12th July 2010Florist gets Steel Industry Boost
When Evette Flavell lost her job with a flower wholesaler she could see that self employment was her only option. Now, with a little financial help from UK Steel Enterprise, she has opened her own florist business in Wolverhampton.
Lillies, in High Street Albrighton, is busy providing flowers for every occasion from weddings and birthdays to funerals. Evette used the Kickstart funding from Corus Group subsidiary UK Steel Enterprise to buy business cards and towards producing a catalogue of floral tributes which she can distribute to local funeral directors to bring in more business.
“I used my contacts in the flower industry to get started,” said 29 year old Evette. “The company I was working for went under and I lost my job so I decided the best thing for me to do was to start up on my own. The grant from UK Steel Enterprise has helped with my marketing and upgrading my website. I'm also getting the business known on the internet through Facebook.”
The scheme is operated in partnership with the Chamber and Black Country Enterprise to help new businesses and UK Steel Enterprise have recently agreed to extend it.
Visiting the new business, UKSE Regional Manager Keith Williams commented, “Evette has used her experience in the flower business as the basis of her business which means she has a head start to success. Our Black Country Kickstart Fund has proved very popular and, having helped over 100 new businesses in the last year, we have now extended the initiative until March 2011.”
He added, “Becoming your own boss has become very appealing to people in the Black Country area as the number of jobs has diminished in the downturn. Helping new entrepreneurs start their businesses is one way in which we can encourage the local economy to grow. This initiative is in addition to our core business of providing finance for more established companies who want to expand, move into new premises or acquire other businesses. We can invest up to £750,000 and also finance management buy-outs and buy-ins.”
Evette has been busy gearing up for the wedding season attending wedding fairs to get the new business known amongst brides planning their wedding day. | 
