CASE STUDY
Company Assisted: Andrew & Mason
Support Programme: Business Start-Up Initiative
Support Activity: Support for a New Business
Background:
Andrew & Mason Wills and Probate Advisory Network was founded by Glenda Andrew in 2009. The company offers help to customers of all ages with everything from first time wills to changes to long-standing wills and money-saving advice.
“I decided to launch my own business because I wanted to create something for myself,” explains Glenda. “I had built up a great deal of experience in the industry and I found I loved writing wills for people, but I didn't want to work for an employer any more. I wanted to work with like-minded people who, like me, find it very rewarding to help people; to make sure that their wishes and intentions are respected when it comes to making a will and protecting the interests of their loved ones.”
Support Provided:
Glenda contacted Enterprise4All, whose advisers helped her to work through the planning process and to develop new contacts through networks and advisory workshops, in which she was also able to develop new and useful management skills. She also worked with Business Link, through which she enrolled on further courses and obtained help with re-training.
“I have had a lot of support from various business networks,” notes Glenda. “The Society of Will Writers has also provided assistance that has been really valuable, but just as important as all this has been the support I've had from families and friends. Without their help in sorting out the private family arrangements, launching the new business would probably have been impossible, so I'm very grateful to all of them.
“Access to finance has been the most difficult hurdle and it's undoubtedly still a difficult issue but even so, we're very optimistic about the company's future.”
Results:
“We're still in the very early stages of the company's development,” says Glenda, “but we have lots of plans and we're confident that there is a real need for a friendly business like ours that takes a genuine personal interest in making sure that clients get exactly what they want.
“We plan to grow, so we're looking at recruitment and possible new premises. There are two of us in the business at the moment and we'll be focusing our efforts on niche markets across Lancashire. We have a Care Plan Trust for the over 60s that helps to protect clients' home and assets, and there are other sectors that we feel aren't properly serviced by other providers. The under 25s are one good example, and we have particular experience of working with people from black and minority ethnic communities, so that represents another important opportunity.”
For more information about the company’s work, please call Glenda on 01772 746688 or visit www.andrewandmason.co.uk.