Amy added that being able to take charge of employing her own PA is “brilliant” but that becoming an employer caused her worry and stress; and she wasn’t alone.

“I had been working in the health and social sector for the Local Involvement Network as its research and involvement officer. I helped people in Cornwall influence the health and social care services they received and ran focus groups to enable people to work with the organisations that plan and run care services to make positive changes. It was while I was there that I learned what people thought of the services on offer and what further support they felt they needed. Many people were worried and frightened about all that employing a PA involved even though they wanted to be able to do so to ensure they had maximum control over their care.”

It was the desire to make things easier for others in a similar position to her that inspired Amy to create her fledgling company, the PA Agency.

She said: “My business aims to assist anyone who wants to employ a PA, whether they receive money from the Government via Cornwall Council or pay out of their own funds. But to make sure my business idea became a reality I knew needed to expand my knowledge and confidence. That’s where Outset Cornwall came in.”

Amy’s self-belief soon began to grow in relation to business with peer support in the group sessions and through working with the intensive start-up programme’s advisors.

“By joining Outset Cornwall I was also able to challenge my thoughts and to make sure that I was planning correctly and not overlooking crucial parts of running a business.  I do like to plan and be prepared but I am quickly learning it is not always possible when running your own business.”

Amy has now put all that she has taken from the Outset Cornwall course to good use by taking the worry and anxiety about employing someone to care away with The PA Agency.

Its support will include: recruiting a PA; matching a registered PA from the Agency’s bank; advertising and recruiting a PA if one not found through bank system; and covering human resources and legal aspects of employing a personal assistant.

Along with this provision Amy’s new company will also take care of writing contracts and job descriptions; running Criminal Record Bureau checks; getting the right insurance in place; payroll; holiday leave entitlements; and PA’s induction and reviews.

Amy added: “We will also answer any questions about employment law as well as so much more such as managing your ‘personal budgets’ bank account and accessing training for the carer and their PA. It’s all about making things easier. I like to make sure that everyone is treated equally and believe that everyone has something to offer.”

She found that the one-to-one support provided by Outset Cornwall was invaluable, saying that “Without this support I would not have even started to believe that I could be running my own business full time and exploring my full potential”.

Amy now hopes to attend some post start up training sessions, such as the ones she went along too all about social media, which she found “superb” and with her year’s complimentary membership to Cornwall Enterprising Women, subsidised through Outset Cornwall, she has also gained excellent PR coverage in the local media thanks to its women’s enterprise co-ordinator, Josie Purcell, a former local journalist.

By employing a ‘personal assistant’ people will have maximum control of their care, be able to build a one-to-one relationship with their PA and use their PA to enable them to live the life they want.

As a very new start up Amy is now looking forward to having her first customer and building excellent relationships with Cornwall Council to enable it to refer people to her.

Looking to the future Amy smiled: “I want to be known for offering a superb support service that helps people to retain and expand their independence and I would like my business to develop into a family business that can employ me full time.”

When not looking after business Amy loves to be out and about exploring Cornwall and making the most of what it has to offer along with cooking and spending time with her friends and family.

“It was also important to me to create something that would enable our family to work together in our local area where there is a strong feeling of community even though it is rather rural.

“The idea for creating a hub through a community café seemed the ideal way of bringing people together and potentially providing a secure future for my family.

“Historically, this type of café has been seen mainly in urban areas, but at Apple Tree we believe that rural communities need them even more, to serve as a meeting place to exchange ideas and provide information, as well as sharing skills and utilising local talent; a place where we can appreciate and inspire each other.”

To get things right from the beginning Helen knew she needed guidance. She had met a number of mums during her former work with Sure Start who had accessed business start-up support through Outset Cornwall.

She said: “I wanted to give my business the best chance I could. I knew I had a lot to learn and needed space and time to talk through my ideas.  Taking part on the Outset Cornwall programme helped me to believe in myself and gave me the confidence to follow my dream. Through doing all the market research myself, seeing how it all linked together and looking at the bigger picture it made me realise my plans would work. The most memorable part for me was learning that I am a risk taker after all.”

As someone who describes herself as adaptable, determined and up for a challenge Helen set about creating the Apple Tree Café.

Not only does it act as place for locals and visitors to get together and enjoy great food, including special dietary options such as gluten and wheat free, it also holds theme nights, provides space for artists to display their work, runs creative activities and classes, and is a showcase for her husband’s bread making skills.

“Everyone is welcome at the café including children, dogs and muddy boots,” Helen smiled.

“I hope to build a venue that supports local people and producers and that becomes a big part of the community. In future I plan to build a micro-bakery on site to expand our bread-making element and possibly supply other outlets, while also developing our green credentials.

“At the Apple Tree we want to tread lightly on the earth. We compost our raw food waste and use it to help grow our salad veg, while other food waste goes to our hens. All card, bottles, cans etc are taken to be recycled and nothing is wasted. We want to lead by example through running courses on topics such as composting, while also growing our own salads and herbs.”

The Appletree Café is open all year, serving breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea.

Pop in for a bite to eat and a natter or visit www.theappletreecafe.co.uk for more information.

Martine had accompanied her grandmother to various churchyards when she was a little girl and because of her caring nature she was saddened by the sight of neglected graves.

Remembering this neglect was the inspiration behind her desire to set up her business, Grave Concerns.

“When my grandmother could no longer look after various family graves I took them over and have amassed a wealth of experience in grave care during the past 20 years. I came to Outset Cornwall though because I had no idea how to set up a business and I wanted to do it properly.”

Her business will provide a local, caring and personal grave and memorial tending service to bring “peace of mind” to those who are unable, for whatever reason, to look after their loved one’s place of burial.

Through taking part in Outset Cornwall Martine discovered that starting a business was more challenging than she envisioned but it also helped her with practical business facts and in stimulating ideas and different trains of thought.

She said: “Outset Cornwall was very inspirational and helpful. It really helped me to understand myself but my most memorable part is probably overcoming my nerves and actually enjoying delivering my business presentation at the end of the course. I would recommend Outset Cornwall to anyone starting their own business.”

Grave Concerns will be operating in West Cornwall initially, offering a wide range of price packages to suit various needs and budgets, with some starting from as little as 25 pence per day and flexible options to match individual circumstances.

In the immediate future Martine is concentrating on promoting the business and attracting clients with long-term plans to become the leading grave care company in Cornwall.

She added: “ I want to ensure that all burial grounds look more cared for and help the bereaved enjoy a feeling of peace knowing that Grave Concerns is caring for their departed loved ones.”

With 20 years experience in social work and seven years in the field of finance and debt advice Rowena knew that she wanted to use her fiscal skills and knowledge productively and this led her to launching Footsteps Solutions.

“My business guides people through a safe and clear pathway so that they can reach a space where they can regain control of their lives and finances. Each step will be supported so that clients fully understand what is happening and why.”

In the future Rowena plans to offer a consultancy service, run workshops, give presentations and expand the business through experience.

She added: “Taking part in Outset Cornwall was very interesting and worthwhile and helped me to understand my potential. I specialise in family debt, income recovery, mortgage arrears, council tax debt, utilities debt, bank charges credit cards and loan debts. Having had first hand personal debt and money issues I firmly believe a person is not in a position to advise on this subject unless they have been there themselves.”

Rowena feels passionately about a quality service that brings clarity and support to people in their time of need.

She is currently waiting for membership of the Institute of Money Advisers and will shortly be licensed by the Office of Fair Trading.

There are a variety of free Higher Level Skills Days taking place for anyone who is unsure about their ability to undertake a Higher Level Qualification.

Further information is available at the Truro College website www.trurocollege.ac.uk/SUCCESS

“I was very upset after my apprenticeship with an ecological and landscape consultancy, came to an end.” she said. “When I took on the apprenticeship I learnt all about GIS mapping and upgraded the company’s brand identity on and offline. I thoroughly enjoyed my work and those whom I worked with. Unfortunately I found myself with reduced hours of work when it finished and they were just not enough to sustain me.”

Caroline had originally studied Information Design at Falmouth Art School in 1998 and had worked for a children’s toy and furniture manufacturer for a number of years where she was involved with most aspects of the business, including product and packaging design to quality control.

She then decided to retrain in 3D modelling (Rhino3D CAD) and web design (Dreamweaver) and did so well she chose to remain in this field of work.

By the time her apprenticeship was up Caroline felt that she had become “unemployable” as she was “too educated, too creative and too old” to apply for any other apprenticeships or similar posts and it was this that spurred her on to be her own boss.

She said: “ When I first came to Outset Cornwall I was still in shock at potentially being unemployed. After working for many years for other people I felt comfortable in my own skills but I wasn’t sure which ones I could turn into a viable business.”

The fact that the programme was free and within easy travelling distance also appealed to Caroline, as she had to continue to work while starting the course.

“Quite often, Outset Cornwall gave me structure to my week and targets to aim for. It was a lonely and disorientating time in the beginning. Normally shy, I was pleasantly surprised that I could make a valuable contribution to not just my company, but others too. The advisors were fantastic; I cannot praise them highly enough. I simply would have not got where I am without their support and advice.”

Caroline is now putting her technical and creative expertise to good use with her new business, Clear Mapping Company.

It creates location, direction and route maps for companies throughout the South West, providing professionals within the planning industry with maps and as well as brand identity for new businesses.

Visit clearmapping.co.uk for more information.

Kerry and Ant started their business, ‘This Life Media’, after recognising their skills were complementary and could provide a unique new service when combined. Their business brings the power of video and photography together in a one-stop-shop media service.

With support from Outset Cornwall, the pair was able to make ‘This Life Media’ a reality. The business start-up course provided them with the knowledge they needed to launch while giving advice and guidance on what they both needed to do to create a sustainable new business.

“Although together we have a fair amount of knowledge and experience in video and photography, neither of us had any experience in business at all.”

“The knowledge we gained from the advisors at each session was incredibly valuable, but more than anything, the sessions gave us both confidence that we are capable of starting and running our own business.”

They enjoy working with businesses that are looking to adapt their visual marketing and online presence as well as offering services for weddings or photo-shoots; perfect for individuals looking to capture those special occasions.

The pair started the business after undertaking a variety of different jobs ranging from cleaning to telecommunications.

“Although my working background has never had a clear direction, it has always been my plan to make a career from something creative.” Says Kerry.

Kerry and Ant are hoping to develop the business further in the future. Their ultimate dream is to reach a level where the business is fully established and they are able to work on this full time.

To find out more about This Life Media you can email info@thislifemedia.co.uk or visit their website www.thislifemedia.co.uk.

With 13 years experience in the IT sector, Martyn recognised that he could offer his expert skills to home users and small businesses alike by setting up his own IT consultancy.

Martyn’s business, ‘Martyn Atkins BSc IT Consultancy’ aims to help small businesses and organisations based in the South-West by helping them to get online.

Martyn also seeks to help individual home users and small businesses understand the jargon behind their computers by providing no-stress IT solutions.The services he offers include broadband configurations, virus removal, and PC troubleshooting, tackling those everyday problems that we sometimes just can’t figure out.

“I enjoy explaining new ideas and concepts to individuals or groups. I am able to effectively explain complex IT ideas and concepts to people with different levels of understanding.”

Outset Cornwall was at hand to help and assist Martyn on his journey into self-employment. Through attending courses within his local area, Martyn was able to gain a detailed understanding of the skills needed to launch and sustain his new business.

“The programme gave me the tools I needed to feel confident setting up and running my own business. Without the programme, I don’t think I would have had the confidence to go ahead and take the brave step into starting my own business.”

So what does the future hold for Martyn? As well as planning to raise awareness of the business through advertising and continued networking, Martyn also aims to help others on the Outset Cornwall programme that are facing the same challenges.

“By visiting the programme groups running in my area, I can present my experiences to these people as well as feeding back the positive experiencse I have had with Outset Cornwall.”

To contact Martyn please call 01752 815219, email: martyn@martynatkins.co.uk or visit www.martynatkins.co.uk

Daniel’s boundless energy and positivity were a constant source of inspiration to us all. He regularly volunteered to take part in events and initiatives, helping to motivate and support others into self-employment – while at the same time launching his own fantastic business, Joey Pouch.

Our thoughts are with Daniel’s family and friends. He will be sadly missed.