Single parent Charmaine had been made redundant for the third time in ten years, and was struggling to cope. ‘It was a massive stress, and I felt starting again was completely futile. I had no money and no social life.’
Hearing about Livability Enterprise’s course sparked hope in Charmaine that starting her own business might be a way out of unemployment. ‘I don’t think I’d ever thought of running a business before. I wasn’t sure if my idea was ridiculous or brilliant.’
[pullquote cite=”Charmaine Rolph Enterprise award winner” type=”right”]I feel my destiny is in my hands now, and the sky’s the limit. I’ve worked really hard and am seeing loads of positives[/pullquote]Charmaine attended Livability training and mentoring sessions to develop her business plan. An ‘at your desk’ massage service for office workers experiencing neck and shoulder tension. She found her business launch ‘a massive learning curve’ but persevered. ‘The best moment was when I was asked by a city investment bank to offer massages to their 800 employees. I now go there every two weeks and offer a range of treatments.’
Charmaine was thrilled to win Livability Enterprise’s Award for Outstanding Achievement in November 2014, and her business continues to thrive, with five therapists now on her team.