PRIME Initiative

Linda March, who is over 50, is currently setting up a rather unusual business. Called Court Support, it provides a service to witnesses attending a Court of Law or similar hearing.

Linda attends Court with the witness. She supports them throughout the experience by explaining the court process, helping with their testimony or statement and dealing with resulting press queries.

Linda previously worked for a public sector organisation and delivered a similar court support service for the staff. This service was well received by both staff and their managers. There seemed plenty of demand for this rather specialised area of public relations.

When her job came to an end Linda thought that this was an idea she might be able to turn into a free-standing Court Support business. It would give her the chance to put her energies into something new.

Linda did extensive market research into the sectors where her unique service could be utilised. She made progress through networking and at last made a connection with a firm of Public Relations consultants that specialise in litigation. They are encouraging and enthusiastic about the concept and have contacts that will open the door to the sort of work she has envisaged.

The main barrier Linda had to overcome were her doubts about whether her idea would be commercially viable as a separate stand-alone service She was uncertain about finding clients who would be able to afford the service and the appropriate fee level. So far she has found no competition with which to benchmark her idea.

These barriers have been overcome to some extent through contact with the relevant organisations and making links with the right people. Currently, Linda is working on the specific literature that will both explain and promote this new service.

When asked what she has learnt about herself during the setting up of her business, Linda said she has learnt to be “cautiously optimistic and not to be put off too easily”. She has worked steadily and incrementally to make the right contacts in order to go forward with her business idea. She has learnt the importance of pitching the service at the right price to the right audience.

Linda enjoys taking sometimes bewildering and complicated information, simplifying it into various components and supporting someone in the understanding and use of that information. As Linda says “this is the basis of all good communication management.” It is this same process that stimulates Linda to help people. Aided by her natural enthusiasm, this is the ‘buzz’ and motivation for starting a business.

Linda admits that if she had started this business in the past she might have panicked but now she knows that she is a self-starter who can operate without the comfort of an organisation and monthly salary. She is feeling excited and quite adventurous about the future.

Linda is in the very early stages of her business so she is not at the point where she can say in retrospect what changes she might make if she was starting all over again. However, she says she has kept going with a supportive network of family and friends and by attending the Forward at 50 business support training course at London Metropolitan University. Linda places great value on the encouragement the course offered and the stimulation of learning together with other like minded people, who like herself believe that it is never too late to start your own business and develop in a new direction.

Finally, Linda gives this advice to other women starting out on their own into self-employment. “Search within yourself and into your own values and do what you enjoy. Do something to lift the spirit and then obstacles can be overcome. Learn everything you can about implementing your idea as a business before you start. When things are not going right, just keep at it – be tenacious. If that fails, eat chocolate, tomorrow it WILL look different!”