Reviewed by: Elizabeth Hobbs
This 21-year-old North AL entrepreneur got to travel to Europe—here’s how
Reading time: 4 minutes
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It’s been quite the year for local 21-year-old entrepreneur Edward Dutton. He’s tripled his profits in his business, gone viral on Instagram and traveled across Europe.
Read on to learn more about the key to his success and the international business skills he gained in Europe.
Check out this entrepreneur’s awesome story 👇
Meet Edward
Edward has always been an entrepreneur at heart.
A major source of inspiration for him is his dad, a builder who has worked in construction for 45 years.
“My whole life has revolved around fixing things and building things. Even in my free time, I like to work. I like to stay busy, invest my resources and build businesses.”
Edward Dutton
However, when Edward kicked off his college career at The University of North Alabama, he didn’t initially choose business as his major. He decided to give engineering a shot. Spoiler alert: He quickly decided it wasn’t for him.
Enter UNA’s Joel R. Anderson BBA in Innovation and Entrepreneurship. He was already running a couple of online businesses at the time and was eager to find the right resources to make them successful.
It was “the best choice he ever made” and equipped him to run his newest and most robust business—Spot-On Detailing LLC.
Launching his business—Spot-On Detailing LLC
Edward has been honing his skills in auto customization and restoration since high school, but it wasn’t until college that he felt compelled to launch his detailing business.
“Going to UNA and learning how to grow a business, run it properly and problem solve was key for me. As I’ve been able to dedicate more time and skills to my business, I’ve increased my monthly profits by 150%.”
Edward Dutton
Despite just graduating in May of 2025, he already has a few employees working for him and has plans to expand the team and build his own facility.
Although Edward is from and currently resides in Iron City, Tennessee (25 minutes from Florence), he mostly operates his business in North Alabama.
However, to run a successful business at home, Edward knew he needed to expand his mind and experience. That’s where UNA Study Abroad through Sanders COBT filled in the gap.
Gaining international business skills
Like many students, Edward never imagined himself studying abroad due to the costs of the trip. However, UNA’s Sanders COBT helped him get the necessary scholarships to make the trip possible.
Over the course of two weeks, Edward explored four countries—Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Italy. Aside from soaking in the sights and eating delicious cuisine, Edward’s primary goal was to gain international business knowledge and implement his learning into Spot-On Detailing.
A few of his favorite spots he visited were the Porsche Museum, Mercedes-Benz Museum and Faber-Castell.
“Faber-Castell makes some of the best pencils and pens in the world and has been doing business for over 300 years. Even though they produce very different products from what I do in my business, I resonated with their model.
They took something people had to use and became the best at it, always innovating and changing in the process. They made quality their primary goal.
The reason I resonated with that is that in my business, the barrier to entry is very low. Anyone can clean a car, but not everybody can do it well and efficiently. It’s all about quality.”
Edward Dutton
Edward also learned the value of European countries’ commitment to conserving resources, reducing waste and prioritizing straightforward communication.
Learn more about UNA’s study abroad opportunities
This summer, UNA’s Sanders COBT led business trips to Australia, Italy, Greece, England, Spain and beyond. These travel opportunities not only help students make fun college memories but also widen their view of business and cross-cultural interactions.
“I highly encourage students to study abroad because they will have the time of their life.
They’ll learn a lot quickly, feel confident to navigate unknown cities and expand their view of international business.”
Edward Dutton
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