Women in business: The secrets of success

While there is still some work that needs to be done to ensure a level playing field around the world, there is no denying that great leaps have been taken.

In the UK, it’s estimated that around 33 per cent of businesses are owned by women, with the figure having risen from 17 per cent in just four years.

To mark International Women’s Day, we are celebrating the achievements of women in the business community. We’ve spoken to female entrepreneurs about their inspiration, insight and advice for others wanting to follow in their footsteps.

Sally Wagstaff, owner of Xodos Aesthetics in Kings Bromley

Sally set up her skincare business after serving for 18 years as a nursing officer in the Royal Navy. She wanted to continue using her nursing qualification but as the mother of two small children, aged four and seven, she didn’t want to go into the NHS and have to work shifts.

Although Sally had very little previous business experience, she received support and guidance to help get her business off the ground.

“I had virtually no experience – I had run a small business with my sister but, to be honest, I just did as I was told and she did the business part.

“I’ve had to learn on the job – I did a four-day business course called Supporting The Unsung Hero, which was designed to help military dependents and veterans start businesses alongside the upheaval of moving with the military and the changes when relocating and starting again outside of the military.

“I’ve always asked for help when I need it, and have almost always had a coach throughout,” she says.

At her clinic she offers a wide range of skincare assessments and treatments including laser hair removal, chemical peels and micro-needling.

Sally finds being her own boss very rewarding but says there are challenges that come with running a business.

“The best thing about running your own business is being able to choose something you love doing, and being autonomous and making your own decisions – the challenges are almost the same – sometimes it is hard to make decisions without anyone else to bounce off. The coach has been important as they can act as a sounding board as well as providing sensible, unbiased advice.My biggest challenge has been keeping the business afloat throughout the Covid crisis – it has made me look at things very differently, and I’ve had to make big changes to survive. Fortunately, I had moved my premises shortly before lockdown, so I no longer have the same overheads, but I’ve had to rely heavily on skincare and providing skin advice and home treatments, as usually most of my business relies on face-to-face contact,” she tells Weekend.

Since starting the business in 2013, Sally has learned plenty of things along the way.

“The most important lesson is don’t make rash decisions, but also sometimes you have to be brave and just do it! You can be over cautious, but sometimes you can spend so long making a decision that it slows you down,” she says.

For Sally, balance is key when it comes to managing work and family commitments. “Juggling family life can be difficult, but it has got easier now my children are older. I always try to have some Saturdays where I don’t work, I try to finish by 2-3pm on a Saturday, and I have a rule that I never work Sundays. Post-covid, I am going to work fewer days, but slightly longer, as I’ve realised that my family are very important, and for my own sanity I need to do things differently,” she says.

Her advice to anyone wanting to set up a business is to share responsibilities, get support for the things you aren’t as good at and focus on the things you love.

“Be consistent, visible and determined and you can achieve anything you want to,” says Sally.

* See xodosltd.co.uk

Ruth Hollick who runs Mayflower Bespoke Jewellery in Rugeley

Former primary school teacher Ruth took a leap of faith to set up her successful jewellery company three years ago. She specialises in bespoke jewellery commissions as well as running workshops and offering personalised jewellery kits. Jewellery making originally started as a hobby but Ruth quickly fell in love with the craft.

“I was a teacher for almost 20 years, and although I enjoyed the children and my colleagues, I realised that I was enjoying making jewellery more than my day job. I found the teaching day pretty inflexible, so when I was struggling to juggle childcare and work, the opportunity to work for myself was very appealing,” she explains.

Turning her pastime into a business meant teaching herself a variety of new skills.

“I have learnt everything as I have gone along – lots of reading, research, and practice. I am constantly learning new jewellery skills, and later this year will begin a diploma in Fine Jewellery.

“As far as the business side of things goes, I learnt a lot from taking part in an online business course specifically aimed at jewellers. I have found that podcasts for small business owners have been really useful. I also had some free training in social media and videography from the GBSLEP Growth Hub, who I was signposted to from my local authority business advice and support service. I’d advise anyone starting out to check out what support their local council can give them,” says Ruth.

The most important lesson she says she has learned since starting the business is: “that you can do anything, but you can’t do everything. At least not all at once”.

“Planning what I wanted my business to be, and where I want it to be in the future, is really important. That way I can prioritise what needs doing first and try to avoid overload with too many things on my ‘to-do’ list. I’ve also learnt that a ‘ta-dah!’ list is just as important as a ‘to-do’ list – noticing and celebrating what you have already achieved is a brilliant confidence booster,” explains Ruth

There are plenty of benefits to running her own business such as the flexibility it offers and Ruth says it’s a joy to be doing a job that gets her excited every day.

“I enjoy my work, and the opportunity to go in whichever direction I choose is really motivating,” she tells Weekend.

“Learning to switch off is the hardest thing. It’s too easy to think about the business and nothing else. After a career like teaching, where there are very clear guidelines set out for everything you ever do, it’s also quite daunting to have every opportunity out there available to you, and making decisions by yourself about what to do next can feel overwhelming. I’m really lucky to be able to work the business around family commitments. I can choose my hours and I try to stick to them so that I can be there for school pick-ups, etc,” adds Ruth.

One of her tips for other women considering setting up a business from scratch is to seek support.

“I’d really recommend accessing support from your local council, and actively look for a group – on social media, locally, whatever – of people who are also running or setting up small businesses. It’s good to be able to share experiences with others who really understand what you are trying to achieve. Also, accept that if you are new to running a business, things take time to learn. Make a plan, and set yourself small and achievable goals.

“Trying to do absolutely everything on your own isn’t sustainable in the long term, so ask for help and pay for support when you can afford to. Your business – and your mental health – will thank you for it,” says Ruth.

* See mayflowerbespokejewellery.co.uk

Donna Irving, Head of the Business School at Wrekin College, Wellington, and owner of social enterprise business Stepping into Business

Donna is incredibly passionate about inspiring the next generation and since joining Wrekin College has led many projects including an employability bootcamp last summer when exams were cancelled. She’s also in the early planning stages of launching a high street challenge for schools across the region with Telford & Wrekin Council.

“I had no idea what I wanted to do when I grew up so after studying Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Durham University, I deferred the decision and became a chartered accountant – which meant three more years studying for my professional qualification in London before I decided what to do when I grew up.

“When I qualified I could have stayed on and aimed for partnership or, like many of my peers, leave and move into a finance role in a business – however I loved teaching and learning so much I moved into teaching the Professional Accounting exams for Kaplan (a global professional education provider). Thirteen years at Kaplan allowed me to spot gaps in the market and develop a bespoke corporate training division which ranged from teaching non-accountants the fundamentals of finance to updating tax partners on the latest rules and regulations. I worked with fantastic organisations such as PwC, HSBC, The Treasury and spent years zipping up and down the Thames. However, as I lived in Manchester and had two small children, the London commute was taking its toll.

“Whilst at Kaplan, I started Stepping into Business – a small social enterprise which at its heart taught primary school children about starting their own business – in a fun, practical and competitive way. It was just like their favourite TV programmes Dragons Den and Apprentice rolled into one – with business angels rather than dragons. For the kids, it was the highlight of their Year 6.

“Stepping into Business grew to a national business delivering enterprise to schools across the UK and business angels have said their experience of hearing young people pitching their business ideas as the highlight of their career. SIB also won a government contract to build a fun enterprise app called Entreprenaws and we have since moved into delivering enterprise competitions that focus on improving high streets,” explains Donna.

Her role at Wrekin College involves looking after all the academic offerings in the department, Business Studies GCSE, Business Btec and A-level as well as teaching economics and accounting.

“I am also head of the Business School which is about promoting employability and entrepreneurship and using the fantastic facilities of the business school to its maximum potential. This involves arranging inspirational speakers, both physically and virtually, running internal business challenges and developing 21st century skills across the whole school with the employability curriculum. This involves inspiring every child from Year 7 to preparing our sixth form school leavers for their new world of work, uni or their own business.

“We run the Retro Shack on Wellington High Street which as well as being commercial is a community project that allows real-world practical business experience for Wrekin and other secondary schools. We also have an entrepreneurs club each Friday supporting pupils’ own businesses,” Donna tells Weekend.

She believes teaching young people entrepreneurial skills can be beneficial in all walks of life, not just in the business world.

“Not everyone will become an entrepreneur – and not everyone should. However, having an entrepreneurial mindset will improve your employability and your happiness. It’s about looking at problems in the world and thinking about how you fix that innovatively. It’s also about working in a team. No entrepreneur is successful on their own – they build a strong team of experts to support them. Communication is key. Talking to your target customers; what do they want / what do they need / how can you fix that and communication also means listening.

“However, I think the most important lesson any entrepreneur will tell you is about being brave – having a go – not being afraid of failure … as one thing is certain – you will fail and this is the first step to learning and then you pick yourself up and try again.

“Young people are extremely agile and adaptable and they also think outside of the box. I love it when young people work with older generations in business – the learning can go both ways. Bringing new, fresh ideas and perspective can really help a business and when young people are involved in a real business where they think they can make a difference this is highly motivational too,” Donna tells Weekend.

Over the years she has seen the role of women in business change but says progress has been slow and it’s not without its challenges.

“I have seen a change in workplace culture – it is a lot more inclusive and diverse. This is because diversity is now on the agenda and people are becoming aware of unconscious bias. It’s natural to recruit someone who is like you as there is natural rapport – however that is not good for business. Having a diverse workforce is proven to lead to more stability, success and more profits.

“I am seeing more women as CEOs and board members – which ultimately has the biggest impact in a business – however it is still hard to identify ‘celebrity’ women business owners in a traditional role who can act as a role model to young girls. If you ask any young person to name a famous business person or entrepreneur they will say Jeff Bezoz, Mark Zucherberg, Richard Branson, etc. However, if you try and name a famous woman entrepreneur you will struggle – perhaps Debra Meadon from Dragons Den or Karen Brady from The Apprentice. Yet when you think of business / entrepreneurship in a wider context of turning talent into a business, then everyone knows how successful Beyonce is.

“Entrepreneurship for me is not necessarily about setting up a traditional business but it’s about doing what you are good at, what you love – and making money from it. There would be many theories why this is and you cannot discount the fact that when women have children this does impact their careers and their choices. I think once we find a way to enable women to combine careers with children in a more flexible way this will be progress. What upsets me most is from an economic point of view. We have a lot of talented mums who would love to get back into business, but some businesses don’t have the structure to enable this so everyone loses out,” says Donna.

While some businesses and industries could still be considered male-dominated, she is confident that this will change in the future.

“I think young people today do not see the male versus female divide as much as older generations. I noticed my son playing Fortnite the other day and he chose a woman as his avatar, I asked him why and he said ‘much more interesting skins on the girl characters!’ – these characters in the games are strong and powerful and strategic.

“I think young people are learning about diversity earlier and how success comes from working with different people. There is more news, more discussion and this will infiltrate young minds.

“When we do any projects at school or enterprise challenges the most important part of the process is to mix up teams based on gender and talent to prove this point. The biggest learning the children always cite from the programme is teamwork. However, we have a long way to go and there needs to be more focus and more investment from all stakeholders at grassroots to encourage girls to take steps into what is often seen as a male-dominated industry, eg tech or STEM,” explains Donna.

Her advice for young women considering a future career in business is to “absolutely go for it!”.

“There are so many roles within a business – be it as the expert, eg chef, designer, accountant, musician or the support functions of sales, finance, marketing, IT, HR – there is a role for everyone. Whatever you choose to do in life there is a business element to it – everyone needs to understand finance, negotiate a contract, build rapport.

“Business can be a rollercoaster of creativity, experiences and life lessons – you get to meet lots of interesting people along the way,” she adds.

* See www.steppingintobusiness.org

Lucy Rook, founder of Discreet Bowtique and co-founder of BlackRook Media

Lucy’s entrepreneurial spirit first started to shine as a young schoolgirl when she organised her brother and cousins to join her in a car-washing venture.

Ten years ago she launched a media services company with her husband and last year she launched her own fashion company, specialising in clothing for breastfeeding mothers after spotting a gap in the market.

“Discreet Bowtique started as an idea born out of frustration. Breastfeeding can be a daunting experience when you’re out. I really struggled to find any clothes I liked which I could feed in discreetly. What was on offer was often overpriced and nearly always maternity wear. I had a genuine desire to help other women in the same boat – to offer breastfeeding mums affordable, fashionable clothes we can look – and more importantly feel – amazing in.

“I’d previously founded BlackRook Media with my husband. We’re based in Wolverhampton, but the work has taken us all over the world with TV, video and events production.

“However, this was something completely different. I am a trained journalist and up until last year my career had been about making TV – certainly not clothes. I learned a lot of new skills on the job which was only possible thanks to many talented people here in the Black Country who have helped me along the way – our manufacturers, our pattern maker, our fabric supplier, our models, photographers and supporters. All are home grown here in the West Midlands and all have contributed so much.

Lucy believes the best thing about running her own business is the knowledge that she’s making a difference to her customers.

“Here in the UK we have one of the lowest rates of breastfeeding in the world. I believe those low numbers are a lot to do with a lack of support, as well as a lack of knowledge. I also think there’s still some stigma attached to it – particularly around feeding our babies in public. I want to help those women who, like me, wanted discreet options to feed. Our website and our social media content has information and resources to help families – not just sales,” she explains.

Lucy believes the benefits of being her own boss far outweigh the challenges. “You are your own worst critic but never your greatest champion! Success or failure is all about you. So, you’re never really off the clock – but there’s a level of excitement in that which means, for me at least, it never really feels like work in the same way as being paid to work for someone else,” she tells Weekend.

The most important lesson she has learned since starting the business is to “know your people”.

“Try to only work with those that you like and trust. When you do build that wider team, make sure they know you appreciate them and treat them well. Be straightforward. Your business is only ever as good as those working alongside you – so make sure they’re great,” Lucy says.

Being a mum, businesswoman and woman can be a juggle. “Working with the children has been challenging this last 12 months especially. I have a four year old, a two year old and one on the way. Because of their ages and the pandemic we are pretty much inseparable, particularly the one I’m carrying. My husband runs our businesses with me and we try to work around each other. Usually that will involve evening or weekend work as well as sharing daytime childcare around our commitments,” says Lucy.

When asked what has been the best business advice she has ever received, she replies: “Believe in yourself. Work really hard and be really kind. My dad, Michael Dalton, owned and ran a family building firm in Wolverhampton for many years. He was and still is my greatest inspiration and he lived by this mantra every day.”

Her own advice for other women thinking about launching their own venture is: “Be sure you know exactly what your vision is”.

“Keep focusing on what you want and why you want it. There will probably be times that you will be working really hard and not seeing any reward, but you need to hold on to that vision. Believe in it.

“My own approach is trying to advance every part of what I am involved in every day – even if it’s just one conversation or an email. Maintain momentum,” says Lucy.

* See discreetbowtique.com and blackrookmedia.com