Lynda, a British Body Piercing Association (BBPA) trained and certified piercing specialist from Liverpool, found herself off work for a significant period having been diagnosed with cancer.
 |
| Lynda Zappa |
Ready to start work again, she approached her local Job Centre and was directed to St Helens Chamber for support from Enterprise Hub. She attended the Business Essentials workshop and was assigned a Business Adviser who worked with her to create a business plan and financial forecasts.
Bringing 10 years of experience and her BBPA credentials, Lynda now works from the Liverpool Ink tattoo studio in Liverpool City Centre.
Lynda said: “The support I received from Enterprise Hub was invaluable. It has been so helpful, especially the financial forecasts. I was able to see that I didn’t need to see an impossible number of clients a day to make a living – it gave me the confidence boost and support to know that I could do it.”
While recovering from her illness, self-employment has allowed Lynda to get back into work far quicker than if she had pursued full-time employment.
Lynda added: “It’s the freedom of being my own boss that has allowed me to get back to work and earn my own money. I can be flexible with my working days and if I need to take time for appointments or illness then I can. I know that no employer would have taken me on as it would have been too difficult.
“Working for myself also means that I am not suffering for the way I look – something else that I think would have prevented me from succeeding in conventional employment.”
George Betts, Business Start-up Adviser at St Helens Chamber, said: “It has been a pleasure to work with Lynda and to help get her back into work. She is putting her 10 years of experience to good use and, having put together a good business plan, is already succeeding in picking up clients.”
Lynda added: “Working with George and meeting other people in the same position, trying to start their own business, gave me a huge amount of confidence. As a single parent I was honestly terrified about taking the leap but the support I have received has been fantastic.
“Attending the workshop and getting guidance from George really helped me to get organised and stick to a plan of action.
“I would highly recommend getting in touch with St Helens Chamber for start-up support. It has been invaluable for me.”
Receiving funding from the European Regional Development Fund, Enterprise Hub is the enterprise gateway for business start-up support in Merseyside. Offering expert advice and support to anyone thinking about starting a business including help to:
• Understand the process of starting a business
• Research a business idea
• Build a comprehensive business plan
• Develop a marketing plan
• Create financial forecasts to understand the costs of running your business and potential income
• Identify sources of finance to get started
For more information about the support available from St Helens Chamber to start a business, call 0845 340 9980, email startup@sthelenschamber.com, or visit http://www.sthelenschamber.com/startup.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.