As more women consider entrepreneurship to take great control over their destiny, not all will start a business from scratch. More and more women are investing and running a franchise business.The reason for this is that franchising has become so broad-based that almost every conceivable business can be franchised. This has given women more opportunity to pick a business that they can not only be passionate about, but one that allows them to achieve greater work/life balance.

Franchising is simply a network of interdependent business relationships that allow a number of people to share a brand, a successful method of doing business, a proven marketing and distribution system, buying power and most importantly to enjoy lower risk and higher profits (and resale values).

The key players in this relationship include the franchisor and the franchisee. The franchisor’s role is to increase awareness of the brand, create processes, systems, structures, products, marketing campaigns, training and support to help the franchisees increase market share. The franchisee’s role is to follow the proven operating system providing excellent service to their target customers in their respective local territory that is consistent with the original intent of the franchisor. Overall, the franchise relationship works best when there is mutual respect between franchisors and franchisees.

According to the NatWest/British Franchise Association Survey 2008, there are approximately 809 active franchise systems generating an estimated £12.4 billion to the country’s GDP last year. The industry grew at 15% whereas the UK economy only grew by 3.1%. Other noteworthy facts about franchising in the UK as outlined in the report include:

• Franchise systems on average have been operating for 11 years;
• Approximately 383,000 people representing 1.3% of the working population are working in franchising businesses;
• The mean average annual sales per franchise unit is approximately £360,000; and
• Nine in ten franchisees (91%) claim their business traded profitably in 2007.

In terms of demographics, the report which highlights the 24th annual research study among franchisors and franchisees, points out that franchising is gradually moving away from the white, male dominated stereotype. In fact, increasingly, franchising is attracting more women and people from ethnic communities. A quarter (25%) of new entrants are of Asian background, with the majority of those coming from the British Indian community. Overall, 12% of franchisees are Asian.

Women currently make up 25% of all franchisees. However, as the years progress, this number should steadily increase as the report goes on to indicate that women make up over a third of the new recruits entering franchising compared with an eighth ten years ago. This change is being driven by the growth of franchise brands in the personal service sector, where women make up 61% of all franchisees. Franchise brands in this sector as defined by the European Franchise Federation Classifications are those related to: hair & beauty, fitness and weight, care & education services, mobile & home distributions, computer & telephone services and ‘other’ personal services.

Women are turning to franchising as it is a sound way to create wealth and it provides greater flexibility to “pedal at your own speed” while juggling the demands of work and family. And the increased number of franchise brands has given women the opportunity to pick the kind of business they want to be in, whether it’s one that requires a great deal of time and lots of hours per week or one that is low-key and part-time.

Furthermore, not only does it provide women with the opportunity to be their own boss while minimising the risk of starting up from scratch, they can do so while benefiting from the training and support offered by the franchisor as well as other franchisees within the system. Owning a franchise is like being in a big fraternity or family – an environment from which most women naturally enjoy being a part of. A franchise provides the help and guidance of a big company along with the control and flexibility of a small business.

Irrespective of gender, critical to the success for any franchisee is their willingness to follow the proven operation system and taking responsibility for driving the business forward. Thus you need to be self motivated and have good self confidence to be a top performing franchisee. This isn’t a problem for most women as they have been demonstrating these qualities with great vigour in the workplace for decades — competing against barriers to the benefit of their employers — and are now using these powerful strengths to benefit themselves, their families and their work-life after being awarded a franchise.

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About the Author: Ursula Barzey is a Franchisee & Franchise Consultant by invitation with the MatchPoint Franchise Consulting Network providing free counsel and relevant education for investors considering franchise business ownership. As a franchisee herself, she understands what is at stake both personally and financially to launch and run a successful franchise business.

Prior to her involvement with the franchising industry, Ursula worked for several global professional services firms for 14+ years in various Marketing & Business Development positions, responsible for landing new business opportunities—securing millions in business and hundreds of new clients and meetings with prospects. Based in Bromley (Kent), she now works with franchisee candidates throughout the UK using MatchPoint’s Insider Approach to Finding a Franchise. She can be reached via 0333 123 4500 or ubarzey@matchpointnetwork.com .

Lessons from a military fitness boot camp survivor!

Hi readers, some light relief for you all amid the credit crunch on these darkening nights. I took some time out recently from my normal business routine and here’s my story about the week-long, life-changing, female military boot camp I attended.

Why did I sign up? Health is everything!

My 46th birthday – such a depressingly “non”- older age – was looming with the big 50 in close pursuit. I’d done a double-take at my repeated reflections and excellent impersonation of a fat Russian peasant woman in shop windows and life reality – against the expectations of where I expected to be at the age of fifty in terms of business prowess, financial solvency and still looking fab and fit.

Of course, there is a huge connection between all of these aspirations, especially in achieving long-term business success and staying power. Female entrepreneurs must look after themselves to develop the right image and stamina to stay in the end-game and at the front and at the moment just simply to survive.

Often, we also have to care for a lot of people around us, but all too often neglect ourselves in that equation, not spotting the first signs of stress, often brought on by not taking enough exercise, time out, or just cutting ourselves some slack. Recently, this was brought home to me in a very real way. A few close female friends, all very successful in their professional fields, suffered sudden physical ill-health, one a near fatal brain haemorrhage, the next chronic diabetes, the last chronic fatigue syndrome. None have been able to work properly since or not at anything like their former capacities. For all, it really was a bolt from the blue, no prior history of ill-health but all had worked themselves into the ground for decades. This kind of behaviour clearly had come back to bite them by “mid”-career. The positives – all are greatly recovered now and their enforced life re-evaluations have led to them making significant changes. They are leading much more balanced and happier lives. But this bumpy landing could have been avoided. It was a wake-up call for me!

Anticipation! Camp initiation!

So my solution? – Military fitness – an extreme kick-start before the onslaught of Christmas and my winter excuses. One Saturday, I found myself setting off at dawn with a mixture of trepidation and sheer naivety, at an unearthly hour – which soon became routine over the ensuing week! – on the Kings Cross train to Dumfries, to a remote 3,000 acre private estate in South West Scotland. I immediately spotted a fellow cheerful traveller heading for the same destination – and we met others along the way. By the time we had arrived at the beautiful Country house, our “home” base for the coming week, we had already bonded as women do so successfully.

Upon arrival, I was immediately struck by the beauty of the estate and its ideal backdrop for a luxury leisure break, given the luscious comfortable accommodation, set in breathtakingly beautiful countryside, with wonderful open-hearth fires, Gourmet cooking – yes we had a Gourmet chef – big friendly Alan – but he was only allowed to give us mouth-watering starvation portions! I was often to return to this fantasy over the coming week. But, for now we were military boot campers and I was quickly disabused of any illusions as we received our first military “detail”, which thereafter we received on a drip basis, hour by hour – in our trainers words “on a need to know basis, Girls” setting the pattern, tone and rules for the week ahead….

What tough feels like!

We had a small team of military trainers, Carl, Matt and Ewan, who had all trained and served extensively around the world with her Majesty’s special forces. They had seen some serious and sobering action. For them, taking on a crazy, if zany, group of mainly middle-aged women, all there for different reasons (most at some kind of crossroads or re-evaluation in their lives and not wanting to get past their “sell-by date”, was a walk in the park. But they took it very seriously…and so did we. We were the client, we’d paid a lot of money to be there aka “punished”, and they were going to ensure that we met our objectives, however uncomfortable and challenging that might be. We’d “thank them for it” as our former svelte selves re-emerged. For us it sooo was NOT a walk in the park.

It was just about everything else though…

It was all about completing the course and taking part to the best of our abilities and achieving meaningful individual targets. I only remember one exercise – dragging my feet around the estate exhausted, searching for tiny flags with the aid of compasses during which I seriously considered requesting a short temporary exit “pass”. But I didn’t and neither did anyone else. We were stoically kept moving the whole day, the whole time. Not at the same sustained pace of course – that would have been impossible and I wouldn’t be here to regale the tale – but at a level which kept our metabolism and blood sugar levels boosted. Similarly with the diet and snacks allegedly keeping us on an even keel – a mid a lot of moaning and initial disbelief – bringing the jokey image to mind of two disgruntled Jewish friends berating their culinary experience at a restaurant – including “and such small portions!”

Highlights

It was wonderful to do so much physically challenging, outdoor activity in the most beautiful and remote of surroundings. Scotland is just fabulous. The mountain walking, mountain-biking, river-crossing and abseiling were all great highlights.

For me, the greatest challenge was abseiling, down a jagged cliff-face of over 80 feet. I really am terrified of heights. Until then, I’d regularly dreamt of falling from great heights – so I was facing my worst fear full-on. What got me through it? Preparation. We’d been trained with the equipment down the shallowest of grass verges by the tennis courts and I knew how to use it (well in theory!) and some of what to expect. Absolute trust. These boys knew what they were doing. I trusted them with my life! Finally, not wanting to let myself down, or anyone else. I knew I could do it. I was most relieved to be allowed to go second so I got it over with quickly and wasn’t kept waiting long fearfully at the top. As it was, I did succumb to a brief episode of salty tears, naked primal fear. It’s not natural to step off a mountain! But the instantly calming, endorphins immediately released and I promptly descended to ground level with ease and some skill. What was all the fuss about?
River-crossing – swimming across an extremely cold river with a fierce current – oh yes I did need the rope – was also excellent – my nightly sojourn in the dustbin of freezing cold water, to treat my muscle soreness, standing me in good stead here! The best bit was seeing the sheer delight on all the trainers faces, like little boys, huge smiles etched across their earnest faces. They seemed to enjoy all our achievements – which constantly surprised me! It wasn’t just mirth, except my bright pink bikini. I was just being practical, never have been particularly attracted by wet clothes!

Team dynamics were fun – especially team-building exercises such as building a forest shelter for survival. It actually stood up and inter-team irritations quickly forgotten!

Mountain biking. Personal highlight again, when my entire front wheel came off on a steep incline – “never happened before Mel,…” said Ewan quickly grinding to a halt to help me find – by some miracle – the offending nut on the stony path. Soon, I was fixed. Unabashed, I whizzed off to complete my 28k ride. Just in time for dinner!

The military frisson gave the camp an added dimension. I now really do feel I am also equipped with survival and self-defence skills in the unexpected – but not impossible – event that they might ever need to be deployed. I also have the upmost respect for what our boys do for our country. Seriously.

Reflections

Have to keep this brief now as I’ve been carried away by my recollections. But this boot camp – really is for the spirit – and of course it hones the body too – How could that combination not!? But it also built mental steel, stretching targets and self-belief, teaches self-knowledge, listening and focusing skills and great tolerance. Re-energised, we have all returned with sharpened skills in our tool box, re-newed vigour and tenacity to take on the challenges back home with our families and businesses – it’s a great lesson in survival strategy for toughened times!

You can achieve the incredible – for me it was abseiling and losing half a stone in one week plus 3% body fat. That was a result after years of stability on the scales! The friendships and added business zest were a great added bonus.

I have so many good – and what will be long-lasting – memories – the mud, great banter and heartfelt laughs, the appreciation of every mouthful of food, getting through the pain barrier, my lovely Scottish trainer with the soft but deep resonant, masculine lilt of his Edinburgh accent. No monopoly there girls, we were all in love with him spurring us on to perform at our peak! Whatever motivates!

Next up? A girlie reunion and spa weekend (gym optional) – but lots of food and wine mandatory- in Manchester early in the New Year. We’ve earned it and there will be lots of exercise in between, British military fitness – see your nearest Common! – etc and online community support. “No excuses girls!” Are you fit for your lives? Visit www.thecamp.co.uk

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About the Author:  Melanie Worthy has a long and interesting background in PR and communications, working with financial services and government agencies for many years. This year she took the leap and decided to join the ranks of small business owners and has also taken on the not insubstantial task of Co-Editor! We hope you enjoy her take on starting your own business and we would love it if you shared your thoughts and experiences.

www.worthycommunications.co.uk

When you work from home, deciding how much time to have off over the Christmas and holiday period can be quite tricky. It may seem like everyone else off at several work parties, while you are chained to the desk. The limited Christmas party schedule can be a challenge for the individual home worker. Because it has the potential to emphasis the lonely side of being based at home, when actually it is a great opportunity to enhance the relationships with your customers, clients, and colleagues.

Go Partying

There are plenty of Christmas events you can and should attend. Take advantage of any networking parties, remember most people do business with people and companies they know and trust. If there are any industry associations regarding your business, attend their Christmas parties. If you are an employee, make sure to attend the company’s event. And of course to celebrate all the successes of the year, you must book in your own company, business party.

Parties’ aside, it is necessary to also look at the practical side of Christmas and how you want to run your business during that time.

Review

Near the start of December you will need to sit down with your diary and plan out a schedule for the holiday period. There are several things to consider such as:

• How busy is your business during that period?
• What does the company expect from you?
• What do you need to accomplish in the next month?
• Do your customers close their office or have limited staff at Christmas?
• Is December a slow month?
• How will you manage childcare during school holidays?
• Do you have any family commitments?
• If you are slow in December but pick up in January, do you need to use the time to prepare?
• How much time off is reasonable?

Creating a schedule can work for both employee and business owner and especially when the children will be off over the Christmas period.

Schedule

Now that you have pulled together all the important information the first point to mark in your diary are the school holidays and the answer to the childcare issue. Next include the days you will be having off. Share this part of the schedule with your partner, children, in-laws and friends. It will allow everyone to understand when you are working and what days you will be free to take part in the fun of Christmas activities like eating too many mince pies and Christmas shopping.

When you write you holidays in the diary, also include an X over the days off. This will help to prevent you from wander into the office and taking care of any miscellaneous ‘work stuff’. Remember you have set those days aside and if you still worked in an office building would you travel all the way to the office during your holidays?

Probably and hopefully not.

With your holidays in the diary and an understanding of what work needs to happen for the next few weeks, you will be able to set goals and put together a schedule. The schedule will incorporate everything. It can include, when and what you need to complete, what projects are due, what meetings or networking events you need to attend, absolutely every single detail. Putting the effort into planning your time comes back in tenfold with greater productivity.

You can update the schedule through the month when new business arrives and plans change. But it is easier and far more productive to adjust your main plan for the month then to fly by the seat of your pants. Have a restful and happy Christmas.

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About the Author: Rachael of Purely Peppermint provides specialist consultancy services in developing and introducing an effective home working environment. She works with individuals and businesses by providing bespoke practical solutions for their home office. Through leadership, training, hands-on and telephone support and advice, Rachael ensures that her clients have the greatest of success in their chosen field. To help achieve that success she instructs on, setting boundaries, dealing with isolation, managing clients, managing your time, finding work/life balance, plus much, much more.

A regular contributor to leading working from home websites and magazines, Rachael was invited to the Home Business Summit at the House of Commons to advise central government on how to improve and support home businesses.

Rachael is focused on her clients achieving productive and effective results. Her continual commitment can be seen through the monthly newsletter, packed full of practical tips and solutions to all your home office troubles. For more information on Purely Peppermint and a chance to sign up to her newsletter please visit www.purelypeppermint.com

Well continuing the pruning theme, I’ve finally shifted and streamlined my paper mountain! – the skip has now been removed – and re-emerged blinking into a brave new and leaner world – slightly scary actually. Now it’s time to sit down and see with new clarity if my business is still on track after its first half year. Am I staying true to my core proposition and does anything need pruning here?

I have struggled, as so many new business start-ups do, with keeping the focus on my core business proposition. You do start with a clear business plan – or at least in your head – but, if you are not ruthless in terms of time management of differently prioritised activities – and as I have said before there are better experts on this site on time management so I won’t dwell unduly here – and your key areas of focus and target client market, and confident to stick to your guns, you can find it all slipping away… As famously coined, “if you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there…”

One key problem is planning for the appropriate mix of client work – and bringing this – and believing that it will come – on stream quickly enough to pay the bills and the mortgage etc and undertaking the right kind of networking and business development, coaching so that we build the future business I’m am actually striving for….

It’s also a good time to reflect on how long things actually take to do – something I’m hopeless at or unrealistically optimistic about, as I look misty eyed at my business rainbow and what I want to achieve – and the balance to be struck – what balance I hear you say!? – between your working life and home life and outside interests.

Indeed, at times this Summer, I have felt I was working in a sweat shop – where I was employer and slave alike – neither state brought any consolation. It was laughable actually – my corporate friends were emailing me bemoaning my ability to sunbathe on the odd hot day we did get (I think!) – that is, those that remembered me as I found my social networking had necessarily been curtailed and subjugated to a poor second in favour of business networking at both ends of the day. Even with these sacrifices, my corporate candle really was burning out! The reality was I was typing away furiously on multiple client assignments too busy to reply or read their stupid joke emails. It amazes me how much time some people have on their hands! I guess it’s the difference between when it’s someone else’s money you are spending or wasting, and when you are a small cog in a big impersonal corporate wheel to when you are striving to create your own livelihood which can sustain you and your family.

I guess I realised at this point too that it was very important to be sensitised to money – and certainly as a way of a reality check or wakeup call. I stuck up Show me the money signs NOW £££££!!!! If I had been misty eyed at the outset, this wasn’t a time to look back through rose tinted glasses. Straight, simple questions and a brutal assessment. Was I doing the right kind of activities – how-ever well-meaning, ethically based or interesting those might be, as well as the “right kind of activities” that would still pay a living!

At the beginning…part of the problem was the temptation to seize immediate opportunities which I thought complimented my business – pr – and which I thought would spur growth or rightly much needed local visibility. However, on reflection, some of these developmental (and yes typically unpaid) activities aside from the basic and expected marketing efforts, turned out to be quite costly in terms of time expended – which, let’s face it, for the majority of us is our primary and sole human resource and much corer to other business people’s their proposition than mine!

I guess it’s a sign of business maturity that I have now started to appraise propositions much more carefully and manage the expectation of others appropriately from the start, retain a clear, confident focus about the target market you are after and stick to client and marketing activities and that will reach this goal soonest whilst literally keeping the roof over your head. Your business colleagues and networking associates will respect you far more for it. The credit crunch has made us all tighten our belts and that necessarily means we must re-visit the basic business premise of our business and not stretch ourselves outside this remit.

On a more positive note though, if anyone has the business proposition, drive and verve to buck the credit crunch and wholesale doom and gloom of corporate Britain today – as on a near daily basis large safe as and untouchable “household” names fall by the wayside – we are in extraordinary times after all – note it’s female entrepreneurs that are bucking the trend as this week’s exciting inaugural event for Women Unlimited “Realising your potential as a woman entrepreneur” testified. Never before have the soft and all rounded skills of women, who have been straight jacketed and sometimes barred entry in the corporate world been more needed or already yielding a positive and much needed fill up to Recovery Britain as well as paving all our business paths in gold!

There are now over 1 million self-employed women in the UK, and whilst over 70% own their own businesses, less than 20% of those have employees. Some might argue that women don’t want to grow big businesses, but it’s not true for many female entrepreneurs today. So what will encourage women to grow their businesses to a size that contributes to the economy by providing jobs for others?

Three things: aspirations, capabilities and resources, and underpinning them all a good idea that is scalable.

Business Model

Many women start out delivering a product or service that is based around their own skills e.g. complementary therapy. Whilst you might be the best therapist in your local area, the business can only be scalable if you create a business model which helps you (and others who may become involved in your business) understand how it makes money.

A business model should describe how your business positions itself within its industry and how it intends to generate revenue. It should answer the following questions:

1. Who pays? (consumer, producer, or third parties?)
2. What for? (goods, services, expertise, assurances of quality or security.)
3. To whom?
4. Why? (perceived value, competitive price etc.)

You need a clear and convincing answers to the above questions, especially “why”.

If your business model cannot be replicated then it will difficult to turn your service into a growth business. But assuming that it is, then consider the other areas too.

Read more about business models

Aspirations

Many women start up in business for different reasons to the traditional entrepreneurial values of financial success, power and status. Some tend to be motivated by personal comfort or self-actualization goals that allow them to work at something interesting and maintain flexibility. Running a high growth business tends to demand high levels of energy, commitment and leadership skills and might not seem so appealing.

How to get inspired

• Read about women who are running growth businesses and find out what it’s really like
• Think about your future and what you would like to achieve. Think about the benefits of investing time and effort for a few years in order to build a business that has the potential to be sold. This could provide the finance for you to achieve your longer term vision.
• Believe it is possible. Sometime the greatest fear we have is fear of success, not fear of failure so create your own model for success based on your ideal work environment.

Capabilities

This is the combination of knowledge and skills that you bring to the table. Sometimes I think many of us like to imagine we can do it all, and it’s foolish to believe that this is the case. This encourages you not to delegate and get others involved, which is what is needed to grow a business.

- Critically assess the skills and capabilities that you have. Be honest with yourself and recognise that if you are focusing on your strengths then you can start to value strengths in others and it’s easier to delegate.
- Some useful tools to use are Strengths Finder and Wealth Dynamics profile

Resources

Resources are the combination of financial and social capital that you have available which can help you make the transition from lifestyle business to growing business.

Finances

Over the years, maybe you have not had as much interest or taken the responsibility for understanding and managing finances, and research shows that women spend less time engaged in activity related to acquiring finance at the start-up stage.

This could be because we can be more risk averse regarding business funding. I wish I had a pound for every woman I have spoken to that will only start their business on a shoe string because they don’t believe it’s really going to be a success! Yet it’s this under-capitalisation of a business that can cause problems if you intend to grow.

• Find someone you can help you gain the financial knowledge that you will need or read books or attend a course.
• Challenge your thinking – ask yourself – what is attitude to financial risk? Would you put up your house as security? If not, why not? Is it that you would not put your family in jeopardy, you don’t believe in the potential of the product/service? By asking yourself these questions, you can begin to think like an investor – if you don’t believe in your business, then why should the bank or an investor?
• Contrary to popular belief, successful entrepreneurs are not risk takers, but what they do is carefully evaluate all the risks before making a decision.

Social Capital

As you begin to grow, you will need to find good people to help you. They might be business specialists, investors, potential members of staff, mentors etc. and the more diverse networks that you have, the greater the chance that you will be able to find the right people.

• evaluate all the networks that you are part of already. E.g. family, school friends, other parents, business networks, evening class contacts, people at the gym, and you will amaze yourself at the number of people you know.
• Even if you don’t have a large network, you can “borrow” social capital from others who do and that is where a mentor comes in. If you are looking to build contacts in a particular industry sector then you might consider seeking a mentor in that industry. Whilst this might seem a “one-sided approach” if you have ever mentored someone else you will know that the mentor gets a lot of satisfaction too from being able to help their mentee and to make introductions.
• How to find a mentor

Whether or not you have been lucky to escape on holiday and leave this dismal UK Summer behind you, as we settle back into an early Autumn – and for me with that lingering post-holiday minimalist clarity of mindset and aspiration – never is there a better time to do a bit of Autumn pruning for your business and clear the slate for a renewed business season.

Mine is long overdue. After a tumultuous period of client work the debris left from this whirlwind of activity is all too evident both to me and others. So, on yet another wet Sunday, I finally trundle down the path in my wellingtons to my garden office – but trust me that’s really where my ‘sustainability’ ends! – to embrace my paper mountain. “What better day” I tell myself to do this ‘rainy day’ activity. There are two types of pruning I’m intent on. Tidying but also pruning back the business proposition to its core objectives. This week I focus on the physical act of tidying up.

I’m not naturally tidy and certainly not when I’ve busy! For some reason, for most of my life I’ve been in denial about this. It’s true there was a spell in childhood when I was tidy. I was also a hoarder of pocket money and nerdy children’s club treasurer instead of the profligate spender I am now. Where is this getting me?….Well self awareness I’m sure. But back to the present day…

There must of course be a character (defect) link here, the desire to print and hoard documents – when in this electronic information age retrieval – if that’s even necessary – is a mere keystroke away and time management challenges. I’ll explore the separate issue of knowledge management in a future column.
I’m sure there is a whole body of psychological literature on why some people are tidy and others are ordered or require orderliness. I like to think it’s because I’m “creative”. But, being creative is not enough anymore – and seems strangely childish, despite the fact that I have a frightening ability to produce my very best work against this rugged background – and against the odds I can still pluck documents magically like needles from haystacks and retain critical information in my head.

Yet, I increasingly feel I can’t rely on it – the ability to work against disorder – and significantly I don’t want to anymore either. It must be an age thing – maturity brings a desire for orderliness and serenity of environment. It’s second best and I care about it now. Plus how much better would I be – and my business prosper – if I was able to combine my business intellect with some better processes? I’ve often had that conversation with myself.

I share the garden office with my long-suffering husband, Jon. I sat at his desk the other day, my fingers and gaze traversed, admiringly, his neat tidy “to do” lists, and labelled, spirit-levelled straightened papers and folders. Next, I opened his stationary cupboard and gasped at the beauty of its order. I can’t shut mine! It was a cathartic moment. I finally realised I must tidy up as it isn’t fair to those I would previously – but no longer – have dubbed as “neat freaks”. Anyway they say opposites attract and our marriage still works but there’s no room for complacency!

Speaking of rainy day activities, the act of tidying up, for those of us that are creative and whimsical creatures, brings its own dangers of “dwelling” on old – or possibly historic! – documents as if they were rare treasures and friends. It’s akin to looking at old family photos instead of filing them. No stop this now, the ruthless purging must go on as I progress with my structured filing retrieved from the precarious piles of paper.

Of course, there is a burgeoning army of admin assistants ready to sort out local businesses and untidy entrepreneurs. They will regale you with stories of dead mice and “final demands” that they find in the course of their work – I’m not that bad, but it’s testimony to the fact that I am not alone in my untidiness – perhaps I should form Untidy Anonymous! I suppose it is a kind of addiction. Why don’t I use an admin buster? Well, it’s partly embarrassment – shades of my mother (more evidence of ageing) who would always tidy and clean the house from top to bottom before the cleaner turned up! – I too don’t feel I’m tidy enough to be helped yet!

Anyway I have well and truly aired my dirty laundry in public, or at least online. It’s shamed me – hopefully – into action and I hope to report on my new state of pristine tidiness next week. Meanwhile, I’d love to hear your comments or reflections. But go gently on me!

Have a structured, tidy and prosperous week.

Melanie

I lie here on my sun bed in Spain soaking up the sun while relaxing by the pool and reading those women’s magazines – as we all do – profiling all those inspirational career change stories of brave and creative business women who have pursued their “eureka” moment.

As I read the stories of these female role model entrepreneurs – this year is different. I too have left the security of my permanent job – mine with a City and Westminster based pr agency – to strike out with my own business as a pr consultant. So let this be a salutary reminder about everything that has been and remains positive about having taken the plunge. Let’s pause and reflect for a few moments on my journey so far.

It hasn’t been easy…I don’t think anyone really appreciates the sheer hard work – exhaustion at times! – of working for yourself. Now I really understanding the humour and meaning behind the jocular definition of an entrepreneur as being “someone that would rather work 16 hours a day for herself/himself than 8 hours a day for someone else!”

There has been frustration, the inevitable setbacks, the need to hold one’s nerve, the struggle to retain focus and stick to priority areas of business development , learning to say “no” sometimes as a secure client base is established with your target market, managing multiple projects for different clients simultaneously, never being able to stop, the one the buck stops with – being the primary circus juggler really of all the spinning plates …and for women – often domestic and family commitments on top – the ultimate time management challenge.

But what of the pleasures! the sheer exuberance and energy and excitement – albeit tinged with risk – of pursuing your dreams and ambitions, without encumbrance from former employers, escaping office politics, sweaty rush-hour trains, the excitement of working within local business communities, for local businesses and charities, forming new partnerships, building new initiatives together, supporting business associates through a myriad of networks, inspiring each other, learning new skills, trying new things, succeeding at them – the diversity – the friendships. Gaining confidence…and wisdom.

And actually doing it as opposed to just daydreaming and reading about others doing it while being too scared to jump or perhaps the timing not yet being quite right. Make the timing right and take the plunge too. Congratulations to all those that have. All are welcome to our Women Unlimited community which is here to support your dream.

Now back into the pool before cocktails!

Melanie