After 18 years in the RAF Lou Higgs is guiding her career in a new direction that will give her more time with her husband and two young sons.
Although not due to leave her job as an Air Traffic Controller until April 2010, she has already bought a Creation Station franchise in Lincolnshire and is getting the business up and running.
Lou explained: “After I had children my priorities shifted. Having to work away from home with the RAF for four months at a time and leave my babies was heartbreaking and put everything in perspective. Family comes first now. My husband had already left the RAF and I wanted to find a way of balancing my work and home life. I decided a few years ago that investing in a franchise and being my own boss seemed the ideal solution for me.
“In my job I’m used to being in charge and it would be difficult to go somewhere else and start from scratch as a new employee. Although I have managerial and organisational skills I don’t have business experience so I need the structure and support that comes with a franchised business.”
Lou narrowed her search for a franchise to the pre-school activities market as she felt this would be more likely to fit in with family life. She contacted several franchisees and arranged to visit them and observe sessions.
“The Creation Station felt right for me,” explained Lou. “I really enjoy arts and crafts and I felt the session flowed well and the lesson plans followed a good structure. I knew I had found my future business and my next stop was to plan how I could synchronise the start-up with leaving the RAF. Because of the good salary I am on, I knew I couldn’t risk starting from scratch. By the time I leave in April 2010 I need to be established and bringing in an income.”
After discussing the situation with her employer and The Managing Director of The Creation Station, Sarah Cressall, Lou found a way to start building her business before she left her job. She would begin with Saturday sessions once a month and then add school holiday sessions though the summer of 2009. In September Lou plans to launch two weekday Exploration sessions for under 5’s. By classing her Creation Station sessions as a ‘civilian work attachment’ and by using annual leave and settlement leave she can have two days per week to run her business. Lou explained: “I’m not going to pay myself during this time as I am classing these sessions as training.”
Lou had originally planned to finance a business venture from her RAF pension but, after agreeing with her husband that it was better to get it established before her leaving date, they used their savings to pay for the franchise.
Lou added: “Once I receive my RAF pay out, I would like to invest more in the business and eventually take on additional Creation Station franchises in neighbouring areas. I don’t just want a part-time job. I want to expand and have a thriving business that will give me a full time career in a few years. My first financial goal is to achieve an income of £10,000 per year and then build up to £20,000+.”
Her thorough planning and preparation and the support she has received is already paying dividends for Lou. Her first Saturday Creation station was fully booked and the length of the waiting list prompted her to schedule two sessions back to back for the following month. “My first session was nerve racking and tiring but I was on an adrenaline high. I know it will get easier as I relax and get more familiar with the setting out and packing up. I’m really looking forward to the next sessions and getting to know the families.”
Lou hasn’t left success to chance. She generated a real buzz in the local community by implementing the bespoke Marketing Action Plan drawn up with Sarah during her training with the Creation Station. She also received PR support for her launch which resulted in editorial coverage in her local newspaper. “All the work I am currently doing is really worthwhile. I am really happy right now and excited about having more time to drive the business forward in the future and being able to fit my working life around my number one priority – my boys.”
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