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Since 1999, The Bag Lady has been successfully promoting women in business. Since
our launch party, which included video conferencing with organizations around
the UK, we have attracted considerable media attention, and received thousands
of messages of support and encouragement from around the world.
Testimonials
"...The Bag Lady empowers women to become independent and confident in what was
always considered to be a man's world - the world of business! I recommend the
Bag Lady to any woman already in business or who may need that little bit of encouragement
to start, whether from their own home or from an office, factory or shop. Go for
it girls, the Bag Lady will be there to help you!" Lorraine
Barrett, Assembly Member.
Patron Mrs. Glenys
Kinnock MEP, "The Bag Lady is a part of the changing world of e-commerce and
globalization. I am proud and pleased to be involved with The Bag Lady.”
"They are like an encyclopedia of up to date knowledge about how to….when it comes
to e-business. And, they never stop learning about the internet and ways to use
it better. .....".. Every woman who is in business needs to be part of Bag Lady.
I tell everyone I know." Dr. Meribeth
Dayme.
"..An email landed in my box, and by responding to the media request from the
Bag Lady, my feet have not quite touch the floor. After being featured in the
National Press I was inundated with calls, one of which led to me being filmed
and having B.B.C documentary about me and my business! The Bag Lady is what networking
is all about, and a big thank you for the services and support you give to women.”
Tina Huelin, women in business and self made millionaire.
Dedicated to promoting women in business
The Bag Lady will continue to be dedicated to promoting and supporting women in
business and will be working away, often behind the scenes to raise the profiles
of women owned businesses.
The 21st century offers women phenomenal opportunities and technology providing
women the platform to elevate them to new levels in the business world. For many
doing business outside of their home country can be a daunting prospect, whilst
the internet is undoubtedly a welcome vehicle gives women the cost effective medium
to enter new national and global markets and for many women there is much to be
learned before they are ready to pick up the gauntlet and trade internationally.
To do business internationally requires tolerance and understanding of world heritages
as well as awareness of multi-ethnic life-styles, different countries cultural
values of social, religious, economical, historical and political backgrounds.
The Bag Lady welcomed the opportunity to support the global media events of the
organization ' Cultural Diversity' whose mission it is, '...to inform, educate
and enrich the global community to understand their next door neighbors with multicultural
backgrounds. Film screenings have taken place in the UK, Europe, and North America
to India and Canada. (www.cultural-diversity.co.uk)
Our web site provides an online country resource, business to business networking
and a place where women can find other women in business when they need a service
or product or when they are seeking to forge new business partnerships.
We support
The Bag Lady Founder was thrilled to have received an Award at the prestigious
British Female Inventors and Innovators (BFIIN)Awards 2006 hosted at the Guildhall
London. The award was presented to Jean by Dr Yvonne Thompson CBE. (www.bfiin.com),
in recognition of the contribution she has made to supporting women in business
The Bag Lady is delighted to offer continued support to the Global
Women Innovators and Innovators Network (GWIIN), this UK based company, which
manages the UK BFIIN event, has made tremendous strides in raising the profiles
of women innovators and inventors across five continents.
GWIIN participates in the hosting of the Female Invent Awards and programs which
includes exhibitions, conferences and workshops for women innovators. GWIIN is
also extremely active in lobbying to governments about addressing the needs of
innovative women, particularly in the UK where 54% of the world‘s most important
inventions during the past 100 years have been reported to be British.
We must remember that with no inventors, no new industries, no new wealth an economy
can not grow, innovation is the central issue in any countries economic prosperity.
Although historically there have always been innovative women, women have been
given limited educational opportunities, have been restricted by law from many
activities, and have been excluded from professional societies and publications
until close to the end of the last century, but as these limitations have begun
to be lifted, doors and minds have begun to open.
Today we are seeing far more participation and far more innovations by women in
many fields than ever before. |
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| Women In Business - Women making big headway in the UK's property sector |
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Association of Women
in Property(UK) |
Women snapping up properties
British woman have always had a love affair with their homes, in 1896 when the
Daily Mail included 'DIY For Women' the first paper to do so, 200,000 copies
were sold.
Since the 'Thatcher years' when in the early 1980's her first administration
introduced the right-to-buy policy and policies to deregulate the UK financial
markets almost 2 million former council tenants have bought their home. Britain’s
home ownership level stands at nearly 70%, most of them freeholders. Nearly
300,000 families now have a second home in the country, coast or city. Many
ex-council tenants are in the position of having properties worth thousands
of pounds with significant property equity. Chelsea is a prime example where
some tenants bought their properties for £50,000 and the properties are now
valued at a staggering £750,000.
Over the years there's been a significant rise in the number of women who now
own properties, there has been a 52% increase in the UK single female homebuyers
since 1992 and it's predicted that they will continue to shape the property
markets both in the UK and abroad.
Jet-To Let market reached over £58 Billion
According to Barclays much of the £57 billion unlocked in property equity has
been used to purchase property in Europe. It's been estimated that around 1.4
million Britons now own an overseas property, either as a holiday home or permanent
residence.
37% of second homes owned by Britons outside of the UK are located in Spain.
500,000 Brits now own a property in Spain, and 36% of the tourist housing stock
in Spain is owned by Britons. Brits account for 40% of foreigners buying property
in France. According to Expat Telegraph, 'the jet-to-let market' reached over
£58 billion in December 2004 and the average purchase price was £101,000.
Women making big headway in the property sector.
Figures from Barclays reveal growth in the number of women starting businesses
and the one area where women are making big headway is the property sector. John
Davis, marketing director for Barclays said: 'Business start ups such as property
services, which include interior design and property development, offer increasing
flexibility and are proving very popular with women who are often juggling careers
and family commitments.' He added: 'Also in the 21st century there are a lot fewer
barriers to entry for women and they are taking advantage.'
Women and Property Organisations
Association of Women in Property(UK) is a supportive forum for professional
women in property and construction to exchange views, network, gain knowledge
and create business opportunities.
For further information please visit the web site: www.wip.propertymall.com |
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| Women in - the Middle East |
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Middle
East Businesswomen & Leaders Achie |
As Westerners, the gender equality is taken for granted and we are subjected to stereotypical depictions about the women in the Middle East. To us, they are described
as weak, passive and always veiled. But that’s not the case all through the MiddleEast. In some countries, such as Egypt, women enjoy political and social rights.
Although based on such depictions we can’t view women as business owners and executives in the Middle East, the reality has proven that it does happen. In 2005, the Women's
Business Summit held in Tunis gathered the women in the region who can become the leaders of change in their societies, while the Middle
East Businesswomen & Leaders Achievement Awards honours outstandingwomen leaders and promote regional women’s leadership.
Women only factories
In Saudi Arabia, one of the most sexist and oppressive state in the region, the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce & Industry has called for women-only
production facilities as a result of high investments by Saudi businesswomen.
Soon, women-only production centres for perfumes, clothes and other feminine products will be opened throughout the Saudi Arabia, thus creating a large number of jobs
for the local women.
Such a women-only factory already exists in Saudi Arabia. It opened in April 2005 and it’s part of a project to create jobs for needy women in a men-free environment.
The factory is located in Riyadh, where 30 women work for the Nardeen lighting company. Inside the factory, women assemble 2,800 fluorescent light fittings every
day, working from 7 am to 3 pm, with a lunch break and a prayer break. Despite the sexual apartheid which rules in the kingdom, the women working in this factory
are paid the same rates as men (about £ 300 a month) plus bonuses.
Women forbidden to drive
Although as much as 39% of women still believe that their rightful place is at home, the women who want to work don’t know how to obtain a job, since in most
Arab states, Saudi Arabia included, women are still forbidden to drive. Some families won’t even allow their daughters to go in taxis, explained Abeer al-Shuaibi, the
spokesman for the charity society behind the women-only factory project.
But the taxi problem might have found a 'cure' in Dubai. Rumour is that the authorities have announced the plans for women-only 'pink roofs, pink seats and pink interiors'
taxis. Since many female in the Middle East feel uncomfortable with male taxi drivers, the pink cabs will have female drivers and will pick up only women or
women with young children. The women-only taxis will be deployed outside the places women frequent, such as shopping malls.
Women own 60% of company shares in Saudi Arabia
Though women still cannot vote in most Middle East states, the last years have brought some important changes, among which the possibility for women to own business
instead of having to register them in the name of an authorized male. Since 2001,more and more women are getting into business. Now it’s estimated that they own
60% of company shares in Saudi Arabia alone. However, among the small number of women who do work, less than 1% go into business, while the majority (estimated
about 70%) are in education and medicine. Saudi women's bank deposits are estimated at SR90 ($24)billion but most of this is reported to be lying idle because
current legislation severely restricts economic activity for women.
Women avoid working with men
Women are still avoiding working with men, hence staying away from fields like marketing or sales where they have to be in contact with a lot of men, explains
Lilac al-Safadi, who runs a business consultancy which she started a year ago.
Journalism is another field in which women are present. Although they have worked for years in the field, they only write about children, female issues and women’s
affairs. Newspaper offices have special areas reserved for women only but they get to choose whether to use it or not. Still, it’s impossible not to notice the
gender discrimination, though as a female editor from Saudi Arabia explains, it’s a matter of 'choice'.
In business, like in life, women are actively pressing for rights all over the Middle East. However, they are a tiny minority coming from the educated elite,
which makes them impossible to ignore. |
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| Events Diary - Invitation to celebrate the best in female innovation |
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The British Female Inventors & Innovators
Network(BFIIN) Awards< |
The British Female Inventors & Innovators Network(BFIIN) Awards continue to celebrate
the best in the female innovation. Covering several categories, the awards honor
projects in fields as diverse as new products, new business ideas and more. The
Awards highlight the commitment and achievement individuals have made.
Showcase of women's innovation
Now in its 8th year, the scheme is run by, Global
Women Inventors & Inventors Network(GWIIN), the global network aims to increase
the number of innovative women embracing enterprise.
Media Coverage
Many women have gained considerably by participating in the BFIIN Awards; such
awards provide the opportunity to showcase their inventions and attracts a great
deal of publicity for individual innovators both in the press and on television.
The event provides a great opportunity to network with other like-minded women
and make new friends.
Call for nominations
Entry into the Female Invent Awards is a chance to enjoy fantastic new opportunities,
challenges and experiences. Unlike many award schemes, the Female Invent Awards
focuses mainly on broader experiences and achievements - not just commercial success.
The Intellectual Property (IP) industry's most prestigious awards are dedicated
to female innovators and inventors; the BFIIN Awards are presented annually. It
is truly a peer honor, awarded by and to female inventors and professionals for
innovative achievement.
To request full details of how to enter, advice on what the judges will be looking
for, and the entry form (dead line date 6th April), please go to the BFIIN
Awards web site www.bfiin.com
where you can download and complete a nomination form.
Event dates & Venues
We kindly invite you to the British 2007 Event, 24 April, Conference and Presentation
of Certificates, Venue The Department of Trade & Industry, 1 Victoria Street ,
London. 7pm 24 April 2007, Awards Ceremony, The Café Royal, London W1.
To book your place at this event please contact office@gwiin.com
INVENTIVE WOMEN SINCE 1637
The first patent granted to a woman was in 1637. Listen to Corinne Julius of the
B.B.C talking to Deborah Jaffe, design historian and author of Ingenious Women:
From Tincture of Saffron to Flying Machines which features both the amazing and
the everyday inventions of women between the 17th and 20th centuries.
Click here to here to download the RealPlayer Presentation file.
BUSINESS EXPANSION THROUGH INNOVATION
A rare opportunity to gain knowledge, techniques and inspiration at no cost
We are delighted to offer members of baglady.com the chance to meet with - and
benefit from - one of Europe's leading facilitators of innovation and entrepreneurship,
Professor David Hall.
During a series of high impact breakfast seminars Professor Hall will outline
his unique seven step approach for achieving growth; focusing on people, finance,
company structure and IT in enabling smooth business expansion.
These events are an absolute must for senior executives (in companies employing
more than 50 people) who want to grow their business through structured and
sustained innovation, supported by intelligent financing, partnerships and effective
technology.
For more details, or to take up the limited number of free places at the Business
Expansion Through Innovation breakfast seminars at :
» The Mermaid Conference Centre, LONDON
on 21st March 2007
» At-Bristol, BRISTOL on 5th April 2007
» Surgeons' Hall, EDINBURGH on 12th April
2007
» The Studio, BIRMINGHAM on 19th April 2007
» URBIS, MANCHESTER on 24th April 2007.
Please log on to www.janklin.com/oracle
ring Simon Westgate on 01282 832792 or e-mail oracle@eventpass.org.uk
To research Professor Hall’s superb credentials: www.davidhalluk.com
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| News - Women entrepreneurship is thriving! |
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Govindamah:Women
Entrepren |
Female entrepreneurship, both globally and nationally, is thriving and women have made significant strides in the world of business, accounting for more than one-third of all people involved in entrepreneurial activity.
Worldwide, women now out number male entrepreneurs. Women entrepreneurs are creating jobs, hope and opportunities in every community. In a number of
OECD countries - among them Australia and Canada - small and medium-size enterprises owned by women are growing at a faster rate than the economy as a whole .
Women Entrepreneurship
In the US nearly 10.4 million firms are owned by women (50% or more), employing more than 12.8 million people, and generating $1.9 trillion in sales.
The number of women-owned businesses in Canada is rising 60% faster than those run by men reports CIBC World Markets. If current growth rates are maintained the number of Canadian women-run enterprises is expected to top the 1 million mark by the end of the decade.
In Chile, it is estimated that there are 513,000 women entrepreneurs,equaling 33% of all entrepreneurs in the nation. Women in South Africa who proudly display their wares in stalls on the pavements, while loudly shouting out competitive prices are the life-blood entrepreneurs of the country and, according to the latest GEM results, doing better on average than male entrepreneurs in the country.
In the Philippines, women constitute some 70% of self-employed workers, not just in trading and services associated with homemaking skills, such as restaurants and hotels, but in consumer electronics, semi-conductors, computers and their applications, car manufacturing and machinery and other durable goods. Much the same is true for Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.
Start ups in retail and service trades
Perhaps because of the difficulties they encounter in obtaining financing, women entrepreneurs 'tend to go' into the retail and service trades, since start-up costs are lower than in manufacturing and other businesses.
Women in the informal sector
It is also important to note, millions of women in business around the world cannot be counted as they operate in the ' informal sectors' .
The streets of cities, towns, and villages in most developing countries and in many developed countries - are lined by barbers, cobblers,garbage collectors, waste recyclers, and vendors of vegetables, fruit, meat, fish, snack foods, and a myriad of none perishable items ranging from locks and keys to soaps and detergents, to clothing. This is where the more visible workers in a country's black economy can be found, those who are less visible are those working in 'small shops and workshops'.
The majority of these invisible workers are 'women' who sell or produce goods from their homes: garment makers; embroiderers; incensed stick rollers; cigarette rollers; paper bag makers; kite makers; hairband makers and food processors.
The Informal sector is an important feature of the most of the developing nations of Africa, Latin America and Asia. Women constitute a bulk in the large informal sector of the developing world. Naturally, they represent the bulk of the informal-sector labour supply.
However, they work at a lower wage rate to their male counterparts and their jobs tend to be insecure. also they are generally restricted to low-productivity and ill-paid informal sector employment and experience higher dependency burdens.
Lack of Access to Capital
Despite their contributions to the overall economy of the country, women in the informal sector face significant obstacles: low pay; lack of access to resources such as capital, education, and training; and exclusion from the policy-making process. Women within the informal business sector have limited or no access to loans from banks and other financial institutions because requirements and procedures are biased towards the formal sector and against women
Alternative Banking
According to United Nations Women
Watch, in some countries women have been reported to thwart the male banking structure by creating their own solutions.
Being rebuffed by India's major bank in its request for financing, the Self-Employed Women's Association
(SEWA) set up its own savings association as the capital base for loans to its members.
In Trinidad and Tobago, when women failed to obtain start-up funding for their
businesses, they formed a traditional, informal savings and loan group - and 'blanked'
the banks.
Her Story - Govindamah, Women Entrepreneur, Malaysia
Govindamah, faced with a family crisis, became an entrepreneur. She found a niche
in the market, worked hard, and succeeded.
Women like Govindamah contribute to the economy of communities in almost every
country. What's more, they tend to spend their earnings not on themselves but
on food for their families and education for their children. However, as her story
illustrates, working in the informal sector of the economy has its pitfalls...click
here to read more. |
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| Must Read - To be undermined as a woman |
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Woman's
Work is Neve |
There is nothing worse in these days of equal rights than to be undermined as a woman. As women, we are capable of great things, sometimes more than even we ourselves,
think possible. Despite this, there are often times when we are viewed and treated as inferior to our male counter parts and even our female counter parts of yester years. It
is a problem we all face at one point in our lives.
At work
In the work place despite being equally or better qualified academically
than a man, we are often given lower wages, miss out on promotions, or are regulated
to positions below our capabilities. It even appears in work place dress codes,
skirts for women, there are some offices where this is a requirement, why should
it be?
We as women look no less professional in slacks as opposed to skirts. I’ve seen
identical resumes and equivalent experiences, one a man, one a woman, and the
position was given over to the man because he was deemed to be more qualified.
While anti-discrimination laws have diminished the amount or times this happens, it’s unfortunate
to say that it does still happen. Usually in formally male dominated fields.
In the home
However, more frequently and yet less spoken about is the undermining of women in the home. Women are still expected to take care of the children and the home. Often, given the main duties of
child rearing and home maintenance because of today’s economy - work. There are
still men who believe their only duty to the home is to go to work each day and insist that the woman take on all household and child care responsibilities. This undermines the position of the woman as quote 'breadwinner for the house'.
As a career woman
Firmly established career women often face ridicule and are also undermined because they do not have established homes or have children - as was the case in previous generations. They are termed, manly or feminist but in many instances this is not the case.
There was a time when the definition of being a woman included, wifely skills of:- sewing, cooking, childbearing and rearing, however, women
themselves have broken out of that mold and have proven to be far more capable
than previously given credit for.
Being independent, responsible and capable in any field does not make women any less
than men. It does not undermine them as women but needs to be looked on with
pride. As women we are responding to the needs of our society and our families,
doing just as our grandmothers and great grand mothers did - providing the backbone
of a strong society and building the foundations for future generations.
It was once said that behind every great man was a great woman who supported
him. That is no longer entirely the case, there are still great women behind great
men but we as women have stepped out to show not only can we be great behind the
scenes supporting great men but as support for ourselves and society. |
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| Women & Money - Female millionaires on the increase in the UK |
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In Britain there are around 68,000 women millionaires and, according to
studies by Brewin Dolphin the largest chunk of these women's assets, nearly 30%,
is said to be tied up in property.
A reported 360,000 women in Britain are said to be worth half a million pounds
or more each. Between them they own assets worth almost £300bn.
Studies commissioned for Investec Private Bank reports that 2.4 million UK women
have more than £25,000 in their savings accounts alone. The majority of these
women 60% are married or co-habiting, 16% are single and the remainder are widowed,
divorced or separated.
So what has caused this increase in wealth?
The increase in women's fortunes is said to be due to more women now having highflying
careers and owning their own firms. Out of the 400,000 businesses starting each
year in the UK an estimated 100,000 are set up by women.
Other factors said to be contributing to the rise in women’s economic standings
are longevity, and because of this they have more time to earn money, and often
outlive their husbands and therefore inherit.
In recent years women have proved wiser in the investment market, making their
money grow faster. Another factor contributing to the increased financial worth
of women is the fact that women are having children at a later age. This allows
them to become financially stable before adding the expensive burden of children.
So what do these women spend their money on?
Twenty years ago a woman was lucky to have money for a holiday once a year, typically
in a location close to home. Now, women usually have several vacations and include
long haul locations.
Eating out has become a normal every day occurrence. Instead of cooking which
twenty years ago would have been normal, there are more expensive but ready made
meals available. Tastes in wine and alcoholic beverages have changed.
Women now own their own cars rather than sharing one. Luxury food items such as, designer
clothing, diets, gym memberships, investments, land, homes, financial
products, spas, beauty treatments and surgeries as well as expensive jewelry and accessories
are now purchasable because of
the increase in women’s economic standing.
Another thing women are spending their money on is their children; the best in
toys, clothing, and shoes, as well as day care or nannies for the younger children
and private schooling and tutors for the older children.
From Office of National
Statistics in 2004, women spent around:
• £68,735m on housing, electricity and gas
• £55,059m on transport
• £41,779m restaurants and hotels
• £23,388m on furnishings and other household related costs
• £22,379m clothes and shoes
• £17,584m on recreation and culture
• £14,188m alcohol and tobacco
• £10,311m on hair care and beauty
• £8,444m on telephone and postal services
• £6,536m on health costs
• £6,140m on tourism
Britain’s top spending women
Denize Hewitt, Lisa Voice and Aimi Robinson are three of Britain’s top spending
women. These three ladies think nothing of spending thousands for a dress,
hundreds for shoes, or hundreds of thousands in vacations and represent some of
the various ways and issues that arise from leading the luxury life.
Denize Hewitt former wife of a property heir uses her monthly maintenance to lead
a life of society, her expenses include socializing, clothing and property.
Lisa Voice, self made in both music and property, provides a prime example of a
woman making it big through hard work. While she spends extravagantly on homes,
vacations, gifts and jewelry she also donates significantly to charities and
to help the less fortunate.
Aimi Robinson, a model, represents some of the issues which occur with making it
rich fast. She spends extravagantly on clothing, shoes and surgeries to keep her
looking her prime but doesn’t understand money management so faces over spending
and possibly bankruptcy for the second time.
No matter if you make your money through wise investments, or working from former
relationships, women are working their way up in the world of the wealthy standing and not on their husbands or father’s fortunes as in yester years but all on their
own.
Internet valuable research tool for women shoppers
Women are now driving the growth in Internet use, according to many of the surveys.
The Internet has become the leading media choice for women, beating television,
radio, books, magazines and newspapers. 96% of women say they feel positive
emotions online.
Women now influence 83% of consumer purchasing decisions and the Internet has
become a key tool for women shoppers with 96% of women online say they use the
Internet to research products.
UK consumers embraced internet shopping en masse at Christmas, as half the adult
population clicked online for some - and in many cases for all of their shopping.
Christmas 2006 saw the biggest amount of money ever spent on shopping over the
internet than ever before here in the UK. Approximately £7.7bn was spent up to
and over the Christmas period last year - an increase of over 50% from 2005.
Investing superwomen
'Superwoman' Nicola Horlick, Katherine Garrett-Cox and Carol Galley have helped
smash down the doors of the once-exclusively all-male club of unit trusts, investment
trusts and pension funds managers. Top of the leauge Georgina Brittain manages
£700m of assets at JP Morgan, click
here to read more... |
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| Must Visit Site - Divorce support groups |
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Order
the HOW |
Divorce, even these days is an ugly word and it’s being used more and more
frequently. In the United Kingdom each year 160,000 people find their way into
this situation. 160,000 people, sever both legal and religious ties. It’s not
an easy time and in many cases can be extremely unpleasant affecting work, home
and family. Getting a divorce is an emotional and trying time. Whatever the cause
there is always regret and resentment and at times depression, despair and hopelessness.
Support Groups
Having a good support group of people just like you can go a long way to making
sure that it doesn’t get ugly and goes a long way to making the healing process
proceed quickly. Emotionally there isn’t anything harder than trying to put
aside something you’ve invested years in and sometimes putting it aside isn’t
an option especially where children are concerned.
Among some of the things divorce support groups deals with is debt, because often, one or both
parties are left with the financial burden of the relationship. Many people
end up with debt they could have avoided or split due to the lack of information. The questions
of what to do with this, that or the other and what happens when there are children
involved can be harsh.
Thea Newcomb online support site
SYBD set up by Thea Newcomb, author
and radio personality, who has twice been on the top fifty most eligible women
in Scotland list. By using her own personal and professional experiences she decided
to launch www.soyouvebeendumped.com
in order to bring something positive and life changing to others sharing the same
experiences. The site has been active since 2000 and is one of the top ranking
sites on relationship break ups, starting over and moving on.
The site has helpful and real down to earth tips on helping you to get back
on your feet and put the past behind you. For those that have children, or other
obligations that prevent putting a former significant other behind you, there
are tips to making those meetings and obligations go more smoothly, without
the constant emotional turmoil that accompanies seeing the other person after
the divorce.
www.soyouvebeendumped.com has forums, tips, hints, suggested readings, even
things to give you a laugh when you’re down, all designed to support you, lift
you up and get you back on your feet by helping you to turn a divorce or break
up into a positive rather than a negative. So you’ve been dumped doesn’t just
have articles and advice for after the event but some advice to help notice the signs that
a break up or divorce is on its way as well as financial, and legal advice while
going through a breakup.
There are also links to organizations that can help you find work and support
organizations for single parents, general relationships, recommended links to
life coaching and personal empowerment sites to help make the most of turning
a break up or divorce into a positive life changing event rather than a negative
one.
Useful organisations
The debt after divorce
campaign is an alliance between The UK Insolvency Helpline, the UK's largest
free national debt advisory service, and Divorceaid,
the well respected family divorce guide on the net. Together, these two organizations
provide free and professional advice to the many thousands of people who experience
debt as a result of divorce.
If you have debt problems or are worried about insolvency Debt Counsellors offer
professional counsellors and free debt advice on bankruptcy, IVA and all
UK debt solutions.
You can download a 'free Debt Manual' from Debt Counsellors,
www.debtcounsellors.co.uk |
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| At the Office - The pitfalls of working from home |
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Download
Homeworking Guide fro |
A recent study by Yellow Pages reports that ‘mums’ who’ve set up ‘home based
businesses’ have become a powerful force within British business with a combined
£4.4 billion turnover. Women-owned businesses contribute about £60 billion to
the UK economy about 25% of the UK total.
For women, who are still predominately responsible for childcare working from
home can undoubtedly offer them the opportunity to earn an income whilst allowing
them the much needed flexibility to be able to work around their family commitments.
No more commuting to work - they have the freedom to start and finish when they
want. That isn’t to say that working from home is an easy option, far from it.
Considerations when working from home
In today’s technological age it is easy to assume that working from home would
be both easy to arrange and to implement. However, deciding to use your home
as your workplace can cause complications in terms of your mortgage or rental
agreement and your insurance policy; you may also be liable for business rates
on council tax on the part of the property that is used for business and if
you own the property designating part of it as being purely for business use
could also result in you having to pay capital gains tax if the property is
sold.
The isolation
Although there are the practical issues of working from home it can be can be
an isolating experience and is not for everyone. Some find it difficult to strike
the right balance between home and work. Others have children who don’t understand
the fact that the computer at home is for Mum’s work and is not a toy - leading
to arguments, frustration and disillusionment for all concerned.
Some home workers describe it as a lonely experience being excluded from opportunities
available to office workers. For some, quite simply, it is an extremely lonely
thing to do and they miss the motivational aspect of working in an office environment.
Reluctance to take breaks
A major problem for home workers is not being able to switch off - they can’t
walk out of work at the end of the day and forget about it - there always seems
a bit more they can do before bed.
These traits are shared by America's small businesses owners, according to Usatoday.com
the countries 25 million small-business owners are reluctant to plan for vacations
as many fret about key customers while they are away. Entrepreneurs having
a strong emotional attachments to their businesses, so they always worry about
taking time off. Their major worry is about jeopardising a major client
account by being away from the office with 46% citing this as their top concern,
with many owners 'trimming the time off' rather than delegate work because they
worry employees won't be able to handle customer demands.
Bad business practices of working long hours
According to researchers at Bristol University at least one in five of us now
suffers from measurable stress at work, caused by long hours and lack of support.
The culture of working longer hours, and increasing workloads is not only bad
business practice, it is also damaging to people's home lives, say the experts.
No matter how much you enjoy your job it is essential to be able to get away
from it.
So next time you're thinking about pulling another 16 hour day, it may be time
to reassess your priorities, think about flexible working, turn your PC off
for the night and spend some time with the people who mean the most to you.
Practical guide for home workers
If you are planning to setup and run a 'work at home business', there are a
number of points to check before you begin. Working from home can affect your
mortgage, your home insurance, your tax situation and even your neighbours.
The governments Business Link site provides comprehensive information on the
advantages and disadvantages of working from home and helps you turn the place
you live into a place of work. w::www.businesslink.gov.uk
Download Homeworking
Guide from HSE (PDF) |
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| Women and Travel - 1.5 million business trips made by women |
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| Business Mentor - Learn to sell yourself, not sell yourself short! |
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Woman
in business? |
Many entrepreneurs have difficulty finding the happy medium when deciding on rates.
Although you have bills to pay, no one wants to be known as the most expensive
gig in town, unless they also have a reputation as being the best. One expert
on women’s business affairs said “Women tend to give away too much and charge
too little especially those in service-based businesses.” However, by marketing
and practicing sound negotiating tactics, you should be able to charge rates that
will make you and your customer happy.
Building relationships
Remember, sales and marketing is nothing more than making people feel good about
giving you their money. One advantage women in business have over men is that
they place more emphasis on building relationships, which can make people feel
very good about giving you their money. Once you earn a person or company’s trust,
they will do whatever you recommend, so long as it makes sense considering their
needs and goals. You just need to show that you’re the expert at what you do,
and that’s why your rates are what they are.
Don't undercharge
Although it may be necessary to take some skinny jobs in the beginning, making
it a habit can sink your business. If you under charge, you could very well end
up having more clients than anyone in your field without making any money. That
is why it is necessary to be firm when bidding jobs.
Some suggest that charging for a project can be preferable to charging per hour.
Although many consumers may prefer an hourly rate so that they can get a side-by-side
comparison, nobody is going to do things just like you, so that is a poor way
to compare regardless. In addition, putting a price on a project instead of an
hourly fee allows you and the customer greater flexibility. Instead of reducing
your rate or give something away because Competitor X is doing whatever, you are
free to negotiate what you deliver, not just price.
However, you will run into a tough customer every now and then that insists on
some freebies. If this is common in your industry, you can build some give-away’s
into your price so you can satisfy the customer’s need to bargain without cutting
into your profit.
It’s okay to say no
Just remember, you can’t be all things to all people. It’s okay to say no, especially
if it’s to a deal that will cause you to be too busy to land deals with clients
that are willing to pay you a decent rate and appreciate the work you do. Also,
telling a client ‘no’ doesn’t mean you won’t work with them. It just means you
can’t do that particular project at that price. You might be surprised what happens
if you tell a few pushy customers ‘no.’ |
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| Women in the News - Oxfordshire based mum scoops Yellow Pages award |
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Business mums received well-deserved recognition for their hard work, commitment
and contribution to British business at last night’s Prowess Awards in Brighton,
where the first ever winner of the ‘Inspirational Business Mum of the Year’ award, sponsored
by Yellow Pages, was announced. The awards follow a recent Yellow Pages
study which found that mums who set up businesses from home have become a powerful
force within British business, with a combined turnover of £4.4 billion.
Inspirational Business Mum of the Year
Sarah Steel, from Faringdon, Oxfordshire and founder of The Old Station Nursery,
won the 'Inspirational Business Mum of the Year' award, which recognises the specific
challenges faced by women combining entrepreneurship with motherhood. She fought
off stiff competition from more than 125 UK ‘business mums’ who entered this award
category at the 2007 Prowess Awards.
Sarah launched her business after leaving the army to become a full-time mum to her second child. She now runs a hugely successful enterprise, with eight nurseries across the country. The award judges were particularly impressed by Sarah’s “vision, determination and motivation”, as well as her continued contribution to enterprise development and training.
Other women recognised in the 'Inspirational Business Mum' category included:
- Katie Mayne, founder of Tiny Talk baby signing classes
- Susan Moore from Warrington, founder of Party Crew, a children’s party planning
business
- Nadine Lewis from Manchester, founder of Identikids identification solutions
- Abiola Ajayi-obe from Elstree, founder of SmartChartz, which produces sticker
chart reward systems for children
Sarah said: 'I cannot believe I have won! There are so many inspirational business
mums out there who are doing an amazing job, so it’s a huge honour to win this
award. I’ve faced a lot of challenges in the last five years, juggling work and
my home life, but recognition like this makes it all worthwhile.'
About the Award
Catherine Kehoe, head of marketing strategy and communications at Yell, publisher
of Yellow Pages directories, said: 'We launched the Inspirational Business Mum
of the Year Award to help celebrate the passion, commitment and drive demonstrated
by women in business. We’d like to extend our congratulations to Sarah, whom the
judges all agreed really is the epitome of an ‘inspirational business mum’.'
The Inspirational Business Mum of the Year was one of eight awards presented on
February 7 at the Prowess Awards 2007 Gala dinner, which celebrates those who
are paving the way for women starting and growing businesses in the UK. Other
award categories were: Female Business Mentor of the Year, Business Support Professional
of the Year, Making an Impact, Press Award, Innovator Award, Female Business Mentor
of the Year, Outstanding Contribution to Women’s Enterprise Development and Inspirational
Woman. |
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| Media Requests - Mumtrepreneurs wanted! |
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A Highland Celebration
of Internationa |
»Media Request
I am writing a feature for a national broadsheet on Mumtrepreneurs - women who
were inspired to set up their own successful businesses after seeing a gap in
the market and as a direct result of having a baby/children. Interviews would
be over the phone and you may need to pose for a photograph.
This is a great PR opportunity as company names and contacts would be published.
Tamsin Kelly e: tamsink@blueyonder.co.uk, t: 020 7502 0732
»Media Request
I am researching a feature for a national newspaper and searching for women
who are lucky enough to own a fantastic designer handbag. The feature involves
a chat on the phone and photo of the person with that bag (which has cost upwards
of £8000).
If anyone can help please email me, alison@featureworld.co.uk Alison Smith-Squire
t:01727 841811 f: 01727 869323
»Media Request
I invite all women to write (approx) 600-800 words of an emotional time in their
lives that had a miraculous impact on their destiny. This could be a true-life
experience such as surviving: ill health, marital affairs, divorce, spousal
abuse – physical, emotional deprivation within a relationship, changing careers
mid-life, sole parenting.
The list is as endless as your experience. The X FACTOR is whatever it took you
to pull yourself out of this existence and triumph on! I encourage you to share
your life experience for the knowledge and benefit of our younger female generation…knowledge
is freedom. It is your unique experience and survival that I am interested in
hearing about. This is knowledge obtained for self-help literature to empower
women. I urge you to write, just 20 minutes of your time.
Copy due by 12th April, 2007. Please send to e: janviersupport@hotmail.com
. Or mail: Janvier Support PO Box 779 Kenmore QLD 4069 Australia, Privacy assured
and Identity protected. |
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| IT Corner - Webmistress picks |
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PDF-Creator Free Trial! |
A PDF is a file that can be read by both PCs and Macs. PDF files retain their
formatting so they look and print exactly as they were created.
PDFs allow people to share print information in a standard format. PDFs help
solve the problem that arises when one person tries to share a document with
another person who does not have the same software.
Common uses of PDFs are for forms (such as tax forms provided online by the
Inland Revenue) and handbooks or manuals. A PDF is not a word processing file.
You cannot open it in your word processor and you cannot edit it at all. The
only way to view and print a PDF file is with the free Adobe
Acrobat Reader software
PDF-Creator in action
PDF-Creator enables you to create PDF files from virtually any application,
simply by clicking File > Print. After installing on your PC, you open the file
you wish to convert to a PDF file. This could be a Word document, or a Web page,
or an Excel spreadsheet, or an e-mail.
When you're ready, click on File and then Print. When selecting a printer,
you choose the 'PDF-Creator' printer... this is a special 'virtual printer'
that converts your file into a PDF.
Once the 'printing' has started, you'll be prompted for a PDF filename. Choose
a filename and click Save. And that's it. Within a few seconds, the 'printing'
finishes and your brand new PDF file opens in Adobe Acrobat Reader.
These file can now be sent by e-mail, uploaded to your Web site or save it to
CD. Now the file is in PDF format, it can be read by anyone, anywhere
and on any computer!
PDF-Creator advanced options
PDF-Creator allows you to set more advanced options, such as password protection,
print protection and copy protection.
This can all be achieved by editing the PDF-Creator settings, by clicking Start
> Programs > PDF-Creator Settings, then ticking a few boxes. PDF creator is literally
that easy!
PDF-Creator Free Trial
PDF-Creator is the world's simplest PDF creator and is available as a
100% working 'free trial'. To buy it's just $29.95( approx £15.95). For
further information, to review the software guide pages, to download 'free trial'
please visit the web site: www.pdf-creator.net
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| Networking Invitations - British Association of Women Entrepreneurs |
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British Association of Women
Entrepreneurs(BAWE |
Do you think you have what it takes to be a tycoon?
Then join us for lunch on the 8th March 2007 at the Hoxton Apprentice, where
Peter Jones will tell you all about it.
Peter is looking for people with new killer ideas that he can help turn into profit
making companies. Peter is looking for people who have grit, passion and determination
to succeed. Or come and enjoy the lunch.
Venue: Hoxton Apprentice
16 Hoxton Square, Shoreditch, London N1 6NT
tel: 0207 749 2828.
Nearest Underground: Old Street
Date :Thursday 8th March 2007
Time: 12.30pm
Cost: £27.50 for lunch
Please contact British Association of Women Entrepreneurs(BAWE ), Tanya
Hine for more details, w::www.bawe-uk.org
Inner Space in Covent Garden celebrates
International Women’s Day
on: Saturday 10th March
12.00pm – 2.00pm
FREE event!
Women are busy ... and always will be! A seminar to explore: what it means to
be a woman of power and use that power to live your dreams.
Four ½ hour talks and meditations on: When to give & when NOT to manage
your energy, time and talents
Presented by Sarah Kuehne, co-ordinator for a social change charity
Overcoming Fear
Face new situations with confidence, Presented by Furkan Doygun, an educator
Superwoman
create work/life balance and just be positively, super everyday
Presented by Daniela Soares, CEO of a venture philanthropy charity
Follow your Heart
Achieve your dreams by setting goals the right way
Presented by Karen Dowd, an events co-ordinator for a global financial firm
Venue: Friends Meeting House, 8 Hop Gardens,off St. Martin’s Lane,near Trafalgar
Square, London WC2
Registration is a must, contact t: 020 7836 6688 e: info@innerspace.org.uk
Click onto www.innerspace.org.uk
to find London’s oasis of calm and insights!
Inner Space is the information services for Brahma Kumaris. |
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| Sponsor Add - Dropshippers eBook |
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Are you looking to be amongst the 100,000 or so women who start up in business
each year in Britain? Or do you wish to be one of the 10,000 people which are
now reported to be making a living from selling on eBay in the UK? Need stock
to sell, but with no outlay? Our eBook includes over 100 UK Dropshippers.
Dropshipping is a process of selling products without having to stock any overhead.
You would sell the merchandise at a cost you would determine (for example at the
manufacturers recommended price). After the customer pays you for the item, you
would pay the supplier(dropshipper) their price and send them your customers details.
They ship the product out to the customer, and the difference between your price
and the suppliers price is your profit, all to keep!
eBook Dropshippers(UK) cost £3.99. The eBook includes-:
»
Introduction to Dropshipping
»
List and links to Dropshippers(UK)
»
Over 100 dropshippers
»
Download - Dropshippers List (Excel Spreadsheet)
As well as the links to each dropshipper within the eBook is included spreadsheet
for downloading, which has the url/links to each dropshipper and their products
so you can review each company and their services and products.
The spreadsheet can be used by you to add more information as you research the
dropshippers, the fields included are -:
» Dropshippers
» Products
»
Country
»
Paypal
» Sign
Up Fee
» Monthly
Fee
To order the eBook you can pay through our merchants, paypal, or Nochex (UK
credit card holders), once payment has been received you will be emailed a copy
of the eBook.
»Pay
now £3.99 through Paypal
Alternatively you can pay through our merchants, Nochex
please click on the link below.
»Pay
now £3.99 through Nochex
For our Gold Members the eBook is FREE please go to our download
section! |
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Woman in business on |
Our newsletter shares helpful news and information with women entrepreneurs
around the world designed to keep the business women in touch with key events,
relevant research and, most importantly, each other!
We provide news, events, and online resources that will involve, inspire and
inform you and others like you.
Advertising & Sponsorship
The Bag Lady has developed its online network to offer a range of services to
the female business owner to assist in increasing their visibility. We offer
low-cost, discounted highly targeted advertising for women owned small-to-medium
sized businesses. If you are a female owned business please view our Basic,
Bronze,
Silver
and Gold
Packages.
Need to target thousands of entrepreneurs?
Internet advertising is one of the most powerful advertising mediums available.
Specifically targeted cost effective marketing techniques provide powerful brand
awareness for superior marketing campaigns. There are several different ways of
using our Web Site to your advantage. You may choose to advertise through banners
or perhaps sponsor pages.
The Bag Lady site can offer advertisers a selection of packages to suit all requirements
and budgets. Please contact us for our Media
Pack.
Best Wishes
The Bag Lady Team
t: 0870 8965246
e: enquiries@bagladyit.com
w: www.bagladyit.com |
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©Copyright 2008.
The Bag Lady.
All rights reserved.
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