About our team
Enterprise Junction is a CIO (Charitable Incorporated Organisation) who change lives through entrepreneurship. We recognised that people with additional barriers had what it takes to start up on their own and become their own boss but were often intimidated by mainstream business support. Our research led us to run a programme that is practical, inclusive and values confidence building and self-esteem as much as the practical steps to starting up on your own. Enterprise Junction believe in and support the individual in their desire to change above and beyond societies expectations.
The Team
Helen Smith - Project Manager
Helen is a real advocate of self-development, which is why she believes in the work that Enterprise Junction do. Through her own experiences she understands how far a little encouragement, guidance and self-belief can go. She is CIPD qualified and recently achieved a CPD certificate in self-esteem and assertiveness. She also volunteers for Haircuts4Homeless.
Helen is a real advocate of self-development, which is why she believes in the work that Enterprise Junction do. Through her own experiences she understands how far a little encouragement, guidance and self-belief can go. She is CIPD qualified and recently achieved a CPD certificate in self-esteem and assertiveness. She also volunteers for Haircuts4Homeless.
Michelle Gibbins - Chairperson
Can you give us examples of some of the challenges you have experienced being self-employed, giving a real-life example?
Confidence was an enormous barrier for me, and with my line of self-employed work I found this to be two-fold. Running a sports and complementary therapy business can often mean that people have expectations that you will ‘look’ a certain way – and I don’t. Which I found to be very challenging initially.
Also, when you’re self-employed, there’s no-where to hide, so anything that doesn’t go according to plan can inevitably be ‘your fault’ (excluding those situations that are outside of your control of course!). So, I found I had to learn quickly to adapt, to accommodate changes and to be far more flexible than I had needed to be in employed work. This however, has not been a bad thing at all, and I discovered a new confidence and a wholly new way of working that has made me better at all challenges I’ve encountered since, despite how uncomfortable it was at the beginning!
What are your top 5 passions in life? What is your most satisfying work?
What have been the best things about being self-employed?
Knowing that I have been able to learn, to educate myself and to push myself out of my comfort zone to achieve things I never thought would be possible for me. And making a living out of it makes it even more worthwhile! Also, having total flexibility to be my own boss, to work when it suited my customers, me and on occasion my personal life too was an enormous perk, that again was very challenging to adjust to at the beginning, but totally worth it once I’d figured it out.
What do you think would be the biggest barriers to our client groups and how do you think EJ will help them get over them?
If you’ve only ever been in employed work, self-employment can be very hard to adjust to at the beginning, especially if you’ve had a knock-back or a kick to your confidence at some stage. I anticipate having the confidence in themselves to think that they are worth the investment, and that the hard work will pay off in the end would be a barrier that anyone would face. I would be encouraging anyone on the path to self-employment to lean on the resources around them, use the tolls they are given and ask a thousand questions along the way. I learnt so much from friends who were self-employed and wouldn’t be where I am today without their support and encouragement.
What's the most ridiculous or embarrassing situation you have ever been in with a wild animal?
There was a time, and I won’t mention where or who I was with, but after a spectacularly heavy night of cocktails, I was very sadly sick all over a dolphin the following morning. To this day I can’t stomach tequila or not feel guilty at the image of a dolphin….
Can you give us examples of some of the challenges you have experienced being self-employed, giving a real-life example?
Confidence was an enormous barrier for me, and with my line of self-employed work I found this to be two-fold. Running a sports and complementary therapy business can often mean that people have expectations that you will ‘look’ a certain way – and I don’t. Which I found to be very challenging initially.
Also, when you’re self-employed, there’s no-where to hide, so anything that doesn’t go according to plan can inevitably be ‘your fault’ (excluding those situations that are outside of your control of course!). So, I found I had to learn quickly to adapt, to accommodate changes and to be far more flexible than I had needed to be in employed work. This however, has not been a bad thing at all, and I discovered a new confidence and a wholly new way of working that has made me better at all challenges I’ve encountered since, despite how uncomfortable it was at the beginning!
What are your top 5 passions in life? What is your most satisfying work?
- Motivating others to be the best they can be.
- Seeing people achieve the success they have worked hard for.
- Developing new relationships and enjoying established ones develop.
- Learning new skills.
- Being part of something that makes a difference (no matter how big or small!).
What have been the best things about being self-employed?
Knowing that I have been able to learn, to educate myself and to push myself out of my comfort zone to achieve things I never thought would be possible for me. And making a living out of it makes it even more worthwhile! Also, having total flexibility to be my own boss, to work when it suited my customers, me and on occasion my personal life too was an enormous perk, that again was very challenging to adjust to at the beginning, but totally worth it once I’d figured it out.
What do you think would be the biggest barriers to our client groups and how do you think EJ will help them get over them?
If you’ve only ever been in employed work, self-employment can be very hard to adjust to at the beginning, especially if you’ve had a knock-back or a kick to your confidence at some stage. I anticipate having the confidence in themselves to think that they are worth the investment, and that the hard work will pay off in the end would be a barrier that anyone would face. I would be encouraging anyone on the path to self-employment to lean on the resources around them, use the tolls they are given and ask a thousand questions along the way. I learnt so much from friends who were self-employed and wouldn’t be where I am today without their support and encouragement.
What's the most ridiculous or embarrassing situation you have ever been in with a wild animal?
There was a time, and I won’t mention where or who I was with, but after a spectacularly heavy night of cocktails, I was very sadly sick all over a dolphin the following morning. To this day I can’t stomach tequila or not feel guilty at the image of a dolphin….
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Charlotte McMenemy - Trustee
Can you give us examples of some of the challenges you have experienced being self-employed, giving a real life example? Keeping focused and motivated can be challenging at times when you may not always feel inspired to get on, with having only yourself to kick butt to get back on track. It can feel overwhelming running your own business as there’s lots to do, thinking outside the box to problem solve, even when there’s times when you feel you can’t find solutions to the issues that come up. What are your top passions in life? What is your most satisfying work? When things are going smoothly, over the years learning to approach my work in a relaxed way. When I get inspiration from work I’ve done. What have been the best things about being self-employed? Being self-employed is rewarding. It often pushes my comfort zones, especially when first starting my business. It’s empowering to do work I’m passionate about. What do you think would be the biggest barriers to our client groups and how do you think EJ will help them get over them? Having self belief and confidence to move forward with starting your own business can feel daunting, EJ can support clients inspiring clear communication, giving strategies and resources, allowing clients to discover their confidence and strengths to move forward. What's the most ridiculous or embarrassing situation you have ever been in with a wild animal? Always running away from cows, they are like wilder beasts to me! |
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Wendy Pye - Trustee
Can you give us examples of some of the challenges you have experienced being self-employed, giving a real life example?
It can be difficult doing everything yourself when you run your own business. It can be well worth investing in people to support you with a specific job if you're struggling to manage or stay motivated about doing everything yourself. For me one of the main challenges of self-employment has been maintaining enthusiasm for networking and marketing. Blowing my own trumpet and putting my business out there has often felt uneasy. I’ve managed to do it with more ease when I've felt enthusiastic and confident about my business but noticed that I've let the marketing slip when I've had doubts or thoughts about changing direction.
What is your most satisfying work?
Being paid for work that inspires and challenges my creativity and meets clients' expectations.
What have been the best things about being self-employed?
There are many positive things about being self-employed. You are your own boss & you make the decisions about the ethos of your business. You can be more flexible and less rigid about how you manage your time. It can be exciting, challenging, diverse, empowering, satisfying and very rewarding.
What do you think would be the biggest barriers to our client groups and how do you think EJ will help them get over them?
Self-confidence, fear and not knowing where to start are typical blocks to starting your own business. EJ can support their clients by helping them articulate any blocks they may be feeling and then devise specific support and solutions to help them move forward. I also believe that knowledge building about how to start a new business will help build general motivation and confidence to empower individuals to eventually help themselves.
What's the most ridiculous or embarrassing situation you have ever been in with a wild animal?
My heart can be like a wild animal but has occasionally driven me towards embarrassing situations!
"People's hearts are like wild animals. They attach their selves to those that love and train them” - Ali ibn Abi Talib.
Can you give us examples of some of the challenges you have experienced being self-employed, giving a real life example?
It can be difficult doing everything yourself when you run your own business. It can be well worth investing in people to support you with a specific job if you're struggling to manage or stay motivated about doing everything yourself. For me one of the main challenges of self-employment has been maintaining enthusiasm for networking and marketing. Blowing my own trumpet and putting my business out there has often felt uneasy. I’ve managed to do it with more ease when I've felt enthusiastic and confident about my business but noticed that I've let the marketing slip when I've had doubts or thoughts about changing direction.
What is your most satisfying work?
Being paid for work that inspires and challenges my creativity and meets clients' expectations.
What have been the best things about being self-employed?
There are many positive things about being self-employed. You are your own boss & you make the decisions about the ethos of your business. You can be more flexible and less rigid about how you manage your time. It can be exciting, challenging, diverse, empowering, satisfying and very rewarding.
What do you think would be the biggest barriers to our client groups and how do you think EJ will help them get over them?
Self-confidence, fear and not knowing where to start are typical blocks to starting your own business. EJ can support their clients by helping them articulate any blocks they may be feeling and then devise specific support and solutions to help them move forward. I also believe that knowledge building about how to start a new business will help build general motivation and confidence to empower individuals to eventually help themselves.
What's the most ridiculous or embarrassing situation you have ever been in with a wild animal?
My heart can be like a wild animal but has occasionally driven me towards embarrassing situations!
"People's hearts are like wild animals. They attach their selves to those that love and train them” - Ali ibn Abi Talib.
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Matthew Searle - Trustee
Can you give us examples of some of the challenges you have experienced being self-employed, giving a real life example? I find its sometimes harder to ‘switch-off’ now I am self-employed. Because there’s more temptation to think about my business outside of normal working hours; and less to stop me just going and sitting at my work desk, say at the weekend. And its important to work a little harder to keep in regular touch with your work network. That way, you avoid a sense of isolation which is not good for anyone, including those running a business. I have recently taken on an assistant who comes to my office one day a week. I really look forward to those days, each of us working hard but also laughing together at the same time! What are your top passions in life? What is your most satisfying work? I get a real sense of satisfaction from just helping people – anything from giving directions to a lost motorist to pulling out all the stops over several months to help my clients achieve a good result when they come to sell their business after a lifetime’s hard work. What have been the best things about being self-employed? It tests you a lot; and in so many different ways. But the sense of achievement when it all comes together successfully gives me a real buzz. But the best thing is probably the freedom to work in the way you believe is best – striking a healthy balance between your own needs and the needs and expectations of your customers. What do you think would be the biggest barriers to our client groups and how do you think EJ will help them get over them? Confidence is always a big issue for anyone thinking about starting their own business. It takes a lot of courage and self-belief to back yourself in that way. EJ’s programmes allow their client groups to experience what’s involved and, more importantly, to demonstrate to themselves that its not so hard and that they can do it. Also, we can help my introducing them to people who have already set up their own successful businesses. Having an inspiring role model is always a massive help for someone setting out on the path of building their own business. What's the most ridiculous or embarrassing situation you have ever been in with a wild animal? In a hotel room in Greece once, we suddenly saw a scorpion crawling down the wall. Like lots of Brits, I am an animal lover and so carefully captured it in a cut down plastic bottle and took it outside and released it safely over a wall and into the bushes. When I told the hotel owner the next day, he was really cross with me for not squashing it dead! 
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