Sue Bedford is a busy mum, running two companies in and around Bedfordshire.  After taking a break from her nursing career to have four children, Sue returned to her profession in 1998, initially working as an Outpatients Nurse and then as a Practice Nurse at her local surgery.

During this time, Sue became interested in the role that poor nutrition and exposure to toxins play in the cause of disease.  “As a mum, I naturally wanted to give my children the best start in life”, says Sue.  “However, I came across information which showed that products I used to keep them clean contained ingredients which were known to be harmful!”  Sue wanted other parents to know about this so she set up Healthy Choices.  The website (www.healthychoices.co.uk) includes her research and offers advice to parents and parents-to-be.  It also includes a healthy home store to purchase a range of safe, toxin-free toiletries and household products.

Sue set up her health screening company, Pulse Health Screening, after purchasing a medical device that detects early signs of cardiovascular disease, called a CardioCheck™.  Having completed diplomas in nutrition and health promotion, Sue was able to combine her expertise with her health screening skills to deliver a unique service, locally.

Pulse Health Screening offers a variety of health assessments and tests which include food intolerance and allergy testing.  Sue also gives health promotion talks to local groups or companies.  “If a potential health problem is detected early, it is possible to halt or even reverse the condition” says Sue.  “I love it when someone acts on my recommendations and sees their health improve”.

What inspired you to start your own business?
I have a real passion to help people understand why so many of the diseases we suffer from are completely preventable if we just follow simple diet and lifestyle measures.  My experience as a health screening nurse, my diplomas in Nutrition and Health Promotion and my extensive health research seemed to be the ideal combination to set up a business which helps people achieve better health.

What has been your biggest challenge?
Besides seeing individuals in their homes, I also visit companies to offer health and wellbeing checks to staff.  Getting to the decision maker in the company has been my biggest challenge.  Letters or phone calls often don’t get past the PA, which is very frustrating. 

What have you learnt about yourself since you became self-employed?
That I do not give up easily.  I have a determination to overcome any obstacle that comes my way and if that doesn’t work, I’ll find a way round it! 

What has been the best thing about being your own boss?
Being able to choose when I work, which enables me to fit my business around my family.  It’s great that I no longer have to ask permission from anyone to take time off to attend a school event. 

If you could give one piece of advice to an aspiring ‘mumpreneur’ what would it be?
Meeting up with other mumpreneurs at networking events, or even through internet forums, can be really helpful.  They give an opportunity to share advice and ideas with other mums in business who understand the difficulties and challenges of working at home.

For more information about Pulse Health Screening, visit www.pulsescreening.co.uk or email Sue at sue@pulsescreening.co.uk .

Popularity: 8% [?]