Join us!
Partners
Launch Interview: Motivating Mums Launches their Mumpreneur Mentor Scheme
Clare Oliver, Laura Tenison and Alli Price
After mumsnet hosted live webchats last month with Gordon Brown and David Cameron, it is believed that the site can greatly improve people’s participation in politics. So it seems the Prime Minister has recognised the rising power of geek mums as they work together in communities for the greater business good, and just looking at the wealth of support coming from, and going to mums on the net, he is spot on.
Today Alli Price, Founder of Motivating Mum, launches the Motivating Mum Mentor Scheme for businessmums. Aimed to prevent the reinvention of the wheel, the scheme is amazingly cost effective and has some high-profile mentors already signed up, including Laura Tenison of JoJo Maman Bebe. Here, Alli Price talks to The NextWomen about the potential isolation when starting a business on your own, the importance of mentoring in the 21st century and how people should learn to ask for what they want.
_____________________________________________________________________
Tell us about yourself – your background and education
I have a Bachelor of Business in Hotel Management and Catering and initially worked in the marketing department of a 4* hotel in Melbourne, working my way up to Marketing Manager. After a few years, I returned to school to study Film and TV and then worked as a Production Manager in a Production Office, also in Melbourne, making TV commercials, corporate videos and pilots.
After years of talking about wanting to travel, I finally left in 1998 aged 28 for a trip to Sweden to edit a film for a friend. The film didn’t work out but the backpacking bug had well and truly bitten and five years later I had been to much of Western Europe, America, India, Nepal, Fiji, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Slovenia and Poland. Although I had worked a lot in the corporate sector, I realised that I was only truly fulfilled when helping people so trained to be a life coach. I completed my training at the same time as giving birth to my daughter and launched Motivating Mum.
What is Motivating mum? When did you launch and what are your objectives for the next three years?
Initially, Motivating Mum was a coaching service for mums, whatever stage of pregnancy, launched in 2006. However, running a business from home, coupled with looking after my daughter full-time quickly revealed how lonely and isolating it can be, being a Mumpreneur. In the belief there must be other mums out there like me, I launched the Businessmums’ Networking Lunch, a chance for mums to get out of the house, network and rest assured they weren’t the only crazy ones. The first lunch attracted 45 mums!
Following three years of mixing with Businessmums, I recently relaunched my service as a website offering support and advice to Mumpreneurs. The site consists of mentoring with established businessmums, a forum, articles and features and details of events now being held across London.
My objectives for the next three years are to provide Mumpreneurs with a service tailored uniquely to them. This includes providing mentoring and events for an exceptionally good price (as mums in business traditionally don’t have a lot of disposable income), having events offered across the UK (as although online support is great, it doesn’t combat the isolation), developing the forum to a point where mums can connect, network and help each other succeed and have each and every visitor to the site or an event walk away with whatever it is they need: a connection, information, inspiration. Lastly, it is to always be accessible. My pet hate is trying to contact businesspeople and their websites offer plenty for you to buy, but no details for contact.
What is your business model and how do you differ from your competitors?
My business model is to help Mumpreneurs. Everything I have done to date has been a case of trying to help fill a need or offer a service and I have had success with this approach as a result. I feel I differ from my competitors in that I always try to maintain approachability no matter how busy I get, I don’t charge membership fees for my services and I encourage face-to-face meetings in addition to online connections. I like to feel that my site is set up to offer support and advice, first and foremost, not to simply make as much money from people while I sleep.
What were your start-up costs and how were they funded?
My start-up costs were minimal as I only needed a website and business cards. The re-launch of my site and other investments have all been funded through money raised by the business. I am lucky in that the most expensive thing required of me for the success of my business was my time.
You are about to launch your Motivating Mum mentor scheme for businessmums and already have some great names onboard like Laura Tenison of JoJo Maman Bebe. How important do think mentoring is in the 21st century and how have you secured your mentors? Read more
Female Internet Hero: Audio Interview with Caterina Fake of Hunch and Flickr
As part of our Female Internet Heroes series, and in conjunction with NCWIT (the National Center for Women & Information Technology), The NextWomen are publishing audio interviews highlighting a diverse group of women innovators from small companies, larger corporations, and non-profits, whose ideas and products are changing the way we think, work, play, and communicate. Listen as these women discuss how they first became involved with tech, why they chose to be entrepreneurs and what advice they would give to young people interested in IT or entrepreneurship.
Caterina Fake, Co-Founder of Hunch and Flickr and TNW Female Internet Hero
 |
Listen to the NCWIT Entrepreneurial Interview with Caterina Fake. |
Caterina Fake
Caterina Fake is a NextWomen Female Internet Hero and co-founder of Flickr, the popular photo-sharing site that helped transform the web into the participatory environment it is today. Flickr was launched early 2004, but Caterina’s love affair with the net and web development started as early as 1994 when she worked as an art director at Salon.com and on the development of online communities, social networks and personal publishing.
Born in Pittsburgh, PA, Fake graduated from Vassar College in 1991 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. In 2001 she cofounded Ludicorp which in 2004 launched Flickr, later acquired by Yahoo! in 2005. While there, she worked on MyWeb and Yahoo! Answers and ran Yahoo’s Technology Development group, known for its Hack Yahoo! program, designed to stimulate innovation and creativity, and Brickhouse, a rapid development environment for new products.
In March 2009 her new company, Hunch.com which helps people make decisions and Read more
The Ladies go Gaga for Music Entrepreneurs
Here The NextWomen Events Editor, Misae Richwoods, waxes lyrical about Music4point5.
‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾
Misae Richwoods (flickr cc: pevijo)
When it comes to the old sing-a-long, two girls who’ve been backing many an act are Petra Johansson and Rassami Hok Ljungberg, whose duo performances are made under the stage name of 2 Pears. Better known for their encore performances staging Tech Crunch Europe’s regular events, 2 Pears noticed that tech was starting to rock the music industry and put out a ballad called Music 4.5 to serenade the two together. Would it be an A-ha moment, INXS of expectations or Simply Red?
Panels
Held at Central London’s Cavendish Conference Centre near Harley Street, the line up was equally plush. An opening panel was made by The Guardian’s Jemima Kiss interviewing the head of The Performing Rights Society, Fergal Sharkey. Whilst half expecting him to break into a medley of ‘a good right these days is heart to find’, successive panels focussed on key topic areas and played a percussive chorus of music being a strong industry.
“Let’s get this clear,”
said Jeremy Silver of the FAC,
“all this talk of music being an industry in crisis is media hype. Look at the facts. Live music is massively on the up. Merchandising is on the up. The only area that technology has affected is recorded music and that’s the area that technology created in the first place.”
This was backed up by Chris Corey of the PRS
“From £1.3bn to £1.4bn last year in recorded, music is a growing industry and a great industry to be in”.
“The issue,” continued Jeremy, “is simply of an industry trying to modernise itself. And like the Post Office, it’s messy!” Read more
Astia unites European Investor Community at second annual ‘Doing it Right’ London Programme for Entrepreneurs
(Flickr, photo credits: Ian Mutto)
If you are a startup with a woman on the team, and looking for additional funding, you can now apply for the Astia venture accelerator program for women-led high growth companies.
Astia, the premier Silicon Valley will host its Second European Investor Forum on 24th June 2010, following its ‘Doing it Right’ London Programme which takes place from 4th-7th May this year in cooperation with The NextWomen.
Known for its greater than 58% funding success rate, the eleven-year-old organisation is already achieving exceptional results in the UK, having launched here just last year. The success of Astia’s clients is credited to the broader Astia Community that sources, selects, and advises the companies that qualify for Astia’s prestigious programme.
“Astia has truly cultivated the networks required to source and showcase the next leaders in innovation and it continues to demonstrate the investment opportunity hidden in women entrepreneurs,” commented Prashant Shah, Hummer Winblad Venture Partners and Astia Board Chair.
The Doing It Right programme is open to select companies pursuing high growth, primarily from the high-tech, life science, media and clean-tech sectors. Participant companies receive access to a robust community of investors, entrepreneurs, corporations, and value-add service providers. Astia has cultivated a network of both men and women who lend their expertise and networks to accelerate the success of the companies.
“Our involvement in the Astia Doing it Right programme and Investor Forum in London has been fundamental to our business,” commented Elinor Olisa, Co-Director and Founder of Degree Art.com, a UK-based online portal for buyers interested in acquiring art from emerging artists. “We recommend Astia without a moment’s hesitation. It is a one-of-a-kind program that is absolutely packed with essential guidance, lessons, networking opportunities and support.” Read more
Brazil Means Business Symposium – A 360 Degree View of an Emerging Economy
AMSTERDAM – Joana Picq, COO of The NextWomen will be speaking at the first edition of the Brazil Means Business Symposium, that will take place March 29th 2010, in Holland, showcasing some of the fastest growing Brazilian companies in the IT and Bio/Pharma sectors. If you are based in Holland or in the area on the day, take advantage of a special discount which allows all our readers a 10% discount with the code: NW
BOOK NOW
Brazil is a Great Place to Start a Business
Brazil has become an attractive market to do business in the last decade, according to the President of the Banco De Lage Landen, in the South of Brazil, Porto Alegre, Mr. Maarten Viskaal:
“Brazil is economically developing very well. Huge investments are planned for in infrastructure, energy and oil extraction. The middle-class is upcoming and pushing domestic demand for consumer goods and housing.”, and “more and more there will be a push into high-tech solutions”.
In Brazil, De Lage Landen provides vendor finance services to the agricultural, construction, healthcare, and technology sectors.
Mr. Viskaal, who has been based in the country for several years, and has witnessed the fast pace of transformation and greater economic stability, adds that the
“The scenario of Brazil diving into a deep economical crisis combined with hyper inflation and currency devaluation is something of the past. The country is economically well run and has a strong banking sector”.
Keen Interest in R&D Carried out by European Biotech Companies
There is keen interest from European entrepreneurs to export goods, biotech imagining equipment, and services to tap the huge consumers’ market that Brazil represents. And there is interest, from Brazilian companies, in biomedical R&D carried out by European biotech companies. Entrepreneurs, investors, market analysts, and technology startups interested in going to market, forming partnerships, and investing in Brazil will be attending the Brazil Means Business Symposium, to better understand how the emerging economy is poised for growth.
Brazilian Software Companies will Have a Huge Presence Read more
Female Entrepreneur Startup Interview: “The MBA was the Stamp of Approval for my Fundraising”
Virginia Raemy, Founder of Talentpuzzle
Swiss born female entrepreneur Virginia Raemy is fairly relaxed about her new role as founder of start-up Talentpuzzle. “Its fun, I am enjoying it, I can be creative, and I can take full responsibility, and have no boss”.
She has reason to be content. She just received a couple of hundred thousands pounds of funding from the Venrex Fund and the Aspire Fund.. “And I have 2 smaller angel investors on board, because I was running out of cash at that time”, she says in a rather laid back manner.
Start of the Company: No US Partner But on Her Own
The idea for the company came about at the end of December 2008 and started its activities in the summer of 2009, after the hedge fund were Virginia assumed a financial role went under.
With 40.000 pounds of her own capital, she started the UK version of ‘proven concept’ recruitment portal Bountyjobs, but not as a franchise but totally independent as the people from Bountyjobs had indicated to Virginia that they had no interest in starting in the UK.
The proven concept is a disruptive model that puts the employer in first place on the website by starting a tender process for agencies, who then can decide themselves whether they are interested to help fulfil a vacancy. When a vacancy is fulfilled, Talentpuzzle sends out and invoice and keeps 25% of the commission earned by the agency.
The Route to get an Investor on Board Read more
Startup Interview: Esra Young of The Ragtrader, The Freelance Site for Fashion Designers
Fashion recruitment agenices, whilst well established, often charge dearly for their services. Co-founded by Esra Young, The Ragtrader is an online service for freelancers in the fashion industry which enable designers from anywhere in the world to work on projects half-way across the Globe. Here, Esra talks to The NextWomen about recognising a niche in the market, their heavy reliance on social media and the slow move online by players within the industry.
________________________________________________________________________
From Freelance Fashion Designer to Female Entrepreneur
I graduated from Central Saint Martins with a degree in womenswear fashion design in 1999 and worked as a freelance designer for numerous UK companies. Freelancing is tough at the best of times as it is not consistent, but I found it increasingly difficult to fit work around my two young children & so came up with the idea of The Ragtrader as an answer to the problem.
What is The Ragtrader? When did you launch and what are your objectives for the next three years?
The Ragtrader is an online service which enables international fashion companies to use freelance fashion and graphic designers based anywhere in the world. We launched in December 08 & are in the process of recruiting agents around the world in order to grow globally. China is proving to be one of our strongest markets. Our aim is to become the “go-to” place for companies looking for freelance fashion or graphic designers.
Who makes up The Ragtrader team and what do you all bring to the table?
The team compromises of me and my husband Steven who has also worked in the fashion industry for over 10 years. We have a few interns, a technical team that manage the site and business advisors and investors.
What is your business model and how do you differ from your competitors?
We are unique in the fashion industry. Read more
Two Doctors with an Entrepreneurial Streak help MedStudents in Top Universities
The NextWomen came across two startup female entrepreneurs, Dr Fiona Pathiraja and Dr Marie-Claire Wilson, who set up their business, Conquest Medschools, to widen access to the medical profession. Here is the story:
Dr. Fiona Pathiraja, Co-founder of Conquest Medschools
Fiona and Marie-Claire met whilst at medical school where they were both award-winning students. Since graduating, they have gained a wealth of experience across a range of sectors spanning clinical medicine, management consultancy and the Civil Service. However, their mission came about after setting up Conquest Medschools in 2009. Its an entrepreneurial venture with a social mission: to broaden the reach of medical school access. The company is built on Fiona and Marie-Claire’s strong partnership and shared ideology that medicine should not be reserved only for those from a privileged background. As Fiona puts it:
I am a doctor with an entrepreneurial streak. We help prospective medical students into top ranking universities. As young doctors, Marie-Claire and I use our expertise of sitting on medical school interview panels etc to facilitate this. Furthermore, our growing philanthropic arm offers scholarships and bursaries to those who are unable to afford our services.
Online & Offline Educational Consultancy for Medical Students
Conquest Medschools can be described as an educational consultancy offering offline and online services. The company helps prospective medical students to navigate the medical schools admissions process and to secure a place at a top university. This involves providing information and advice, as well as coaching applicants on their personal statements and interview skills, in order to maximise their potential for success. On the Conquest website one can chose all types of Silver, Gold and One-to-One packages which can be paid directly online.
Moreover, the female entrepreneurs also advise educational institutions on strategies to support students interested in applying to medical school.
Dr. Marie Claire Wilson, Co-Founder Conquest Medschools
Pro Bono Coaching & Mentoring Program
Fiona and Marie-Claire passionately believe in widening access to the medical profession. This belief underpins Conquest Medschools’ philanthropic arm, which provides pro bono services to students from less privileged backgrounds. Often, these students are the first in their family or school to go to university, let alone enter a profession. Therefore, the coaching and mentoring services offered to them by Conquest Medschools is invaluable. Read more
Startup Entrepreneur Rachel Armitage of Zoombu on The First Year of her Entrepreneurial Journey
This is a guest post by female entrepreneur Rachel Armitage, who started the travel website Zoombu one year ago. She talks about her experience as a startup entrepreneur, now that she has just launched the public version of Zoombu Ski.
Startup Entrepreneur Rachel Armitage of Zoombu
A little over a year ago I left my relatively comfortable job as a management consultant and embarked on what I’d always really wanted to do; start a business. I spoke with The Next Women back then in the start-up interview series about our idea to build a multi-modal travel search engine, our experiences taking part in Seedcamp, and what it felt like to take a plunge into the unknown.
A year later we’re going strong; it’s already been a heck of a rollercoaster but with the launch of our first public product Zoombu Ski, we’re feeling positive.
I wanted to report back and share a few of the highlights for me on this entrepreneurial journey.
Raising Finance: The Pitch to Sir Philip Green and many others
Raising financing has been one of the toughest aspects so far. We tried many avenues, have talked to countless interested investors and after a good 8 months have been successful with a Venture Fund associated with the Saïd Business School in Oxford.
The start of that fundraising process was an on stage pitch to Sir Philip Green (one of the Fund’s benefactors), which was one of the more gruelling pitches we’ve done! The process of raising money has made our business plan stronger, so it’s not time lost, but it has taken longer than expected.
I would urge others to pursue multiple avenues when it comes to raising finance since it’s hard to predict which will work out.
Building the Core Team: I totally underestimated it
The second biggest challenge has been building a core team, and the effort involved in getting this right is something I totally underestimated. I’m lucky to have had a strong co-founder relationship from the beginning, but adding the next two team members and finding the right blend of personality, motivation and skill-set has been tough.
As a start-up, getting the message out to the right people is never easy and chance more than design has meant great people have found us! We’ve now got a solid team who all bring outstanding technical skills and our product development has rocketed forward as a result.
Building the Tangible Product: Hard Work and Technical Hurdles
Finally, building a product which is game changing is difficult. At the heart of Zoombu is a travel search engine that compares many different modes of transport (flights, ferries, trains, coaches, taxis, driving) and tells you the cheapest, fastest or greenest way to travel from your door to your destination.
I’ve lost track of the number of people who have said ‘I had that idea’ or been surprised this hasn’t been built before. Read more
Bespoke Shoe Design Site, Upper Street, to Launch March 2010
Having the option and ability to design your own little piece of fashion is becoming ever more popular. Nike began the craze with their Nike ID range, enabling sport lovers to personalise their trainers. More recently, companies are taking the concept online, and it seems the competition is building.
Due to launch March 1st 2010, Upper Street is:
‘The made-to-order footwear label that lets you create your ultimate pair of designer shoes. Choose the style, all the detailing and the finish, then sit back while our craftsmen create your one-of-a-kind pair, delivered right to your door. Upperstreet.com – the perfect way to unleash your creative streak or simply create the shoes you’ve always searched for.’
Co-founded by sisters Julia and Katy Grinham, the site has the potential to be very slick and already has a sneak preview of the immense options to come on its facebook page. With sizes ranging from a UK 2 – 10 (I know a lot of women that will be excited by such broad offerings), there is reported to be hundreds of materials, colours and embellishments – including Swarovski gems – that can only signal shoe heaven for those of us who just cannot resist. With seven basic style choices – including courts, sandals, gladiator heels and round toe platforms – users can design a shoe for any occasion, even for their wedding day.
Bridal Shoes (all pictures from upperstreet Facebook page)
The site already gives a written teaser for what is to come. ‘The Rise of The Killer Heel’ talks about ‘delicate pieces’ and ‘foot confection’ which only strengthens the notion that women and shoes are like children in a sweet shop. It goes beyond providing a platform for simply designing shoes, however, presenting fashion trends and celebrity inspiration: Read more
- br/>
Extras
-
