Mum of four had vision of starting business while on maternity leave

Eve Beattie explained that it was during her maternity leave with her fourth child that she had the vision to established her own business.

“I realised that with the time constraints of four young children and the price of childcare going back to work was no longer a feasible option,” she said. “I wanted to do something which would allow me to combine the flexibility of family with work and give me a good balance. I also wanted to develop and use my skill sets.”

From her initial idea, ‘Eveva’ was born – setting her up as a virtual assistant.

“I saw a niche in the market for this type of work with small businesses and self-employed people who simply do not have the time to manage the tasks themselves,” she continued. “I offer a range of services, particularly in digital marketing, where I manage email marketing campaigns and social media pages for clients. I joined a few local networking groups, where I have since met my first clients and I am now starting to see referrals come through.”

Eve turned her vision into a reality after taking part in the Go For It Programme, which is delivered free of charge by a team of experienced business mentors through Northern Ireland’s wide network of enterprise agencies.

It provides expert advice and help with developing a robust business plan to help turn ideas into a commercial enterprise.

Commenting on the success of the programme Eve, who did it through the Workspace Group and Mid Ulster Council said: “Often it is hard to know where to start; that was my experience before starting the Go For It Programme. The support and guidance offered through it helped me fine tune my business idea from concept to working reality.

“Workspace Enterprises helped me with practical things in the early stages like setting out a business plan and doing a detailed analysis. It was great for helping me to budget and forward plan.”

Councillor Sean McPeake, Chair of Mid Ulster Council, added: “The Council is delighted to see Eve reaping the benefits of the Go For It Programme.

If you have a business idea you’d like to develop or if you are thinking about starting a business call 0800 027 0639 or visit: www.goforitni.com