When I was about 12, I remember being asked what I wanted to do when I grew up. I said that I wanted to make things & sell them. My hobbies had always been creative, but I had no formal art or design training, let alone any business acumen. So I took the 'safe' route.  I worked hard on academic subjects at school, went to university and subsequently worked in engineering for 15 years.  I got a reasonable amount of satisfaction from my job, but always felt slightly envious of those people who truly loved what they did.

I had my daughters in 1999 and 2001; I subsequently juggled a part-time engineering career with family life, which was stressful and always left me with a sense of not doing either job properly. Fortunately for me, my employer offered a voluntary redundancy programme and this was the push (and financial cushion) I needed to start making a career change.

I left work at the end of 2004, with a view to becoming self-employed. Everyone asked - 'But what is your business going to be?' and I felt somewhat foolish answering: 'I don't know… but I know that I want to work for myself'. After the years of juggling, I knew that I wanted something that I could control and fit around my family commitments, whilst also being able to derive some sense of satisfaction.

Having had no business training, I knew that I had to find out how to set up and run a business. I investigated the courses available through my local Business Link; and a friend happened to pass on a leaflet from the Women’s Business Development Agency (WBDA). I was amazed at how much help there was available from WBDA, and spent a lot of time between January and March 2005 on training courses. WBDA provided me with a personal business advisor who has been a continual source of advice and practical support.

During this period, I began to formulate an idea for a business. Having two primary school age children, I was aware of the huge market for 'pocket money' toys. I knew that jigsaws were popular amongst parents & children, but also felt that most of the offerings on the market were quite un-imaginative. I therefore set about making a 'cool' and funky jigsaw, and JigZZ was born! JigZZ puzzles are compact, have their own plastic cases & are made from foam with funky designs. The compact size means that they can be carried in school bags, or done in the car. Also, Mum can keep one in her handbag for keeping the kids quiet when they are waiting in restaurants. They are cheap to post for birthday gifts too!

I set up my company, FunkyTech Ltd in April & started trading in May 2005 at craft & school fairs. Direct selling seemed like the ideal start point as I get to hear exactly what potential customers think. The initial response has been great - Mum's love educational toys & plenty of children say "Oh, cool!"

My plan is to continue with the direct selling and progress into the retail sector and internet sales. WBDA have referred me to The University of Warwick Science Park for specialist mentoring support as part of their High Growth Business Acceleration Programme for women. This has provided me with invaluable advice in expanding my market.

I would advise any woman thinking of self-employment to fully investigate the resources available to assist you. Meeting with a RWEU business advisor in the early planning stages will provide you with invaluable information & support.

Helen Mossop: FunkyTech Ltd  
Helen@mossop356.fslife.co.uk  
www.jigzz.co.uk  
Tel: 07854 578584