Thursday, April 22, 2010

Where There's A Will There's A Way for Southport Businesswoman


WHERE there’s a will there’s a way – that’s the attitude Corrine Sankey adopted when she took early retirement and was looking for something new in her life.

“I had been working in the Court Service as a Legal Adviser for six years” said Corrine, “and due to cutbacks they were looking for people to take early retirement, which I opted for. But there was no way I was ready to retire so I started thinking about what I’d like to do”

That’s when Corrine, who is a qualified solicitor, decided to start up her own will writing business Where There’s a Will, which offers a variety of will writing services including Will Drafting, Appointment of Executors, Trustees & Guardians, Document Storage,Residential/Nursing Home Care, Advising the Elderly, Lasting powers of Attorney, and Video wills to support the written will, as well as much more.

She said: “Once I had made my decision I set to work quickly. I knew if I was going to set up a will writing business I had to do it properly as making a will is a huge responsibility”.

Corrine became a member of the Institute of Professional Will Writers (IPW) and passed a number of exams to become fully qualified in this area.

Corrine believes passionately the Will Writing industry should be regulated, she said “there is a growth of DIY, internet and unqualified Will Writers, offering a service which leave many people misled into thinking their will is sound when it is not. Getting it wrong could bequeath a potential nightmare for bereaved and grief stricken friends and relatives to deal with.”

Corrine, who is based in Southport, received free help and support through women’s enterprise organisation Train 2000 as part of the ISUS (Intensive Start-Up Support) programme. She worked on a one-to-one basis with an adviser to put together her business plan. “Train 2000 was great” she added “everyone I came into contact with was extremely helpful and supportive. My adviser Rhian was always willing to help and it was so nice knowing there would always be some one at the end of the phone to support me when I needed it.”

Corrine also attended Train 2000’s Business Planning course as well as the PR workshop and is hoping to undertake further courses in the future.

Despite only launching the business this March, Corrine has already gained several clients and has received very positive feedback. She is now about to launch a marketing campaign to make people aware of her business. She continued: “It’s so important for people to do a will or to update an old one if their circumstances have changed but where my service differs to that of going to have a will made at a solicitors, is that I will go out to clients’ homes to write the will and I offer a very personal and flexible service; my rates are also extremely competitive.”

She also believes that being a woman is a massive advantage to her business. She said: “Anything in the legal sector is very male dominated and a lot of people, particularly women, feel more comfortable talking to another woman, particularly when I am going into their homes.”

Corrine, who is married and has two sons aged 18 and 22, says that her family has been extremely supportive. “My boys are so interested in what I’m doing” added Corrine “and they are always looking for ways to help me develop my business.

“I am thoroughly enjoying being my own boss and am so glad this was the path I chose”.

To find out more about Corrine’s will writing service visit her website at www.wheretheresawillsouthport.co.uk or email info@wheretheresawillsouthport.co.uk
Alternatively you can contact her on 07824631077 or 01704 213979

And to find out more about Train 2000 and the FREE services offered to women throughout the Merseyside and Greater Manchester areas visit www.train2000.org.uk or call 0151 236 6601.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Stockport Grandmother 'Illustrates' How to Succeed in Business

AFTER nine years of being unable to work due to poor health Rose Lloyd decided it was time for change and that’s when she enrolled on a Visual Art & Design course at Stockport College.

Now, the 57-year-old grandmother has put her newly acquired skills to full use and has started up in business as a freelance illustrator.

“From a very young age I was interested in art” said Rose, “but my parents were of the opinion that you couldn’t make any money doing art, so it was something I never pursued.

“I worked for some time doing technical drawings but this never enabled me to use the creativity that I wanted to. I hadn’t been able to work for almost ten years because of a severe back problem I have, but I knew that I needed to have something more in my life so I took up painting. I enrolled on a foundation course and then decided to continue on to do my degree.”

Since setting up in business Rose has already completed work for Manchester’s BBC Philharmonic and has had her illustrations in the Nursing Standard, the Radio Times and the Times Educational Supplement.

She continued: “It’s a great feeling to see my work in publications, I am so proud of what I have achieved and I really feel as though my life has changed for the better.”

Rose came along to Train 2000 for help and support in starting up her business. She accessed free support through the ISUS (Intensive Start-Up Support) programme and worked on a one-to-one basis with an adviser to develop her marketing and business plans. All services provided through Train 2000 are offered free to women throughout the Merseyside and Greater Manchester areas.

Train 2000 was very good” said Rose, “I worked with an adviser who made me really think about some of the areas I hadn’t even considered such as tax and keeping financial records; they’re the thing people don’t really like to think about.”

Rose, who has grown up daughters and young grandchildren, has her own studio at Vernon Mill in Stockport which provides her with the space to create her illustrations.

She added: “It’s great to be able to work after so many years of being unable to. Because of the nature of my business I can manage it round my back pain.

“This is the best thing I have done for years and it has really helped to improve my self esteem.”

To find out more about the work undertaken by Rose visit www.roselloyd.co.uk or email rose38a_uk@yahoo.com

And, if you would like to find out more about the FREE services offered by Train 2000 to women in the Merseyside and Greater Manchester areas please visit www.train2000.org.uk or call 0151 236 6601.