A business growth story: It’s a family affair at Lewis Howes Signs & Engraving Ltd

Lewis Howes Signs & Engraving Ltd have been providing a quality service to the people of Liverpool since 1988 and it’s safe to say that the business has come a long way in that time. Run by husband and wife duo, David and Fran Lewis, with a little help from daughter Becky Sheen and her husband, Graham, Lewis Howes Signs & Engraving is well and truly a storybook family-run business. With Becky and Graham preparing to take over the family business, the team needed a stellar transition strategy to help pave the way for a new era of growth and success.

The team approached The Women’s Organisation for business development support under our growth programme; New Markets 2. We sat down with Becky to find out how our business advisor, John Jones, helped the family to prepare a business valuation and transition strategy...

Lewis Howes Signs & Engraving as its known today

The team approached The Women’s Organisation for business development support under our growth programme; New Markets 2. We sat down with Becky to find out how our business advisor, John Jones, helped the family to prepare a business valuation and transition strategy.

So, what’s Lewis Howes Signs & Engraving all about? Sign manufacturing is the bread and butter of the business, which specialises in high quality engraving on a range of materials. From nameplates and badges, to memorial plaques and switch plates, the team have seen it all. Over time a complete sign service has been developed, now offering a full service from design through to manufacture, installation and maintenance.

Perhaps the biggest change came in 2006 as Lewis Howes diversified in to digital printing, a change which managing director, David, dubs as ‘the best move we ever made’. Proof that businesses need to keep up the times and embrace new technologies. The firm has also recently invested in a state of the art new Rowland printer, as well as a laser cutting machine, allowing them to offer much quicker delivery times.

With a strong service offering that has proved the test of time, we asked what makes Lewis Howes unique? Becky says: “Reliability, speedy service and quality, bespoke products. Everything that we do is bespoke - there’s very little we can’t turn our hand to.”

Formerly David Lewis Signs, the past 28 years have seen a lot of change within the business. Originally based in Wallasey on the Wirral, David Lewis Signs was born in 1988, before merging with J & J Howes just two years later to becomes Lewis Howes Signs & Engraving. More change was still to come and in 2001 Dave and Fran Lewis bought out John and Jackie Howes to take sole ownership of the business.

David Lewis' first shop in 1988

Over this time, the firm has built a stellar, dedicated team of 15 staff - 8 of which were there on the very first day of trading in 1988 - enabling them to grow and develop the business into the respected name it is today.

By the mid-noughties the business was thriving and trade was strong. When the recession hit in 2008, the management team went to great lengths to keep the business going and admit that they still feel the effects of it 10 years later. Becky says that “this time has been the most difficult for the business, but also a great achievement” to weather the crash. After a number of hard and turbulent years, the company is now starting to slowly progress and grow.

After approaching The Women’s Organisation for support in taking the business to the next phase, the team was set up with business advisor, John Jones, under the New Markets 2 dedicated growth programme. Becky commented: “John has been excellent for us, offering advice and in constant contact.”

What would Becky say to those looking to grow their business in the North West? “The region is fairly robust at the moment. For those looking to grow I would say: provide high quality products, on time and at competitive prices.” Great advice!

Becky Sheen will be taking the reins of the family business

Becky and her family received growth advice through our New Markets 2 Programme, which is aimed at women who are running a business focussing on business to business activity in the Liverpool City Region (Liverpool, Sefton, Wirral, St Helens, Knowsley and Halton) are who are ready to take their business to the next level, either by expanding their team or significantly increasing turnover. For more information, contact us on hello@thewo.org.uk or ring us on 0151 706 8111

Mother of 2 Hayley Patterson Is a Perfect Example of How Self-Employment Can Compliment Family Life With Her Business ‘Hayley’s Flowers and Cart Hire’

After having her second child, Hayley Patterson found it impossible to manage the work hours she had been given and was forced to leave. This left the Liverpool resident looking for other avenues that allowed for more flexibility around her family. She found this flexibility in self-employment.

Credit: Lucy Hannah Photography

Blessed with a creative streak and prior experience in floristry, Hayley decided to combine floral arrangements with a cart hire for parties and events. ‘I started by posting a few pictures on my Facebook and Instagram. I got really good feedback and as interest started to grow I started up a business page on Facebook and Twitter.’

In the early stages of starting up Hayley’s Flowers and Cart Hire, Hayley spotted an advert for free business start-up support for women in Merseyside with The Women’s Organisation. After getting in touch, she started meeting with a business advisor and booked herself onto free workshops including basic bookkeeping and tax and national insurance.

‘My advisor Jo was brilliant. It was great to have someone to help me look at things from a different point of view and talk about them. She helped me with the different aspects of setting up a business, especially the business plan, which helped me a lot. The workshops were also really good.’

‘When I first set up my business, I felt nervous and unsure but with the response I have had from people and the help from The Women’s Organisation, it has helped me be more confident and move forward.’

Hayley is very pleased with the benefits going self-employed has provided. Her business is based from home meaning that there are no overheads and no commute to work. Despite her commenting that it can get a bit hectic, it works for her because it allows for quality time with her children.

‘Being a mum of two young children makes it hard to juggle both sometimes, as I do work most weekends and evenings, but I am lucky that my friends and family are all so supportive in what I am doing.’

Things are going really well and the business is quickly growing in popularity. What makes Hayley’s Flowers and Cart Hire unique is the new addition of an ice cream car available for hire. Decorated in a walls ice cream theme, it serves Cornetto ice cream which has made it very popular.

‘The best thing about running your own business is the sense of pride and achievement you have in doing something you love doing and seeing the customer happy. I would recommend it to anyone who is really passionate about what they do.’

If you’d like to impress at your party or you would like a tasteful floral arrangement for a special occasion, contact Hayley on 07875 742535. You can also find Hayley’s Flowers and Cart Hire on Facebook.

If you would like more time to spend with your family whilst earning an income doing something you enjoy, contact The Women's Organisation for free start-up advice and support on 0151 706 8111 / hello@thewo.org.uk 

Portrait photo by Lucy Hannah Photography

By Beckie Kinsella

Self-employment Is The ‘Perfect Fit’ For Milliner Sue Wood

It's a very exciting time for passionate milliner Sue Wood after being selected as a ‘Making Headway’ Designer for Stockport Hatworks Museum, funded and supported by Mary Portas and The Arts Council.

Photo: Jessica Lang Photography

The exhibition showcases the work of 13 up and coming milliners and will follow her through her 2014 spring/summer collection and into the 2014/15 autumn/winter collection, culminating in a selling exhibition at the Hatworks which commences May 2014.

‘My style is vintage inspired with a contemporary edge and my work is handcrafted using traditional methods and, where possible, up cycled materials. My choice of materials and textures reflects the contemporary relevance of vintage, whether that’s a good material or a good idea, fusing vintage style with contemporary design.’

Gold Silk Turban on a Fine White Straw Peaked Hat 

Centrepiece Gold Medallion in Pleated Silk 

Sue’s reason for setting up in business was simple; she fell in love with millinery. She told The Women’s Organisation: ‘I have a smaller than average head and struggled to find a hat to fit me for my daughter’s wedding. I have always been creative and began to experiment to improve the fit. I enrolled on a millinery course with Rose Cory (the late Queen Mothers Milliner) and after 3 days I was hooked. I then followed on with a 10 week course at Liverpool Community College before embarking on HNC course at Leeds College of Art, Graduating in 2013 with Distinction and Higher Distinctions.’

The hat lover told us how starting up Sue Wood Millinery was a straight forward process with the support of The Women’s Organisation. ‘I enrolled on several day courses surrounding
business start-up. I found that the session on how to do a Business Plan was particularly helpful, as well as social media training and Tax and NI.’

Silver Cap with Beautiful Veiling
  Silver Textured Fabric Scarf Detail
     

Commenting on the Accelerating Women's Enterprise programme, part funded by European Regional Development Fund, Sue said: ‘Having a personal advisor was very useful, he directed me towards courses which were appropriate for  me to attend, forthcoming events, as well as being available to answer any queries as they arose. I also took advantage of the option to meet with my personal advisor locally, with the majority of my meetings being held in Heswall Library, which meant I could slip out of the studio for a quick meeting rather than taking an afternoon off to go to Liverpool.'

Sue enjoys ongoing support in the form of The Women’s Organisation’s Business Club and has attended numerous women only networking events. ‘Being in the company of so many local entrepreneurial women in a beautiful building (54 St James Street) that creates an inspiring environment to work in and visit is amazing. Having the support and encouragement of the knowledgeable team at The Women’s Organisation is very reassuring. As a result I’m feeling more confident and better equipped to tackle the challengers that lay ahead.’

Beautiful Hand Crafted Vintage Rose

The most important thing for the Wirral resident is to design and make hats. She put a lot of thought into her business structure and decided that a premises would restrict her creatively, choosing instead to find shops that would be happy to stock her hats. Fenwick’s of York and Beau Hats in Oxton Village, Wirral, are amongst her current stockists, with plenty more boutiques and hat shops showing an interest.

Sue is also delighted to have been asked to work for the highly anticipated Lion King tour in Liverpool Empire, where she will be looking after the hats, doing repairs and general maintenance. This has sparked up her passion of working for films and theatre productions, as it’s a field she is most interested in.

‘I love the power of the hat. A hat can to instantly depict a mood, occasion or an era in the most dramatic and expressive way.’

White Straw Cloche with Satan Cord and Gold Beads
Adorned with Hand Crafted Silver Rosette

For Sue, nothing is more rewarding than designing and interpreting client’s ideas to produce something stunning. She also enjoys being in control of her own future, which is something self-employment certainly offers.

‘I am incredibly proud of what I have achieved so far, I feel empowered and very excited about the future and where this journey will take me.’

Whether you have a design in mind or you’re looking for ideas and inspiration, Sue is more than happy to talk. For a free consultation, contact her directly on  07801 970 195 / hello@suewoodmillinery.co.uk or visit http://www.suewoodmillinery.co.uk

And if you would like to express yourself further through a hobby by turning it into a business, contact The Women’s Organisation on 0151 706 8111 / hello@thewo.org.uk or visit www.thewomensorganisation.org.uk

Portrait photo by Jessica Lang Photography

By Beckie Kinsella

For Emma Christiansen, Business is ‘All About Podiatry’

Owning her own Podiatry business had always been a dream for Liverpool resident Emma Christiansen. However, the chance came sooner than she had expected when the opportunity to buy an existing business presented itself.

Photo: Jessica Lang Photography

She told The Women’s Organisation: ‘It was the right place at the right time. It came 5 years sooner than I had originally planned, but it was definitely something I had wanted to do for a long time.’

With years’ experience of working as a podiatrist for the NHS and boasting a first class honours in BSc Hons Podiatry from the University of Salford, Emma felt she was ready to take the next steps in achieving her ambitions. ‘Although I took over an existing business, it was a leap of faith to set up in private practice. I haven’t looked back since.’

Based in the heart Runcorn Old Town, All About Podiatry Ltd is a friendly, professional podiatry/chiropody clinic that can cater for everyone’s ‘foot care’ requirements. ‘The practice has grown on reputation alone and is regarded by many as welcome relief from painful feet allowing our customers to feel like they are ‘walking on air’. It has a really positive impact on lots of people around Runcorn.’

With the business being held in such regard by the local community, it’s no wonder All About Podiatry Ltd has steadily grown over the past 7 years. Emma told us: ‘Things are going really well, it’s grown without any advertising, it’s all done by word of mouth. It’s been a controlled growth because of having a young child. When I first started I only wanted to work part time’ and it’s the flexibility and control that self-employment offers that the mum enjoys the most.

To aid the growth of her business, Emma participated in TheWomen’s Organisation’s WeMentor project. The programme paired business women with a mentor who could share their time and experience, whilst supporting them to develop a clear business strategy and improve business performance.

‘Although I already had focus, the programme gave me time to analyse and further focus on the areas I wanted to develop. My mentor introduced me to useful contacts and supported me and my business in the right direction.’

The successful Liverpool business woman’s advice to others considering starting or growing their business is ‘be organised and be patient because things don’t always go as planned, but that might be for the best. Spend your money carefully, don’t rush into anything. Be vigilant, be friendly and be good at what you do. Contact The Women’s Organisation and remember that good customer service is the key to success.’

Emma and her business have just secured a contract with Everton Football Club that will allow her to treat the staff, as well as contracts with Howdens Joinery and Algeos Ltd. Whilst discussing this, she noted how pleased she is with her progress and expressed her eagerness to make All About Podiatry a household name. ‘I am extremely proud of myself that I have achieved so much and been so successful in what is said to be one of the worst economic downturns, without even taking out any loans!’

‘I wouldn’t be able to do any of it without the support of my husband and our families. Watch this space for the “All About” empire!’

To find out more about the services on offer, contact Emma directly on emma@allaboutpodiatry.co.uk / 01928 576 363 or visit www.allaboutpodiatry.co.uk

And if Emma’s success has inspired you to take your next steps, contact The Women’s Organisation on 0151 706 8111 / hello@thewo.org.uk or visit www.thewomensorganisation.org.uk for more information on the free business support and training available to women in Merseyside.

Portrait photo by Jessica Lang Photography

By Beckie Kinsella 

New Prescot business wins a shop thanks to One Ark

A new furniture shop will be opening in Prescot Shopping Centre thanks to a local charity’s campaign to support entrepreneurship. Late last year One Ark, part of the First Ark Group, launched a competition to support a local retailer by providing a unit rent-free for a year.

Grace Lea, a furniture upcycling and restoration business, will open its doors on 1^st June 2014.  As the brainchild of Knowsley-based owner Cheryl Mullins, Grace Lea will sell a range of high quality restored vintage furniture and bespoke items at affordable prices.  As the furniture will be restored on site, Cheryl will also host workshops from the unit, which will teach others the skills they need to upcycle their own smaller items.

Following a three-stage process, Cheryl beat off competition from 25 other business owners to win the space in the shopping centre.  Her business will now benefit from a 12 month rent-free period, full refurbishment of the premises which will be completed by Vivark, and structured business advice and support from the Merseyside Special Investment Fund, The Women’s Organisation and Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council. Cheryl also wins membership of Knowsley Chamber of Commerce.

During the three-stage process, Cheryl received free business support and training from local women’s enterprise support agency The Women’s Organisation. The Knowsley resident worked closely on a one to one basis with a business advisor to create a competition winning business plan.

Laura McCumiskey from One Ark was one of the first to congratulate Cheryl: “When Cheryl met with the panel of judges she blew us away with her enthusiasm and entrepreneurship. 

“We were searching for a unique, independent retailer to add value to our high street, and Cheryl’s business plan was robust and showed talent.  Grace Lea, which will occupy a unit that’s been empty for three years, will be a welcome addition to the shopping centre.”

Owner Cheryl Mullins adds: “This is an amazing opportunity for me to be able to get my business up and running and provide for my family. 

“To be able to operate rent-free for a year will enable me to focus on establishing and growing the business rather than worrying about covering such a large overhead.  I’m looking forward to learning from the self-employment support and developing my business, while at the same time being able to give something back to the community too.” 

One Ark’s ‘Win a Shop’ project supports the regeneration of local high streets through championing new enterprise and supporting the journey into self-employment. The project was initiated by One Ark in partnership with Knowsley Chamber of Commerce, Vivark, CBRE, Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council, The Women’s Organisation, Prescot Town Team, Poco Coffee and Sergeants Accountants.

One Ark was launched in August 2013 to change the lives of people in Knowsley through generating investment which will be channeled into increasing wealth and creating stronger communities.  To find out more about One Ark, please visit www.one-ark.co.uk. 

Setting Up In Business Was The Right Fit For Personal Trainer Emma Grogan

Being a very active person, attending classes, going to exercise in the gym and eating healthy has always been a way of life for Emma Grogan. It was only natural that her passion for keeping fit would creep into her work life.

Photo: VGGVart

‘Someone told me that I should become a personal trainer, I laughed it off at first. However, the idea stuck in my mind and I eventually decided to go for it. I did a 2 month intensive course and qualified last year. I haven’t looked back since. I love choosing my own hours.’

Before starting up Emma Grogan Fitness and Nutrition, Emma worked in finance for 12 years. She would work for 6 months then travel for 6 months, only returning to work to earn the money to go travelling again. She told us ‘I was sick of 9-5 lifestyle, it was just a means to an end.’

When Emma decided that self-employment was something she wanted to pursue, she contacted The Women’s Organisation to get business start-up advice and training through their business start-up programme.

‘The Women’s Organisation have been really helpful, I have always worked for someone else so didn’t quite know how to go about starting up my own business. The best bit of help was the business planning, it helped me to focus. The £200 grant boost at the end was great, as it helped towards the equipment I needed.’

‘I also found the Business Club networking events helpful. It gave me the opportunity to meet women who are at different stages that could offer their advice and point me in the right direction.’

The first few months of self-employment were quite difficult for Emma due to the amount of competition, but the Liverpool resident persevered and now her business is going from strength to strength.

‘I do a lot of home training. Working with people who for whatever reason cannot make it to a gym - either mothers with young children or people who work from home and don't have time to travel out but can fit a session in at home. It’s working really well for me!’

As well as supporting people at home, Emma also trains Somali women from a dedicated centre.

‘I find running classes really rewarding. I have been working with the Somali women for 5 months now, most of who are women who wouldn't exercise anywhere else.’

Although the classes are now going well and the women are getting a lot out of them, the cultural differences made it very difficult at the beginning. Emma had to work hard to gain their trust and overcome the language barrier, but her persistence and ‘can do’ attitude has paid off.

After working with such groups, she is now determined to secure more funding to work with the Somali women and other groups that may not naturally feel comfortable with the traditional environment of many exercise classes. ‘I want to help underprivileged people as much as I can.’

Furthermore, Emma is still very keen to continue her 1-2-1 sessions with clients and expand her business in the future, as well as focusing on those harder to reach groups that she is so passionate about supporting.

‘I want to build a business of variety incorporating personal training, classes and nutrition.’

If you would like to know more about the services Emma provides, you can contact her directly on 07414 781 316 / emmagrogan@hotmail.com or find Emma Grogan Fitness and Nutrition on Facebook.

And if you are ready to take your first steps into self-employment and would like some further advice, contact The Women’s Organisation on 0151 706 8111 / info@thewo.org.uk or visit www.thewomensorganisation.org.uk

By Beckie Kinsella

19 Year Old Rachel Gilbertson Tackles Unemployment With Self-Employment and Earns Two Women In Business Award Nominations

After getting tired of knock backs and applications, Sefton based Rachel Gilbertson took matters into her own hands by opening up her own business at the age of 19.

Just 8 months after starting her business, Rachel has been shortlisted for 2 Women in Business awards, run by Downtown Liverpool and sponsored by The Women’s Organisation. The 19 year old has been nominated for Entrepreneur of the Year and Young Entrepreneur of the year.

Her journey began at The Rotunda, Kirkdale, where she attended a course based around setting up a business which she thoroughly enjoyed. Combined with her growing frustration of unemployment and her enjoyment of the course, Rachel was inspired to take her first leap into self-employment.

Putting her naturally creative personality and National Diploma in Graphic Design from Southport College into use, she opened Roxiie’s Treasures in May 2013, a business that provided jewellery, bags, scarves and accessories at that time.

‘The best thing about running my own business is being my own boss. You get to make all the decisions. I enjoy what I do and I love meeting new people and building relationships with my customers. I also like the fact that I have the opportunity to give something back to the community and help local charities.’

Whilst starting up, Rachel approached The Women’s Organisation, where she met with a business advisor to discuss her business idea and plan her next steps.

‘I went on a few courses at The Women’s Organisation including bookkeeping, tax & national insurance and how to promote your business online. I felt really happy as I didn’t know what to do before. I found the support I received very helpful and everyone was very welcoming.’

She continued: ‘There was so much help which I got and it made me feel confident that I was going to get where I wanted to be’ which is exactly what she did.

Since opening in May 2013, Roxiie’s Treasures has expanded from online selling and craft fairs, into a shop space based on College Road in the wonderful Crosby Emporium. Now Roxiie’s Treasures not only sells jewellery, bags, scarves and accessories, but also candles, gifts and household items.

When discussing how far Rachel and the business have come, the 19 year old commented: ‘I am proud of what I have achieved so far and it makes me want to achieve more and build my business even further.’ She plans to do this by eventually moving into the property market and opening up a shop of her own.

For Rachel, being in business is simply about doing something that genuinely makes you happy. ‘If you believe in something and want it, you will achieve it but you have to stick to it and focus on what you want in life.’

If you would like to know more about Roxiie’s Treasures you can contact Rachel directly by emailing her on roxiiestreasures@live.co.uk 

You can also check out her wonderful items on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/roxiiestreasuresliverpool and Twitter:@RoxiiesTreasure

And if you have an idea or a hobbie you would like to turn into a business, contact The Women’s Organisation on 0151 706 8111 / info@thewo.org.uk 

or visit www.thewomensorganisation.org.uk

by Beckie Kinsella

Ruth Marcella Brings Out The Beauty of Business With Orchid Blush

Starting in 2009, Ruth Marcella wanted to give clients the celebrity experience and since then her business has gone from strength to strength. Now with over 40 fully qualified and highly experienced freelance make-up artists and hair stylists, Orchid Blush is one of the leading providers of make-up and hair services in the North West.

Photo by VGGVART

Before becoming self-employed, Ruth studied Fashion Promotion then moved to the North West to start a family. She was working full time in merchandising when the idea of setting up a business came to her. ‘I wanted more flexibility as a mum, self-employment just made sense.’

The move into self-employment was quite an organic process for the mother of 3. Very few problems were encountered, ‘everything seemed to naturally fall into place.’ Originally a stylist, she later moved to make-up, as she realised that is what she was more passionate about.

‘I always enjoyed doing make up so I did a short course and went from there.’

Ruth looked for any business start-up support available and came across Train 2000, now The Women’s Organisation. She attended a range of courses including business planning, bookkeeping and understanding tax & national insurance to help her get Orchid Blush up and running.

Orchid Blush provides a mobile service for all occasions that will travel to any location in the North West. They also have a professional media team who specialise in commercial events such as television, red carpet and photo-shoots.

The business has attracted a number of high profile clients, including EMI Records, Sky 1, Kellogs, Honda, Channel 4, Peroni and Microsoft. Despite this, she still finds it surreal when a big client calls her up.

Ruth recently attended a series of EBEL master classes run by The Women’s Organisation, including ‘Using Linked in for business’ and ‘Marketing planning’. Although she has a background in marketing, she still found the courses very helpful and informative. She explained: ‘You have to appreciate the opportunities given to you on your journey, like courses and networking opportunities.’

For her, the best thing about being self-employed is that she enjoys her job. ‘I never dread going to work. I get to be creative and find the beauty on someone’s face, instead of putting a look on them. I really enjoy finding their look and seeing their reaction when they see how beautiful they are. I love giving people confidence, especially for special events like weddings.’

Another perk of being self-employed is having her own identity. ‘I feel fortunate to be able to be at home with my children, but then go to work and have an identity away from being a mother.’

Currently, Orchid Blush covers the whole of the North West but Ruth aims to expand the business in the future and break into the Midlands. With the business going strong and continuing to attract high profile clients, she hopes this will be sooner rather than later.

To see the amazing work Ruth and her team do, visit www.orchidblush.co.uk or contact them at info@orchidblushbeauty.co.uk  

You can also find Orchid Blush on Twitter: @OrchidBlush

And if like Ruth the flexibility and control of self-employment appeals to you, contact The Women’s Organisation on 0151 706 8111 or info@thewo.org.uk for free business start-up advice and support.

Making Moves on the Property Market: Tyrer & Hart Set up in Liverpool

For Liverpool residents Heather Tyrer and Antonia Hart Williams going into partnership had been something they had talked about for many years, so finally launching their business ‘Tyrer & Hart Property Specialists’ in 2012 was a dream realised!

They told The Women’s Organisation “We always felt our skills were very complimentary, having sufficient experience in the relevant sectors meant that opening our own business was the logical next step.”

At the time when Antonia and Heather contacted The Women’s Organisation for support they were not working, allowing them to focus fully on their business development. They were sensible in utilising lots of support in getting started to ensure their business would be an instant success.

“We sought advice from as many people as possible right from the start. The Women’s Organisation were very useful in helping us structure the business plan and helping us plan a strategy for rapid business growth. If we could advise other women out there in a similar situation to us we would tell them not to be shy of utilising outside expertise.  No one can be an expert in everything and your attention should be given to the business you know and excel in.”

Heather and Antonia didn’t ever expect setting up a new business to be easy, but even they couldn’t have predicted how well they overcame possible obstacles along the way.

“The barrier we faced in starting our business was lack of set up funds, but we have been lucky enough to grow the company organically without taking on any company debt through cash flow alone! We did receive £200 from The Women’s Organisation which helped towards smaller costs, but the fact that we have generated our own finances through hard work we believe has strengthened the business massively.”

The women credit their understanding partners as a great support:

“Starting a business takes commitment and it can mean working long hours and late nights. Our other halves have to be very supportive, and we are really grateful of that.”

Both partners threw their previous expertise into the business: Heather who’s from a marketing background and has worked within the financial and construction sectors, and Antonia who has always worked with property both as a Landlord, in lettings management and Estate Agency.  Their wealth of experience teamed with hard work has meant Tyrer & Hart Property Specialists have proven themselves as movers and shakers in their industry since starting out.

They said “The business is going from strength to strength primarily growing from word of mouth. Although we do plan to strengthen our marketing and brand awareness over the coming months, we have been lucky to not have to worry so much about this yet. We both feel tremendously proud of what we have achieved so far, and buoyed with enthusiasm for the future of the business.”

Both women are loving being their own boss telling us “The best thing about running the business is the autonomy it allows, and the sense of achievement in creating something larger than oneself. We plan to continue to build the business at an increasing pace, with a greater budget set aside to raise brand awareness.”

Tyrer & Hart Property Specialists are a lettings, and estate agency, who also offer a property finding service for investors. They pride themselves in being a one stop shop for all property needs including mortgages, conveyancing, insurance, maintenance and even removals. For more information on the services they offer you can contact them on 0151 270 2412 or visit www.tyrerandhart.com

If you are a woman in Liverpool considering setting up a business, then take Antonia and Heather’s advice and utlise the free support available through The Women’s Organisation by contacting 0151-706-8111 or info@thewo.org.uk

Liverpool's Sue Turned Her Idea into a Job for Her & Six Others!

Have you ever worked somewhere that made you think “I could run this company better”? For Liverpool resident Sue Crawford this was the start of her journey to setting up her own business.
Sue told us “I was doing all the work and having to share the benefits with other people. I knew I could do it better and earn more for myself if I was in charge.”

Having stepped back from previous role to give her chance to look at her options and start again Sue needed to make some decisions quickly. The opportunity was there to pick up local cleaning contracts where she already had connections, but Sue needed advice before taking the leap. She found out she could get some free advice and support from local enterprise support agency The Women’s Organisation, so gave them a call.

“I had an idea and people were saying to me ‘why don’t you just do it’, but I wasn’t sure if it was the right decision, or if I should look at other options” said Sue. “I remember one of the workshops at The Women’s Organisation, something that was said had everyone sat there thinking “Oh gosh that is me”. It was when we started chatting about women who have so much going on that they put off things they want to do until tomorrow. Coming to the workshop gave me courage to go out on my own.”

Sue was linked with a business adviser to put together a business plan to help her carefully weigh up her idea. She also turned to her family for support.

“My daughter has done a foundation A-level in art so she has done a logo for me and the other daughter has got it on the computer for me. I wanted my family to be involved so it’s great they were willing to help. They laugh though, of all the jobs that I’ve had they find it funny that I chose to run a cleaning business. They think I am fanatical about cleaning.”

In starting her business Sue needed to take on a full team to ensure she could meet the demands of the contracts she was negotiating so worked quickly to secure six part time staff and is taking on two more this year. This took a lot of courage, Sue knew where her strengths and weaknesses lay.
“My background is telesales, so that side of the business, marketing, admin and wages I wasn’t worried about. I had to learn quickly about the operations of a business and the financial side managing cash flow was new.”

Sue is loving being her own boss. “The best thing about running my business is having full control. I just want to enjoy working and doing a good job. It’s all about giving good customer service and getting customer satisfaction. If I can achieve that it’s the icing on the cake. It’s hard in this day and age to find a full time job, let alone one that gives you job satisfaction. I have a good bunch of cleaners, and it’s great to have them work for my company. I feel pretty good about how things are going so far. I haven’t really had proper time to reflect. From my point of view my background is phoning to go out and get another contract. As good as the contracts are I already have, I look forward to going out and prospecting again.”

Sue’s business Aquarius Facilities Solutions Ltd. offers commercial cleaning services. To find out more about her business you can visit www.aquariusfs.com or contact Sue via sales@aquariusfs.com.
If you would like to take advantage of the free advice and support from The Women’s Organisation then contact 0151 706 8111 or email info@thewo.org.uk

Sue’s advice: “If you are out there thinking about doing what I have done and set up a business I would say go to The Women’s Organisation, go on the workshops. It’s invaluable! When you are on your own it’s quite frightening. Having someone on your side, and meeting the other women is just great.”

Encouraging Community Arts Engagement is a Family Affair for Kathryn & Sarah

Running an art focussed business together had been a lifelong dream for Sefton residents Kathryn Wilson and Sarah McLaughlin.

They said “Being closely related, Aunty and Niece, we both have a long running passion for the arts and have dreamt about running this business together since the age of about ten! We felt there was a need for a service run by professional artists, which both the community and organisations can access. We wanted to provide preventative, educational and therapeutic services which would be available to vulnerable adults, children and young people.”

Kathryn is a practicing artist, last year she project managed painting a 48x16m high mural in Waterloo Marina near the Antony Gormley statues. She also gained a teaching qualification earlier this year, furthering her training expertise. More recently, Sarah had been voluntarily fundraising for a school in India and before becoming a full time mum in 2010 she was a support worker to young runaways, children in care and families in need of positive intervention.

Both have experience working in a rehabilitation centre in Liverpool as Art and craft tutors, in a one to one environment with ex addicts/offenders. Between them they realised they had the experience of both art and working with vulnerable communities in order to offer a top quality service that could make a difference. Having established their idea they knew they needed some help to turn an idea into a trading business.

“We talked at length with each other and our families then contacted The Women's Organisation and enrolled on a two day course,” they said. “This then led to being assigned a personal business advisor when we were ready. We felt extremely positive after the course and especially after each personal advisor session, as we were given excellent advice each time and set achievable goals, which we completed, moving the reality of owning our own company nearer each time.”

Besides both needing to juggle their responsibilities as a mum alongside their new business, they had to think their idea through carefully and make sure they had all bases covered. Cashflow and start-up finances were a big consideration: “We had very little finance to start-up, and not had much experience writing funding bids before. We are always learning and have been helped by the £200 start-up grant from The Women's Organisation, which has covered the cost of our CRB's and towards initial advertising. The adviser we were linked with at The Women’s Organisation specialises in Social Enterprises and gave us excellent guidance, which was tailored to what we wanted to achieve as a company.”
So far Kathryn and Sarah are enjoying being their own boss “We have more freedom and choice and enjoy the empowerment of being able to innovate and inspire future generations and families to communicate through positive creativity.”

Creative Balance CIC run educational, therapeutic and fun art workshops for all ages and abilities. Through creative workshops, individual support and events, their aim is to boost confidence, self-esteem and develop basic life skills. Creative Balance tailor make packages to suit individual needs and abilities and aim to make a positive difference through creative expression.

Things are going really well so far for the enterprising pair. “We are making a great start to our enterprise. The ‘Art Club’, for 3-12 year olds, has now been running for a month. The children don’t want to leave each week and the parents are signing up for more sessions. We have one primary school signed up to our ‘One to one’ support service, working with Looked After Care children. Also a local wrap around care provider in Merseyside contacted us after seeing us in a local newspaper to run workshops on their premises. We finished our first year of business on a very positive note with a well-attended 3hr Christmas workshop at Jets centre Waterloo. This year we are aiming to hold more workshops in the school holidays, anyone interested can keep an eye on our website for updates.”

Kathryn and Sarah are positive about their achievements so far and looking forward to seeing how this year will take them further forward. “We are optimistic the contacts and clients will increase as our reputation becomes more established. We feel very proud and positive in the steps that we have made in starting up the business, and are enjoying the process. We aim to expand on our achievements so far and look to establishing a bright future for service users of Creative Balance and ourselves!”

To find out more about the services on offer contact Kathryn and Sarah at email@creativebalance.info or visit their website www.creativebalance.info
And if like these inspirational women you have a burning ambition you would like help to realise then contact The Women’s Organisation for FREE advice and support on 0151 706 8111 or info@thewo.org.uk