Pendle Enterprise Trust - Business Start-ups

Gwynneth Clark received a £1,000 grant from Pendle Partnership via the Pendle Enterprise Trust to set up her own business.

Gwynneth is a toolmaking engineer who has 20 years of experience, particularly with fibreglass mouldings. She decided to strike out on her own when the company she had been working for changed ownership for the third time in three years and her job began to feel insecure. "At least when you are working for yourself your fate is in your own hands. I've got the freedom to chose what I do even though sometimes its harder work", she said.

Gwynneth wanted to put her engineering skills to good use by designing and producing fibreglass mouldings.

She approached Pendle Enterprise Trust for advice and found them to be very helpful. "They advised me which bank was best at supporting business start-ups and helped me avoid common pitfalls such as not budgeting properly and spending money you haven't earned. The £1,000 grant also allowed me buy vital tools and equipment to get me started including a compressor, which I wouldn't have been able to afford otherwise."

One of the major breakthroughs for her was picking up work making ornamental trimmings for PVC windows. Although this is low margin work it provides a regular income. Gwynneth also does work for the automotive industry, particularly tooling work for the assembly jigs that car dashboard manufacturers use. This is more lucrative business but is more difficult to get on a regular basis.

Gwynneth is hoping to bring in more quality work in the future to be able to take on additional staff, but she is concerned that there is still a skills shortage in the her highly specialist field. She is also concerned about the lack of business space available for business such as hers.

Overall Gwnneth is satisfied with the start she has made. "I doubled my turnover in the second year compared with the first. I'm an optimist, I've got a computer now and I'm looking at using the Internet to drum up business", she said.
 
Case study correct at September 2002.