THE only way is up, or rather, down, in the case of Kathryn Jones, our Trader of the Week.
That’s because Kathryn runs her business, Drift Away-Bewdley, from the downstairs part of her home.
The business been running for six years and offers vocationally related qualifications in beauty therapy and complementary therapy and also short courses in beauty therapy massage.
An aromatherapy class in full flow at Drift Away-Bewdley
The courses run in the week but are also available evenings and weekends to allow students who are working to re-train for a new career.
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Kathryn said: “I carved a career for myself from nothing in from 1998 after training at Dudley College – the training I received there changed my life.
“I was living in a small studio flat and working in a pub with barely enough money to live on. I worked extremely hard; hardly ever went out, for three years I just studied hard.
“The training paid off, I finished my course and got a job in a salon in Kidderminster while still working in a pub to enhance my income.
“I eventually gained a teaching post at Dudley College and this has enabled me to pass on the support and help that I received to my students, who then go on to run their own businesses and change their own lives.
The ground floor of Kathryn’s home houses her business. Here is part of the Drift Away-Bewdley training salon
“I was made redundant from Kidderminster College in 2014 and turned the downstairs of my house into a training academy in 2015 after being approved by VTCT/ITEC to deliver the same course(VRQs) as FE colleges.
“As well as the beauty therapy and complementary therapy courses being VTCT/ITEC-accredited, my beauty therapy massage short courses are accredited with ABT (Association of Beauty Therapists) insurance.”
Kathryn Jones with Micky the dog
And word of Kathryn’s work is obviously getting around as she was invited back to Dudley College after starting my business “to give a talk on energy and colour to the lecturer’s class who came to train with me, which was lovely”.
Drift Away-Bewdley is part of a new Facebook group called Worcester Virtual High Street.
The ‘Worcester Virtual High Street’ group is free to join and allows independent shops, services, tradespeople, crafters, e-sellers and entrepreneurs of all kinds to promote their wares to customers free of charge.
Shoppers in turn have the chance to discover hundreds of exciting products, service providers, special offers and one-off buys on their doorstep.
https://worcestervirtualhighstreet.co.uk
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Trader Of The Week - The Worcester News
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