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Dragon's Den

How many business woman have to go through a 'business viability' check and 1:1 interview before they can do anything. I can not work without physical assistance. I have very little movement in my head and limbs. I had to endure a 1:1 interview and put my case forward as to why A2W should fund my personal assistance.

I had to disclose financial details such as how much I planned on spending on christmas presents, how much I spent on social gatherings, mortgage, utilities, magazine subscriptions, food..... and I was told 'to be honest'. The interviewer scanned her eyes around my home, where the interview took place, looking for signs that I had more or less money than I had disclosed. I had to prove that myself and my husband were living within our means and didn't have a 4 foot plasma screen TV hidden in the corner!
We went over everything from number of Degrees I held through to my marketing and financial strategies.

It took a good few hours. She would then go away and I would get the results in the post - if they said yes I could continue setting up in business. If they said no, then I would have to privately fund my assistance of over £700 a week or give up self employment.

In the meantime they would pay me £11 an hour for personal assistance up until the last day of October.

October came....

No letter, I have also filed out about 20 pages of two application forms to the ILF. I have both the ILF and Social Services on standby to provide financial assistance should A2W decide not to fund.

I have spent over a week filling out forms to organise my personal assistance.
I went on holiday for 1 week.
Postal strikes and IT failure plagued my efforts.

I had spent the last three months doing business set-up, mailshots, advertising, networking etc. I almost had three contracts - then they fell through. Time was pushing on ... still no reply. I wondered if all my hard work had been for nothing... what if they didn't fund. My business would be over before it had started.

The pressure was immense.

I am told I can not use ILF or DPs for work purposes. If this fails I will not be able to work.

I feel demotivated - will my hard work be for nothing. It is an ugly black cloud over my head.

It was a few days to go until the end of October, I contacted A2W to ask what they had decided.
They said the letter was 'lost in the post'. I was e-mailed a copy. It stated I had a viable business plan. I was asked how many contracts I had. I had none - and I hadn't been expecting an income until my marketing strategy kicked in. I had been given three months to secure substantial contracts - just three months. I am not told how 'substantial' these should be.

I didn't get the funding. Officially I am not working but doing 'meaningful activities'. The alternative is I go to a day centre with large numbers of other disabled people who could work given half the chance.
Once there I could make baskets and play scrabble or have a sing-a-long.
I would cost the tax payer a lot of money and go mad. It is no place for a person with two degrees and a desire to work.

I would find it almost impossible to work for anyone but myself because of the flexibility and home working base that I would need - not many people offer work that is flexible enough.

I will not be giving up on my business just yet though.