages. At 60, Jonathan Elvidge has embraced a new venture that combines his lifelong fascination with innovation - becoming a YouTuber focusing on gadgets, everyday carry gear, and travel essentials.
Jonathan Elvidge is well-known in the UK retail and entrepreneurial community, especially in Hull and East Riding. As one of the founding members of For Entrepreneurs Only (FEO), he has long inspired and supported local entrepreneurs, notably through the Ignition Start-Up Programme. There, he shared his story about naively signing an unforgiving 25-year lease with Princes Quay Shopping Centre - a bold move that ultimately came at great personal cost.
This white-knuckle journey began as a telephone engineer - his entrepreneurial spirit surfacing early. While working for Kingston Communications, he started a side hustle photographing equipment for Phillips. This was during a time when “moonlighting” could cost employees their jobs, yet Jonathan found creative ways to merge his interests and technical skills.
From a young age, he was drawn to gadgets and emerging products - a passion that grew into full-fledged retail success. His venture, The Gadget Shop, founded in Hull, expanded to 45 stores nationwide and became a beloved UK brand known for its innovative product range and unique in-store experience.
He later co-founded Red5, specialising in fun, quirky products, followed by Moodbeam, a product development initiative creating wearable technology for mental health tracking, (which he co-founded with Christina Colmer-McHugh also of FEO). Though the COVID-19 pandemic hit Moodbeam hard, Jonathan’s experience in product sourcing, design, and retail strategy shaped his next chapter.
Like many entrepreneurs, Jonathan has faced extreme pressures, especially during periods of rapid growth. Reflecting on those years, he came to value what he now calls his “lifestyle business” - one that provides sustainable income without the relentless pursuit of expansion.
During the COVID-19 lockdowns, Jonathan transformed his long-standing passion for gadgets and video editing, with a natural progression using his knowledge and skills. “When I managed to secure the new Land Rover Defender, a highly anticipated release, I decided to create a review video, and to my pleasant surprise, it did really well. The experience of making that video and its relative success in views and feedback inspired me to explore YouTube as a potential revenue opportunity - focusing on what I know and love, the gadget market."
Having honed his video skills over the years through personal ski trip recordings, producing YouTube content felt like a comfortable evolution. Now boasting 222k subscribers and counting, Jonathan highlights an often-overlooked fact: “YouTube is not just for young creators or kids. In fact, it can offer monetisation opportunities and even full-time businesses for people at any age. I would encourage my teenage daughter to explore this path if she was interested.”
Jonathan’s YouTube model is built on flexibility and low overheads. He films and edits from home, retaining creative control while earning income from diversified sources: “I generate income through YouTube Ad revenue - ads shown during my videos. Affiliate marketing links to products I review, earning commissions on sales. Sponsored content from brand partnerships promoting new product launches or campaigns.”
Although he could scale faster with more output, he prefers to release a high-quality video roughly every two weeks, focusing on enjoyment and sustainable growth rather than burnout and with one employee at the channel, Jonathan explains, “Jamie handles the video editing, and we enjoy a great working relationship - maintaining a friendly and collaborative atmosphere even with a small team.”
His most viewed upload, “Get Me Out of Trouble Kit,” featuring a compact survival kit packed into an Altoids tin, has attracted over 1.1 million views. He describes YouTube growth as “compound interest - every new video adds to my library, generating ongoing revenue while requiring little extra effort.”
Jonathan is open about his creative learning curve. Early videos were unscripted and rambling, making editing laborious. Over time, he refined his technique - embracing concise scripting, a teleprompter, and natural delivery. His clean, concise style has become a trademark, appreciated by viewers seeking quick, useful information.
He also distinguishes between YouTube’s long-form depth and short-form platforms like TikTok or YouTube Shorts. While shorts boost reach, they generate less monetisation. Jonathan personally finds TikTok’s addictive format unappealing and prefers the depth YouTube allows for genuine product reviews.
Jonathan’s retail years were defined by rapid expansion, high valuations, and intense self-pressure. He recalls a period of severe stress that led to daily nausea lasting a year - later diagnosed as stress-related. “That difficult time taught me the essential lesson that health must come before business ambitions.”
He also reflects on the dot-com crash, when early online retail ventures were underestimated. Despite strong high-street sales, the lack of investor confidence led to ownership instability and eventual decline. Yet, he remembers the successes fondly - The Gadget Shop’s “Rising Star of Retail” award, pioneering product innovation, and bringing excitement back to the high street.
Now, he pursues balance over growth. “While money is often seen as the measure of success, true happiness comes from appreciating the journey.” He likens it to “getting on a train and never looking out at the scenery” - a vivid metaphor for pausing to enjoy the ride.
Material success, he observes, often brings diminishing returns - recalling the drudgery of maintaining a home swimming pool that stole more joy than it gave. With age, his focus has shifted to time, health, and meaningful connections.
His channel, JonGadget, integrates travel and tech, often combining product testing with trips to see friends abroad. These adventures keep his creativity alive and fuel his content ideas. At home, Jonathan enjoys a slower pace, treasuring family time and the simple pleasures of daily life - including time with a new puppy - luxuries once scarce during his retail heyday.
Jonathan urges new entrepreneurs to pursue what he calls “happier growth” - steady, manageable progress without sacrificing wellbeing. “If I could start again, I would focus on balance and fulfilment over constant expansion.”
He acknowledges that setbacks and stress are part of entrepreneurship but insists that the rewards outweigh the risks for those who learn from them. For him, happiness isn’t a destination but part of the journey.
Jonathan sees entrepreneurship as discovery, not pursuit. The joy lies in curiosity, innovation, and human connection - not just profit. His journey from high-street success to YouTube creator exemplifies resilience, adaptability, lifelong learning, and courage to evolve.
For Entrepreneurs Only is proud to count Jonathan among its members and deeply appreciative of his continued support in inspiring the next generation of local innovators. “I attend the FEO Guest Speaker lunches and always enjoy the thought-provoking messages they convey.”
Beyond Jonathan’s story, the digital creator economy is thriving. In 2024, YouTube creators contributed £2.2 billion to the UK economy, supporting around 45,000 jobs. OnlyFans has also redefined digital entrepreneurship, with more than 300 creators earning over $1 million annually. Among them, UK content creator Gemma McCourt makes around £1.8 million per month, Megan Barton-Hanson about £1.5 million, and Chloe Khan £1.2 million - figures surpassing many professional athletes’ incomes.
Meanwhile, The Royalty Family channel, featuring toddler Blu Amal Saleh (born 2023), has amassed 32 million subscribers, proving YouTube’s potential to reach global audiences of any age group. At the other end of the spectrum is Charles Allcock, aged 100, whose channel sharing personal stories and historical reflections continues to inspire new generations.
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