Tag Archives: Women in Business

Education, News, Research

Women spend 50% less time in full-time employment because of family events

Women spend half as much time in full-time employment than men as a result of family events, finds new research by the University of Cologne.

The study, conducted by WiSo doctoral student Wiebke Schmitz, and Professors Laura Naegele, Frerich Frerichs and Lea Ellwardt, investigated the employment patterns of both men and women and how their family events affected this.

They found that family events had a greater impact on the employment status of women more so than men late into their working lives.

The study revealed that on average, women between the ages of 50 to 65 spent four years in full-time employment, whereas men spent eight years.

It also revealed that women spent an average of three years in domestic employment, and one year in part-time employment.

Early family events such as children and civil partnerships were associated with unpaid housework or part-time work for women, and negatively affected the likelihood of full-time employment later in life.

“The course of late working life differs drastically depending on gender. Men’s later working lives are mainly characterised by continuous full-time work and the same family events had no effect on their full-time employment,” says Professor Lea Ellwardt.

The results of this study are prominent in areas that are conservative, and believe in traditional gender roles, or areas that are characterised by a lack of public social infrastructure.

“Greater integration of women into the labour market is necessary to mitigate the shortage of skilled workers in the wake of demographic change. Policymakers need to introduce life-course and gender-orientated strategies to mitigate women’s disadvantage in late-life,” says Professor Lea Ellwardt.

The researchers add that implementation of new policy measures should aim to prevent social inequalities in the earlier stages of life, as employment decisions influenced by earlier family events and associated career decisions accumulate over the course of life, especially for mothers.

The study was published in the European Journal of Ageing and was awarded the Best Paper Award of Section III for Social and Behavioural Gerontology of the “Deutschen Gesellschaft für Gerontologie und Geriatrie” (DGGG).

News

Business partners Kristy and Suzanne win major national award for flexible, fast-growth business

Embracing flexible working long before the pandemic made it fashionable has helped human dynamos Kristy Roff and Suzanne Evett win a major business award.

The owners of virtual outsourcing agency Get Ahead in Berkshire, North Hampshire and Surrey have won a Great British Franchisee Award from whichfranchise – the highest honour in the franchising world.

“Kristy and Suzanne are a shining example of how to do franchising well,” says Rebecca Newenham, founder of the Get Ahead network. “Their growth has accelerated over the last two years, and they’ve expanded by taking on a new territory in Surrey, creating a southern super-hub for us.”

Suzanne came from a corporate HR background and saw the attrition of highly-skilled employees who ended up leaving because they couldn’t work flexibly around their families. Kristy spent eight years in radio and 10 years at an IT consultancy but craved a better work-life balance. Having met when their children were young, they realised how much more flexible their lives could be if they worked together as business partners.

“We’re both really passionate about flexible working and how it can benefit businesses as well as individuals,” says Suzanne. “Joining Get Ahead allowed us to grow our own virtual expert team, offering flexible work to other people. And our clients gained access to the skills and professionalism they needed, but on a flexible basis, only paying for the hours they required.”

Delighted at their win, Kristy says life in business has been a rollercoaster ride. “Covid hit us in March 2020. We both had to home-school our children, and we were ineligible for any government assistance, having only recently started our business. But we still managed to welcome new clients on board and deliver a huge online event – the Enterprise Lab’s virtual expo StartUp>ScaleUp Summit. With our team of seven super Zoom facilitators, we delivered the behind-the-scenes operation, coordinating two free days of business learning, 200 exhibitors and 72 speaker sessions.

Business growth accelerated over the last two years, with year-on-year income up 50% in 2022, and we’re expecting to do the same again this year. Our biggest highlight was when Suzanne delivered all the elements of the International Inhalation Asia Conference in Hong Kong. She completed it despite political riots forcing a last-minute venue change and lots of on-the-ground troubleshooting.

Winning this national award puts all our hard work into perspective. It’s so easy to be focused on the day-to-day and not look back on how far we’ve come. Being recognised as a Great British Franchisee just four years into our business is a huge achievement we are both immensely proud of.”

Get Ahead founder Rebecca says their flexible approach to life and work is one of their strengths. “I was impressed with how quickly Kristy & Suzanne put a job-share arrangement in place during the pandemic so they could work as well as prioritise their children,” she says. “In our wider franchise network, Kristy has recently taken on a pastoral coaching role, regularly checking in with new franchisees to see how they’re doing, while Suzanne has transformed the way we manage and recruit for our virtual expert team. She’s set the standard for future virtual experts, designing a process that lets franchisees search for specific skills in seconds and shortlist virtual experts who match client requirements. She’d recognised it as an issue for franchisees, who were finding it difficult to know who could do what as our business grew. But she didn’t just highlight a problem – she took it on board, invested the time and delivered a solution. That, to me, is above and beyond what I would expect of a franchisee.”

The Great British Franchisee Awards are run by whichfranchise, supported by Lloyds Bank, BDO, Worldpay from FIS, AMO Consulting and Chantry Group..

To learn more about Get Ahead, visit https://getaheadva.com/

News

Britain’s most inspiring women in business crowned at national awards

The business women leading the way in their industries have been named in the second annual Great British Businesswoman Awards.

The programme launched in 2021 to recognise the growing number of trailblazing women in business leadership and entrepreneurship, champion their peers and advocates, and inspire the next generation of businesswomen.

In 2021, over 140,000 female-founded companies were established, a figure that is growing by a third every year, and the number of women in leadership positions in FTSE 100 companies increased to 32.5%, from 30.6% in 2020. It’s thought that this increase in representation of women in business could unlock a huge amount of economic potential, especially as the trajectory continues.

The final took place at De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London as the awards was held in person for the first time, after coronavirus meant the first ever ceremony was held online.

The overall Great British Businesswoman of the Year was awarded to Beth Knight, Amazon in the Community Leader for Europe, whose work surrounds building a better working world for women.

From helping women and girls to advance their careers in technology with programs like Amazon Future Engineer, to overseeing large-scale philanthropy initiatives for refugees fleeing the current crisis in the Ukraine, Beth has been highly commended for the work she has undertaken so far in her career.

The programme was founded by the team behind the Great British Entrepreneur Awards in 2021, who had been blown away by the increasing volume and quality of applications to the prestigious awards series by women in previous years.

The winners were selected by a panel of expert judges from companies including Burberry, easyJet, WarnerMedia, Cabinet Office, Greggs and Heathrow Airport, who all have their own vast experience working within diversity and inclusion.

The Great British Businesswoman Awards were founded by Francesca James, who said that the showcased winners would play an important role in inspiring others: “It has been a great honour to highlight the commendable stories of the winners, not only because they thoroughly deserve to be applauded for their tenacity and leadership, but because the value of positive female role models and male allies in business cannot be underestimated.

“Statistics show that the participation of women in business is on the rise, but we want to play a part in ensuring this continues by shining a light on the stories that will instil confidence in the next generation and make certain that no stories of success go unnoticed.

“Congratulations to our fantastic winners, not only for your awards, but for the important work you are doing to lead and innovate your industries.”

Full list of winners:

Banking & Finance Businesswoman of the Year: Natasha Frangos, Partner, Head of Corporate, Haysmacintyre LLP

Construction Businesswoman of the Year: Gauri Talathi-Lamb, Co-Founder, Iolas Capital

Consumer Goods Businesswoman of the Year: Martha Keith, Founder & CEO, Martha Brook

Creative Industries Businesswoman of the Year: Lucy McCarraher, Founder, Rethink Press

Engineering & Manufacturing Businesswoman of the Year: Samidha Anand, Engineering Manager, Caterpillar

Entrepreneurial Businesswoman of the Year: Lizzie Carter, Founder, Only Curls Ltd

Food & Drink Businesswoman of the Year: Joyce De Hass & Raissa De Hass, Co-Founders, Double Dutch Drinks

Social Enterprise Businesswoman of the Year: Emily Aklan, CEO, Serenity Welfare

Technology Businesswoman of the Year: Collette Allen, Chief Operating Officer, SmartSearch

Telecoms Businesswoman of the Year: Tejal Maniar, CEO, BT OnePhone Ltd

Transport & Logistics Businesswoman of the Year: Nancy Hobhouse, Head of ESG ,Evri

Utilities Businesswoman of the Year: Lisa Waterhouse, Diversity & Inclusion Manager, National Grid

Young Businesswoman of the Year: Laura Cooper-Jackson, Director, Industrial Signs Group

Rising Star Award: Krystle McGilvery, Founder, Mind Over Money

Gamechanger in Sport Award: Charlene Gravesande, Assistant Producer, Sky UK Limited

Team of the Year Award: PUMA UK&I

Role Model of the Year Award: Lucile Kamar, Head of Diversity and Inclusion, ITN

Diversity Award: OLIVER

Male Advocate of the Year Award: Conor Whelan, Chief Information Officer, Experian PLC

Female Ambassador of the Year: Beth Knight, Amazon in the Community Leader, Europe, Amazon

Great British Businesswoman of the Year : Beth Knight, Amazon in the Community Leader, Europe, Amazon

Awards, News

Great British Businesswoman Awards 2022 finalists revealed

  • The most inspiring women in business have been shortlisted ahead of the Great British Businesswoman Awards Grand Final
  • The second annual awards ceremony will celebrate businesswomen in industries from tech to creative
  • Grand Final is to be held in London on November 29
The shortlist for the Great British Businesswoman Awards 2022 has been unveiled ahead of a Grand Final in November.
160 women in business have been named as finalists in the second annual awards in categories including Construction Businesswoman, Social Enterprise Businesswoman and Diversity Initiative of the Year. One of the winners will also be crowned the overall Great British Businesswoman of the Year, which was won last year by Unilever’s Leena Nair.
The programme launched last year to recognise the inspiring women innovating and leading the way in their respective industries. Despite this, statistics still show that there is still a long way to go before the number of women in top corporate jobs is equal to men.
Research has estimated that £250 billion could be injected into the UK economy if women were equally as prominent in leading businesses as men.* It’s hoped that the awards will play an active role in showcasing the importance of having more women in leading corporate positions and, ultimately, getting closer to realising that untapped potential.
The awards took place for the first time virtually last year, but the organisers are making the event bigger and better this year by holding it in-person at the De Vere Connaught Rooms in London.
It’s hoped that the live ceremony will offer guests the opportunity to connect with their fellow attendees, and ticket holders will also have access to a finalist networking conference in the daytime before the main prize-giving event.
Founded by the team behind the Great British Entrepreneur Awards, finalists and winners are also encouraged to remain engaged with the programme after the final as they are welcomed into a growing alumni network where previous award applicants can connect, learn and share ideas.
The finalists will be whittled down to 21 winners selected by a panel of expert judges spanning a wide range of industries and big name companies, from Greggs PLC Chief Executive Roisin Currie, to Easyjet Trading & RM Director Melissa Skluzacek.
Awards founder Francesca James said that the judges have a tough decision on their hands: “The standard of entries was fantastic and the breadth of talent and achievement demonstrated by the finalists is nothing short of inspirational. The finalists should be very proud to have been shortlisted out of so many worthy applicants, and I don’t envy the judges who now have the task of choosing the winners.
“Celebrating and supporting women in business is not just for other women – if we want to see more women leaders in business, it will be strong collaboration between us all that achieves it. We’ve created these awards to reflect that, with categories honouring male advocates, corporate initiatives and teams that are empowering business women and championing equality and diversity.
“Congratulations to all of our fantastic finalists – I look forward to finding out who our 2022 winners will be!”
The Grand Final of the Great British Businesswoman Awards 2022 will be held on 29th November 2022 at De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London. Tickets are available at freshbusinessthinking.com/great-british-businesswoman-series/tickets.
Great British Businesswoman Awards 2022 Finalists: 
Banking and Finance Businesswoman sponsored by Global Processing Services 
• Dr Narisa Chauvidul-Aw, KogoPAY Group
• Roxana Mohammadian-Molina, Blend Network
• Natasha Frangos, Haysmacintyre LLP
• Rosie Lyon, Allied Irish Bank GB
• Liz Jackson MBE, BCMS
• Palak Tewary, Price Mann
• Katharine Wooller, Dacxi
• Chloe Mercer
• Private Markets Alpha Limited
Construction Businesswoman 
• Carol Massay, Access Group
• Sophia Graves, Real
• Louise Stewart, ProjectPay
• Roni Savage, Jomas Associates
• Leanne Coop, The Tiny Housing Co
• Kelly Cartwright, Core Recruiter Ltd
• Gauri Talathi-Lamb, Iolas Capital
• Mandy St John Davey, Mandy St John Davey
Consumer Goods Businesswoman 
• Greta McDonald, Sweet Lounge
• Emma Macdonald, The Tartan Blanket Co
• Martha Keith, Martha Brook
• Monika Ludwiczak, Everlasting Brows
• Bethan John, The British Blanket Company
• Amanda Mountain, Lola Design
• Emma Naumann, Cogito Talent Limited
• Mellanie Lykourina Struthers, Draught Drop
Creative Industries Businesswoman 
• Shannon Jennings, The Very Group
• Priya Downes, Nudea
• Chloe Baldwin & Abigail Baldwin, Buttercrumble
• Claire Menzies, Istoria Group Ltd.
• Debra Mayfield, DML Marketing
• Anna Kyriacou, The Zeros Art
• Sedge Beswick, SEEN Connects
• Lucy McCarraher, Rethink Press
Engineering & Manufacturing Businesswoman 
• Samidha Anand, Caterpillar
• Beverley Gibbs, NMITE
• Nathalie Sorde, CMR Surgical
• Dr Zoe Tolkien, Advanced Furnace Technology Ltd
• Lara Edison, Encirc
• Lana Harrison, Exterior Solutions Ltd
• Mandy Forster, AA Flags Limited
• Rachel Garrett, CMG Technologies
Entrepreneurial Businesswoman 
• Sharon Daly, Venture Life Group Plc
• Lizzie Carter, Only Curls Ltd
• Abi Selby, Spabreaks.com
• Emily Riddington, TechNET IT Recruitment
• Emma Bardwell, Bardwood Support Services
• Alice Hall, Rowen Homes
• Hannah Allen, Operatix
• Anita Dougall, Sagacity Solutions Ltd
Food & Drink Businesswoman 
• Joyce De Hass & Raissa De Hass, Double Dutch
• Krisi Smith, Bird & Blend Tea Co.
• Shakshi Chhabra Mittal, FoodHak
• Ellie Webb, Caleño Drinks
• Hannah Williams, Tiny Rebel
• Laura Belshaw, Musclefood
• Olivia Ferdi, TRIP CBD
• Nirali Buch Mankodi, Superfoodio
Social Enterprise Businesswoman
• Hannah Samano, Unfabled
• Alison Delaney, Little Bird People Development
• Melanie Vaxevanakis, The MAZI Project
• Toni Horn, Think Differently Coaching CIC
• Emily Aklan, Serenity Welfare
• Julie Hawker & Kate Doodson, Cosmic
• Marva Trenton, Lifelong Family Links
• Anisa Morridadi, Beatfreeks
Technology Businesswoman 
• Georgina Nelson, TruRating
• Laura Hutton, Quantexa
• Tanya Field, Novatiq
• Charu Bjuvestig, QA Talent
• Lesley Da Costa, Bendac
• Collette Allen, SmartSearch
• Deepti Velury, Tag Worldwide
• Sarah-Jayne van Greune, Payen Limited
Telecoms Businesswoman 
• Beverley Brookes, Spoke Interactive Limited
• Nektaria Efthymiou, BT
• Tejal Maniar, BT OnePhone Ltd
• Amanda Jobbins, Vodafone
• Jeanie York, Virgin Media O2
• Claire Harvey MBE, Vodafone
• Gill Cooke, Three UK
• Rebecca Armstrong, Talk Talk
Transport & Logistics Businesswoman 
• Sarah Taylor-Jones, Evri
• Fiona Smith, AGS Airports Ltd
• Lorna McAtear, National Grid
• Ginny Buckley, Electrifying.com
• Nancy Hobhouse, Evri
• Caroline Green MBE, Pallet-Track Ltd
• Rachel Houghton, Business Moves Group
• Katie McIntyre, Adverttu
Utilities Businesswoman 
• Lisa Waterhouse, National Grid
• Charlotte Swift, British Gas
• Sharna Matson, Cadent Gas Limited
• Lynne Higgins, Octopus Energy
• Marianne Moberg, Utility Warehouse
• Jacqueline O’Donovan, O’Donovan Waste Disposal Ltd
• Vicky Kelsall, Scottish Power
• Katie Jackson, Shell UK
Young Businesswoman sponsored by EMCOR UK 
• Rachel Thomas, The THOMAS Recruitment Group
• Jade Cohen & Brittany Harris, Qualis Flow
• Laura Cooper-Jackson, Industrial Signs Group
• Chiara Macarti Speranza, Google
• Lucie Rowley, Evri
• Natalie Porter, Happy Plants
• Lissele Pratt, Capitalixe
• Millie Goodwin, With Love Cosmetics LTD
• Nipuni Karunaratne, IVY TECH Ltd
• Megan Gamble, Hashtag Me
Diversity Initiative of the Year Award 
• Lucile Kamar, ITN
• Tasneem Bhopalwala, Oxford University Press
• Christopher Sumner-Smith, Charu Bjuvestig, Hannah McDougall, Christina El-Hawi and Kieran Prout, Qa LTd
• Carol Poloni, Amina Folarin, Sagina Shabaya, Vijay Chohan, Theresa Sarbeng, Melanie O’Hagan and Jerome Ntumba, OLIVER
• Nadia Edwards-Dashti, Harrington Starr
• Nadine Campbell, ACE Entrepreneurs
• Charlene Brown, Howlett Brown
• Jodie Greer, Be #PeopleSmart LTd
Female Ambassador of the Year Award 
• Fran Pestana, E.ON
• Nikki Ross, Thames Valley Partnership
• Beth Knight, Amazon
• Chloe Foster, Valorum Care Group
• Angela De Souza, Women’s Business Club
• Patricia Phillips, Panasonic
• Ruby Sweeney, The Events Hub
• Tracey Secker, The Haven Wolverhampton
Gamechanger in Sport Award 
• Jess Roper, I am Fighting Fit
• Katie James, bpsorty Ltd
• Yvette Curtis, Waves Wahines CIC
• Charlene Gravesande, Sky UK Limited
Male Advocate of the Year Award 
• Conor Whelan, Experian PLC
• Richard Port MBE, George Green LLP
• Matthew Read, Volume99
• Seb York, CatSci Ltd
• Ian Boyd, Trekstock
• Simon Martin, OLIVER
• Lee Proctor-Wright, Encric
• Daniele Fiandaca, Token Man Consulting
Rising Star Award 
• Janani Prasad, Minority Supplier Development UK
• Lauren Williams, gemsatwork Ltd
• Joan Tolentino, Infoteam International Limited
• Krystle McGilvery, Mind Over Money
• Giulia Pedretti, Arteak Limited
• Louise Blisset, Inception Consultants Ltd
• Lisa Dukes, Dukes & King
• Lucie Grech, The Laser Lounge Enterprise Limited
Role Model of the Year Award sponsored by Moody’s 
• Lucile Kamar, ITN
• Raqual Amador Quintanilla, Bango
• Sadie Restorick, Wellity Global
• Emma-Jane Taylor-Moran, Rebel Law Ltd
• Georgina Moseley, Help Harry Help Others Cancer Support Charity
• Melyni Bronson, Masterclassing Ltd
• Claire Russell, Mental Health in Business
• Mahira Kalim, Spruce
Team of the Year Award 
• Bendac Group
• Criteo
• PUMA UK&I
• Independent Schools Examination Board
• Mount Street
• Pallet-Track
• Your Space Property Group
• Noble Events
• Lendology CIC
• OLIVER
Awards, News, Regional News, South West

10th annual Women’s Business Conference and awards to be held in Cheltenham in October

Women’s Business Club will host its 10th annual conference and awards in Cheltenham on the 5th of October. The aim of the event is to inspire, empower and celebrate women in business whether they are starting out on their journey, are already established SME businesswomen or are employed women building a career. 

The event, which is being sponsored by multi-asset social investment network eToro, will see businesswomen from all over England come together to connect, network, share expertise, listen to inspirational talks and attend 1-to-1 workshops. 

This year’s keynote speaker will be Rupal Patel, author of From CIA to CEO.  Rupal’s high-octane career has taken her from dusty briefing rooms in jungles and war zones to corporate boardrooms and international stages. After a thrilling career at the CIA, she started two award-winning businesses and is now shaping the future of work by helping growth-oriented leaders and innovative organizations build careers and businesses that thrive with purpose.

Angela De Souza, CEO of Women’s Business Club, said: “We are so excited to be adding even more value to women in business this year through a number of key changes – both for delegates and for our speakers/experts. There is so much for women in business to get involved in at the event.”

The following changes have been made to this year’s event:

  1. A fully female lineup of speakers.
  2. Exhibiting with a difference: no more rooms full of stands with people selling at you. Instead, the event features Expert Pods where delegates can meet experts for a 15-minute one-to-one fully focused Q&A and advice session. Designed to build relationships and offer direct advice relevant to the attendee’s business. 
  3. Workshops that are designed to be lessons, not lectures. These one-hour interactive sessions with hand-picked industry experts provide in-depth expert content and practical applications. 

Taking place at the end of the conference, the SME Awards acknowledge and celebrate exceptional companies and their leaders. There will be nine prestigious awards presented on the night for women who are changing the game and leading the way in business. Nominees will be judged by the award sponsors and leading business experts. 

The in-person conference and awards will be held at the Pitville Pump Room in Cheltenham and will cost £125+VAT, while the event will also be available virtually at a cost of £25+VAT with online attendees from five countries and a digital reach of approximately 115,000 businesses. 

“The venue has the capacity for 500 attendees and with previous events selling out, it is advisable to book in advance,” Angela said.

To find out more about the conference & awards, visit: https://womensbusiness.club/conference

HR News, News

Female role models in politics, business, and STEM encourage gender pay parity

The gender pay gap is significantly lower in US states where counter-stereotypical female role models are more popular, reveals research from Mannheim Business School.

Researchers Mengqiao Du and Alexandra Niessen-Ruenzi from Mannheim, and Vidhi Chhaochharia from University of Miami, found this is because admiration for counter-stereotypical female role models is associated with women making decisions that improve their earning potential.

Such decisions include entering male-dominated occupations such as STEM, taking on higher ranked positions, seeking higher education qualifications, and waiting until later in life to have a first child.

To define a counter-stereotypical female role model, the researchers categorised 247 women who were identified as admirable by respondents to 46 Gallup surveys conducted from 1951-2014 based on their primary occupation.

They compared this to their analysis of answers to questions about gender differences in the General Social Survey, as well as labour market information taken from the Current Population Survey, which helped them measure state-level gender norms over time.

According to the authors, women admired for their roles in male-dominated industries, including as politicians, writers or journalists, businesswomen, astronauts, scientists, athletes, or activists are counter-stereotypical role models.

The researchers found that less than 20 percent of people in the US identified counter-stereotypical female role models as admirable in 1950, but this rose to 50 percent in 2014. They discovered that counter-stereotypical female role models became more popular than stereotypical female role models in the 1980s.

Dr Niessen-Ruenzi, says;

“Counter-stereotypical female role models influence women’s choices in addition to gender norms and may be considered as a starting point for future changes of gender norms at the state level if the fraction of people admiring them significantly increases. This means at some point, female role models in politics, science, or related fields may not be counter-stereotypical anymore, but will reflect the new normal.”

This paper was published in the Journal of Economic Behaviour and Organisation.

Charity & CSR, News, North of England, Telecoms

Fibre broadband provider 4th Utility signs first ever charity partnership as ambitious fundraising plans announced

 Manchester-based fibre broadband provider 4th Utility has signed a major deal with an organisation helping unemployed women find jobs.

It’s the first ever charity partnership for 4th Utility, a supplier of ultrafast connectivity to homes and businesses across the UK, and it has been agreed with fellow city region-based Smart Works Greater Manchester.

As a corporate partner, 4th Utility has committed to raising a minimum of £10,000 in 2022 for the charity, which supports women throughout their employment journey, including in-person and online pre-employment coaching and interview styling.

Since launching in 2015, Smart Works Greater Manchester has been working to deliver its mission and vision to help more women get into the workplace.

It has delivered more than 3,000 appointments with the aim helping women build interview techniques and allowing them to be their best at crucial moments in life, instilling confidence, self-belief and practical skills. The charity also provides workwear and accessories for the women it supports, taking in clothing donations from the public. Smart Works Greater Manchester says 70% of the women it has supported have successfully secured employment.

4th Utility was established in 2017, and works with residential and commercial landlords, property developers and house builders to install and upgrade properties with full fibre connectivity.

The new corporate partnership announced today will also see 4th Utility staff take part in various projects planned throughout the year, including volunteering days supporting Smart Works Greater Manchester in Stockport town centre.

On the partnership announcement, Tony Hughes, CEO of 4th Utility, said: “Our team was truly inspired by what the Smart Works Greater Manchester team does, and their sizeable ambitions meant they were a perfect fit to become our first ever charity partner.

“So many women across Greater Manchester have been disproportionately and negatively impacted by the pandemic, meaning the charity’s services are needed now more than ever.

“We hope to make a significant contribution to the efforts of a fellow Greater Manchester-based organisation and look forward to helping with their programme of exciting projects planned throughout the year.”

Jan Iceton, Chair of Smart Works Greater Manchester, said: “We are delighted to have 4th Utility on board as a new corporate partner – they share our commitment to giving back into the Greater Manchester community and have the skills and resources to make a significant impact on the success of our organisation.

“As we enter into a period of much more active recruitment, with a long-term partner like 4th Utility on board, we can take advantage of the jobs market by supporting even more unemployed women to ‘get the clothes, get the confidence, get the job’.”

Smart Works Greater Manchester said its services are now vital to ensuring the country builds back better across communities, enabling women to take advantage of the resurgence in employment now seen across the board. The charity helps to make sure they are ready to apply for roles and that they succeed at interview.

Ms Iceton added: “At the beginning of 2021, to support our growth objective, we set ourselves a target to secure five corporate partners by the end of the year and we are thrilled that 4th Utility now joins Timetastic, Trinnovo Group, Ingeus and Energize to make that a reality.

“Working with 4th Utility will make a real difference to Smart Works Greater Manchester and its vital service delivery, helping to fund our activities, raise awareness of what we do and, ultimately, improve the employment outcomes for many women across our region.”

For more information about 4th Utility, visit https://the4thutility.co.uk/

Events, News, South East

Link & Learn with Exceptional Women from Dorset and Hampshire, while raising funds for The Minstead Trust

‘Break the bias’ on International Women’s Day (8th March) at Padua Communications’ fundraising event.

Businesses in Hampshire and Dorset are invited to ‘break the bias’ by attending a unique Link & Learn event on International Women’s Day at The Minstead Trust’s Hanger Farm Arts Centre in Lyndhurst, Hampshire. Be inspired by stories of women who have taken on bias in their workplaces and gain practical tips on creating a gender equal workplace, all while raising funds for life-changing local charity, The Minstead Trust.

Inspired by International Women’s Day, Fordingbridge-based content and PR agency Padua Communications is taking its monthly Link & Learn session to Hanger Farm Arts Centre. Founder and Managing Director of Padua Communications, Nicky Rudd, has brought together a spectacular lineup of inspirational speakers for this exclusive event. Each speaker will share their view on the role of women in business and the challenges they have overcome to break the bias in their workplaces and industries.

The Dorset and Hampshire-based speakers include:

  • Facilitator and change expert Jo Hompstead, founder of Connect Up
  • Sarah Wrixon of family-run brokerage Summers Insurance
  • Lucy Tidbury, artist and gallery owner at Lucy’s Farm in Swanage
  • Sales expert Kristy Davies-Sumpter of Zest Consultancy
  • Executive Coach and Business Mentor Angie Beeston from Evolution 4 Business

International Women’s Day, March 8th, is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. This year’s theme is ‘break the bias’. Everyone is invited to actively highlight gender bias, discrimination and stereotyping in every aspect of society, from workplaces, communities, and schools, to create a gender equal world.

The event takes place at Hanger Farm Arts Centre in Lyndhurst, part of The Minstead Trust, a charity that Padua Communications has supported for several years. The Minstead Trust nurtures the unique potential of people with learning disabilities.

Its work includes providing training and support services through social enterprises Furzey Gardens, Hanger Farm Arts Centre and Minstead Lodge conference and events venue. The International Women’s Day Link & Learn event will also celebrate 1928, the year women got the vote, as part of the Furzey Gardens centenary appeal.

Nicky Rudd, Managing Director of Padua Communications, says: “The Minstead Trust’s main lodge has adapted how it works as a venue because of Covid-19. This has had a huge impact on funds coming into the charity, which does amazing work for adults with learning difficulties.

As a female business owner, I always try and celebrate International Women’s Day. This year, organising a fundraising event seemed like the best idea. It will be great to run a face-to-face event, and the women that have agreed to share their stories are exceptional in their fields. What makes this extra special is that I have met a lot of them during lockdown. I am really thrilled that we can showcase their talent to help others on their business journeys, as well as raise funds for an amazing charity.”

Tickets to the event are priced at £18, including lunch and refreshments, with all proceeds going to The Minstead Trust.

Spaces are limited, so book early via Eventbrite to secure your place at this inspirational event.

Franchises, News

Get Ahead wins top award at the British Franchise Awards 2021

Virtual outsourcing company, Get Ahead, has taken home the Franchise Balance accolade at the bfa HSBC British Franchise Awards 2021.

2021 marks the 32nd year of the bfa HSBC franchising award, a flagship event for the UK franchising industry. The glittering event took place at The Vox in Birmingham, where the achievements of the UK’s best franchisors and franchisees were celebrated. Get Ahead battled it out against a record number of entries to secure the accolade for its franchisee onboarding programme during COVID-19.

Commenting on the win, Rebecca Newenham, founder and director of Get Ahead, said: “This award win is particularly special, as it comes off the back of what was an extremely challenging year for our franchisees. By setting up our onboarding programme, we wanted to give them a shoulder to lean on during difficult times, giving them an extra level of care and support.

As a franchisor, we always strive to be the best in what we do. I’m incredibly proud of the whole Get Ahead team for this fantastic award win.”

Pip Wilkins, CEO of the British Franchise Association, said: “Onboarding is a crucial part of franchising, so it’s always great to see a business that strives to do all it can to support its franchisees as they begin their journey. This award is a real testament to Get Ahead’s hard work and dedication, especially in the wake of the challenges of the past year and a half. A huge congratulations to the whole Get Ahead team for what is a very well deserved win.”

Andrew Brattesani, Head of Franchising, HSBC, said: “During the last 18 months, many businesses have felt the strain of ongoing pressures, but the franchising model provides businesses with much-needed support when they need it most. Get Ahead’s onboarding programme serves as an excellent example of how franchises can provide additional care during difficult times, so it is no surprise they have taken home this brilliant accolade for all their efforts.”

This latest awards success come on the back of a record-breaking year for Get Ahead. The company scooped a silver award at the Best Business Women Awards, and founder Rebecca was crowned Southern England Business Woman of the Year in the National Business Women’s Awards 2021. Looking ahead to 2022, Get Ahead has already been shortlisted in the Virtual Franchising Awards 2022 in the  Franchisor of the Year and Marketing Excellence categories and has been awarded ‘SME News Best Virtual Admin Support Firm 2022’ for the second year running.

News

Get Ahead celebrates triple awards recognition in three national business awards

Virtual outsourcing agency Get Ahead is delighted to be shortlisted in no less than six categories for three different national business awards, focused on women in business and franchising.

Rebecca Newenham, founder and director of Get Ahead, has been selected as a finalist in the Best Business Women Awards 2021 for Most Inspiring Businesswoman and Best Business Woman in Business Services. Rebecca has also been shortlisted in the National Business Women’s Awards 2021, for Business Owner of the Year and Southern England Business Woman of the Year.

After a corporate buying career for retail giants Superdrug and Sainsburys, Rebecca founded Get Ahead in 2010. Since then, her team has grown to over 50 virtual assistants and franchisees, providing flexible, effective marketing and business support services to clients across the UK. The business has previously been crowned Flexible Business of the Year and Rebecca herself has been recognised as a leading female entrepreneur.

Despite the pandemic, 2020 was a pivotal year for Get Ahead. Rebecca published her first book ‘Virtually Yours’, and the business welcomed a record number of new franchisees.

Debbie Gilbert, organiser of the Best Business Women Awards awards said: “The entries were judged by a panel of business experts who had a tough job reading hundreds of entries. To be a finalist in this competition is a major achievement and a mark of quality. All our finalists are all shining examples of being successful entrepreneurs who have proved their success to our judges.” The Gold Winners of each category will be announced The Best Business Women Awards Gala Final at the Hilton Wembley on 15th October. The winners of the National Business Women’s Awards 2021 awards will also be crowned in Wembley, at their Grand Awards Celebration on Friday 19th November 2021.

Get Ahead has also been shortlisted in two categories of the bfa HSBC British Franchise Awards 2021. These prestigious industry awards are designed to recognise the diamond standard in franchising, acknowledging brands that have gone above and beyond to build a franchise community based on strong ethics and business success.

Get Ahead has been selected as a finalist for the Franchise Balance Award and Fiona Ibbetson, Get Ahead Leeds, York & Harrogate, is a finalist in the Lifestyle Franchisee Award.

“The standard of this years’ applicants has been outstanding. We have seen incredible displays of commitment, dedication and passion across a multitude of sectors throughout the franchise industry.” says bfa CEO, Pip Wilkins.

The awards received a record number of entries this year, making the competition for finalist places even more fierce. The winners will be announced at the Vox, Birmingham, on November 30.

Rebecca Newenham says: “I am beyond delighted to be shortlisted in these national business awards. Between them, they recognise my dream of creating a flexible business that would allow highly talented individuals, particularly parents, to balance both work and family life.

I want to thank all of my team for helping to get Get Ahead recognised in these awards, as well as congratulate Fiona on her finalist place. Fiona has had a fantastic first 3 years in business and I am so pleased to see her hard work recognised in this way.”

Rebecca, Fiona and the entire Get Ahead team will be keeping their fingers crossed for the next few months as the winners of all three awards are announced. “Just to make the shortlist of each category is such an achievement,” Rebecca concluded. “I wish every one of the finalists the best of luck and I am looking forward to celebrating everyone’s achievements at the awards ceremonies.”