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Skin Deep
Lynn Cowell recently set up her business Skin Deep with the help of the Welland Enterprise Agency & free Business Training provided by Business Link.
At 48 years old Lynn Cowell is finally realising her dreams of being her own boss running a mobile health and beauty business.
It was when Lynn’s husband, who had been suffering from a bad back for years, was successfully treated by a massage therapist that Lynn decided to make a career change that would put her on the road to self employment.
Realising that after just a few sessions of massage therapy her husband was feeling great benefit, Lynn decided to look into training as a massage therapist. This would not only give her the opportunity to treat her husband but allow her to set up a business offering the same benefits to others.
Lynn investigated the training options available to her but it was a friend who recommended an ITEC course in Anatomy, Physiology and Body Massage as a good starting point. Lynn enrolled on the year long course because it was held at weekends and fitted in with her family commitments.
Lynn passed with credits and was so pleased, particularly considering she hadn’t taken any exams since leaving school many years before. She wasn’t the only one who was pleased……her husband was going to enjoy the benefits of Lynn’s massage qualifications without worrying about paying for it!
Bitten by the learning bug Lynn went on to do a course in Hopi Ear Candle therapy which offers relief to people who suffer with excess ear wax. “It’s a relaxing alternative to having your ears syringed by a Doctor” says Lynn.
Following that Lynn trained to become a nail technician and got a full time job in a nail salon which she loved. Unfortunately, after three years, she suddenly developed severe dermatitis on her hands and after several months of treatment, was told she would have to give up her chosen profession. Lynn was devastated as she really loved her job.
After about ten months of looking at the options available to her, Lynn came across The College of West Anglia in Kings Lynn and found that they ran a Level 2 Flexi Beauty course.
Lynn is now a fully qualified beauty therapist. At this point Lynn realised it was time to do something with all these great qualifications.She discussed her options with her advisor at the Jobcentre who told her about the New Deal initiative which helps people on benefits to update their skills to enable them to find a job or even start working for themselves.
Having had an initial interview Lynn was told she could start on the programme and would be eligible to attend free Business Link business training courses for those looking at self employment and would benefit from one-to-one meetings with her own personal Business Link advisor.
Lynn found this programme invaluable and it gave her all of the tools she needed to get her business off the ground. The topics covered at the Business Link workshops were all relevant. From “Business Planning” to “Sales and Marketing”, from “Financial Planning” to “Managing the Money and the Risk” - all courses were very informative and well presented in an easy to understand format.
Isobel Barrett works as a Business Advisor for Welland Enterprise Agency and is assigned to the JobCentre New Deal programme. Lynn says “Isobel has been a great motivator. If I was ever down or doubted myself, a session with Isobel would buck me up. Together we worked on ideas, how to get over any hurdles I came across and ways to move forward.”
Lynn’s business is now up and running and although she has started small, it is growing steadily. “I have a small but regular client base in and around Spalding, going to people’s homes and providing a service that saves my clients time and money on parking and petrol.”
Lynn offers various beauty treatments and has recently introduced a ladies pamper afternoon/evening package.
“Looking for a reason to get together with your friends? Why not invite your friends round for a pamper evening? You can each book a treatment and enjoy being pampered while you catch up on each others busy lives.”
Lynn’s clients are happy to recommend her and word of mouth has been her best form of advertising.
When I asked Lynn if she felt she had made the right choice in starting her own business, she said:
“Absolutely! I love working with people and I love the health and beauty industry. This is my chosen path and I intend to carry on learning new skills to add to the ones I already have. If you really want to do something for yourself and the opportunity comes along, grab it with both hands. You have nothing lose……….but everything to gain!”
To find out more about the services Lynn offers, call 07939 690147.
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