“For over 10 years I have been a teaching assistant but have always dreamt about setting up my own photographic business,” says married, father-of-two Andy Laidlaw whose children are his main motivation for him to succeed in self-employment.
“I want to give my kids a better quality of education and life; and something I unfortunately didn’t receive.”
Andy read about Outset Plymouth in the local press and decided to come along to one of the free networking events held on the last Wednesday of every month for clients’ to network with other self-employed entrepreneurs.
“I soon realised that the Outset programme was exactly what I needed and wanted to do! I am aware of the uncertainty of the future when working for someone else, and feel the next chapter of my life is ‘me time’; turning a loved hobby – into a full time job.”
“I found the workshops at Outset Plymouth very positive;, with the content around finance being incredibly helpful. I have made some fantastic contacts and friends on the programme, especially the Outset team who are always at the other end of a phone if I need them.”
Andy has lived in Plymouth all his life and was educated at Charles Secondary School. “I came out of school un-qualified and went on a government-training programme called YTS (Youth Training Scheme) where I learned painting and decorating. I then had a very long spell of unemployment. Thankfully I eventually found employment in a retail shop for about 3 years. I had a few other job changes prior to settling into education in the late 1990′s.”
“I took an NVQ 3 in care and worked with disabled children that inspired me to want to become a teaching assistant. My current job follows a lesson curriculum plan and I help to run a class of 30 children.”
Andy’s new business is called A.L-Photos where he specialises in portraits, modelling portfolios, nature shots, media agency work, and animal portraits.
Outset Plymouth has been funded by the ERDF Competitiveness and Employment programme, which invests in activities that will have a long term-term impact on the growth and develop of the local economy.
For more information on Andy Laidlaw please contact Outset Plymouth on Tel 0800 0285699
more news
