Stephanie was supported to follow her passion whilst supporting her two young children.

Fair Start Scotland gave Stephanie the chance to pursue her passion. She joined in June 2021 as a single mother of two young children.

Stephanie was willing to sacrifice pursuing her passions to find a job that fit around her responsibilities as a mother. Thanks to Fair Start Scotland, and the team at Triage, she is now self-employed and running a craft business from her own home.

Why Stephanie joined Fair Start Scotland?

Stephanie was finding it difficult to secure work as she wasn’t sure what she wanted to do. Her passion was to set up her own craft business, however, being a single mum of two young children meant that she struggled to find the time to pursue her passion. Because of this, she felt that she might have to give up on her dream in order to find a job quickly.

How Fair Start Scotland helped?

Stephanie’s Personal Adviser, Jan, took the time to get to know Stephanie and her needs. Jan discovered that her tablet had recently broken so she had no way of applying for jobs. Jan looked into applying for a laptop from Digital Inclusion on Stephanie’s behalf and she also got in touch with Community Centre, The Pennypit Hub in Prestonpans. The Hub confirmed they had a tablet that had been donated which Stephanie could have as long as she met the criteria, which she did.

Stephanie sent Jan her CV as soon as the new tablet arrived, and Jan was able to review it to make sure it highlighted all of her transferable skills. Stephanie was delighted with the new updates and was eager to start job searching.

Jan wanted to help Stephanie pursue her passion so she directed her to the East Lothian Council Business Gateway, where she would have access to the information, advice, and guidance for starting her own business. Jan inspired Stephanie to not give up on her passion and looked at roles to encourage her creative side.

What was next?

Stephanie had advertised her arts and crafts on social media, and she was approached by a potential customer who asked her to design some professional marketing materials for them. She was delighted and appreciated Jan’s encouragement.

After researching her options Stephanie decided to pursue opening her own business which would allow her to work around her young children.

Jan continued to support Stephanie, by researching the possibility of applying for a business grant through Business Gateway to help Stephanie get her new business of the ground.

Where is she now?

Stephanie is currently self-employed and running a craft business from her house. She has been doing this and volunteering for the last 6 months, which she said has motivated her to start doing event décor. Stephanie has bought new equipment, including a welcome sign and a metal arch with balloons and flowers, and is planning on getting more equipment when she has covered the costs for these.

Stephanie said “At the start of Covid my husband left me with two children to look after, which changed my life massively. When I signed up to Fair Start Scotland, I felt supported and less alone in my struggles.”

Since being in work, Stephanie said she still feels supported and knows if she needs anything, we are only a phone call away. She’s doing great with her children, as working from home makes it easier for her to look after them.