Event details
Innovation to achieve a work/life balance
| Time: | 5.30pm for a 6.00pm start |
| Date: | Thursday 22 January 2009 |
| Venue: | The Derek Randall Suite, Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club, Trent Bridge |
We heard from two successful entrepreneurs who have used innovation to achieve a work/life balance.
Tanya Rostron, Founder and Managing Director, Water at Work
Water at Work delivers watercoolers and spring water across the East Midlands. Originally home-based it now operates from industrial units in Bingham and has a fleet of delivery vehicles. The business has 1,200 customers which include major local companies alongside smaller organisations and domestic clients. It employs 12 people on flexible contracts and has an annual turnover of more than £500,000.
Siezing the opportunity to start her own business in 1997, Tanya wanted to grasp the illusive work/life balance of making money whilst also making space to enjoy time with children Frankie and Archie. This year she became Nottinghamshire’s Entrepreneur of the Year and also received the national Mother at Work ‘Best Mumpreneur’ award in Downing Street for her business achievement and juggling work and family life.
Penny Taylor-Jones, Director, Call Clean Ltd
Call Clean began in 1992 as a carpet cleaning business, but when Penny became its third employee five years later, it quickly grew and diversified into office cleaning, today’s core business with over 50 staff. Penny’s drive ensured it was the first cleaning business in Nottingham to receive Investors In People recognition and is one of only 3% of UK companies to achieve the ISO 9000 standard. Clients include HM Prison, the RAF, NHS hospitals and Primary Care Trusts, various banks and offices.
Being her own boss has allowed Penny to balance her time around the needs of her eight children and the demands of the business, whilst also finding the space to write her first book, called Life and Business Interruptions, to be published in Spring 2009.