Susan's story

Susan already had an enterprise idea that she wanted to pursue but wasn't sure how to get it off the ground. She found out about 'The Business!' programme at a presentation to a lone parent group in Battersea. Susan is in her mid forties and a single parent with three children aged between 9 months and 14 years.

Prior to the course, Susan had been on other training programmes including a childcare course and event/door security training but she was "itching" to get her women's security business started. At this point she says "as far as being my own boss goes, I didn't know where to start".

Susan enrolled on the project with two of her friends who she hoped would join her in partnership with the business. Susan says that the programme "opened up my mind" and helped her believe that she could become a business owner and work for herself.

By attending further sessions on developing a business plan and cashflow, setting up a business as a legal entity, and organising finances and marketing, Susan has been able to go on with her two friends to set up her business, Secure Pink. She says the project "has given me the confidence to actively do it" before she didn't think she had the ability. Susan was featured in a BBC London 'Inside Out' documentary in March which talked about the perils of women doing security work in bars and clubs.

Susan left the project having completed 69 hours of training. As well as developing the Secure Pink company, she plans to undergo further training to become an assessor so that she can train other women to either work as part of her company or become self employed.

'The Business!' is for Black, Asian or minority ethnic women who want to enter creative employment, or are interested in setting up their own creative businesses or social enterprises. The project is funded by London Council's ESF (European Social Fund) co-financing programme