Business Startup

After contacting Business Link, Michelle was referred to Enterprise4All for their free Intensive Start-Up Support programme funded by the Northwest Development Agency.

Her idea was to set up a business selling self-help and information products (CD’s, DVD’s, manuals, digital downloads etc) online. The main start-up cost would be setting up an ecommerce website, but as a lone parent with a pre-school toddler, money was tight and Michelle had only a small amount in savings.

Unfortunately she wasn’t able to access a start-up loan and it looked as if her dream of setting up a business from home wasn’t going to happen. As Michelle said:-

“Working from home will give me the flexibility of working the hours I want to work, and the potential to generate enough income to be financially independent and not having to rely on State benefit. It also gives me the opportunity to enjoy a quality lifestyle for myself and my daughter, and for me to create a good role model for my daughter. But most importantly it’s the job satisfaction, self esteem and being able to say I did this!”

But then E4All referred her to “Passport To Enterprise” – a business start-up course specifically aimed at lone parents and people with health issues. Over a period of thirteen weeks, one day a week, the course would cover all of the aspects necessary to ensure that her business got off the ground successfully. Once Michelle started trading she would be entitled to a £500 grant and a further £250 grant after thirteen weeks of trading. Not only that, it even covered all her travel and child care costs.

During the course, Michelle was able to clarify her business model. She decided to create two strands to the business:-“ Munkimooh! baby baby” which will focus on information products for parents and children such as confident kids, home schooling, and smart parenting, and a second strand “Michelle Dyer Publishing” which will sell a wide range of information products.

To celebrate the end of the “Passport To Enterprise” course all the delegates were asked to present their business idea to a panel (including the local MP), and the best would win a laptop. Michelle won:-

“I’m delighted, my old laptop’s on it’s last legs, this is great. I’ve started trading and made my first few sales already. It’s all down to me now, but without the support I received from E4All and the business start-up course, it would all still be just a dream.”