Enterprising Communities - Case Study III
Hannah Oakley - Wings of a Dove
Hannah OakleyWhen Hannah Oakley started to search for ways to keep fit and lose weight after the birth of her daughter Elsie-Rose, she never dreamed she would find a new career and start her own business.
Hannah, 21, a single parent from Haverhill, started watching Zumba classes on the internet and using the Latin inspired dance fitness programme videos on the web lost 3 stone of baby weight. The routines feature interval training sessions where fast and slow rhythms and resistance training are combined to tone and sculpt your body while burning fat. As a result, she fell in love with the Zumba and signed up to train as a professional fitness instructor.
She gained her fitness instructor qualification in January 2010 and by February, with MENTA’s support; she had set up her own business called Wings of a Dove and was teaching in venues across Haverhill.
Hannah said: “I enjoyed it so much and I was disappointed there were no Zumba classes in this area. So I decided to train as an instructor and set up my own business.
“Chrissy Proctor from MENTA has been there for me since day one of my business providing me with advice, sometimes on a daily basis from everything from how to get help with keeping my finances in order to marketing the classes. It was great to pick her brains and get input from her. I had a one-to-one session with a business advisor which was fantastic and really helped me.”
As a parent who was unemployed, self employment has now offered Hannah a flexible way of working so that she can provide and take care of her daughter.
She said: “Running your own business can be stressful but it is so rewarding. When you are in a job you go to work and you get paid and that’s it. When I look at the money I have made all by myself it is a fantastic feeling. I feel so lucky that at 21 as a single mum I have my own business and my own home. That to me is a fantastic achievement.
“If you are thinking of running a business, take the plunge. If you don’t do now you will regret it. Life is too short to be stuck in a job you do not like!”