How Wirral couple shrugged off redundancy to make a success of Christian traders’ directory

Jul 1 2009 Heswall News

WHEN Sue and John Challinor were made redundant 18 months ago their heads could have dropped, but instead they started an internet directory of Christian tradesmen.

The husband and wife team had both been employed in the same role within the public sector, so when job losses were announced last year, the family of four was hit twice.

But the Leasowe couple struck upon an idea that combined their faith, some money-making nouse and a potential gap in the market.

Sue told the News: “It’s a business directory, with everything from builders to chiropodists and plumbers – but with a difference.

“The uniqueness of it is that all the businesses listed in the directory are actually Christian.”

Sue and John managed to get the business up and running around ten months after being made redundant, after enlisting the help of Wirral Biz, an organisation that helps support new business start-ups.

Now they have a fully functioning website with around 50 tradesmen listed, a local rate telephone number and a long list of pleased customers and clients.

Sue said: “A lot of the people that phone us up say they aren’t Christian but think this is a brilliant service, and just feel it’s a fresh choice.”

And although Sue and John are Christians themselves, they say the directory is open to those with different beliefs, but all professionals who want to be listed must sign a “statement of faith”.

Sue said: “We do not say that Christians are better than everyone else, there’s good and bad in everybody.

“We’re thinking about people who may be vulnerable, people who are wondering who they can trust to turn up, do the job, not rip them off and tidy up after themselves.”

Visit christianworkersdirect.co.uk for more.

lHave you been made redundant but managed to turn it around? Call Matt on 0151 330 5042