Networking is vital in business but is of particular use to women for two reasons; staying in touch with people for mutual benefit and also to help younger or less experienced women to develop confidence in business. It’s important to strike the balance between recognising that some people or areas of work can be hostile to women while others are just difficult to break into, irrespective of your gender.
All women can think of another woman who has inspired her to try a career in business, education or industry. In turn, women must try to be that inspiration or mentor themselves and encourage younger women to aim for positions of responsibility and to aspire for the highest levels in their area of work.
We will never see greater female representation in workplaces or as entrepreneurs if women don’t apply for the jobs or start the businesses in the first place.
Women in business are now as relevant as men and much of their success is down to determination, expertise and hard work. There are still barriers to cross and glass ceilings to smash, but fortunately these are now the exception rather than the rule.
Here we hear the stories of five women who are excelling in their chosen field.
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Emma Armstrong, Accountant, MD MICB / ACPA
With a passion for helping others to achieve their business goals, for Emma there is nothing better than assisting people to build their dream.
As Managing Director of B-Able Business Services, Emma takes pride in herself and her firm for offering a range of business services in accountancy, payroll, and tax returns.
For the past 10 years B-Able have been delivering a service with the aim to relieve clients from the pressures of paperwork. They ensure that any tax obligations and responsibilities are explained in a jargon-free language, delivered in a timely fashion, and limit any tax liability they may face.
Throughout 2018 it has been a big year for the team. Emma personally celebrated 15 years working in the finance industry; it marked the ten-year anniversary for B-Able Business Services; celebrated working with 1000 clients and the business moved to bigger premises due to the demand for the firm’s services.
The expansion welcomed new members of staff and enhanced the services with a new conference room, which can comfortably seat up to 20 people, meeting areas, business mail boxes for hire and acoustic meeting pods.
The firm is also newly qualified as Quickbooks Advanced Advisors, partnering with Quickbooks to ensure their clients have the best accountancy software to remain compliant with the new ‘Making Tax Digital’ scheme, which comes in to place by April 2019. Emma believes that this change will allow business owners to have a real-time view of where their business is heading as well as a clear picture of their financial obligations.
In some exciting news for the team, B-Able have recently been recognised for their success and excellent services through three award nominations. Emma is a finalist in the ‘Best Professional in Business’ category for The Scottish Women’s Awards 2018, and the B-Able team are finalists for ‘Best Performing Team’ and ‘Business of the Year’ for the ASB ‘Association of Scottish Business Women’ National Business Awards 2018, with both award ceremonies taking place in September.
e: emma@b-able.co.uk t: 0141 435 7206 m: 07584 253 164 www.b-able.co.uk
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Moda Dea opened its doors in September 2009 in a small shop in Barrhead. Owner Rosemarie McInally felt there was a real need for a quality fashion boutique in the area for all the fashionistas in the surrounding districts.
The boutique very quickly became a huge success and Rosemarie, along with her dedicated team, created a jewel in the crown in Barrhead. They, not surprisingly, outgrew the shop and moved to larger premises at 98 Cross Arthurlie Street. The new store offered greater flexibility in showcasing a larger range of fashion specialising in Mother of the Bride/Groom, cocktail and casual wear in sizes 8-26, and accessories including hats/fascinators to match every outfit. The award-winning Rainbow shoes are also available and can be dyed to any colour. There is also a fabulous selection of jewellery for the finishing touch to your outfit.
Rosemarie and her team have a passion to make their clients feel good about themselves whatever the occasion, they understand what suits all shapes and sizes and have a wealth of experience in the fashion industry. They aim to make their customers feel comfortable and relaxed to enable them to have an enjoyable shopping experience.
Rosemarie travels all over Europe to bring new labels to the shop with an emphasis on fabulous fabrics, styles and fit. The team are committed to ensuring that their passion for fashion will never diminish and their customer service will always be a top priority.
This no doubt contributed towards their recent award win for Best Fashion Boutique in Glasgow in the Scottish Business Awards this year. The store are also finalists in the Scottish Women’s Awards for the best independent retail business, which will be announced in the middle of September.
Call 0141 881 4503 for more information or follow Moda Dea on Facebook: @ModaDea
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Melanie Andrews MBE – Craigard Tearoom
Melanie started her trade in local hotels in 1980 at the tender age of 16 and swiftly worked her way up the ladder to own and run her own business – Craigard Tearoom in Loch Long in 1992.
Over the next eight years, three more tearooms followed and the brand, The Craigard Tearoom was born.
Melanie works in her home town of Helensburgh and teaches young children and adults in the area vital cooking and baking skills. The Craigard Baking School was born within Craigard Tearoom in Sinclair Street Helensburgh in 2000.
In 2006 Melanie was given the Ambassador for Tourism Award by Visit Scotland, enabling her to produce and design the 1st Helensburgh Tourist Brochure in conjunction with the local Helensburgh Advertiser.
In March 2008 Melanie personally funded a second tourism brochure for Helensburgh and distributed them all over Scotland to tourist offices, hotels and tourism outlets.
In June 2008 Melanie was one of the original committee for the Helensburgh Highland Games. The inception of this event in the town was to provide a much needed platform for a range of local business and local talent.
Later that year Melanie became one of the founding directors for the charity “Helensburgh Heroes “. The charity seeks to recognise local people who have made extraordinary contributions to society.
In November 2009 Melanie founded and personally funded the Ltd company - TSBA, The Scottish Baking Awards. The Awards are the only one of their kind and are a much needed regulatory body for great Artisan Bakers in Scotland.
Melanie won the Gourmand World Cook Book award in Scotland for her self published – Baking with Melanie in 2015.
In July 2017 Melanie was awarded an MBE by the Queen, for services to her home town of Helensburgh and the Scottish Baking Awards in Scotland.
In November 2017 Melanie published a further baking book – Baking with Melanie Andrews.
Melanie regularly bakes live on Scottish Television and is a regular on BBC Radio Scotland. She continues to bake all her own cakes at her one surviving tearoom in Sinclair Street, Helensburgh.
The Great Craigard Bake-Off in Helensburgh is on the 11th November and is free to enter for all age groups. See Facebook at Craigard Tearoom for entry details.
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Helen Stewart, founder of Badvo Distillery
At 18 Helen Stewart started working in a distillery to pay for her University flat. It seemed the perfect job; Helen didn’t drink yet was interested in finding out more about the process. Little did she know it would take her life in a whole new direction.
Rather than viewing distilling as chemical engineering, Helen found it felt far more artistic - all based on the creative expression of how it looks, smells and tastes. After inheriting an old family book detailing how her relatives used to distil on the family farm, Helen realised distilling was part of her history and heritage.
With derelict out-buildings on her family’s farm, Helen had a fresh appreciation for these old spaces once viewed as a millstone around her neck. Buildings that were near fresh spring water, surrounded by botanicals created a unique opportunity.
Gin attracted Helen initially as the old distilling manual described how people used to flavour spirits with whatever was around them. The farm had a wealth of natural botanicals, including Scottish juniper, so suddenly this untapped heather hill was incredibly valuable.
The gin is named Badvo, after Helen’s family farm where the stories of distilling inspired Helen when starting out. The heron logo represents the fresh spring water used, as only a very pure spring can support enough fish for a heron. To fund the start-up, Helen pre-sold the first batch of 105 bottles collectively for £6,500, going on to use the money to unlock match funding, which snowballed until the entire distillery was grant funded.
Helen commented: “I got a lot of flak for being a solo entrepreneur. Yes, there are downsides to being a one-man band, but it gives you the opportunity to be dynamic. You can make a decision and you don’t have to justify it to anyone or get it past any board.
“It hurts occasionally when people assume someone else set up the distillery as I am too young or too female to have accomplished this alone. I just don’t think some people can comprehend how you can cover so much ground at this stage in life, but I think this is the perfect time.”
Visit www.badvo.com to find out more.
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Julie Millen, Millen Solicitors
Unlike our predecessors 100 years ago, there was never any doubt for Julie Millen whilst at school that girls and boys would have differing opportunities available to them. On the contrary, her peer group expected that students of both sexes could progress to further education, and into careers of our choice. This certainly was Julie’s experience.
Graduating from Glasgow University, Bachelor of Laws with Honours in 1993, Julie then went on to complete the required post-graduate Diploma in Legal Practice in 1994. A legal Traineeship commenced immediately, and she was formally admitted as a solicitor in 1995, at the age of 23. By 27, Julie had been promoted to partner. At that time, she was one of the youngest female partners in a law firm in Scotland. By 2015, more than 60 per cent of solicitors under the age of 40, practising in Scotland, were women – unimaginable in 1995, far less in 1918. For the following 11 years, Julie practised a wide range of areas of law and managed three of her firm's branch offices. She was in charge of HR, and worked long hours.
In 2010, Julie decided to leave the relative security of her large firm behind. Seeking a better work/life balance, she set up her own firm – Millen Solicitors. Hard work continued, and although she faced pressures of a different kind as a sole practitioner, she succeeded in achieving a balance, not only for herself, but for every member of her team.
From the outset, Julie envisaged a practice which would provide an exceptional level of service to clients, and a collegiate and stimulating environment for employees. These values continue at the core of Millen Solicitors as they approach the end of their 8th successful year.
“Family Solicitors For Generations” is the business maxim, with a nod to their specialisms in all aspects of family law, as well as powers of attorney, wills and executries. Julie and her team provide an outstanding, supportive and compassionate service to families, parents, grandparents and children in times of crisis or uncertainty, at varying stages of their respective lives. Their clients agree, with the majority of work now coming in the form of referrals from satisfied clients, and professional colleagues seeking their expertise.
Julie comments: “I am proud to have contributed to the cracking of the “glass ceiling”, and I look forward to seeing Scotland’s entrepreneurial women achieve its eventual demise.”
Visit www.millensolicitors.co.uk
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Sara Robertson, ScotBeer
Tourism is booming in Scotland and you can do a tour of just about everything. From whisky to gin, castles to golf courses, it’s there. Everything that is except beer.
Sara Robertson is on a mission to change that. She founded ScotBeer Tours to tell the story of Scotland through beer and put it on the map as a “brewcation destination.”
It’s a mission that’s taken Sara to Toronto and New York with Amsterdam next on the list as she works with VisitScotland to promote the nation as a beer destination.
In just over a year, the business has grown to a team of seven delivering daily historic walking tours, brewery tours and tutored beer tastings in Edinburgh and Glasgow. Their digital and print beer maps help locals and visitors alike navigate today’s exciting craft beer scene.
She and her team are also taking particular care to highlight the role of women in the beer business from the 1500s, when female brewsters dominated, to the present day with an annual “Women in Brewing Beer Fair” to coincide with International Women’s Day.
Along the way, ScotBeer has picked up accolades including a Thistle Award for innovation in tourism, a Rising Star award and HiT scholarship at the Business Women Scotland Awards for Edinburgh manager Jenny Watt and a nod for founder Sara Robertson in the Top 100 Women in Tourism.
So what’s next for ScotBeer Tours?
Sara tells us “In 2019 we’ll launch in another two cities. We want to do that by collaborating with breweries, bars and passionate locals to tell these incredible stories from our brewing heritage and share the vibrancy of today’s craft beer scene. We’re on the look-out for great people and businesses who want to establish Scotland as a must visit beer destination.”
Visit www.scot.beer to find out more.
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