Innovation, Resilience and Growth: Celebrating Women in Business

The diversity and strength of enterprises founded by women at The EpiCentre is truly impressive. Centre Manager Helen Earl has partnered with Business Weekly to spotlight a standout selection – six exceptional businesses leading the way.

The EpiCentre-based businesses run by women cover such varied skills and trades, from plumbing & heating; legal advice (notably dispute resolution); home care; audiology; supply teaching; tax & accountancy.

In every instance, capability in this impressive range of businesses over-rides any perceived issues of gender.

Take BI-UK, effectively Bathroom Innovations UK and Boiler Innovations UK, and formerly known as DCB Plumbing and Heating Ltd. Director Hayley Bruton says one of her driving ambitions is to be “the leading provider of reliable, energy-efficient boiler solutions, empowering businesses and homeowners with sustainable heating options that prioritise safety, innovation, and environmental responsibility.”

"One of our visions is to transform everyday bathrooms by offering innovative, stylish, and sustainable solutions that blend luxury, functionality, and quality, enhancing comfort and well-being for every customer; to provide high-quality, stylish and sustainable bathroom solutions that combine functionality with aesthetic appeal.

“We are dedicated to offering exceptional customer service, delivering innovative designs, and ensuring efficient, hassle-free installations and renovations that enhance the comfort and value of your home. We strive to be a trusted partner for homeowners seeking reliable, eco-friendly, and cutting-edge bathroom products and services.”

In Hayley’s experience her gender has proved a distinct advantage in this particular marketplace. “Being female has been a big plus point in this specific business as it is traditionally male dominated. Customers have responded well to a female influence. This includes organisation, empathy when stressful situations have arisen and being able to meticulously plan a project that they are spending a lot of money on.

“There can be frustrations, like being asked if I work for my husband or not always being treated as a business owner and equal despite being a joint director.”

She says the company was keen to move to The EpiCentre for the networking, business support and wider growth opportunities. “Also it has helped enormously being able to meet with customers, trades and manufacturers in a professional setting,” she adds.

Dawn Kiddy, a Partner with solicitors Petersfields LLP, executes a broad brief from the law firm's EpiCentre base. The firm has considerable breadth but is especially strong in the areas of Dispute Resolution, advice to small businesses, Family, Employment, Wills, Trusts & Probate and Lasting Powers of Attorney.

Currently with eight staff, Dawn says the firm is likely to increase headcount over the coming 18 months as a result of strong organic growth.

She confides: “We have been fortunate in seeing year on year growth (with the exception of 2020 when Covid hit) ever since the business commenced trading in 2009. We expanded into our Haverhill office in 2012.

“We retain existing clients and have new clients recommended to us by those who already use us. Frustrations can be caused by external factors over which we have no control – e.g. how busy the Court system is, which can slow cases down - but in general terms business is going extremely well.

“We are really pleased that we moved to the EpiCentre. It is a lovely building with great support from the EpiCentre team and a great atmosphere and interaction with the other business who work here.

“Networking events for businesses from the surrounding areas are also well attended and useful. All in all we consider it a great place to be for our future growth in Haverhill.”

Quality Living isn't just an ideal engendered by the centre – it is a real-live business run by Betty Mungofa - Quality Living Plus Services Limited to be precise.

A homecare company regulated by the Care Quality Commission, providing domiciliary and live-in carers to service users in their own homes, is clearly a thriving enterprise.

The business is supporting elderly and mental health clients in the community and meeting their needs. They support some of the service users in accessing their communities, which would not otherwise be possible, and provide employment to further boost the local economy.

Showing the kind of enterprise for which The EpiCentre is noted, Quality Living even founded an online group of registered managers.

Things were not always as rosy. Betty recalls: “Initially, we struggled financially. I had to use my savings and took a loan. Also, late payment of invoices meant that I needed to borrow money to pay staff before I got paid by my contractors.

“Other care providers in the sector offered little or no information to help explore new services such as supported accommodation. My lack of experience in running a business led us to pay for some things that we should not have paid for.

“In our quest to find clients, we ended up paying a lot of money to a company who promised to get us clients ready for discharge from the local hospitals but this never materialised.

“Recruiting and retaining staff remains a challenge. Most of our staff members were recruited from overseas as it is a challenge to find staff locally. International recruits need support with accommodation and adaptation training before they are ready to work. This involves finance and time.”

Despite the downsides of running a business in this occasionally challenging sector, Quality Living has shown much of its founder's resolve and battled through to great achievement. Here being based at The EpiCentre has proved helpful, Betty explains.

“The Epicentre is a well-known innovation centre in the local community and is good for advertising our services. Also, there are other businesses here that we can network with – and there is support on-site. We have enough space at the centre to be able to bring our training in house, and The EpiCentre has good transport links. It is easier for staff to come to work using public transport.”

Variety and enterprise abound at The EpiCentre - witness the audiology business that has set up there. The Audiology Expert is run by Keyla de Magalhaes and partners, and provides private hearing care services that are designed to meet NHS clinical quality whilst offering only the most advanced hearing aids on the market.

The company's EpiCentre-based team is three strong at present but there are high hopes that another clinic may be on the cards for the well-funded and profitable business.

Keyla shares: ”The business started very small and having worked in the area for a number of years, many customers found us during the early days due to our growing reputation. Being a local presence allows us to maintain a good relationship with customers. Conversely, not having a shopfront means we need to invest heavily on marketing and online tools to boost our presence and make ourselves know. This is quite expensive but a necessary evil nowadays.

“And The Epicentre has been fantastic for our business. We didn't want to be on the High Street as we could see that customers were not spending as much time on physically visiting shops. The facilities here were ideal - a modern and fully maintained building with free parking, cafe and easy access works really well for our customers.”

Further demonstrating the variety of enterprises at The EpiCentre, Key Education Services Ltd is an education in itself! Managing Director Samantha Dyson explains that Key Education is an independent supply teacher agency supporting education establishments across East Anglia. It specialises in providing tailored staffing solutions ranging from ad-hoc placements to fixed-term and permanent teaching contracts.

Samantha says: “As a small business with a big heart, we care about getting it right. Our mission is to simplify the recruitment process for schools by providing qualified, local teachers who can seamlessly integrate into the school. By easing the administrative burden on Cover Managers and Senior Leadership Teams, we help ensure continuity in teaching and maintain high levels of student engagement. We aim to deliver the most suitable teacher to meet each school’s specific needs - maximising both efficiency and educational impact.”

Steering a young business can be a challenge for the hardiest of individuals. How does Samantha cope? She says: “One of the most rewarding aspects of running my own business has been the freedom and flexibility it offers. After spending time in large corporate environments, where structure and targets often left little room for individuality, it makes my heart sing to operate in a way that aligns with my values.

“I love that we can make thoughtful decisions without red tape. Whether that is sending a small gift to a teacher who has just had a baby or got married, or going the extra mile for a customer simply because we want to.

“Being a flexible manager is another major plus. As someone who juggles full-time work, parenting and managing a household, I know how difficult it can be to squeeze life admin in. That is why I try to offer the same flexibility to my team – whether it is time off for the doctors or an early finish when needed. I have found that this not only boosts morale but also strengthens loyalty and mutual respect.”

Samantha says that running a business is a constant juggling act, especially when family needs arise - but not having to ask for time off when her children are sick is a huge plus!

In terms of the frustrations, being a jack of all trades and master of none is, at times, overwhelming, time consuming and exhausting, Samantha confides.

“Knowing if you have read and understood changes in legislation correctly, if you have met all the conditions for your insurance to be valid, or if you have processed payroll correctly are just some of the many aspects that keep me awake at night!

“Bureaucracy is a particular pain point, especially as we are in the recruitment AND education sector. Whilst Covid slightly changed things in a positive way, there is still plenty of room for the recruitment process to be streamlined. Competing against much larger companies can feel like an uneven playing field at times, but, it keeps us on our toes and drives us to continue delivering an open and transparent service.”

And The EpiCentre as a facility to encourage growth? Samantha describes being part of the EpiCentre team as “amazing. Being able to mix with other small business owners, having access to their endlessly knowledgeable Innovation Director and being in a really supportive community makes such a positive difference, particularly when all the responsibility of running a business is on you.

“If you need advice, recommendations, or simply to talk a situation through, there is always someone there to support you with this; as a small business owner, this is invaluable and a key factor for success and growth.”

Another enthusiastic female-led company, ClearTax & Accounting Ltd., does exactly what it says on the tin! It provides tax and accounting services to small owner managed businesses, high net worth individuals and landlords. As a Chartered Tax firm it also specialises in providing relevant advice – a broad raft of services encompassing VAT, Inheritance Tax, Capital Gains Tax, Income Tax & Corporation Tax.

Director Janine McLaughlin has presided over a period of organic growth and says the business has particularly benefited from referrals from existing satisfied clients. Mum's the word, most definitely, for a key element of the firm's success.

Janine explains: “Flexibility was one of the main reasons I set up my own business. As a working mum this was especially important to me so I could fit work around my childcare responsibilities. My staff are also working mums and they can flex their time accordingly.

“Running your own business brings its own stresses and I can often work longer hours especially during our busiest periods in December and January; however it is still my choice when I work those hours. Our move to The EpiCentre is very much a positive for our team; the facilities and support we have received are excellent. It provides a professional and welcoming environment which has impressed clients who have visited us.”

• For more information about available workspace space at The EpiCentre visit https://www.epicentrehaverhill.co.uk/