I was working in a call centre as a customer services agent. It was mind-numbing, boring, depressing – there was just no challenge there for me. I suppose because I have always had a goal and vision of where I want to be and what I want to do, that this job was just not economically or emotionally gratifying.

This was one of the many jobs I had taken on that was unrelated to what I had studied. But at the time art jobs were few and far between, and my partner and I did not want to waste money on rented accommodation, so I suppose there was a great pressure on me to bring in an income.

It is difficult when you feel you have a passion for something, mine is art and I gained my fine art degree in 1992, to be able to tolerate a “so called career” that bares no resemblance to your interests, especially when the work that you do plays such a huge part of your everyday life.

I finally realised that if I was unhappy and dissatisfied it would reflect and have a massive impact on my friends and my family, I couldn’t let this go on any longer – for everyone’s sake!

One of my friends has set up her own business and it has literally changed her life. She has flexibility, job satisfaction and ultimately contentment and happiness in the life she feels she now controls.

I knew that she was receiving support and advice from a business agency and noted the number down somewhere but realistically looking back I am not sure if I would have taken the first steps and actually made contact. Last year I was involved in Black History month and was at an event in Coventry City Centre. The Women’s Business Development Agency had got involved and held an exhibition stand, I was handed a leaflet that demonstrated the benefits of “The Women’s Empowerment Programme” and what it could do for women just like me – that was it – I made the call.

The Women’s Empowerment Programme was fantastic. The other women who also attended were in the same circumstances as me – in that they knew they wanted to set-up in business but did not the first clue of how to do so. Some women did not even have a business idea and even this was not a problem.

The first turning point for me was at the end of the first day, I came home with a bubble of excitement inside me as I realised that I was not only able to do this but I was able to do this with the confidence that I new would make my business a success. I could eliminate all the barriers that were stopping me, now they seem stupid, small and pathetic but 11 months ago they were so big I felt that I just had to accept them as part of me, my family and my life.

Legislation has since changed and the art climate has also changed. More funding is now available such as; the national Lottery, urban funding/regeneration, the Millennium Fund, European Funding etc. With this in the back of my mind, as funding was my only realistic barrier, I was able to identify a gap in the market – Youth Services. The government is now concerned about youth crime and prevention and communities require activities that young people are able to get involved in.

Over the past 11 years I have been lucky enough to facilitate art workshops on a part time basis and with the identification of my skills;

Silk painting , Glass painting , Hand made paper, 3D carnival costume design and production, Print making, Tie dye, Model making, Dress making design, Illustration, Textiles, Collage, Puppetry.

 

I felt that the time was right to set up my own company.

It all started to move pretty quickly. I completed the 4 day business start-up programme at the Women’s Business Development Agency in January and immediately booked in to see one of their business advisors. She was lovely and although we were taking things at my pace I found I wanted to move forward and was eager to proceed as far as possible. I registered myself self employed in March and finally left the call centre in May.

Not only have I had assistance and support with writing my business plan but also other aspects such as finances, marketing and promotion. I have since attended arts and media workshops, accountancy for artists and a marketing and communications course. This made me more aware of the publicity material needed to rest alongside talks and exhibitions. All of the workshops have been quite expensive but I have realised that I need to invest in me to get the most out of my business. Also the nature of my business dictates the necessity of good visual aids, good fist impressions and the need to attract the right client.

Now? Well I am so busy; I have so many different areas of commitments. I got my Teacher Training/Adult Education Qualification this year from Coventry Technical College which means that I now facilitate workshops within primary education, secondary education and community arts. If I have a spare moment after all of that I also have exhibitions, public art and residencies to occupy me.

I am a home based business but within the next 9-12 months I hope to employ one other person and within the next two years who knows? - I could have a whole host of employees!