The Business Exchange Swindon & Wiltshire Edition 42: April/May 2019 | Page 22

WOMEN CANNOT HAVE IT ALL – OR CAN THEY?
A new survey has found that a majority of women in the South West
still feel they have to choose between a career and a family.
The study, by law firm Merali Beedle, found
53% of high-powered working women in the
South West believe there is an expectation
to choose between family and career.
Nationally, the figure was 71%.
The analysis of 2,003 professionals across
the UK paints a disconcerting picture for a
leading first world economy. One thing that
becomes very clear is that those who are
employed by bigger businesses may have a
longer wait for ‘flexiblity’.
We spoke to a number of businesswomen
in the region, who said making such choice
in real life is not as always as clear cut as
some might think.
“So, I started my own business. For me
it’s the only way that I can see how I can do
senior level work with the flexibility I need. I
have the added complication of a husband in
the forces which means he’s away on ships
six months of the year, so it becomes even
more important for me to be a stable part in
my daughter’s life and be there for her.”
THE BUSINESS EXCHANGE 2019
The Export Department, Swindon
“I think it is possible for a woman to have
a high-powered job and a family. I made a
conscious decision to give up my career as
a research scientist to be at home and look
after my two boys who were two years and
nine months at the time. I had already started
a business part-time and decided I would
build up my business alongside raising my
children. It’s been very challenging, especially
as a single parent for the last six years.
“I have always put my children before
my business which has meant the business
has grown very slowly. In the past I have
often beaten myself up for not growing
the business faster, but I know I made the
right choice. Now my children are older
(nearly nine and ten and a half) and with
help from my very supportive family, I am
in a position where I am now scaling up my
business, whilst still being very present for
my children.” “I have always worked in quite high
pressured, male dominated environments.
I started out in export after graduating with
a modern languages degree and began
working for a chemicals and specialist
coatings manufacturer.
“I have worked extensively within IT,
managing overseas markets for a number
of blue chip organisations and SMEs. When
I first started out in this sector, I was one of
very few women in IT business development,
the pressure was immense, it was an
incredibly competitive environment, the days
were long, the overseas travel extensive, and
flexible working was unheard of, but it was a
sector that rewarded well.
“My husband and I married in 2004, and
for the first few years saw each other for a
week every month as the rest of my time
was spent abroad. The prospect of starting
a family simply wasn’t on the table, I loved
my work, I’d worked immensely hard to
get where I was, and whilst my employers
catered for maternity, I instinctively knew the
time out would be detrimental to my career
and further advancement. It wasn’t until I
branched out on my own, becoming my own
boss and master of my own destiny, that
the prospect of starting a family became a
serious consideration for us.
“I felt, being answerable only to myself and
my clients, I could structure my day the way
I needed to in order to have the best of both
worlds. That said, I did take a professional
break to have our son, who’s now five and a
half, and I don’t regret a moment of it.
“I knew I’d have to pretty much start
back up from scratch again once he started
nursery, but they were precious days and I
wouldn’t trade them for anything. Now that
our son is at school, my day is structured to
allow for work while he is out, and then once
he has gone to bed. I maintain that for me at
least, family was only possible after making
the decision to leave the corporate world and
start out on my own.”
Director of sales and marketing at OHM
Clothing, Devizes
Founder of Sophie Davies Marketing,
Pewsey
22
ANDREA COLLINS
Founder of Cheeky Little Prints, Swindon
JEMMA BROWN
SOPHIE DAVIES
“I don’t think you can have it all. Someone
has to be there to do the childcare. And you
have to make the choice: palm off your child
to someone else who ultimately brings up
your child for you, or you or your partner has
to take a back step, particularly in the early
years. And the truth is that in the majority of
relationships it’s the woman, whether we like
it or not.
“From the time I had my baby, I had to
make a choice. I worked in the advertising
industry and basically it’s full time or nothing.
I resigned and so started my journey through
the murky world of part-time work.
“Through luck, I managed to get a
freelance job at the National Trust, which
let me work three days a week. It was a
great place to work for flexibility but I did
have to take a junior position to get it. Fast
forward four years, I was able to climb the
ranks quite easily as they do recognise hard
work and achievement. Redundancy hailed
and I managed to get a perfect ‘school
hours’ contract as my daughter just started
school. When that finished, there were no
opportunities quite so flexible at a more
senior level, so I had to leave.
“When I left I hoped that I would be able to
get part time work elsewhere, with the same
flexibility. This wasn’t to be the case. The
truth is the opportunities just aren’t there and
certainly not at a senior level.
LISA BERRY
“I find the survey results to be really quite
shocking. I thought that was a thing of the
past – I’m clearly wrong. I think there is a lot
of salient points made, in that anyone who
wants to have a family and a career is going
to struggle. I think you have to make a huge
sacrifice to get to the top – if you work for
someone else.
“Working for myself means I have the
flexibility a company would completely
struggle to offer employees in ‘real life’.
“I worked for the police in a senior role,
but I did it part time. I was respected and had
a good career, my daughter always came
first. I then worked for a charity. When they
restructured, one of the prerequisites of
applying for the new roles available was that
whoever applied for the role had to be full
time and based in the office.
“On reflection, the discrimination of that is
really quite shocking as the suggestion was
very heavily loaded that I couldn’t do the job
in a 34-hour week as opposed to a 37 one.
“However, the redundancy forced me to
join the family business – we provide uniform
for schools, businesses, charities and HM
Armed Forces - and I have been flying ever
since.
“I think the survey highlights how
businesses in the South West need to look at
how they can incorporate the brilliant minds
of women into their business as well as allow
them to continue the important job of being
a parent too.
“My daughter is coming up to 14 – she
needs me less and less, so the balance gets
easier. However, she will always come first.
That’s my job.”
NADINE MILES
Client Services Director, Render Media,
Swindon
“I’ve been very lucky as I have a hugely
supportive network of family and friends
that have helped me and my husband – who
have two boys aged nine and 12 – with 6am
starts and 11pm finishes. Running your own
business has massive benefits in terms of
managing your day to day and while I can’t
do every drop off and pick up, I never miss a
special occasion.”