Serving the Teesside Business Community | 17
Teesside’s Most Inspiring Businesspeople
Sharon Lane, Tees
Components Mel Thompson,
KMS Partners Lisa Preston,
Hunters Estate Agents Caroline Theobald,
The Bridge Club
1 Zoe Lewis,
Middlesbrough
College 1 Sharon
Lane, Tees
Components 1 Paul Bury,
Endeavour Partnership 1 Dean Benson,
Visualsoft
2 Vikki Jackson-Smith,
J&B Recycling 2 Sarah Monk,
Avec Partnership 2 Zoe Lewis,
Middlesbrough
College 2 Jane Turner, Teesside
University
3 Ian Malcolm,
ElringKlinger 3 Bill Scott, Wilton
Engineering 3 Richard Barker,
Barker & Stonehouse
3 Jane Reynolds,
North East Finance
It’s tough
to get the
balance right
I
Middlesbrough College principal Zoe Lewis
(above) and accountant Ann Stonehouse (left)
were both puzzled by the results of our poll.
are confronted by this dilemma to the same
extent.”
Although only 20% of businesses are
female-owned/managed, a much higher
proportion of self-employed individuals -
around one in three - are women.
“Perhaps more support is needed to
encourage these women to grow from being
self-employed to employing others,” Sharon
wonders. “Some people find events and
awards programmes specifically for women
a little tiring. Unfortunately, the reality is
that if a young woman has a great business
idea, considers founding a company, looks
around her and sees that nearly every person
running a business is male, so has no visible
female role models, she is likely to be more
than a little discouraged.
“So it’s important that we continue to
highlight women leaders in all sectors, if
only to ensure that those budding female
entrepreneurs can see that they won’t be
alone.”
Ann picks up the point that too many
women don’t shout about their successes.
“I recently asked women to use our
networking platform to self-promote
themselves but the successful and well-
known in the North East region were shy in
doing so,” she reveals.
“This then began a debate about the
issue and I asked how this could be
changed to allow women to become more
recognised for their success.”
What Zoe is sure of is that there are
no easy answers to changing the current
status – and that simply encouraging more
women to be entrepreneurial isn’t the sole
answer.
“It’s absolutely right that we raise
aspirations in young women to consider the
sort of management roles that could lead
them to becoming directors and business
leaders. But I don’t believe it’s as easy as
inspiring women and more will naturally
come through. I firmly believe the talent is
already there, and has been for a long time,
but I think it’s that question of the work-
life balance that means that many women
don’t fulfil their potential in the workplace.”
n 2004 I left Capital Radio in London
to set up a business from home
and to start a family. By 2010, I had
premises, staff, a significant client
portfolio…and twin babies.
No amount of preparation can
prepare you for becoming a parent,
never mind two babies at once!
Three years ago We Do Brand
Communications was awarded
the North East Outstanding Small
Consultancy accolade, but the reality of
being a working mum was hard.
The 9-5 routine was rigid; not
having wider family to call upon
made it a constant battle. In 2015,
I made the decision to part from
We Do and refocus home and work
priorities. I founded Creative Business
Collaboration, a freelance marketing
agency with a UK-wide portfolio that is
set to double its turnover.
Today, flexibility at work is as
important as the salary. Time is one
thing we can’t make more of or take
back, so we must use it wisely. I work
from home and my boys come to the
office. Meetings are always after school
drop-off and in school hours.
I collect the boys most days, and pick
up any emails when they are in bed.
Communicating to staff and clients how
I work is fundamental to my success.
My philosophy is to run life around
work, as opposed to life having to fit
into work. Businesses are capable of
bending easily without breaking. They
can do this by being strategic and
understanding the bigger picture. And
I focus on the delivery of work, rather
than the hours and place of work.
Maxine Freer,
Creative Business Collaboration