BBC Radio Essex live from our first event

​As we kicked off the Tabletop to £1million movement at our first female business event, founder Carmel Jane along with fellow business owner Katie Thomas of Juice HQ went live on air.  Sharing their scaling up stories on BBC Radio Essex, as host Emma Bullimore dug deeper into the persistent barriers that still hold women business owners back.
 
Available to listen again on BBC Sounds until 5th February 2020 - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p07y0xn3

As we kicked off the Tabletop to £1million movement at our first female business event, founder Carmel Jane along with fellow business owner Katie Thomas of Juice HQ went live on air.  Sharing their scaling up stories on BBC Radio Essex, as host Emma Bullimore dug deeper into the persistent barriers that still hold women business owners back.
 
Available to listen again on BBC Sounds until 5th February 2020 - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p07y0xn3
 
For those who missed it, here’s a transcript of the feature:

Emma: We'll talk about something slightly different now. Because we've all heard phrases like glass ceiling being mentioned, when we're talking about women in the business world. And the question is, is that still a thing nowadays? Or have we broken down barriers? Are things changing? And if they're changing, or they're changing fast enough? Well, there's an event taking place in Ingatestone this morning, which is a gathering of several women in business from across sectors to discuss some of those barriers that women might face in the business world. The event is called Essex Women in Enterprise. And let's speak to the woman behind it Carmel Jane, she's the owner of Carmel Jane photography, and the winner of Essex enterprise awards, and Entrepreneur of the Year, very impressive woman.  Hello, Carmel.
Carmel: thank you for having me.
Emma: Oh, thanks for being here. So Why did you decide to set this event up?
Carmel: Well, I, I've been a photographer for 25 years. I started my business 10 years ago Carmel Jane photography, and then we launched our Carmel Jane Films business – specialising in corporate video production last year.  I'm probably about 20 to 30 staff depending on what time of year it is. And last year in October, I reached a million-pound turnover mark, which was one of my goals. And it was really exciting to get there. And then around that, I started looking at the statistics around how many women in business ever reach a million-pound turnover.  It wasn’t great.  Of the businesses in the UK that reach one million, only 13% are female founded.  And in fact, men are five times more likely to get to the million-pound mark.  So, I thought, I know so many amazing women in business and I wanted to do something to help them dream bigger, believe bigger and say actually, let's aim for a million pounds. Let's change the statistics.
Emma: You've obviously been incredibly successful. Do you think you would have got there any quicker and easier if you've been a man?
Carmel: There’s a lot of evidence to say that I may well have done.  The Rose Report* that came out last year highlights issues all around childcare issues, access to funding and a lack of female mentors.  There are not enough role models, and there are not enough grass roots businesswomen showing other women what can be achieved.  I think there's a lot of help out there when it comes to starting a business, but the trouble is it is often not focusing on the different issues that women may have to men.
Emma: What do you think needs to change at this point? Do you think it's about more schemes like shared parental leave? Or what what ideas would you have?
Carmel: I think parental leave is great because it says men are responsible for looking after their children as well. This requires a huge societal shift in behaviour though, which may take another generation.  In the short term, we're looking to lobby government to say, why can't free childcare start from one year old, not three years old, because women do around 60 to 70% of the unpaid childcare in the country. So, we really need to help women have more good quality childcare.
Childcare should also be tax deductible.  Employing a PA is, and this is something which you’d do to help time freedom.  So, there's a couple of things that just makes such a difference to give time freedom and allow women to start and scale their businesses.
Emma: Carmel, I know women who said well, we'll go back to work but I'm only going to be earning 10 hours a week after the you know, after I paid out for childcare, it's a massive issue.
Carmel: Absolutely.   There’s actually a women who can’t be here today because she has childcare issues.  And then often that burden of childcare does fall on the woman.
Emma: But this is a really positive event that you're doing how important you think it is to get everyone together and to spread this message?
Carmel: It's incredibly important. I mean, we've got a very electric atmosphere out there in the room.  I don't know if you can hear in the background, but we've got a room packed full of incredible business women at all stages of business growth.  From those who have started, scaled and sold million-pound businesses, to a 17 year old who has just started up a small eye lash business.  Women working from home and those with large offices.  We must connect up these incredible Essex businesses women. What we’re hoping is that by the end of the event we have the beginnings of a new community movement, with mentoring and advice free flowing – to encourage and support us all as we grow. 
Emma: Because certainly when it comes to entrepreneurs and being at that very high level of being CEO or being high management, you kind of sometimes need to see someone in that position that looks a bit like you don't you?
Carmel: Absolutely, I think, you know, we know who Richard Branson is and Alan Sugar.  And there's all the statistics around how few women are in the top boardrooms. But we don’t have enough grass roots mentors reaching the £250k mark, the £500k mark, and hitting £1million.  These are the mentors we need. 
Emma: Well congratulations on organising this fantastic event and I hope it gets change moving today. I'm going to let you get back to it Carmel as I know you’re giving a talk to the group. Thank you so much for joining us here on the programme.
Emma: It's 20 minutes past 11 and we are in Ingatestone at the Essex Women in Enterprise event. Early we spoke to Carmel Jane who set up the event.  Now I've got another guest, this is Katie Thomas. And Katie is from juice HQ based in Upminster, which delivers freshly pressed juices to your door. Good morning, Katie.
Katie: Good morning, Emma.
Emma: So, how's it how's the atmosphere down there?
Katie: Yeah, great. buzzing, lots and lots of talk going on and just lovely to meet other women out there doing their bit.
Emma: So tell me about how you got started was it's tricky being an entrepreneur. So many hurdles?
Katie: Absolutely, yes. My journey started two years ago now. I was inspired by my daughter who was a competitive swimmer at the time. And we were looking at her diet. And I've always been fascinated by nutrition and how our bodies are driven by our diet, and we started juicing and I discovered cold pressed juicing, which is kind of the best of the best really.  From there things grew, and it was designed recipes, friends and family, were asking for the juices and the business developed by default from there.
Emma: And I think a lot of people listening to the radio might think, Oh, it's 2020 it can’t be harder for a women entrepreneur now, things have changed haven’t they!? Are things so bad?
Katie: I think there's certainly so much more support out there now. You know, like this event today, it blows me away to meet so many women who are all ambitious and running their own businesses.  I feel empowered.  But most of them are also running a family home, and parenting, and juggling a million and one things.  That’s hard.
Interviewer: It’s important to have mentorship and see other women in high flying positions. Show you what’s possible.  Do you think that plays into it a lot?
Katie: Yeah, I think so. Because I think we're quite isolated sometimes running our businesses. You know, I'm lucky I've got a team now around me but I think a lot of women are isolated so you know, on those days where maybe things are going badly you can really feel down, almost like giving up.  It’s important to have a supportive community around you who are experiencing the same challenges, facing the same issues.  Who you can reach out to for advice.  Like today, to hear what other women are facing, what they’re getting fired up about. 
Interviewer: Absolutely. I was also talking about childcare. But do you think you'd have been able to achieve what you've achieved today? If your children had been younger?
Katie: Possibly, possibly not. My children a little bit older now. And my daughter's 18, almost 18 and my son's 13. So, you know, they understand that I'm kind of busy.  I think that childcare would have certainly been an issue for me if the children were younger. 
Interviewer: It sounds very busy there today. Well, what kind of event is going on? Is it a case of just chatting to each other or other speakers?
Katie: This is our first event, so we’re all excited to see what will happen.  At the moment everyone's just getting to know each other and chatting talking about their businesses.  Carmel Jane is going to share her story and I'm sure IT will be fascinating. I'm really looking forward to hearing about the trials and tribulations of her business.
Emma: Fabulous. Thank you so much for joining me, Katie. Really great to hear about this event going on in Ingatestone this morning. I'd love to hear from you if you're a female business owner. How have you found that tricky? Have you come across barriers? Is the glass ceiling still there?
 
 
*The Alison Rose Review into Female Entrepreneurship