The Lime Tree Café on Shanklin High Street opened in September last year. It’s been a complete life change for Liz O’Brien and her business partner Lisa who had both worked as nurses in the NHS.
“It had always been a dream of mine to run a café,” Liz says. “I’d reached the age where I knew that if I didn’t give it a try, I probably never would. It’s been brilliant and I’m really proud of what we have achieved so far. It’s hard work and it’s been a very steep learning curve.
“I did two huge things at once. I moved from Croydon to the Isle of Wight as well as starting a business for the first time. I’d been commuting on and off to Surrey and I finally moved here permanently in March last year. I joined the Over 50s Start Up programme a month later.
“My mentor Lynda is brilliant. When we meet up we swap ideas and she’s always at the end of the phone. She’s very supportive, Lynda knows a lot of people and she’s helped us make great connections. There’s a network that I can plug into and we all meet up regularly and recommend each other. It’s very encouraging and supportive. I’ve learnt that sometimes you have to take that leap of faith and give it a go!”
