Hitting the 40 Milestone Gave Emma the Impetus to Change Career

Former DWP worker Emma Hulse has traded in her desk job, opening up her own sandwich and deli shop, Market Street Deli in Earlstown, thanks to business start-up support from St Helens Chamber and Enterprise Hub.

Emma explained: “I had been working for the DWP for about 14 years but I wasn’t happy; it wasn’t the job I wanted to do and working for myself is something I’d always dreamed of.

“I’d just turned 40 and I thought ‘it’s now or never’ if I wanted to do something that makes me happy, so I jumped at the opportunity.”

In her previous DWP role Emma had referred many clients to the St Helens Chamber Business Start-up Team, so when taking the leap of faith for herself, she turned to the Chamber for support.

Emma met with a dedicated Business Start Up Adviser to discuss her business plan and also attended a series of free start up workshops, equipping her with the tools she needed to become self-employed.

Emma commented: “I enjoyed the workshops and enjoyed the different styles of them. It really does get you from A to B.

“You’re still on your own and doing your own thing, but they definitely help to point you in the right direction. I don’t think I would have been able to do it without the workshops.”

The Understanding Enterprise workshops cover the importance of business planning, how to market your business and how to manage your money and cashflow.

Emma added: “The financial forecasting sessions really helped. I had no experience in the financial side, but it wasn’t as scary as I thought.

“My Adviser Cath prepared me for every eventuality, when she thought I was maybe dreaming she kept me grounded and pointed me in the right direction.”

Emma plans on expanding on her current set up, offering corporate and outdoor catering and setting up an outdoor seating area in the summer attracting customers for ice creams.

St Helens Chamber is part of Enterprise Hub, 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

Enterprise Hub is funded by the European Regional Development Fund. 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.