By GAYNOR PENGELLY

A bespectacled lady in late middle age is hovering uncertainly around the racks of colourful and fashionable frames in the busy opticians. She picks up one frame, examines it, sighs and returns it. She reaches for another but stops, seemingly gripped by indecision.

The other customers may not give her a second glance but the staff would do well to take note and offer assistance because Dame Mary Perkins, mystery shopper extraordinaire and Britain’s first female self-made billionaire, is the founder of Specsavers, the largest privately owned opticians in the world – and she likes to keep a sharp eye on customer service.

She set up the firm with her husband Doug in 1984. Today it is one of Britain’s most successful brands and its advertising slogan, ‘Should’ve gone to Specsavers’, has passed into common parlance.

Mary and her family are ranked the 56th richest in the land, ahead of the Queen, and a recent rich list report valued the business at £1.1bn. Yet the billionaire lifestyle is not for them. They live in a pretty but modest four-bedroom house in St Peter’s Port, Guernsey.

Mary has only just replaced her ten year old battered BMW with a newer model because she needed four seats instead of two. Indeed, she is far more likely to be spotted cycling around the island than she is driving.

She shuns swanky restaurants in favour of long walks on the coastal footpaths and singing in the choir at the local choral society. She likes nothing more taking a dip in the local swimming pool with her seven young grandchildren.

Sitting elegantly in her beige and cream conservatory, with cushions on the sofa nicely plumped up  – she does this every night before bed so the room looks tidy the next day – Mary is disarmingly chatty; her porcelain skin makes her look far younger than her 67 years.

‘Doug and I fell in love with this house when we first moved to Guernsey in 1980, she explains. ‘Our three children grew up here. It’s a happy house full of wonderful memories.

‘Some people’s homes in Guernsey look like they have come out of the pages of Home and Garden, but that’s not for me. We don’t move in rich circles, none of our friends have second properties or jet-set lifestyles – so it’s never occurred to us to live in any other way.

‘Rich list compilers say we are billionaires, but they have estimated our wealth using the value of the company, which is very difficult to do because our accounts aren’t published.

‘I’m not saying we’re not comfortable – in so many ways we are lucky and blessed. We have private air transport so I can jet off to see my daughter in the Netherlands whenever I want to. If my washing machine breaks down we can afford to get it fixed, we have private medical insurance so can afford excellent medical care. All these little things make my life comfortable, so I appreciate we are extremely lucky.’

There can’t be many billionaires who cite the ease of getting the washing machine fixed as one of the advantages of wealth, but that is the kind of woman Mary is.

‘I suppose if we were the sort of people who sold their businesses, squirreled the money away in tax havens around the world we could afford a lavish lifestyle, but that’s not us. Lots of people on the island think we are odd bods for not doing so,’ she laughs.

Mary, a grammar school girl, and Doug, now 68, met in 1965 at Cardiff University while studying for a degree in Optometry.

In 1967, they founded Bebbington and Perkins, a group of 23 wholly owned opticians around Bristol. They sold these for £2m in 1980 when they decided to move to Guernsey – not for tax purposes but to be near Mary’s parents, who had retired.

For three years they ‘mulled over’ various business ideas while she worked part time for Citizens’ Advice and then in 1984 Margaret Thatcher’s government loosened regulation of the professions, including opticians. Opticians, previously been banned from advertising products and services, were now allowed to do so.

Mary and Doug decided to return to the business they knew and started up Specsavers from their spare room. They didn’t even have a desk so pressed a table tennis table into service.

Using money from the sale of their previous business, they set up the company as a joint venture partnership where each Specsavers opticians is legally a separate business, with 50 per cent of the shares owned by the Specsavers Optical Group and the other half held by the practice partners

Each practice pays a fee to the group for services and support such as IT, marketing, operations and retail training. After paying for services out of turnover, any profits belong to the partners in that store and their staff.

‘We were the first to advertise, have showrooms and let people know what our prices were.’ says Mary.

The first store opened in Guernsey in 1984 and there are now 654 outlets across the UK, 1,450 worldwide.

They sell 12 million spectacle frames a year. Doug wanted to throw out the table tennis table on which the first business plans were drawn up. Mary has insisted they keep it, and it is now in storage in the attic.

‘It’s a little piece of history,’ she says. ‘A reminder of those happy, early days.’

At an age when the couple could be happily cashing in on three decades of hard work and enjoying the finer things in life, Mary insists she and Doug have no plans to sell up and retire

‘We enjoy going to work every day,’ she says. ‘Just because we are of retirement age doesn’t mean we should stop doing what we love.’

Mary holds the title ‘founder’ while Doug is the chairman — she sits on the board, overseeing the Guernsey operation, runs PR and supplies the retail knowhow and vision.

Doug describes his job as ‘putting the infrastructure round that, and making sure we have done the support and marketing and motivation of people’.

Both are driven, says Mary, but Doug is the more ambitious.

‘Doug doesn’t really have any hobbies, he needs to work,’ she says. ‘I can see him in his nineties as a crotchety old man in his dressing gown, still holding meetings.’

With expansion currently under way in Australia, Doug temporarily spends much of his time in Melbourne, with Mary visiting as often as she can

‘It’s wonderful, we have an apartment looking over the beach,’ she says. ‘In many ways it feels like I’m living two lives, when I’m out there my wardrobe is more relaxed and the pace of life is different. I don’t drive; I made a deliberate point of not getting a car so I can cycle to work every day.

‘It’s been a steep learning curve for Doug being parted from his family and not having me around to iron his shirts. Until he left for Australia we had not spent a night apart for 25 years. But we speak morning and night and he’s like a big kid counting down “sleeps” until we meet again.’

For now Mary is happy to spend most of her time in Guernsey, leading the UK operation of Specsavers, the largest employer on the island.

She regards her employees as her extended family. There are hand written birthday cards for all staff and allows them to take sabbaticals during the summer holidays if they can’t arrange childcare for their children.

In fact, the nanny she employed to look after her two daughters when they were young now works for Specsavers in an entirely different role.

Now Mary says she and Doug are gradually handing over reins of the Specsaver Empire to their three privately-educated children.

The couple’s son, John, 38, previously finance director, became joint managing director with Doug in 2007, and is regarded as the natural successor to his parents. Cathy, 43, is head of internal audit. Julie, 42, is country manager for the Netherlands and Scandinavia.

‘We retired from our first business when the children were quite young and although we were quite comfortably off, we felt the need to work – we didn’t want to give them the wrong message,’ says Mary.

‘We never wanted our children to feel pressure to work for the business, we wanted them to feel free to make their own life decisions but we always involved them, in the early days they would come down to the office and help to label frames or hand out leaflets at events.

‘Doug and I now laugh because we wonder now if we have taken this too far, all our children are completely driven and work-obsessed, they are even worse than us.’

Mary’s own strong work ethic comes from her father, himself an optician, who died in 1984.

‘He was an exceptional man,’ she says quietly. ‘He came from a very poor working class family from the cotton mills in Lancashire.  He always said the war was the making of him because although he nearly died several times when his ship sunk, he managed to get an education.  This gave him the opportunity to study optometry at night class after the war had finished.  He worked very hard to give his family a better life and we all admired and were grateful to him for this.

‘At the end of the day, success is down to hard work – hard work and good luck.

‘I was lucky to get into university – the first person in my family to do so; I was lucky to study optometry – something I probably wouldn’t have done had my father not encouraged me, I was lucky to meet Doug and then we were in the right place at the right time when Margaret Thatcher loosened regulation on optometry.

‘I feel sorry for young people today who have been brought up with a sense of entitlement. It’s not their fault – the media, glossy magazines and the internet have all played their part in making them feel they have a right to go to university and right to a well-paid job, many will be in for a big shock.

‘When Doug and I started out we didn’t have a TV at home or a car, we didn’t even have a telephone.  We worked long hours because we knew if our business folded we wouldn’t get paid and we wouldn’t be able to look after our family.’

What does she think holds young women back in the world of work today?

‘I have a theory that women don’t want to crack the glass ceiling but are more interested in combining a rewarding job with a happy home life,’ she says.

‘What annoys women is when they don’t get paid an equal salary or bonus for doing the same job as men. I don’t believe women want the top seat and to join some crusty old boys’ network but those women who do make it to the top are usually better than the men because they’ve had to jump so many hurdles to get there.

‘Women will always have babies and this will always lead to compromise in the workplace. It’s tough on women to juggle work with family life which is why so many women set up their own businesses, so they can work flexible hours around their children.’

Much of what little spare time Mary has is devoted to charity work. Specsavers supports numerous optical and hearing charities, including Guide Dogs and Hearing Dogs for Deaf People. In August it will sponsor referees at the Homeless World Cup in Paris, an international football tournament set up to raise money for homelessness.

Another charity close to her heart is Fight for Sight and Vision Aid Overseas, where money has been pledged to set up the first ever School of Optometry in Zambia. The school will include an optical clinic and a workshop and be located at the Chainama School of Health Sciences in Lusaka. Mary’s ambition is to use this template to create optician schools and clinics throughout the third world.

When not working, or doing good works, she relaxes by reading – Wilkie Collins and Thomas Hardy are among her favourite authors. She wears glasses for reading – Specsavers naturally – and has 30 pairs.

Although she has relatively conservative dress sense – she favours Jaeger and Marks and Spencer – she is friends with the fashion guru and TV presenter Gok Wan, another Specsavers frames wearer.

‘He’s great fun,’ she says. ‘He helps us with our big fashion show “Spectacle wearer of the year” and comes to Guernsey quite often to see us. I’ve even met up with him in Australia.’

Mary – Dame Mary as she is more properly known – lists one of her greatest achievements as being the first female optician in the UK to receive the title of Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire. It was awarded in recognition of her services to business and to the community in Guernsey. In 2007

‘I was thrilled and deeply touched,’ she says. ‘Of course I would have loved Doug to be honoured at the same time too, a “two for the price of one”.’

‘There have been so many times in my life when I’ve had to pinch myself because life has been so good to me. My only regret now is that life is passing by so quickly, in an ideal world we would reach the age of 67 then start counting backwards,’ she laughs.

As for the mystery shopping for which she was famed, she says she doesn’t so much of it these days.

At one time she would regularly visit stores, disguised in one of a variety of wigs that she kept for the purpose, to check on customer service.

‘I played an undecided browser,’ she says. ‘I would just wait to see who came up to me. I do still visit stores but am more open nowadays.’

However she still keeps a couple of wigs in her wardrobe at home – just in case

By Vicki Owen

everywoman and Connecting Women in Technology have revealed the finalists of their inaugural CWT everywoman in Technology Awards, recognising the success of some of Britain’s most inspirational women working in technology.

They say the finalists are ‘shining examples of how hard work, passion and a refusal to give up can lead to success in a male-dominated industry’.

>>

Rising Star of the Year
Emma   Davids, IT Professional, Yorkshire Water Services LTD from Bradford
Stephanie Nicolaou, ICT Systems Analyst, Agusta Westland Helicopters Ltd from Somerset
Madiha Sayed, Partner System Engineer, Cisco from Feltham
Anushree Srivastava, Vice President of Goldman Sachs from London

Business Leader of the Year
Lesley Cowley OBE, Chief Executive Officer of Nominet from Oxford
Janet Day, Director, Technology and Infrastructure Services of Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP from London
Christine Hodgson, Executive Chairman of Capgemini UK plc from London
Bernadette Wightman, Managing Director, Partner Organisation, Cisco UK & Ireland of Cisco from Feltham

Team Leader of the Year
Carol Bogue-Lloyd, Head of End User Services for the North West European Cluster of Siemens IT Solutions and Services from Frimley
Sarah Lynch, Development Director, Snow Valley Ltd from London
Billie Major, Core Assets Portfolio Director of Capgemini UK plc from Telford
Paula Walter, Vice President of Goldman Sachs International from London

Innovator of the Year, Sponsored by Thomson Reuters
Naomi Chayen, Professor of Biomedical Sciences, Imperial College London from London
Leesa Fogarty, Vice President Northern Europe & Asia Pacific of Augure UK Limited from London
Ella Romanos,Managing Director of Remode from Plymouth

Entrepreneur of the Year, Sponsored by BP
Alicia Navarro, CEO and Co-founder of Skimlinks from London
Wendy Tan-White, Founder and CMO of Moonfruit from London
Juliet Tzabar, Managing Director of Plug-in Media from Brighton

Inspiration of the Year
Jo Alma, Managing Director of Goldman Sachs from London
Philippa Snare, Technical Sales and Marketing Director of Microsoft Ltd from London
Nikki Walker, Senior Director Inclusion, Diversity & Sustainability Europe of Cisco Systems from London

>>

Around 1.2 million people in Britain are employed in the IT workforce (597,000 in the IT sector itself and 650,000 IT professionals working in other industries).

But only 23 per cent of the IT workforce is female, according to e-skills’ report Women in IT Scorecard. And with the IT profession in need of half a million new entrants over the next five years, the sector needs to demonstrate the job opportunities available to women.

The CWT everywoman in Technology Awards were launched to demonstrate that there are many opportunities for women in technology.

Maxine Benson, MBE, co-founder and director of everywoman says: ‘We are thrilled to uncover these finalists – inspirational women whose success comes from hard work in a male dominated sector. Technology is playing a role in all businesses today, including e-commerce, mobile technology, entertainment, health and beauty, where there are a range of diverse jobs. These role models prove that there is a place for the future generation of career women in the industry.’

>> The awards programme will culminate in a glittering awards ceremony and luncheon to be held on 22 March 2011 at The Landmark Hotel in London. For table bookings, please contact everywoman on 0207 981 2574 and visit their website www.everywoman.com

By Helen Loveless

WITH bank finance still tough to access, finding a sponsor can be a key way to help take a business to the next stage.

Jenny Holmes and Dimitris Theocharidis set up their fashion design business JENA.THEO in February 2009. The friends met at London College of Fashion seven years earlier while part-time students. After graduating Jenny, 30, worked as a buyer for high street retailers, while Dimitris, 31, worked as a waiter and freelance fashion designer.

In February 2009 they launched JENA.THEO and six months later they won the Fashion Fringe at Covent Garden event, through which they received cash funding for two seasons, studio space in Somerset House, central London, as well as a business mentoring package.

The win helped Jenny and Dimitri to develop their collection, however, with previous business experience as a buyer Jenny knew how tough running their own business would be, so they approached a number of companies to ask for sponsorship.

Delivery giant UPS agreed to sponsor the duo.

Jenny says: ‘I know that 80 per cent of being a successful designer is managing the business side of things. I thought getting a logistics company on board was really important. UPS has provided funding but also helps ship our products around the world.’

To date the collection is sold online, though JENA.THEO also does ‘a lot of individual bespoke pieces’ for customers in Dubai and China. The pair hope to branch out by opening a boutique in order to broaden the commercial appeal of the clothing line.

Cindy Miller, managing director of UPS in the UK said: ‘We like to partner with up-and-coming firms, especially fashion designers. We have a global reach but we can help small and medium-sized businesses. Overall we want to make sure we can

Triathlete Lisa Irlam can count herself lucky that she was turned down by the BBC Dragons when she ventured into their Den.

The panel said that her automated Pool-Mate ‘watch’ to count lap times in the swimming pool was not a commercial proposition – so she went ahead on her own.

Lisa is about to turn over her first £1 million with her husband, Jim, 50, and her failure to win backing from the Dragons in 2009 means the couple retain 100 per cent control of the business – Swimovate.

Lisa, 42, and her husband are both triathletes and worked in the electronics industry. They first had the idea for an automated lap and stroke counter for swimmers when they kept losing count in training sessions.

Lisa, of Wraysbury, Berkshire, says: ‘There were lots of automated products with feedback for runners and cyclists but none for swimmers. When we asked retailers what they thought of the idea, they said swimmers were asking them for something like this all the time.’

Using her experience as a production controller for a multi-million pound digital radio firm, and with the help of her son, Chris, 20, Lisa set about designing prototypes for a motion sensor watch in 2007 after quitting her job.

She asked members of Eton Triathlon Club, where she is secretary, to test them.

She says: ‘Jim designed the electronics and software. I run the business – sales, marketing, web development, you name it.

‘My son designed the case for the watch. We inspired him so much that he is now studying sports technology.’

Now the Pool-Mate, which sells at about £70, is sold in 60 countries.

More than 40 per cent of Swimovate’s business is in Britain and more than 20,000 Pool-Mates have been sold worldwide. Lisa aims to release a lower cost, simpler product and a higher-end product with a heart rate monitor combined.

She says her pitch to the Dragons was not shown on TV because the panel ‘could not see the potential and I did not make a enough of a fool of myself.’

Emma Elston set up UK Container Maintenance in 1998 after having the idea of repairing waste and recycling containers.

Despite facing challenges as a mother of two children and a woman working in a traditionally male world, Emma, 34, has expanded the firm to become one of the largest container repair companies in the UK.

The Cheshire-based business now employs 42 and refurbishes 65,000 containers a year for councils and waste companies.

Emma won the Demeter award for the most inspirational woman aged 26-35 running a business at the NatWest everywoman awards in central London.

The awards, which are in their eighth year and are sponsored by Financial Mail, aim to celebrate female entrepreneurs who have overcome adversity.

Awards co-founder Karen Gill says: ‘This is testimony to the great contribution of women such as Emma to UK plc.’

Anita Lowe of Venues Event Management won the Hera award for women aged 50 or over while Camilla Stephens of Higgidy Pies won the Athena award for women aged 36-49.

Toni Moore of Adams Moore Solicitors won the overall NatWest everywoman award.

We will run profiles of the winners in coming weeks.

>> To follow FMWF on Twitter click here: @FMWF

Lisa Buckingham, editor of Financial Mail on Sunday and founder and editor-in-chief of the Financial Mail Women’s Forum, won the prestigious Spirit of everywoman Award at a ceremony at the Dorchester yesterday.

The award recognises the significant contribution of a woman whose determination, commitment and dedication have changed the landscape for women in business in Britain.

Maxine Benson, co-founder of the everywoman Awards, said: ‘She has championed the role of women in business and epitomises what a force for good a woman can be in encouraging other women and recognising that career stereotyping is still an issue for girls.’

Karen Gill, co-founder of the everywoman Awards, said:  ‘We were delighted to award Lisa with the Spirit of everywoman Award this year, as for the past ten years we have witnessed first hand her unreserved support of women in all areas of business and now she is reaching out to disadvantaged women through the women in prison programme that is truly inspirational and in the spirit of women supporting each other’.

Previous winners have included Jenni Murray OBE, football executive and broadcaster Karren Brady, Dame Stella Rimington (former director general of MI5) and Dame Mary Perkins (Specsavers co-founder).

Other winners at the ceremony, designed to celebrate successful women who are playing their part in helping to pull Britain out of recession and acting as inspirational role models for the next generation of aspiring business women, included Jo Malone and Toni Moore, director of Adams Moore solicitors.

Click here to read about the winners. We will be profiling them ALL on FMWF.com in the coming weeks.

Last month Lisa won the Media Icon Award at The Pink Shoe Club awards, which aim to throw a spotlight on outstanding women across British business, professional and public life whose achievements and individual actions are helping to open up opportunities for others. (Click here to read about the Media Icon Award).

Earlier in the year Lisa won the Woman’s Advocate Award at the Women on Their Way Awards in recognition of her supporting the progression of other women. (Click here to read about the Women on Their Way Award).

In March 2011, building on the phenomenal success of last year, Lisa will stage her fourth Breaking the Mould conference to help broaden the career horizons of sixth form girl students. (Click here to read about Breaking the Mould).

Lisa also launched a newspaper for women leaving prison, providing useful contact details, advice and a free information line. The second edition of the newspaper, Financial Freedom, published to help women prison leavers get to grips with life on the outside, is being sent out to every women’s prison in the UK and the 24-hour free advice line for these vulnerable women is now up and running. (Click here to read about Financial Freedom).

Lisa also recently relaunched the FMWF.com website, increasing traffic by more than 100 per cent.

She launched FMWF ten years ago to help as many women as possible reach the very highest ranks in British business and to support them once they get there with the most relevant news and features coverage, advice and networking opportunities.

It is intended to provide interesting and useful opportunities for women to make new contacts, exchange ideas and forge business alliances.

>> Previous winners of the Spirit of everywoman Award:

2009 WINNER

Jenni Murray OBE

Known to millions of radio listeners as the voice of BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, Jenni has over thirty years of broadcasting experience, beginning her career in local radio and moving to BBC2 Newsnight before taking over from Sue MacGregor in 1987 on the weekly programme tackling issues facing women. Her 22 years at the helm is widely acknowledged for entertaining and inspiring millions of women – and men – and motivating many to fulfill their ambitions, take risks, make changes and prosper.

In 1998 Jenni was nominated Radio Broadcaster of the Year and in 1999 was awarded the OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for her services to radio broadcasting.

2008 WINNER

Karren Brady, Vice-Chariman of West Ham FC (was Managing Director of Birmingham City FC when awarded)

Karren Brady began her career at LBC when she was 18 years old and swiftly moved onto Saatchi & Saatchi as junior Account Handler. She joined Sports Newspapers Ltd in 1988 and became Director within a year.

Karren is now known as the first woman in football. She has been Managing Director of Birmingham City Football Club since 1993 and has turned the Club’s fortunes around. She took over Birmingham City when it was in administration, and in her first year at the helm, the Club recorded a financial trading profit.

In 1996 the Club made an overall profit for the first time in modern history and in February 1997 the Club launched on the Stock market valued at the time of float at £25,000,000; she was the youngest Managing Director of a PLC in the UK.

During the past years Karren has increased the average gate of the Club from 6,000 to a sell out capacity of over 30,000.  In 2007 her business was valued at over £60million and in the same year she was named as Business Woman of the Year.

2007 WINNER

Modern Muse, founded by everywoman – a networking resource for female entrepreneurs and women in business – aims to reach one million young women and girls over the next three years through showcasing successful women from all walks of business life.

It is being launched with the publication of a book and a photographic exhibition ‘shining a spotlight’ on 100 successful ‘modern muses’, including Chrissie Rucker (The White Company), Christina Vaughan (Image Source) and Dame Mary Perkins (Specsavers Optical Group).

The ‘modern muses’ will each carry out activities to nurture existing female talent, such as school and university visits and creating opportunities for women to start, run and grow companies.

Karen Gill, co-founder of everywoman, says: ‘Modern Muse will demonstrate the power of women coming together to make things happen as we enter a new decade. It is vital that we motivate the next generation to embrace business and carve out fulfilling lives for themselves.

‘The UK is suffering from a female role model shortage, yet there are thousands of wonderful women in differing roles and industries who can demonstrate the range of exciting career options that many girls don’t even hear about.’

She adds: ‘Younger women today tend to have a strong focus on celebrity role models and we want them to be exposed to a much broader canvas – to women who have built businesses or are working in major organisations, whose lives are equally glamorous in many ways. Now is the time to put out a powerful call to action that will create the momentum to make a real and sustainable difference to young females in the UK.’

MODERN MUSES:

I have a dream – Hannah Bond: Project Officer, British Embassy, Addis Ababa Jay Hunt: Owner & Managing Director, Violet Productions Judy Craymer MBE: Chief Executive Officer, Littlestar Services Ltd Producer of Theatre & Film Julia Hands MBE: Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Hand Picked Hotels Karen Pearson: Director & Producer, Folded Wing Katie Mintram: Director, Yellowave Ltd Katy Aston: Textile Designer, Fison-Zair Lisa Young: Photographer, Video & Travel Write Alison Nimmo CBE: Director of Design and Regeneration, Olympic Delivery Authority

True grit - Anne Walker MBE: Founder & Chief Executive Officer, International Dance Supplies Abi Carter: Director, Forensic Resources Ltd Becky Frater: Lead Display Pilot, Helicopter Display Team Royal Navy Gill Evans: Detective Chief Inspector, Operation Trident Metropolitan Police Service Sue Brownson OBE: Managing Director, Blue Bell BMW Group Christina Vaughan: Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Image Source

The apprentice – Katy Jacks: Director, Belgravia Florist Liz Jackson MBE: Managing Director, Great Guns Marketing Mandy Nickerson: Managing Director, Bales Worldwide Vicky Evans: Managing Director, House of Paws Mhairi McEwan: Managing Director, Brand Learning

The great escape – Alison Hesketh: Deputy Headteacher & Inclusion Manager, Discovery School Kiki Maurey: Director, Management Consultant & Professional Coach Mentor, Kiki Maurey Consultancy Ltd Maria Kempinska MBE: Owner, Jongleurs Comedy Ltd Pauline Stewart: Leadership Navigator, Ingram De Havilland

Trailblazers – Cary Marsh: Chief Executive Officer & Founder, Mydeo.com Celia Gates: Founder & Director, Doctor Cook Ltd Diahanne Rhiney: Chief Executive Officer, 15 Degrees Ltd Jane Asher: Masters Swimmer & ASA Swimming Coach and Teacher Kate Nesbitt: Medical Assistant, Royal Navy Nikki King OBE: Chief Executive, Isuzu Truck (UK) Ltd Sadie Ayton: Managing Director, S.Ayton (Franchising) Ltd Wendy Sly: Principal, Wendy Sly Associates Dame Mary Perkins: Co-Founder, Specsavers

The line of beauty – Francesca Cragg: Partner, Revitalize Hair & Beauty Spa Julia Reynolds: Chief Executive Officer, Figleaves.com Roseanna Healy: Beauty Therapist, Peterpenny’s Sharon Hilditch MBE: Chief Executive Officer, Crystal Clear International

The bold and the restless – Anna Heyes: Managing Director, Active Profile Ltd Becky Humberstone: Managing Director, Utterly Horses & Utterlysaurus Emma Gaffney: Film Editor Sophie Hill: Partner, BDO Suzanne DuBois: Director of Projects & Continuous Learning, BP Plc Toni Eastwood OBE: Director of Academy & Talent, Wm Morrison Supermarkets Plc Vanita Parti: Founder, Blink Carrie Rubin: Director, Pentland Group Plc

The company of women – Chris Browne: Managing Director, Thomson Airways Helen Kelisky: VP, GB Sales Systems & Technology Group NEIOT IBM Rosie Reed: Personal Assistant, InterContinental Hotel Group Sam Smith: Chief Executive Officer, finnCap Ltd Sarah Baskcomb: Brand Consultant Sarah Deaves: Managing Director of Private Banking & Advice, Royal Bank of Scotland Tory Frame: Partner, Bain & Company Valerie Evans: Architect & Director, Atkins Amina Kamal: Senior Partner, St. James’s Place Partnership

Winds of change – Eileen Brown: Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Amastra Ltd Fallon Cowley: Operations Manager, Manorview Hotels Ltd Jane Barnes: Chief Executive Officer, Yakkety-Yak Multimedia Company Ltd Lexi Elven: Motion Graphic Designer, BBC Lian Britchford: Managing Director, Encompass Print Solutions Ltd Rachel Bryan: Director, Veritas Language Solutions Rachel Jones: Founder & Managing Director, Totseat Ltd Dawn Gibbins MBE: Founder, Barefoot Foundation

Passionistas – Anna Kennedy: Founder/Director & Ambassador for Children and Adults with Autism, Hillcrest Autism Services Ltd Baroness Mary Goudie: Member, House of Lords Fozia Parveen: Managing Director & Owner, Signs4Life Lindsey Rix: Regional Managing Director, Santander Corporate Banking Margaret Ajibode: Managing Director & Chartered Engineer, Obatec Maria Phillips: Creative Partner, Watson Phillips Norman Pippa Isbell: Chief Executive, PRCo Dr Sabine Apitz: Director & Chief Scientist, SEA Environmental Decisions Ltd Sandra McClumpha: Chief Executive Officer, Fake Bake UK Ltd

Rebel with a cause - Deidre Walker: Partner & Group Head of Commercial, Norton Rose LLP Grace Vanterpool MBE: Consultant Nurse & Diabetes Service Manager, NHS Judith Lewis: Global Head of Search, Beyond Lyn Cecil: Chief Executive Officer, Secretaries Plus & The Plus Team Monica Slowikowska: Director, Sunrise Corporation Ltd Penny Mallory: Motivational Speaker, TV Presenter & Former Rally Champion Margot James: MP for Stourbridge, Houses of Parliament

We are family – Anita Lowe: Chief Executive, Venues Event Management Joanna Chin: Co-Founder & Chief Operating Officer, Langland Joanna Hansford: Managing Director, Jo Hansford Jo Hansford MBE: Chief Executive Officer, Jo Hansford Susan Dyson: Co-Founder, SDA Solutions Anna Lee: Co-Founder, STORM Emma Elston: Co-Founder & Director UK, Container Maintenance Ltd

Hope springs eternal – Avril Owton MBE: Owner, Cloud Hotel Hester Larkin: Managing Director, Hester Larkin Associates Judy Wacha: Director & Founder, Synergy Personnel Solutions Kavita Oberoi: Founder & Managing Director, Oberoi Consulting Mariam Cook: Digital Strategist & Writer Reshma Ashraf Mason: Trustee, Director & Company Secretary, Cancer Vaccine Institute Sharon Winter: Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Supa Scaffolding Ltd Valerie Monia: Owner, Lacy Road Gallery & Art Academy Wendy Hallett: Founder & Managing Director, Hallett Retail The Concessions People

It’s a wonderful life –
Angela Brady: Director Brady Mallalieu Architects; President Elect, RIBA Angela Hamlin: Founder & Managing Director, Draycott Nursing Sally Hurst: Founder & Owner, The Old Bag Company Melanie Eusebe: Management Consultant, Ernst & Young Lucy Parker: Operations Manager, DHL Chrissie Rucker MBE: Founder, The White Company

>> To sign up as a Modern Muse or get involved in the project, visit www.modernmuse.co.uk

Although this seems like the most natural starting point, I imagine it must be very easy to get carried away with all the exciting elements of starting-up a business before you stop and research whether your product is truly needed.

Looking through the incredibly supportive responses, it is great to see that our membership are confident enough in the credibility of the members’ advice and are willing to seek frankness before they leap in.

Deborah Meaden, successful entrepreneur and business investor, mentions in her Business Sense interview that she is “not looking for the perfect pitch, I’m looking for a credible one that I believe in”.

This sense of being honest with yourself is also an overriding element in the successful career progress of our speakers at the 2010 National Conference. Reading the fascinating story of Tony Wheeler and his wife Maureen, who together started Lonely Planet in 1973, Tony gives advice to SME’s in our Business Traveller Article: “If you have a passion for what you do and you really believe in it, then you’ll have no difficulties making other people believe in it either”.

There are obviously so many elements to consider as a start-up, but I have found it very encouraging that in an age when we are surrounded by so many business tools, being authentic with yourself and believing in the value of your product or service is still the best start you can give to any business.

http://network.everywoman.com/post/honesty-is-the-best-policy

The eighth event, backed by Financial Mail, features ten awards, including four categorised by age group.

Abigail Carter, 26, set up her forensic analysis consultancy Forensic Resources, based in Cardiff, Wales, in January 2008. The firm provides forensic analysis and expert witness services, mainly to the legal industry. Prior to this Abigail worked as a forensic archaeologist focusing on human rights violations abroad, dealing with issues such as mass graves before deciding to return to the UK in search of more secure employment.

The business to date has been mainly self-funded, though Abigail has also received a number of business grants. With three placement students currently working for her, and plans to take on two of them permanently later this year, Abigail is set to continue growing her business rapidly.

She says: ‘We are planning to expand into new areas this year, for example, offering forensic consultancy services to the insurance industry. We are also gaining clients through our website, word of mouth and repeat business. My mentor suggested I enter the awards. I have put myself forward for the Demeter award for female entrepreneurs aged between 26 and 35 years old, while she has nominated me for another award.’

Take a look at one of our FMWF stories here to find out full details about the awards. The deadline for entry, which is free, is July 30. Enter at everywoman.com/natweteverywomanawards

They have been running since 2003 and were set up to celebrate women who have started up and run successful businesses of any type – showcasing women who have shown real grit and determination, overcoming obstacles and challenges in order to succeed in business.

Awards categories inspired by ancient Greek goddesses include Artemis, Demeter, Athena and Hera, who represent courage, determination, perseverance, wisdom and strength respectively. In addition, one winner will be chosen to receive the NatWest everywoman Award, which celebrates the woman who is thought to have overcome the greatest challenge to achieve business success in 2010.

Due to a fantastic reception from the women’s business community over the years, two new awards have also been added – the Hestia Award goes to a woman running a rural business and the Gaia Award goes to a woman running an ethical business. Other special awards include the Iris Award, given for the use of innovation in IT and communications in business and the everywoman Ambassador Award, which goes to an iconic women or VIP who acts as an advocate for entrepreneurs.  Previous winners include: Elle Macpherson, Colleen Rooney and Chrissie Rucker of The White Company.

Lastly, the Spirit of everywoman Award is awarded to a woman who has changed the landscape for women in business, an honour which has been bestowed in previous years to Jenni Murray of Woman’s Hour, Karren Brady, Dame Stella Rimington and Dame Mary Perkins, who is also the Patron of the NatWest everywoman Awards.

everywoman say this year’s awards are particularly important as they will celebrate successful female-run businesses that have weathered the economic downturn as well as highlight the proven fact that women-run businesses in general have faired better in the recession.  Research that NatWest and everywoman commissioned found that 50 per cent of women claimed their business had not been impacted by the recession versus 38 per cent of men.

Karen Gill, MBE, Co-founder and Director of everywoman says: ‘We’re really excited to be partnering again with NatWest and to announce the addition of two new awards to the programme. Every year we’re overwhelmed with more and more entries of really inspirational stories so it will be a great opportunity to be able to highlight more of these with the new awards Gaia and Hestia.  Winning or being shortlisted for an award is really fantastic for these women as it really does propel businesses forwards.’

Judge Liz Jackson MBE, founder of B2B firm Great Guns Marketing, says: ‘The coverage the awards get is huge – it is great free PR and publicity. Becoming a finalist means you’re a winner. Girls are inspired by winners and there should be more female role models in the papers. Even if you don’t win, your profile will be read by people who are promoting women into the public eye.’

Last year’s Hera Award winner Lyn Cecil, founder of recruitment firm  Secretaries Plus, says: ‘Winning the NatWest everywoman Award has led to increased business, a daunting appearance on Newsnight with Jeremy Paxman, Alistair Darling and Sir Martin Sorrell and lots of press coverage.  In addition, I have had calls asking for help mentoring.  I was surprised by how proud friends, colleagues, business contacts and family were by me winning the award.’

She adds: ‘If you are thinking about entering, go for it!’

>> The awards are free to enter and applications are made online at: www.everywoman.com/natwesteverywomanawards and will be judged by a panel of select businesswomen and entrepreneurs including Perween Warsi, CBE, MBE, DBA of S&A Foods and Sharon Hilditch, MBE of Crystal Clear International, amongst others.

>> The winners will be announced at a ceremony held on 1st December 2010 at The Dorchester in London with influential businesswomen, politicians, media and VIPS who will celebrate their achievement. ­