developing Entrepreneurs
To encourage women to be business leaders, we need to be more flexible in the way we operte, writes HELLEN WARD
HELLEN WARD
Like most business people, time is increasingly precious to me – children, friends and family already often have to fit around my busy working life. I’m also conscious of the need to find the right work/life balance, so chuck in my yoga passion, my second home in Ibiza constantly beckoning (especially on the greyest, wet winter days) and my love of going to see live bands, and there’s not a lot of time left.
Add my new business venture into the mix and I’m maxed out (bijouxtique.co.uk is a chance for me to get involved in my other passions: jewellery and accessories). I’m therefore quite choosy about what I get involved in because I simply can’t fit it all in.
Grow your network
However, one association I really love being a part of is the British Association of Women Entrepreneurs (BAWE) where I’ve met some amazing, inspiring women from all walks of life, all running successful companies.
Their networking events are a chance to hear some fascinating stories. I’ve met make-up brand creators, meditation teachers, charity chief executives and serial entrepreneurs, as well as financial analysts and etiquette coaches; and hearing their personal journeys is truly inspiring.
Female employers, especially those who experience the demands of juggling a family, tend to make great bosses for other women
Our President Louise Oliver shared a staggering statistic with us recently. In 2016, there was a record number of new start-ups in the UK with more than 657,000 companies launching. This tops the previous record of 608,000 in 2015 – so much for Brexit trepidation.
Disappointingly though, only 28% of these were founded by women. I often wonder why that figure is so disproportionate. Many of us have no choice but to juggle domestic chores, motherhood and/or looking after family members, as well as huge responsibilities at work, so perhaps that makes us more reluctant to take the next step into full-blown entrepreneurialism.
Flexible working
In our sector many entrepreneurs are women, but it’s increasingly hard to have it all. Most women I know feel a permanent sense of guilt – are we being a good enough parent, partner, boss, sister or friend? Sometimes we must recognise that in trying to please everyone we end up pleasing nobody, least of all ourselves.
Female employers, especially those who experience the demands of juggling a family, tend to make great bosses for other women. I know my female team find my flexible attitude to their work lives helpful. Maybe it’s because I understand the need to have a balance, to ensure work fits into their lives, and how crucial it is to cultivate their career, even if it’s on the backburner at times.
Above all, I try to appreciate that needs change, and being flexible is the best thing I can do to keep hold of my team.
The positive thing for me in those statistics is just how encouraging it is to see an increase in the number of people following their own business dream, and by such a large amount. It will be very interesting to see if there’s any decline when the 2017 figures are published. Let’s hope not and that the number continues to be on the up, because that can only be good for all of us. PB