Pictured above: Stephen Boyle at work with his
limousine
A 49-year-old Redditch man has literally taken to the streets in
an effort to secure a new future after being made redundant.
After months of unemployment, Stephen Boyle, decided to launch
his own business Elite Chauffeurs, using his own Mercedes Limousine
to take clients to airports and meetings from Worcestershire to
almost any destination in Europe.
After 18 years in the financial sector Stephen found himself
without a job following a merger. He was even prepared to step down
from management to become a financial advisor, but still couldn't
find a position for his experience.
After some deliberation, Stephen took the plunge with the help
Redditch based Pertemps People Development Group (PPDG) based in
Albert Street, receiving financial, technical and moral support to
kick-start his new venture.
"You need to enjoy your work and as luck would have it, I
particularly enjoy driving," said Mr Boyle who regularly picks
clients up at 4am to ensure they reach their destination in good
time.
"I think I spotted a gap in the market and took advantage to
carve out a new career for myself."
Elite Chauffeurs has quickly established itself as a brand in
the area and Stephen is also expanding with the launch of Redditch
Wedding Cars.
He said: "I can't thank my coach Samantha Thorne enough for
supporting me, if it wasn't for her I may not have got up and
running so quickly."
Sam explained that with the right expertise setting up your own
business is often easier than most people imagine.
"It was a pleasure to help Stephen achieve his dream, he's a
very keen individual, strongly motivated with a willingness to
achieve his goals," she said.
"Stephen purchased on his own a lovely Mercedes that he is using
and has been maintaining it to an excellent standard constantly. He
has already completed his first wedding and feels he has achieved a
key target in his life.
"I can only see the business going from strength to
strength."
Stephen received help from the European Social Fund to get his
new venture on the road.