The Business Exchange Bath & Somerset Issue 8: Summer 2018 | Page 29

WORKING WOMEN ARE FACING FINANCIAL RISKS BY NOT PROTECTING THEIR INCOME Jon Gratland, Chief Executive at Wiltshire Friendly Society explains “We want to ensure that women protect their financial risks by having the right protection plan i n place so that they are able to support themselves and their families if they were unable to work due to illness or injury.” According to recent research 46% of women believe that it would be their sole responsibility to support their family financially if anything unexpected were to happen and yet 45% have no form of financial protection in place. According to sociologist, Isabella Crespi, British culture pressures men and women to conform traditional gender roles, even within modern two-career families, the result being that women often remain subservient. Her view is that working women compensate their guilt for returning to work by undertaking the dual role of earning an income, juggling child care and parenting responsibilities and also assuming the lion’s share of the domestic jobs in the home. With the gender gap in the workplace gradually becoming closer, and the fact that we are now seeing more women as the main breadwinner in the household, it appears that almost half of women in the workplace are neglecting to protect their income with adequate insurance that could safeguard them and their family if they suddenly found themselves unable to work. Women want to feel financially independent, so even if they did become unable to work they don’t want to be reliant on a partner’s income. Without income protection insurance providing working women with a safety net, unexpected illness or injury could have a serious adverse effect on their financial security. Wiltshire Friendly Society offer financial protection for women by offering a flexible income protection plan that provides an income in the event that a woman is unable to work through illness or injury. 01225 752120 For more info: www.wiltshirefriendly.com Flexibility drives growth at GO Get Organised The need for working more flexibly in business is driving the growth of local firm GO Get Organised, with further demand for their GO Get Recruitment division. Launched in 2012, GO Get Organised started out as a ‘pay as you go’ business shop, offering a range of services including virtual PAs, websites, graphic design, social media managers, blog specialists and more - all under the one roof. The services were designed specifically for small business owners in Bath and the surrounds to help them achieve a better work/life balance at very affordable prices. Naomi Summers, owner of GO Get Organised Owner Naomi Summers said: “All of the services we offer are designed to help others save time and gain more me-time affordably. We basically work as your friend in business, giving you a shoulder to lean on when you need it. We understand that sometimes your need for support is greater than others and our approach allows you to dip in and out of our services as and when you require.” GO Get Organised’s flexible ethos led to Naomi being asked to fulfil permanent roles, both full and part time for clients. Following the placement of several successful candidates she created a business model for this side of the company and launched GO Get Recruitment in early 2017. Naomi added: “Our model is simple. We charge a 10% finder’s fee, which is 10% of the first year’s annual salary. 50% is payable on the candidate’s first day and 50% is payable 6 weeks later. If a candidate doesn’t work out and leaves within six weeks of joining, the client doesn’t pay the second half of the fee.” GO Get Recruitment’s clients include the Glove Factory in Holt, Foot Trails and Citrus HR. Their pro-rata minimum fee is £750. Naomi said: “I think the success of GO Get Recruitment stems from my understanding of what small business owners need. Being a small business owner myself I look to recruit versatile candidates for my clients. People who are prepared to do a bit of everything and muck in. SMEs need employees to be all-rounders to get the job done. Character is key, I meet every candidate in person and ensure the personality is right for the company. No one is the same on paper as they are when you meet them.” To raise GO Get’s profile Naomi has launched a free quarterly networking event. The last GO Get Networking event held at Framptons in Bath at the end of May saw 60 people attend. All guests had to do was buy a coffee and network informally. There was also a guest speaker, Tom Lewis from The Guild co-working hub, talking about his business journey and the success of The Guild. The next event is planned for October 18 at the same venue, visit the GO Get Organised website www.GOgetorganised. co.uk and GO to the news section for further details and announcements. For more info: www.gorecruitment.co.uk [email protected] @Gogetorganised THE BUSINESS EXCHANGE 2018 29