Achieving the dream
Restart Scheme helps Scott build self-employment success
A Rotherham man who was out of work for two years has achieved his dream of working for himself after the Restart Scheme supported him to set up his own business.
Scott Cowdell, 35, has always worked in construction until the Covid-19 pandemic hit, and he found himself out of work in 2020. It was at this point that Scott made it his mission to become self-employed, but he struggled to make his dreams a reality until he joined the Restart Scheme in June 2022.
In South Yorkshire, The Growth Company delivers the Restart Scheme on behalf of Maximus.
Scott’s Employment Advisor, Chris, worked with him to identify what he needed to do in order to become self-employed. Chris helped Scott to operate as a Sole Trader, supporting him to register with the tax office for his UTR number so that he could start trading as soon as possible.
To help Scott get a head start with his new venture, Chris accessed funding from Maximus’ Community Partnership Network to help him with his marketing materials. Chris designed business cards, leaflets, car magnet signs and a large banner that Scott could hang from his scaffold to advertise his construction services to the community.
Thanks to this all-round support, Scott branched out into the world of self-employment a month ago, becoming the proud owner of SDC Home Improvements in Rotherham.
Scott continues to grow his business, and with his variety of skills, he is able to provide a range of services, from brickwork pointing to garden maintenance.
Reflecting on his experience, Scott said: “The support to start my own business from Chris and the Restart Scheme has been outstanding. Helping me to grow from the early stages, I am very pleased with the support I have received; the team organised the first few vital things to start my business, which has included funding to pay for initial marketing materials.”
Kate Liddle, Restart Scheme Service Manager for The Growth Company in Rotherham, said: “I was pleased that Chris was able to support Scott to develop his business idea and access the CPN funds for his marketing material.
“I am delighted to work on the Restart Scheme for the Growth Company because we are all able to help implement positive changes to people’s lives like Scott and were able to help him to develop his vision of working self-employed.”
