Made to measure
"I've had to learn to manage two things in tandem: my health and my business. I soon realised that if I wasn't well enough to work then my business wouldn't be healthy either."
Linda Boddington has been making soft furnishings and curtains for the last 15 years. Working from home has proved critical to the success of her business, Tatalu Soft Furnishings. The discs at the base of Linda's spine are crumbling and cause her terrible pain despite her taking various medications for many years. But her business and the satisfaction she gives her customers give Linda reason enough to smile.
"I've had to learn to manage two things in tandem: my health and my business. I soon realised that if I wasn't well enough to work then my business wouldn't be healthy either." At present her work levels depend on how she is feeling on any given day. Six hours a day is possible when Linda's back is not too painful, but on other days, she may only be able to manage as little as two hours. "That uncertainty is something I've learnt to live with. It makes it hard to predict when something might be finished. So I make sure I work as hard as possible when I'm feeling good and be realistic about what's achievable at other times."
Even though Linda works from home she gets regular contact with her clients. Initially she relied on family and friends to provide enough work but she has become gradually more known in and around her home town of Portsmouth.
With Tatalu Soft Furnishings on a stable footing, Linda has opened a business bank account and has regular meetings with her business manager. "It is lovely to be taken seriously. I think things are definitely getting much better for disabled people. Hopefully this is a trend that will continue so that more people with a disability can find an approach to work which is flexible enough to meet all their needs. While it's been tough, running my own business has certainly worked for me."
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