What women want

The female struggle to 'have it all' remains a rocky road for women and not just for mothers, as statistics from the NatWest/bfa survey 2007 reveal. Women are still in the minority and the numbers are in sharp decline - 11 per cent of franchisees are female, a drop of nine per cent in just a year*. So what exactly is the problem?

The CREATE project, which supports self-employment and business growth, recognises the difficulties women face. Through it's research, the project identified that many women lack confidence, preventing them from becoming big in business. A male-dominated environment, often conducive to sexism, can be a daunting arena to enter, particularly for those returning to work after a career break.

Family responsibilities dictate that flexibility is very important, causing women to avoid self-employment. A lack of managerial experience is another deterrent, and also women tend to be adverse to risk and reluctant to use debt to build a business.

Anne Stilton, from the CREATE project, highlights the financial difficulties that women are up against. She says: 'Unfortunately there is still a perception that business intermediaries such as banks do not take women seriously. Also, women often have less money to invest as they earn 72 per cent of male earnings on average.'

So how can these barriers be overcome? Here are five females who can tell us how it's done...

Freya Bletsoe, 33, launched Homefinder UK, a property location company, from her kitchen table while caring for her three young children and is acutely aware of the struggle to find a balance between the roles of mother and businesswoman. She explains: 'It is difficult for a mother to go back to work after a career break. It broke my heart at first, so I gave it up and stayed at home, but in all honesty it drove me up the wall! I've always felt that my job defines who I am, and I couldn't wait to get back out there.

'When I set up the business, my three children were all under the age of six so it wasn't easy! Childcare is divided between myself, my husband and a childminder. If I was a single mother it would be virtually impossible to do what I do.'

Freya's path into business began after she inherited £80,000. She resisted the temptation to travel the world with her husband Steven, and chose a more profitable route into property development. Soon the couple found they were advising their friends on the subject, and then their friends' friends. Freya says: 'We soon knew we had a business to offer, and we also worked out that we could offer something that estate agents don't. We offer a "sell your house for free" system, which I started by simply putting an advert in a local newspaper. The response was phenomenal.' Shortly after, in 2003, Homefinder UK became a limited company, opening offices in Leeds.

Earlier this year, Homefinder launched as a franchise. Freya says: 'We saw that the business model would be perfect for franchising and we wanted fast and rapid expansion. We started to put these ideas into action in 2005, and we launched this year. We now have four franchisees in the pipeline and one who is interested in buying the master franchise for the London area.'

However, as easy as all this sounds, Freya is quick to diminish the rosy impression she paints. 'Sexism still exists in the workplace. When I fell pregnant, my employer at the time wanted me to quit so he didn't have to pay maternity leave, and in business it's the same. At networking events, I find the men stick together and they seem surprised that I run my own business. Yet the petty politics doesn't bother me. Many of the men try to wind the women up, but all business is just a game.'

She continues: 'At Homefinder, our operations manual shows our franchisees how the franchise can be balanced with a hectic home life, and this is partly why it's such an alarming trend that less women are going into franchising.'

'I think women often lack confidence, and this is annoying because my female staff are very good at multi-tasking.'

At just 25, Carolyn Naisby is franchisor of her own chimney sweeping company - Chim Chimeny - a perfect franchise opportunity for those wanting an active and different kind of vocation.

As a young woman taking on a traditionally male-orientated trade, it's not surprising that Carolyn has come across the occasional chauvinistic attitude. She admits: 'I had one customer who was taken aback to see I was a female chimney sweep and told me that I made equality look ridiculous. I gave an ultimatum - he either wanted the job done or not. After I finished, he was really happy with my work.

'Other customers have been surprised when I initially arrived on their doorstep too. But usually once I start talking about the job and it's clear I know the job inside out, I don't have a problem. In fact, I think many women and elderly people feel more comfortable letting a woman into their home.'

Carolyn, originally from Sunderland, set up Chim Chimeny in Scotland in 2005 using grants from Highlands and Islands Enterprise and The Prince's Trust. Two years before, she had been working as an animator in London after studying art and design at Central Saint Martin's College. She says: 'I enjoyed my work but the art world is very cliquey and unstable, so I decided to leave. My mum spotted an advert in a newspaper for trainee chimney sweeps and thought it was ideal for me.'

Carolyn applied for a week's work experience, and loved it so much, she took on a full-time job with the company. After a year of meeting new people and enjoying working outdoors, Carolyn believed there would be a huge call for chimney sweeps in her home town, leading her back to the Scottish Highlands.

The renaissance in coal and log fires saw Carolyn's business soar and, realising she could no longer cope with the volume of work on her own, she decided to expand her business through franchising. She launched the franchise model earlier this year and has received a vast number of leads.

Carolyn now enjoys the luxuries of being her own boss, the variety of her job and taking holidays when she chooses. 'Each day throws up surprises from time to time and over the years I have found a charred owl, several pigeons, cats and even a garden strimmer lodged in chimneys. Also, it's a physical job and can be incredibly hard work but it keeps me fit. I need never bother with the gym any more.'

Carolyn hopes to recruit 10 franchisees in 2007, and reach a total of 120 by her fifth year.

'The advantage of owning a mobile franchise,' explains Cafe2U's Leeds' franchisee, Tracy Peck, 'is that I set the ground rules from the beginning. I chose my hours and location to suit me. I work Monday to Friday from 8.30am to about 3.30pm. If I need to leave earlier to do the school run, I can.'

Tracy, 40, previously worked in the NHS for 16 years until she took maternity leave. On returning to work, Tracy needed a career that would comply with a hectic home-life, particularly as her nine-year old son is autistic. And it was Cafe2U that fitted the bill.

This van-based franchise can also be operated from home, adding another degree of flexibility, as well as helping to reduce overheads.

It is this flexibility that has allowed Tracy to continue with the venture despite separating from her husband last year. 'It has been harder to maintain the balance. My husband still looks after the children as we have joint custody, so that helps, but what's so great about this franchise is that if I need to take a day off to look after the children I can.'

Tracy discovered Cafe2U in the autumn of 2005 through a friend and immediately knew it was something she could do on her own. In order to fund the franchise, she used positive equity from her property and persuaded her ex-husband to give-up his job as a gardener to become a stay-at-home dad.

She says: 'As the business took off, it really boosted my self-esteem. I enjoy my job because I am always meeting new people. When they are happy to see me, it makes me feel happy too.'

Entering the male-dominated business world, Tracy wasn't fazed in the slightest. She says: 'I am not intimidated by business people or those in high positions - I treat everybody the same.

'I think women avoid business because there's a confidence issue. We need to overcome the stereotype that men go out to work and the female stays at home. We are a person in our own right, not just a mother, and we need something for ourselves too.'

Elaine Harding always dreamed of owning her own business, but it wasn't until a series of tragic events finally encouraged her to take the plunge at the age of 52. She says: 'I always wanted my own business but I'd never really had the courage to do it. Then in 2003, I was involved in a car accident and my husband was killed. Three months later my nephew died from cancer and I suddenly became aware of how precious and fragile life is and I decided that I wanted a different career. I realised that if I didn't do it now, I'd never do it.'

After a long career in the corporate world, Elaine gave it all up to become a franchisee. 'The corporate world is very political and high-powered. I knew I didn't want to spend the rest of my life doing that, and franchising presented me with the opportunity to change my lifestyle.

'Business is a wonderful field but it can be a minefield if you don't know what you're doing. With franchising I had technical training, ongoing support and a brand to use. It's comforting to know that you've always got the back-up and somebody to help you.'

Elaine's life-long gardening hobby led her to Scenic Blue, a landscape gardening franchise, and immediately she knew it was for her.

She says: 'Whether it's sunny or bitterly cold outside, I wake up every morning with a buzz for what I do. I work from home mostly, although I do have two offices and I employ seven members of staff. I'm no longer part of the corporate machine.'

'The job is flexible. I work seven days a week, but if I want to take a few days off to have my hair done, go to the gym or go shopping, then I can. But it has been a hard slog, and if you aren't prepared to put in the work, then you shouldn't do it.'

Elaine has witnessed sexism in the business on countless occasions but she believes it gives her an advantage. She explains: 'I attend business breakfast and networking groups and I generally find people are surprised that the owner of a landscaping business is a woman. Yet I think this makes me and my business stand out - being a woman in a minority group certainly gives you more recognition. And if men are going to be sexist, then you've got to use it to your advantage and occasionally flatter your eyelashes to get what you want!'

Elaine Wilkinson, 39, has three children and a step-daughter aged between six and 16 years of age. She is a franchisee in Aberdeenshire for GirlsBike2, the first shop in the UK to exclusively sell motorbike clothes for women, and works with her sister and business partner Angela Smith.

'Without the opportunity to be my own boss it would be impossible for me to work, especially with young children and a husband who works night shifts,' says Elaine.

'My last job was at Tesco and with the children being little it was a constant struggle to juggle my shifts around their needs. My husband and I also struggled to spend time together due to our different shift patterns and I was always exhausted.'

Elaine liked the idea of returning to work after having children but worried about juggling everything, but when her sister Angela came across GirlsBike2, the pair knew this was an opportunity they could do together.

'I bought into the GirlsBike2 franchise last June,' Elaine says. 'Since then I've enjoyed vastly improved flexibility when it comes to choosing work hours and having a direct impact on how the business is run.

'Franchising is great because you don't have the stress and hassles of setting up your own business. We have such a great support team that the transition was easy.'

Elaine explains her secret to success: 'We understand women and what our customers need. In our sector it is very male-dominated and women tend to find that biking shops either do not stock the right sizes and clothing required and it can be intimidating and uncomfortable.

'We offer our customers a coffee and they usually stay for about two to three hours. I think the secret to our success is that we offer what nobody else does.'

So what's the best thing about Elaine's lifestyle now? She says: 'It's wonderful to feel like you can be a success professionally as well as keeping on top of things at home. We are opening our second shop just outside of Edinburgh in a few weeks time and I'm really looking forward to a fresh new challenge!'

*(Source: NatWest bfa Survey 2007)

How can CREATE help?

CREATE has developed a range of tools and services to encourage people from disadvantaged groups - ethnic minorities, women, young people, over-50s and people with disabilities - to consider self-employment, using a Structured Business Format (SBF) such as franchising. So what is the CREATE project doing to help? Anne Stilton from CREATE says: 'Many leading banks such as HBOS have set up departments to support women in business. There are also many women networks and groups available both on and off line, such as www.everywoman.co.uk and Prowess.'

A number of workshops and online services have also been developed. These include workshops for franchisees and franchisors, one-to-one business advice with specialist advisors, business start-up events, online resources and tools and subscription to an e-newsletter.

Anne adds: 'Women require a range of training and support that offers a tailored mix of flexible support reflecting individual needs. For example, we can ensure training sessions start a bit later and finish early in order for women to pick up their children.' For more information, visit CREATE's website: www.createproject.org.uk