Drain Man

How one local man is cleaning up with dirty work

Drain cleaning may not seem the most glamorous of careers, but for one local man it has been a platform to self employment and, he believes, his passport to getting through the current economic downturn.

James Mallon, from Loughgall, set up his drain cleaning and sewer control company in May, following several years spent working for another drain company.

“I often thought about going out on my own,” he says, “but I didn’t have the confidence to do anything about it, believing that someone like me, with no experience or qualifications, could ever run their own business. Being in my 30’s I also thought I was too old, that you had to be a young thing to be self employed.  But as time went on I became more and more unsettled in my job, and more and more curious about starting my own business.”

Eventually James contacted the Start a Business Programme.

“The people there were so helpful,” says James. “I thought they might laugh at me, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. They took me and my business idea very seriously, and made me realise that age and qualifications have actually got nothing to do with a person’s ability to set up their own business. It’s commitment, dedication and knowledge about your business or product that counts. Well, there is nothing about drains that I don’t know, and the commitment and dedication was there from the start.”

James immediately enrolled on the Start a Business programme which, he says, proved to be instrumental in moving his dream forward.

“I learnt so much about so many things,” he says, “such as tax implications, accounting, health and safety, and marketing. It was absolutely fantastic and really helped me to focus and construct a proper business plan. I really don’t think I would have been able to do this without that help.”

James took the course in his spare time and once he had completed the programme he handed in his notice and set up his own company, Drain & Sewer Control. He now operates throughout the county and beyond, cleaning and unblocking drains, emptying septic tanks and assessing and identifying chronic drainage problems using a CCTV camera, for both domestic and commercial clients.

James isn’t worried about becoming self employed in the current economic climate. “There will always be drains to clean,” says James, “even in difficult times, and I am confident that I can provide a friendly, professional, superior and cost effective service. I really believe that if you want something, you have to go for it. I did, and going out on my own was the best move I have ever made.”

If you have an idea for a business, the Start A Business Programme can help you, just as it helped James. Call 0800 027 0639 to turn your business idea into a business success story.