One to One Support for Business Start Up
Through providing intensive one to one business advice, the Employment through Enterprise programme supports individuals to develop the skills and knowledge required for successful business start up.
Baby 911, a telephone helpline and consultancy service for parents looking for support with their children, is the brainchild of Employment through Enterprise member, Iman Abdullah.
With over 30 years experience in childcare, including maternity nursing, foster parenting and childminding, and with 13 grandchildren, there is no doubt that Iman is well qualified for this exciting venture; but, as her story illustrates, running a business requires a whole new set of abilities.
With the support of Employment through Enterprise advisor, Andrew Ludlam, Iman has been tackling the challenges of business start up and developing the skills required to run her business effectively.
In the final stages of setting up her business, Iman’s journey provides great learning for anyone considering business start up, and demonstrates that, with a little determination and some good support, it is possible to transform an inspired idea into a viable business.
Working with Mobility Difficulties
Following a stem cell transplant in 2006 and after a long battle with cancer, Iman joined Reed in Partnership in 2008. With the initial aim of identifying ways to use her skills and experiences which also took into account her physical limitations; a home based business quickly emerged as an ideal solution – and an opportunity for Iman to actualise her exciting business idea.
The Business Idea
During her work as an overnight and emergency maternity nurse, Iman had identified that support and advice was a real need for new parents and those who were experiencing common challenges, such as sleeping or breastfeeding.
With the changing structure of society and more spread out families, demand for maternity nurses was consistently high: being able to contact someone who could offer reassurance or guidance was a logical extension of this support - and a great business idea.
Providing a telephone service without lengthy membership services or the formality of larger organisations would benefit parents seeking advice and present a way of enabling Iman to continue using her expertise, despite the changes to her health: “I have the skills and knowledge, and it means that I don’t have to worry about whether I have to move around a lot or get in or out.”
The Reality of Business Start Up
Recognising the viability of her proposal, Iman was accepted onto the Employment through Enterprise programme by Business Advisor, Andrew Ludlam, and, as she reflects, started a whole new learning journey: “Initially, I thought it would be dead easy – that I could just start the business next week….I soon realised that it was harder than I thought. ”
Whilst Iman was familiar with self employment, starting a business required a range of different skills and a more intensive approach. Working to a list of tasks and instructions each week provided Iman with the guidance and structure that she needed in order to set up Baby 911.
From registering with Company House to identifying the appropriate insurance types; setting up the phone lines to designing a web site, Iman worked with Andrew on the activities that she’d anticipated – and those that hadn’t even crossed her mind: “The lists are useful and Andrew can help me work out the things that are important – and the things that aren’t. It helps when time is limited and, when you’re new to this, you don’t realise half the things that you need to do…”.
Getting the Right Support
Accessing this business knowledge –“ people like Andrew and Tom [Reed in partnership PA] really know what they’re talking about” - has enabled Iman to make the transition from talking about her business to setting up a business - “for the last two years, I’d been talking about it and not getting anywhere” – and has also provided a platform from which she can develop new skills and overcome old challenges.
“Seeing the webpage on the internet and knowing that I’ve actually done it myself, knowing that I actually got there” is therefore Iman’s greatest achievement to date, precisely because it draws on skills that she was less confident with and demonstrates just how far she has already come.
Personal Achievements
It is milestones such as these that make the hard work that Iman has put in worthwhile, and her commitment and determination are certainly impressive.
Whilst people may not realise the extent of the work required in starting a business, Iman accepts that “I am my own boss and I will have to take on the pressures.” Fortunately, she has received some support in managing this responsibility – “without all the advice I’ve been given, I wouldn’t be here” - and notes that she has “really learnt what I can do – and what I need to delegate to other people”; however, with the pressures of working to a tight budget and managing her disability, the process has, at times, been hard: “The stress was high. I was constantly on the computer and realised that I need to let go sometimes or I would make myself ill.”
Next Steps
Now over the “scary” phase and back on the more familiar territory of talking to people and promoting her business, Iman’s worries are reducing and she looks forward to the phone service taking off.
Starting small – “I don’t want it to be a rushed job – I want to get through the teething problems myself” – but with an impressive number of enthusiastic colleagues waiting in the background, Baby 911 is already connecting with both potential customers and other women in the field.
With a commitment to supporting others in their self development and already working with “women who are passionate about other women”, Iman identifies Baby 911 and the associated services as an avenue for other women to start learning new skills and develop confidence - “you don’t know how capable you are until you try” - as well as an example of a career which can accommodate family life and personal circumstance.
The wider benefits
Through providing opportunities for others to get involved in the marketing or service offer as the business develops, Baby 911 promises to be an important organisation – for both those involved and those receiving the service.
With a clear ethical framework, a robust foundation of expertise, and a new model for supporting parents, Iman’s business promises to be a resounding success, and a satisfying reward for all the hard work she has put in so far: “I realised that it was harder than I thought….but it will be worth it in the end. Baby 911 is a completely different way of running things that will, hopefully, really work for parents.”