Nigel was a primary school teacher for 21 years before he experienced mental health issues and epilepsy. He decided to turn his working life on its head by going into self-employment. What Nigel was looking for most of all was a more flexible working environment in which he could control his stress levels and thereby reduce the chance of having regular epileptic fits.

Little did he know that growing his business would lead to him literally being outside growing things in people's gardens.

When Nigel decided to stop being a primary school teacher it was not instantly obvious what he would do next. He spent a lot of time visiting his local Job Centre and through various conversations he was advised to think about what he would actually like to do. Top of his list was gardening but this was not something Nigel had actually ever considered as a career choice. But he could see that with a bit of retraining he could take a passion for gardening and transform it into a viable way to earn a living.

With this in mind Nigel undertook an NVQ in Commercial Horticulture. He also signed up to an existing Leonard Cheshire Disability work-skills training programme that included providing him with a computer and some basic IT skills development. The combined horticulture course and computer skills training put Nigel in a very good position to go into self-employment. He had no formal sales plan but was quick to learn how one random conversation could lead to some work and how word-of-mouth could grow his business. This was despite not necessarily having all the equipment he needed from the outset. But over time he's managed to invest in his business and buy the various pieces of garden equipment that he needs.

"Working for myself gives me the flexibility to manage the hours I work. It's this flexibility that really matters to me because I can manage my health as long as I don't push myself too hard." For Nigel managing his stress levels has proved to be key not just to his personal wellbeing, but to the health of his business too. "Some people might think that sounds wimpy, but it isn't like that. I just need to realise my limitations and work within them. That way I can enjoy the benefits of working for myself and also having a good quality of life with my family too."