Kim Aminu runs Island Pain Relief, specialising in natural therapy for clients with chronic and acute pain. Kim is a Physiokey and Scenar practitioner and she is based at Cowes Chiropractic Clinic. Running her own business is fairly new for Kim who has taken up therapy after a long career with British Airways as a Cabin Service Director.
“I was trained as a Scenar therapist more than 20 years ago but I only recently decided to move to therapy full time. I retrained with advanced courses, gaining my Levels 1 & 2 in Classic Scenar Therapy and my Advanced Training in Scenar Expertise. I’ve known Rebecca at Cowes Chiropractic Clinic for a long time and she introduced me to some of my first clients at the clinic. These days people don’t want to keep taking stronger pain relief. They don’t want to live like that. They’re looking for other ways and that’s where I come in.”
Kim joined the Over 50s Start Me Up programme last year. She’s benefited from business mentoring and the regular networking meetings.
“Having the support from Lynda and Fiona has been wonderful. The start-up course taught me the basics and it’s great to share ideas. It gave me direction. It helped me with things that I didn’t know I needed. Lynda was someone I could turn to for advice and help with all sorts of things. Lynda and Fiona have great contacts too and the networking meetings have helped me to make contacts of my own.
“We’re all over 50 and we’ve all had life experiences and we can relate to each other. That’s really important. It can be nerve-racking when you’re starting out, especially if you need the business to work and you’re relying on the income. Working for yourself can be a lonely thing but the network is full of friendly faces and it’s a social thing as well as business for me.”
Running her own business has been a new start for Kim and she’s embracing the freedom of being her own boss.
“It’s very liberating and I do feel like a different person. After years of working for a corporation I decided that I wouldn’t work for anyone else again. I wanted to be in charge of my life. I’ve got kids and I wanted to be around for them too. Being self-employed is a new mindset. You decide what you want to do and when you want to do it. I’ve always been quite independent and I was in charge when I worked for BA but I was still part of a corporation. The restrictions aren’t there any more and it’s up to you to organise yourself and be able to enjoy the freedom.”
Kim’s move to the Island and self-employment was all about changing her lifestyle, being a parent and finding a new work-life balance. It’s working too.
“We moved here for the children. It’s a slower life down here and I wanted stress-free living. My friends say the Island is like the 1950s but with broadband and I think it is! I might be busier work-wise if I was still living near to London but I don’t know if I want that. It’s about getting the balance right. I’m much happier now and I’m in charge of my life.”
Over 50s Start Me Up mentoring and workshops are supported by the Big Lottery Fund using National Lottery funding
