Like many people who have set up their own business, Lee Hallett now wonders why he didn’t do it years ago. Working for himself was something he had always considered but it seemed too much of a risk to take when raising a family. Outset and Outset Finance gave him the confidence, the support and the money needed to take the plunge.

Lee’s attitude to self-employment changed when his life was turned upside down. On top of a range of personal problems, he was made redundant from his company, the culmination of a difficult year. Taking stock of his situation, Lee decided to use the experience and contacts that he had built up during his career in HGV driver recruitment. He resolved to set up ‘Second Tier Support’, a recruitment service for sourcing professional drivers in the retail distribution sector in Swindon and the surrounding areas.

Despite years of experience running companies for previous employers, Lee was unsure how to go about actually setting up his own business. He needed funding in order to get his business up and running, but didn’t feel confident about creating a watertight business plan and financial forecast that would adequately support his loan application.

He came across Outset while researching how to get funding for his business, and was delighted to learn that Outset Finance could not only provide access to a Government-backed Start Up Loan, but also offered a range of services and support, including one-to-one mentoring, absolutely free.

Lee enrolled in his local Outset’s Business Start Up course and was assigned an experienced business mentor who helped him assemble the documents required for a loan application, including financial reports and forecasts. “This is where Outset has been amazing,” he says. “I couldn’t recommend Outset enough to anybody who is thinking of setting up their own business.”

Off the back of this support, Lee successfully applied for and obtained a £6,250 Start Up Loan was able to set his business plans in motion – and to good effect. “The response to date, from both clients and staff, has been overwhelming, and we can only see the business going from strength to strength,” says Lee.

Once established in recruiting and supplying drivers locally, Lee would also like to open a separate entity called ‘Welfare To Wheels’, working with local government and the Jobcentre Plus to help the long-term unemployed to retrain as HGV drivers. “There is a major shortage of drivers in the UK and I feel this model will help introduce new blood into the industry and fill the gap,” he explains.

Lee’s immediate goal is to take on an additional staff member by the end of year one and two more in the following year. His five year plan is to gain 25% of the market share and establish other branches throughout the UK.