Barbara passes on her wisdom

Nov 22 2007 by Chris Knox, The Journal

A WOMAN who quit her 28-year career in the civil service to open a boutique has passed on her entrepreneurial pearls of wisdom by hosting a female-only enterprise day.

The event, in conjunction with North-East enterprise investment company NStar, was hosted by Barbara Oliver at her shop @Fern Avenue in Jesmond, with the aim of helping women to expand their small businesses and secure funding.

Barbara agreed to host the networking event last year after completing a business course run by NStar while she was setting up her first venture, the mobile fashion boutique All About You, in March last year.

The Glasgow-born entrepreneur then went on to launch @Fern Avenue in November 2006 after moving into an old Victorian theatre being used as an antiques shop, which she has developed into a boutique selling work from 15 different companies selling everything from home furnishings to fresh water pearls. Until last year, Barbara had worked for 28 years within the civil service, with a number of years spent at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

She said: “I realised that after 28 years as a civil servant I was just going through the motions each day and that I needed a new challenge, which this definitely is.”

With her firm’s turnover expected to double to £200,000 in three years time, Barbara wanted to host an event that would encourage other female entrepreneurs to remain confident during the challenging early stages of their enterprises.

She said: “I am very enthusiastic about women setting up their own businesses and wanted to do something to help others like me. It can be difficult without the right guidance.”

The event, which was attended by around 30 local businesswomen, featured a number of key speakers, including Jane Reynolds, business support manager at NStar and Peter Hiscock, lecturer at Cambridge University’s Judge Business School, who scripted the day’s events on behalf of the enterprise investment firm.

The day also included a presentation on the kind of funding NStar makes available, such as the £10m Proof of Concept Fund for businesses in the early stages of development and the £23m Co-Investment fund for high growth companies.

NStar business support manager Jane Reynolds said: “Through events such as this, we are increasing our involvement with small business in the region and making them aware of the kind if funding that is available.”

Women went away inspired by the advice and the chance to meet others in the same position. Zhara Zomorrodian, who set up her own Newcastle-based film company FNA Films in 2002, said: “The day was fantastic and included a lot of useful advice rather than the endless corporate anecdotes you usually get at these things.”