My Wife Next Door may conjure up images of the 1970s TV sitcom starring John Alderton, but it also happens to be the winning formula for two entrepreneurs.

Mina Mandalia is a qualified podiatrist who runs the Happy Feet Plus clinic from a Witney business centre.

In the office next door is her husband Bharesh and his enterprise, The Happy Computer Company, which solves problems related to software and technology.

Mrs Mandalia, 45, trained in London, where she worked and taught for a while. Eight years ago she decided to take the plunge and set up Happy Feet Plus.

Most of the patients that come to her are troubled by nail problems, hard skin, corns and callouses or specific medical conditions.

As a state-registered practitioner, she is licensed to give local anaesthetic and perform nail surgery. “I get recommendations from GPs,” she explained. “Then there are times when I ring them because a client needs antibiotics or there are musculo-skeletal conditions, so it is a two-way thing.”

A large proportion of business comes via word-of-mouth, with clients travelling from Buckinghamshire and Warwickshire for regular appointments.

Her patients range from toddlers through to the elderly and one of her patients is over 100.

“We are currently seeing people from the winkle picker and narrow-shoes craze of the 1960s,” she said.

“But it is not just to do with feet. What many clients don’t realise is that it’s also linked to the whole of your lower limbs, hip joints and back.”

Increasingly, she is treating teenagers and young adults with painful feet and back problems caused by combination of too-high or too tight footwear and too much inactivity.

She also provides a service providing made-to-measure foot orthotics which can help even out balance and posture imperfections.

Dealing with other people’s feet all day might not suit everyone but Mrs Mandalia’s enthusiasm for her work is evident.

“Feet aren’t the sexiest topic and it’s quite a personal thing. Most of us ignore our feet until they are hurting. What I do is incredibly rewarding because people come here with painful feet but when they leave, there is a spring in their step.”

Meanwhile, next door, Mr Mandalia points to one of several laptops that seem to be piled on every available surface. The most common problem he encounters are computers infected by a virus.

“There are hundreds of thousands of different viruses out there. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if there are close to a million,” he said. “People don’t realise that if your anti-virus software is not up to date it is the same thing as leaving your front door unlocked.”

He tries to fix problems on site, if possible, does not charge a call-out fee and operates a no-fix, no-fee policy.

One of his most popular services is a computer MoT, which includes a full service and checks. He also custom-builds computers to order and provides training. His passion for computers and software began at school, while discovering the delights of a clunky Sinclair ZX81. And during his chemistry degree course, his studies included computing science.

After 10 years as a chemist at Johnson Matthey at Begbroke, he moved to Gillette in Reading where he worked in research for seven years before being made redundant five years ago.

Mrs Mandalia pointed out that, in some ways, the timing was good as it coincided with the birth of their second child, Nikhel and Mr Mandalia was able to spend more time helping care for him.

Meanwhile, Bharesh, 46, set about turning his hobby into a business, devising and testing software for a couple of local companies.

A good proportion of The Happy Computer Company’s work is providing IT support and training to a number of small businesses and individuals.

“I enjoy what I do and am passionate about it. My only regret is that I should have done it 10 years ago,” he said.

The couple, who live in Faringdon and also have a 16-year-old daughter, Sonal, celebrate their 21st wedding anniversary this year.

They have found there is quite a bit of cross-over between the two businesses, as many of Mrs Mandalia’s clients know about Bharesh and his work and vice-versa.

“We were incredibly lucky when the chance to take the office next door to mine came up because it has worked out really well,”

Mrs Mandalia said.

* Contact: Happy Feet Plus 07989 402375 Web: www.happyfeetplus.co.uk * Contact: The Happy Computer Company 07779 237551 Web: www.thehappycomputercompany.co.uk