How to make your millions ― by Britain’s savviest 商売／仕事 women: 場内取引員／株価 the 開始する，打ち上げる of this year’s awards for 女性（の） entrepreneurs, the inspirational 創立者s 株 their 最高の，を越す tips

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注目する，もくろむs starry, Maxine Benson and Karen Gill are reminiscing about their ?Everywoman Awards, which, for the past 20 years, have celebrated 女性（の） entrepreneurs with 驚くべき／特命の／臨時の stories to tell.?

‘They’re just jaw-dropping,’ Karen exclaims. ‘Every year there are 涙／ほころびs in the room as we hear how much these women have 打ち勝つ. We always think “We’re not going to be able to 最高の，を越す this” and then the に引き続いて year we do.’ Take last year’s Everywoman Woman of the Year, Brie Read, 長，指導者 (n)役員／(a)執行力のある of hosiery 会社／堅い 行き詰まり，妨げる Group, who 設立するd her company because she 手配中の，お尋ね者 tights that were the 権利 size. Not too much to ask, surely, but as Brie, 40, discovered, ‘Everybody was the same ― whatever their 形態／調整, tights didn’t fit.’?

Having raised £130,000 from family and friends, in four years Brie had a turnover of £45million, with two million 顧客s in 90 countries.?

‘And this was during a pandemic,’ 追加するs Maxine (or Max, as she’s always known). The previous year’s 勝利者 was Rachel Watkyn, 創立者 of eco-一括ing group Tiny Box,?who overcame a childhood with abusive and neglectful parents that led to her 存在 put into care; ill health 含むing a 小衝突 with breast 癌; a 切り開く／タクシー／不正アクセスd website; floods; and a 倉庫／問屋 解雇する／砲火／射撃 that saw her lose £10,000 価値（がある） of 在庫／株.?

役割 models (clockwise from 最高の，を越す): Max Benson, Kanya King, Melissa Odabash and Karen Gill 株 their 最高の，を越す tips for making it in 商売／仕事?

Now she 雇うs about 80 people and last year’s turnover was £10million. ‘She’s phenomenal,’ Max says. ‘Her staff adore her. She’s spoken so brilliantly about how the 外傷／ショック in her personal life 用意が出来ている her for the struggles of 商売／仕事.’?

最新の 人物／姿／数字s show that the fastest-growing group of millionaires in the UK are self-made 女性（の） entrepreneurs. While women’s wealth is still vastly 影を投げかけるd by that of men ― just over 11 per cent of millionaires in the UK are 女性（の） ― women are growing richer at a far quicker pace.?

Today, many women honoured by Everywoman ― Max and Karen’s 網状組織ing organisation for 女性（の） businesswomen (the Mail sponsors its Aphrodite Award for women who have started a 商売／仕事 when their children are under 12) ― are 世帯 指名するs.?

Think Charlotte Tilbury who, in 2020, sold her cosmetics 商売／仕事 for £1.3billion, or perfumer Jo Malone who sold her eponymous 商売／仕事 to Estee Lauder for ‘公表されていない millions’ before 開始する，打ち上げるing her Jo Loves line. Or handbag designer Anya Hindmarch, who has an 概算の 逮捕する 価値（がある） of £15million.?

There’s swimwear designer Melissa?Odabash, whose bikinis are beloved by celebrities 含むing Beyonce and the Duchess of Cambridge, and hugely 影響力のある MOBO Awards 創立者 Kanya King, who built her multi-million-続けざまに猛撃する fortune starting as a 選び出す／独身 mother at the age of 16.?

They’re a glamorous bunch, but Karen and Max’s hearts really 嘘（をつく） with the いっそう少なく high-profile 事例／患者s who may not be the next Elon Musks but have still chased an entrepreneurial dream and 達成するd 支配（する）／統制する of their lives.?

‘普通は, 商売／仕事s are 率d ーに関して／ーの点でs of 急速な／放蕩な growth and high turnover. Nothing else is みなすd important,’ Max says. ‘But we take the 見解（をとる） that if going into 商売／仕事 gives women 財政上の independence and some 柔軟性 to take care of their families, then their 商売／仕事s are a success.’?

Every year, the two friends are awed by what 半端物s their 指名された人s have beaten. ‘There are stories of women starting 商売／仕事s from 安全な houses having escaped a violent home; those that have bet ― and lost ― the farm but managed to get 支援する up on their feet and start again and 後継する. ‘?

Chrissie Rucker, 創立者 of The White Company?

'Learn to 雇う the 権利 people. Your team is 決定的な to creati ng a curious and can-do mindset. 投資する time in a support 網状組織 of people you 信用. When you’re feeling stuck, talking with someone more experienced will help you take the 権利 next steps.'

Chrissie Rucker, 創立者 of The White Company

宣伝

'広大な numbers of?entrepreneurs have had to を取り引きする terrible 詐欺, which is always a real sting. We have heard of deaths of 商売／仕事 partners and loved ones. I could go on for ever,’ says Karen.?

It was to showcase these tales of what Karen calls ‘ordinary women doing 驚くべき／特命の／臨時の things and 存在 successful’ that the friends, who had 設立するd Everywoman as a 網状組織ing organisation in 1999, 開始する，打ち上げるd the awards three years later.?

‘We’d ask our members to 指名する three 女性（の） entrepreneurs and they struggled. The first one who （機の）カム up was [The 団体／死体 Shop’s] Anita Roddick, maybe [Ultimo lingerie 創立者] Michelle Mone a bit, but they couldn’t think of anyone else,’ says Karen. ‘We said, “Anita Roddick is wonderful, but she’s a 全世界の success story and a bit 脅迫してさせるing to some woman sitting at home in her kitchen.”?

‘We 手配中の，お尋ね者 to tell the stories of other, more relatable women, so women had 奮起させるing 役割 models.’?

It has been やめる a ride for Max, 60, and Karen, 62 ― a 確信して, charismatic 二人組 who take no 囚人s and are 広大な／多数の／重要な fun.?

They first met when they were backpacking around Australia in the 1980s.?

While Karen climbed the 法人組織の／企業の ladder at InterContinental Hotels, Max, who had left school at 17 to work as a waitress, moved to New York to work for a casting director.?

There seemed to be no 障壁s to success until Karen gave birth to her son Declan, now 24. ‘支援する then it was just impossible to be a mum and have a dynamic career that 伴う／関わるd travel and long hours, like 地雷 did, unless you had a 十分な-time nanny.?

Rachel Watkyn, 創立者 of Tiny Box Company (pictured) says that she was told to wear a short skirt when 現在のing to 確実にする that she's 勝利，勝つ

Poonam Gupta, 創立者 of PG Paper Company (pictured) advises women to be 確信して in their abilities?

‘I met many other women who’d had to pause their career to concentrate on their family, and the 失望／欲求不満s we all had around that seeded the idea of Everywoman.’?

A その上の seed was sown when the pair went into 商売／仕事 together, 設立するing a television 生産／産物 company.?

‘We failed spectacularly,’ says Max, who is married with no children and lives in Poole, Dorset. ‘We were driven by a passion, but we didn’t know anybody in television and when we did some 研究 we 設立する the problems for women starting 商売／仕事s （機の）カム because they didn’t have any 接触するs. That played into how much 信用／信任 they had in themselves and that 商売／仕事’s success.’?

The pair 嫌疑者，容疑者／疑うd there were thousands of wannabe businesswomen out there for whom ― with a little bit of 信用／信任-上げるing and 助言者ing ― the sky was the 限界.?

‘The moment of 魔法 for us was 会合 those other women and finding their stories and our stories had these constant threads ― 存在 patronised by 商売／仕事 service providers, not having our ideas taken 本気で, not getting 接近 to 財政／金融, not 存在 特に 井戸／弁護士席 網状組織d,’ says Karen.?

奮起させるd, they （機の）カム up with the idea for Everywoman.?

The internet was in its 幼少／幼藍期 and there were no social 網状組織s, so they kicked off by throwing raucous getting-to-know-you events, with up to 250 women 集会 to 株 support and advice.?

‘権利 from the start there was an insane buzz around them. ?Everybody was 完全に amazed at the difference between 存在 in a room in a 法人組織の／企業の 環境 and 存在 in a room with high-energy 女性（の） entrepreneurs who really had something to say. It was electric,’ says Karen, who lives in Chichester, West Sussex.?

Businesswomen would 株 their stories. ‘They were so open and honest about their struggles; it really resonated,’ Max 解任するs.?

Melissa Odabash, swimwear entrepreneur?

‘Women need to listen to their gut instinct. Usually, we know 即時に if something is going to work or not but then 恐れる sends us off 跡をつける. Know who you’re competing with; learn who you’re 的ing; and don’t 拡大する until you have a 広大な／多数の／重要な clientele who come 支援する to you time and again.’?

Melissa Odabash, swimwear entrepreneur

宣伝

The only women who were いっそう少なく than supportive tended to be those who were already 法人組織の／企業の high-fliers.?

‘上級の women didn’t want anything to do with us. They didn’t want to draw any attention to their gender. They’d made it by hard slog and were terrified someone would notice they were women!’ Max laughs.?

Two １０年間s on, Max and Karen, who were awarded MBEs in 2009, have a 栄えるing 商売／仕事, 供給するing 道具s to help women manage their careers and 申し込む／申し出ing their 30,000 世界的な members the chance to 会合，会う both in person and online.?

In those years, the 見通し for women in 商売／仕事 has become decidedly rosier. In 2016, just 17 per cent of UK 商売／仕事 創立者s were 女性（の）, compared with 33 per cent in 2020.?

‘TV shows like Dragons’ Den, with dragons such as Deborah Meaden and Sara Davies, have helped raise visibility a lot,’ Max says. But, 明白に, we still 港／避難所’t reached 50/50 parity.?

‘Things are happening but they’re not moving 急速な／放蕩な enough,’ Karen agrees. ‘We’ve got to get more girls thinking about 企業 as a career.’?

After all, it’s not just women who are 行方不明の 適切な時期s. 研究 shows if women started up 商売／仕事s at the same 率 as men it could 追加する £250 billion to the economy.?

On the 法人組織の／企業の 味方する, things have definitely 発展させるd: the?‘積極的な and macho’ 管理／経営 style 具体的に表現するd by the likes of 不名誉d former 王室の Bank of Scotland 長，指導者 Fred Goodwin has now 大部分は 消えるd.?

'All that seems very 時代遅れの,’ says Karen. ‘There’s an 強調 on soft 力／強力にする now; leadership 技術s that lay the 強調 on empathy and 説得／派閥 rather than 存在 権威のある, combative and 独裁的な.?

Julie Deane, 創立者 of The Cambridge Satchel Company?

‘There are always 推論する／理由s not to do something, to put it off, but what’s the worst that can happen? Don’t overthink things, just get on with it.’?

Julie Deane, 創立者 of The Cambridge Satchel Company

宣伝

‘[The White Company 創立者] Chrissie Rucker, who has been one of the ?Everywoman award 裁判官s, is a committed and 決定するd 商売／仕事 leader and she still owns 100 per cent of the 商売／仕事, but she’s very softly spoken and feminine, and a master at bringing people on 味方する rather than 説, “This is the way it is”.’?

What Karen calls ‘a tipping point’ （機の）カム with the #MeToo movement, which went viral in 2017 when women in the film 産業, followed by thousands from other work 環境s, began speaking out about いやがらせ and 強襲，強姦 in the workplace.?

Max, who worked for ten years for a New York casting director, had often heard stories of terrible behaviour from movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, but was still horrified to hear the 非常に／多数の 主張s that surfaced of actual 強襲，強姦s. (Weinstein is now serving a 23-year 宣告，判決 for 強姦 and a 犯罪の sex 行為／法令／行動する.)?

‘Everybody knew Harvey was a いじめ（る）, that he had the loudest 発言する／表明する and was a 完全にする and utter maniac and a nightmare to work with.?

‘But I didn’t understand what the nightmare was. I thought it was just he was loud and?obnoxious, I never heard the other stuff,’ she says.?

‘It was all kept very 静かな. I was working for a woman, so I didn’t experience sexism, but everyone knew the Harveys of this world were these larger-than-life characters.?

‘It was insane how they operated; we’d be at the end of the phone with them and suddenly the line would go dead because they had thrown their phone out of the car window.’?

Marcia Kilgore, Bliss Spa, Soap & Glory, FitFlop and Beauty Pie 創立者?

‘Find your niche. Make sure it’s something people care about. Run your idea by strangers, not supportive friends. Let them poke 穴を開けるs in it. Life is short: you don’t want to waste three years building a 商売／仕事 with obvious 欠陥s. Better to 精製する your idea before you 攻撃する，衝突する “Go”.’?

Marcia Kilgore, Bliss Spa, Soap & Glory, FitFlop and Beauty Pie 創立者

宣伝

Today, men are much more respectful of 女性（の） 従業員s. Gone are the days when women were 推定する／予想するd to suck up comments on their 外見 or put up with the office flirt.?

More than two １０年間s ago, for example, when Everywoman Award 勝利者 Rachel Watkyn of Tiny Box was 24, she was ‘told to wear a short skirt when 現在のing?to 確実にする [she’d] 勝利，勝つ the 取引，協定’. ‘Of course you wouldn’t dream of asking a woman that now,’ she tells me.?

‘Men are very aware of their behaviour now, but they still have ways of 存在 支配的な,’ Karen 収容する／認めるs.?

‘Their physical presence means they’re much more 命令（する）ing from the get-go, in the way they talk or do things such as strategically placing themselves at the （米）棚上げする／（英）提議する next to the 力／強力にする player.’?

Men certainly need to 改善する their 評価 of women’s ideas. にもかかわらず the rise in 女性（の）-owned 商売／仕事s, 統計（学） show women still often struggle to 支持を得ようと努める 投資家s who are おもに male (at the last count 70 per cent of 投機・賭ける 資本主義者s are men) ― with 91 per cent of 基金s going to 商売／仕事s 設立するd 単独で by men.?

Men also hang on to a larger 火刑／賭ける of their 公正，普通株主権, with the 最新の 研究 showing that, on 普通の／平均（する）, women 保持する 57 per cent of their company’s 初期の 所有権, compared to men’s 67 per cent.?

If men need to stop underestimating women’s 能力s, then women need to get tougher about 委任する／代表ing 国内の 義務s.?

For many, like Karen, this can be about children, but even for those who aren’t mothers, like Max, caring 責任／義務s still ぼんやり現れる when it comes to ageing parents.?

‘Women still do the lion’s 株 of family care, whether that’s kids, 年輩の care, cats, dogs, whatever,’ says Karen, who has been married for 30 years.?

Kanya King, 創立者 of the MOBO Awards?

‘Find 助言者s who are 提携させるd with your 使節団, who are genuinely supportive of the 商売／仕事 you’re trying to 設立する. Getting that 権利 is as important as the 権利 従業員s. Choose people who have already 達成するd what you are trying to 達成する so you can learn from their successes and mistakes.’?

Kanya King, 創立者 of the MOBO Awards

宣伝

‘We’re 養育するd to 答える／応じる that way, and if we stepped 支援する I’m not sure anyone would get looked after.?

‘We hear time and time again that women are so busy running other people’s lives, they 簡単に don’t have time to 焦点（を合わせる） on building 網状組織s and getting the 権利 people around them.’?

So how do they find that time? ‘You’ve got to make time,’ Karen says 堅固に. ‘Realise how supportive other women will be and how much they will want to help you,’ Max 追加するs. ‘Women are generous to a fault.’?

After more than two １０年間s, are Max and Karen in the 女性（の） millionaires’ club too? ‘No, I wish!’ Max wails. ‘We know a lot of 女性（の） millionaires ― does that count? But even if we’re not rich, we’ve had lots of other rewards, because helping other women gives you such a sense of 目的.’?

‘You hear it in the other women’s stories 同様に,’ she 追加するs. ‘Most women start 商売／仕事s not to get rich but because they’ve spotted a gap in the market and want to 改善する things.?

‘Everywoman’s patron Dame Mary Perkins 設立するd Specsavers and became Britain’s first 女性（の） self-made 億万長者.?

‘But her 動機づけ wasn’t just to make 負担s of money, it was to level the playing field and to make glasses fashion items, because before that, unless you had lots of money, you had to wear horrible NHS specs.?

‘You want to change the landscape for others so they don’t go through what you went through ― and that’s very rewarding.’