Women going it alone

By Rob Pittam
Business Correspondent

Mums and housewives are the driving force behind new businesses.

According to latest research from Barclays, 30% of all new businesses are now started by women.

And it seems not being in work is less of a deterrent factor for women looking to start a company than it is for men.

"The proportion of businesses started by women has been rising for several years now," says Barclays head researcher Richard Roberts.

That's certainly the impression I've had travelling round the UK.

Inspiration

It's sometimes a big company or family business with a woman in charge.

Mandy: Idea came during maternity leave

But more often it's a small operation that's proved to be a real success.

Last year, Mandy Collins from Cheltenham told me how she was inspired to set up her own business by watching Working Lunch when she was on maternity leave!

Now she runs Fun French, which teaches languages to young children.

Vivien Young is a business adviser more used to helping other people.

But now she has a pottery painting studio in Mumbles and already has plans to double the size of her premises.

Vivien: On the other side of the fence now

Pottery was also the inspiration for Fiona Robinson, who ran Ceramics Experience in the splendid setting of Floors Castle in the Scottish Borders.

She had been helped by the Scottish Businesswomen's network, which enabled business start-ups to tap into a well of advice and experience.

That can be especially helpful in rural areas.

Julie Flanagan says having children made her rethink her priorities in life and in her career.

She decided to go it alone and started a management training business in Newcastle which now has a turnover of £3.5m.

"All the skills you learn as a mother and as a housewife - coping and managing with your home environment and your finances - all helps and has a part to play in business," she says.

"There are some extra skills you can actually bring to it."

While some businesses are born of necessity - the farmer's wives who diversify to bolster dwindling incomes - others come from personal experience.

Lack of information

Young mums Shelley Allen and Brenda Scott found a lack of information on products and services available for new mothers.

Shelley and Brenda: Show is an annual event

Now they run an annual Mother, Baby & Toddler Show in Somerset.

Their experience was shared by Caroline Cosgrove, who decided she didn't want to return to full-time work and began looking for business opportunities.

"I started to think about this idea that I'd started formulating and setting up my own business to be able to spend more time at home," she explains.

Shopping service

"When you're out there as a first-time mum trying to get acquainted with all these products you've no experience of, there's no-one there to help you or advise you and point you in the right direction."

The result is her personalised shopping service, Baby Concierge.

Barclays' figures show that men are less likely to strike out on their own if they are unemployed than if they are in work.

However, the figure is the same for women whether they are in or out of work.

Richard Roberts believes women do have some advantages.

"When it comes to women who are currently not in the labour market, they are pretty well networked," he says, "and can see opportunities in caring professions and leisure and recreational services which are still fast expanding parts of the economy."

Pitfalls

The resulting businesses don't always fit traditional patterns.

"A lot of these businesses are not full-time, they fit round family commitments and are home-based very often," says Richard.

"But in many cases they are quite successful businesses indeed."

While it's ideal to be able to combine a career with family life, there can be pitfalls, says Caroline Cosgrove.

"It's not always that professional when you're making a business call and there's a child or a baby screeching in the background!"