One Midlands mum is showing how having a baby need not be the
end of a fulfilling career.
Single mum, Andrea Miles, refused to just watch her future
disappear while staying at home with her baby son and instead she
dreamed up a successful business venture.
This week's International Women's Day (Tuesday March 8) is all
about celebrating the strength and abilities of the fairer sex -
and Andrea is a key role model for all aspiring working mums out
there.
Not content to just sit at home, Andrea began to work day and
night on her idea of promoting mirrors in the use of sport and
dance to help boost training.
From that simple idea, thanks to long hours on the Internet at
home, her business Mirrors for Training was born.
With no financial support she gradually saved up the money to
design her website- www.mirrorsfortraining.co.uk- and begin
marketing her idea far and wide.
Andrea designed and manufactured in her garage, an all-weather
arena mirror- suitable for indoor and outdoor areas- for the
training of dressage horses.
The visual benefits of using mirrors for training are limitless,
helping athletes identify in real time inaccuracies in their
performance.
Being able to make changes immediately before they become habit
forming is priceless for horses and their riders.
Now over four years later, Mirrors for Training have supplied
all the major equestrian colleges throughout the UK and provided
arena mirrors to 1000's of professional event and dressage
riders.
International show jumper, Ellen Whitaker, was delighted with
the service Mirrors For Training provided:
"Our new arena mirrors from Mirrors for Training have added
another dimension to our training.
They give me an immediate view of both mine and the horse's
posture, which allows me to work on specific areas, making sure all
our training time is used as effectively as it can be."
Andrea even came up with her own design of portable wall mirrors
to help those who were unable to have a fixed mirror put in
place.
These have proven to be a hit with schools, sports colleges and
dance studios. They can also help transform a community centre into
a glamorous dance studio.
Mirrors for Training is also popular with hospitals and
physiotherapy centres and hundreds of patients have benefited from
their portable mirrors.
Andrea Miles said:
"Mirrors for Training have gone from strength to strength. What
started as a part-time job, working from my bedroom and garage, is
now full time, with an all-purpose manufacturing facility.
"We have continued to set the standard both in the UK and
throughout much of Europe. We are an independent company with one
focus - to build the best products on the market."