Jennifer’s journey to sustainable self-employment
Jennifer - or Jen, as she prefers to be known, is in her mid-40’s and has long held a passion for recycling, upcycling and giving pre‑loved items a second life. Around twelve years ago, she attempted to set up a business selling pre‑loved goods, but the scale was too ambitious and, combined with a difficult personal relationship and her own mental health challenges, she found herself in financial difficulty. The experience left her with a sense of isolation and uncertainty that she would ever realise her ambition to be self-employed.
Jen joined Connect to Work through a Job Centre Plus referral in September 2025. When she first met with ECL Consultant Peter Curry, she had removed herself from the relationship, was a single mum to two young children (including supporting one through an autism assessment), and had been out of work for 10 years.
It was clear during her Vocational Profiling that her passion for all things recycled and re-loved had not faded. Jen spoke enthusiastically about wanting to try self‑employment again, but this time with the right guidance, realistic planning, and the steady support she hadn’t had before.
Together, Pete and Jen began structuring the foundation of her new business. Pete supported Jen to develop a business plan and, crucially, helped her think about starting small to minimise risk. He guided her towards a manageable first step: running a stall, one day a week, at the Culver Square Market in Colchester. Through the Connect to Work scheme, Jen accessed start‑up funds to cover the initial weeks of pitch fees. Pete worked closely with her to ensure her business plan included a sustainable model based on reinvesting profits, enabling her to avoid taking out loans or over‑stretching herself.
They completed a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis, helping Jen recognise where her natural strengths and opportunities lay, while encouraging awareness of potential challenges and how to manage them.
Throughout December 2025, Jen threw herself into the practical preparations of becoming self-employed: arranging public liability insurance, securing a trader’s licence, obtaining card payment facilities, sourcing stock, and organising point-of-sale materials. Pete supported her at every stage.
On 23rd January 2026 Jen proudly launched her business - Green Kids Treasure Trove, selling recycled and pre‑loved children’s clothing, shoes, bric‑a‑brac, wax melts, greetings cards and ornaments.
I'm finally where I want to be.
Jen Megee, Connect to Work participant.
Despite poor weather and the traditionally tough post‑Christmas trading conditions, Jen loved every minute of her first day at the market. Pete joined her to offer hands‑on support and was impressed by her drive and creativity:
“She’s constantly thinking of ways to improve and merchandise her stall. She’s also starting to promote her business on social media. If anyone deserves to make this work, it’s Jennifer.”
After the first week, Jen felt ready to take the reins independently with fading monitoring visits from Pete. Knowing that January would be quiet, Jen viewed the start as a good dry-run - getting familiar with signing in with security, setting up her stall and of course, packing everything away at the end of the trading day. Sales started slowly but were expected to improve with better weather and the arrival of other stalls in the Square.
Jen is thrilled with the start she has made and full of renewed optimism, commenting:
“I’m finally where I want to be.”
While it is still early days, Jen’s progress is a powerful example of how the Connect to Work programme can give someone the momentum, the structure, and the belief they need to become self-employed and earn a living doing something they genuinely care about. The scheme provided the small but vital financial support required to get started - but, more importantly, it provided her with Pete: someone who recognised her enthusiasm, boosted her confidence, and provided guidance as she turned her ideas into a practical business venture.