Stockton man Andy McDonald is walking his way back to work after starting his own business, AM Distribution, distributing leaflets and flyers door to door in and around Teesside.

Since starting his new venture late last year, he’s been out and about pounding the streets, covering nearly 500 miles in just a few short months, and is now raring to get the business off the ground.

After being unable to work for more than nine years after sustaining a back injury, Andy, 42, was determined to get back to work. He had a couple of temporary jobs, but after getting paid off, decided that he wanted to work for himself.

He was searching around for ideas and realised that there was a gap in the market for providing a cost effective distribution service for businesses in Teesside, to let potential customers know about their products.

Andy met up with Broker North East consultant Sue Hall, after seeing a leaflet, and talked to her about the help and support BNE can give people who have been on incapacity benefit get back to work.

Together they looked at how Broker North East could offer him financial support to help start the business, backed by a guarantee that if it doesn’t work, he can go back on to the benefits he was on before, without any hassle or fuss.

Andy was delighted with the help he got and said:

“Sue was really helpful and supportive. Without her help I would not have been able to start my business. I now have a purpose in life.”

As well as getting help towards the cost of a computer, Broker North East also became one of Andy’s first customers, delivering leaflets about the organisation to homes in Stockton.

Sue referred Andy on to other organisations who helped him draw up his business plan, including the Five Lamps organisation and she also encouraged him to enrol in the Middlesbrough University New Entrepreneur Scholarship School.

Sue added:

“I was delighted to be able to help Andy get his business off the ground, and hope that he has a busy new year.

“As well as offering people advice and support to start their own business, Broker North East also helps people in to jobs with employers large and small. We have already helped more than 570 people into work in the last year alone and are looking forward to helping many more this year.”

Andy is also looking forward to the year ahead being his own boss, and is keen to hear from businesses of all shapes and sizes, ranging from restaurants, pubs and clubs to supermarkets and super stores who would welcome his help getting information direct into the doors of potential customers around Teesside.

The success of Broker North East in helping more than 570 people back to work has been acknowledged and rewarded by the granting of a new contract and extending its service into Darlington.

Anybody from Tees Valley who is on incapacity benefit but would like to know more about getting back to work, including advice on benefits protection, work trials or permitted work can call Broker North East on 0800 389 7036.