Looking to turn his own mental health problems into a positive career-changing step, Trevor Tacey turned his back on the construction industry to begin his new path in helping others overcome trauma and addictions. To help him realise this dream fully, he turned to NBV for business advice and help with his business plan. Trevor tells us more about his start-up journey.
Tell us more about Real Changes for Life and what has inspired you?
The business is run from home which is in Kelham Village on the outskirts of Newark.
I am a Biofield Therapist. I use energy psychology to work with people who are suffering with stress-related mental health problems.
The unique part of the business is that I specialise in trauma and addictions. I also teach my clients how to use these techniques so that they always have a tool to help them in difficult times. Although I am not employing anyone at the moment my family help out and my wife is a certified Practitioner.
When and why did you start your own business?
My past career was as a Plater/Welder in the construction industry. I started my business as a direct result of my own struggles with trauma addictions and other mental health problems. My qualifications include Certified Life Coach and Law of Attraction Practitioner and a BTEC Diploma Level 3 in Counselling.
How did you find out about NBV and what attracted you to us?
I found out about NBV through an internet search. What attracted me was NBV’s professionalism and skills. I was also impressed by the diverse range of help that NBV gives in different areas of business that I knew nothing about. I attended a ‘Starting in Business’ course run by NBV Business Advisor Jenny Scott Kilner, along with a couple of others courses around the same time. The business mentoring I received gave me a lot of insight into the legal side of starting your own business that I was unaware of. I also received lots of information on the areas that I was interested in such as marketing my business to different organisations. I think the main thing that I was looking for was support to build a business plan, not just because banks and business might want to look at it, but it also gave me an understanding of what I would need to do to maintain this business.
What have been the challenges and highlights?
The lows were not having the finances to do exactly what I wanted to do regarding marketing. I needed to work in my other job to finance the business, and I wasn’t able to put my full attention on what I really wanted to do. As a result of that, progress has been slow and I have found that frustrating.
The challenges that I have overcome are that it has made me more confident in my abilities. Concentrating on the Unique Selling Point (USP) of my business made me more focused on what areas I wanted to refine.
For me, the highs of running a growing business for me was the realisation that I could learn all these new skills, such as writing my own text on a website, and learning how to use Facebook and LinkedIn etc. The qualifications that I have accumulated over the years, combined with these new business skills gave me a huge feeling of accomplishment when it all started coming together.
The positive changes in me and the business are that I have now managed to secure work with an organisation alongside expanding the business to include a number of private clients.
What does the future hold for Real Changes for Life?
My plans for the future are to expand more on the number of clients that I currently have, to move into a different direction and produce educational workshops to reach a wider audience.
Do you have any advice for others considering a business start-up?
Tips and advice for others are to never give up, always believe in yourself, don’t listen to doubters, and look on it as an adventure.
If you wish to follow in the footsteps of Trevor, contact NBV today to see how we can help your business grow: www.nbv.co.uk/register 0844 887 2568*
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