Karen Skidmore's Kick-Ass Blog | CanDoCanBe

How did she do it? An interview with Kate Bacon, Virtual Assistant

How did she do it?  An interview with real women running home businesses.

Reading about their stories and learning from other’s experiences is helps us grow our own businesses.

This month, please meet Kate Bacon, a Virtual Assistant who decided the commute from Brighton to London every day was just not on.  She now works from her office at home, two blocks from the sea front.  And, yes you can hear the seagulls in the background

How Did She Do It? An interview with Business Mum Lisa Maddison

How did she do it?  An interview with real women running home businesses.

Reading about their stories and learning from other’s experiences is of value to growing our own businesses.

This month, please meet Lisa Maddison – a Business Mum who has created Get Well Gifts, an online gift business for people in hospital or recovering from an illness at home.  Inspired by her own experiences, Lisa has some lessons to share about starting up an e-commerce business.  Over to you, Lisa.

What is your name?  Lisa Maddison

What is the name of your business?  GetWellGifts.co.uk

When did you start your business?  I launched the website in November 2006 but work leading up to that had started some time before.

What was the reason for starting your business?  I am a breast cancer survivor, diagnosed seven and half years ago. When I was diagnosed and undergoing treatment I felt there were gaps in certain types of communication and support for women going through this illness, particularly on the holistic and complimentary care side of things as well as understanding diet, lifestyle and nutrition and its impact on well-being after breast cancer.

I felt I could use my professional training and background to help fill these gaps. Whilst my ideas have evolved over time I decided to start by launching a gift service that would enable people to connect with those who are going through an illness or recovering from one, in a more meaningful way.

I knew from personal experience that the thoughts, wishes and gifts that meant the most to me were the ones that seemed more personal: for instance a necklace containing a stone purported to have healing values meant more than ten bunches of flowers. Why? Because I felt the giver had really put a personal message of hope into the gift and I felt supported by that.

How did she do it? An Interview with Business Mum, Cate O'Neill

How did she do it?  A monthly interview with real women running home based businesses.

This month, please meet Cate O'Neill - a Business Mum who has pushed and pulled her new business and launched her website last month.

Having attended the Womens Enterprise Programme earlier this year, it has been great to keep in touch and find out that Cate is now live - ready for orders! 

More Business Mums than ever running home based businesses

Did you know that more than 1 in 3 new mums in the UK are looking to start their own home based business?

These are the statistics that have been released be a recent survey commission by AXA Protection.  And I can certainly back up these results with the sheer numbers of women that come along to our regular networking events in Surrey.

It is great to know that British new mums are “an entrepreneurial force to be reckoned with”.  If you are considering starting up a home based business or thinking of learning new skills to enable you to be your own boss, then be encouraged and inspired that more and more women are taking steps to making their own businesses happen.

An interview with Jaquetta Trueman - How did she do it?

How did she do it?  A monthly interview with real women running home based businesses.

This month, please meet Jaquetta Trueman.  Jaquetta has been on an amazing journey over the past year.  Having used her redundancy as the push she needed to become her own boss, Jaquetta has had to work out and understand the skills she has and been able to adapt them to what is needed in today's marketplace.

Having taken part in the CanDoCanBe Women's Enterprise Programme earlier this year, and attended several CanDoCanBe Business Forums and networking events, I have seen Jaquetta grow from being confused about what she could offer to where she is today - a creator and designer for E-Books, a huge growth industry both here in the UK and Global markets. 

Over to you, Jaquetta.

An interview with Wendy and Kim - How did they do it?

   How did she do it?  A monthly interview with real women running real businesses.

This month I would like to introduce you to two amazing ladies - Wendy Makepeace-Brown and Kim Searle.  I was introduced to both of them last summer and we met for coffee.  Since then, both Wendy and Kim have become invaluable networking colleagues and I am proud to have them both running the September meeting for the Farnham Women's Network on the 25th.  Come down, if you can, and meet them both in person.

As I meet many women who have set up in a Partnership, I thought Wendy and Kim's story would be interesting reading on how two women have started up together. 

An interview with Janet Waudby - How did she do it?

How did she do it?  A monthly interview with real women running real businesses.

This month, I would like to introduce you to Janet Waudby, a fabric designer who has launched her own designs.  Janet's story is one of great determination.  Faced with gremlins after gremlins, she has kept on and admits her ambition is to be the next Cath Kidston.

And I believe she will get there :)

An interview with Kate Lester - How did she do it?

How did she do it?  A monthly interview with real women running real businesses.

This month I would like introduce you to Kate Lester.  A mother of two and currently running two completely different businesses, Kate is a very focused and determined business woman.  I love her top tips and down right honesty in the way she answers my questions.

Interview with Yesim Soyak - How did she do it?

How did she do it?  A monthly interview with real women running real businesses.

I would like to introduce you to Yesim Soyak.  I meet Yesim some months ago and she has such an energy about her. Her handbag hook product fascinated me and I must admit, I have one in my bag at all times now!