The Project
With a lack of flexible employment opportunities to fit around a young family, Lynda Blank was inspired to set up her own cleaning business 18 years ago. With a wealth of experience now behind her, Lynda was keen to grow her business and diversify. Lynda had identified a potential new service she could offer her customers but was seeking assurance and guidance to determine if this would be a good business move.
About
Having spent many years cleaning other people’s houses, Lynda had become aware of a growing number of people living amongst a growing amount of clutter. She had identified that for some people, having a ‘clear-out’ was not on their priority list of things to do, either due to a lack of time, motivation or insight. This gave Lynda the idea of launching a decluttering service alongside her existing cleaning business, however Lynda was unsure if there was sufficient demand and lacked the confidence to go ahead and promote such a service.
After a visit to the Job Centre, it was recommenced that Lynda speak to an ESW Business Advisor to benefit from some expert knowledge and guidance.
Our Business Support team offer a variety of interventions to SME’s including workshops, webinars and one-to-one meetings for pre-starts, new-starts and growth ready businesses, offering free advice and guidance to anyone looking to take that next step in business.
“I am so glad that I took up the opportunity to speak to an experienced Advisor, as it has given me the gentle push I needed and the confidence to go ahead with my plans. The support Kim Thornton, one of ESW’s Business Advisors, has given me has been invaluable. Kim has suggested a number of marketing strategies I can try and given me some guidance on which advertising platforms to use, to raise awareness, as I launch my new service. Kim was also really helpful in helping me with my pricing and giving me the confidence not to undervalue my time,” said Lynda.
Lynda also attended our 5-week Business Start-Up course at the end of last year; a comprehensive set of modules designed to take an idea to business conception.
Lynda explains; “Not only did I gain so much from the workshop, it was also inspiring being around other people looking to take a leap into business. It can be isolating running your own business, so to be able to meet other like-minded people, face-to-face and network and feel supported, I found to be extremely uplifting and encouraging.”
The Future
Following the marketing and advertising advice gained from ESW’s Business Advisor, Lynda has seen increased engagement across her social media platforms, which is all helping to raise awareness of her new decluttering service, which she has now launched. Lynda is also starting to receive referrals from professional bodies supporting vulnerable people and hopes that this is a side of her business that can grow, as she is keen to be able to help people re-gain control of their clutter and help people to thrive in their homes.
Lynda continues to be supported by our Business Support team who are currently helping Lynda to determine if there is any funding available to her.
“If you are thinking of launching a business or looking to branch out in another direction, I would 100% recommend contacting TDA’s Business Support Team. The advice they can offer is extremely helpful. Kim was respectful and very encouraging of my ideas and explained things to me in a way that was easy to understand. Kim has such a down-to-earth approach and I always had that feeling that she genuinely cared about my business,” explains Lynda.
Lynda Blank Decluttering Service
To find out more follow Lynda on Facebook
Business Support
Lynda’s support was enabled by funding from ERDF Enterprise Coaching and Torbay Council.
Enterprise South West has a team of expert Business Advisors on hand to support your business.
Whether you are an established business or a fresh start up, our qualified Business Advisors possess the skills and knowledge to help take your business to the next level.
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