星空传媒

Last week, you highlighted an excellent idea 鈥� a repairs service for elderly or vulnerable tenants (16 July, page 33). For the past three years my wife and I have run a company, Small Jobs, based on the same idea.

We did not have a large budget to subsidise the service. But we were able to start the ball rolling because we had two school-age children and so could claim family tax credit on an 鈥渋ncome鈥� of just 拢50 per week.

We also got 100% housing benefit and council tax benefit. As we were in our 40s there were no grants available to cover set-up fees, although others may qualify for these.

I worked for a children鈥檚 nursery and it paid for my police check.

We now charge materials at cost price, and customers can see or even keep the receipts. In order to recover overhead costs, such as public liability insurance, petrol, tools, and business incidentals, we work closely with the free Inland Revenue help service when it comes to filling out our annual tax return.

In three years we have recovered our set-up costs and are making a profit. There are times when business is slack, but generally there is more work available than we can do.

I wish I had done this 20 years ago. I also wish that housing associations would push for local people to set up in businesses that fit in with their lifestyle.

Don鈥檛 subsidise them, but offer them help in tendering for jobs that you have. Help them find grants or knowledge that they lack.

Create businesses, don鈥檛 just pretend 鈥渧olunteers鈥� fail when the subsidy is no longer there.