Business Startup

A school teacher who had a passion for horticulture uprooted and left his full time job to pursue running his own green fingered business in Wigan is celebrating a blooming first quarter of trading.

Geoff Ashton, aged 41, launched Four Seasons Garden Services; a mobile horticulture service business based in Wigan in January and also set up a second business, Confident Kids Home Tuition, offering specialised one to one tuition to children aged seven to eleven.

Geoff Ashton had been teaching at Brook Lodge Community Primary School in St Helens for more than 16 years, becoming the junior department and special needs manager. After constant changes to the curriculum and pressure to meet targets Geoff decided in November 2009 to leave his secure full time role and resigned from the school within a week.

“I am definitely not a spontaneous person but the red tape attached to my teaching career was hindering me professionally and mentally,” he said. “I got up one day and just decided ‘now or never’ and handed in my resignation.”

Within a week of resigning Geoff decided to capitalise on his part time hobby, gardening.

I had always been a keen gardener and after leaving my teaching role in such a spontaneous way, I needed to act fast to secure an income!” he said. “I had been gardening for 15 years and wanted to put the skills I had learned into a business idea.”

Geoff was referred to business support agency Blue Orchid by Wigan Chamber of Commerce. Blue Orchid has helped Geoff to develop his business ideas.

“Blue Orchid has given me invaluable advice and training to help me set up my gardening and tuition businesses,” he said. “My advisor Martin Dobb helped me to shape my business plans and gave me confidence that my business ideas would succeed. Martin also helped me with vital areas such as budget projection, banking, loans and grants.”

Geoff said his advisor Martin helped him to submit an application to Wigan Council, which helped him to secure a £2000 grant. Alongside personal savings this has allowed Geoff to buy the equipment he needed to start his mobile garden service business including an estate car, trailer and garden equipment such as a professional lawn mower.

“Blue Orchid really gave me the support I needed to succeed with my business ideas,” he said. “My gardening business is growing steadily; alongside my call out work I now have several customers on retainers. The home tuition has allowed me to make use of my past career but on my own terms. Blue Orchid has helped me to plan and develop my business and I intend to carry on working with Martin and attend further training about income tax.”

For more information on Four Seasons Garden Services visit: www.4seasonsgardenservices.co.uk and for more information on Confident Kids Home Tuition visit: www.confidentkidshometuition.co.uk