International Women’s Day: Spotlight on women in business

Surely, positive news for female entrepreneurship? Well, yes, but obstacles for women in business remain. On average, a female-founded business receives £763,000 in funding compared to £4.7 million for a male-owned company, and business loans for women average a third of what men receive. It’s not a level playing field, yet.

At Royce, co-founded by the brilliant Jane Fleming and now led by a talented team including her daughter Francesca Fleming, we know the insight, dedication and creativity that women bring to business – particularly in those catering to women. That’s why we also love collaborating with other female-led businesses. Just as in life, when women come together we are not only stronger but can achieve amazing things!

So, what makes female-led companies special? We asked the female founders of Evenly and NIXI Body, just two of the great companies we work with, along with Royce’s very own Commercial Director Francesca Fleming, to share their experiences of being women in business.

Do you think it matters that businesses catering to women are also led by women?

Kate Taylor (founder/owner of Evenly)

“When starting Evenly, a book that was pivotal for me was Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado-Perez. It documents many real-world examples of how products, services and even cities have been primarily designed around the needs of men and have just plainly forgotten to consider female use – as just one example, no-one with boobs would have designed a seatbelt that cuts across the chest! Not only would more female-led businesses give the economy a great boost but the unique insight women can bring would mean that those products and services would finally address the needs of real women.”

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Kelly Newton (founder/owner of NIXI Body)

“I feel it’s more authentic. I have more empathy and understand the frustrations and anxiety that bladder leaks are causing to women, so believe I have a better understanding of what’s needed to help alleviate the problem.”

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Francesca Fleming (Commercial Director at Royce Lingerie)

“It may not be essential but having first-hand experience of the product you’re selling can be incredibly useful. Royce co-founder Jane Fleming (my mum) trained as a bra designer and could fully understand the bras she was designing through her own testing. Right now, I’m on maternity leave with my first baby so I’ll definitely come back to work with more knowledge about what’s needed in our maternity range. That said, I don’t believe that being a woman means you know everything about bras – we all experience boobs and bras differently – which is why it’s so important to have lots of female input at every stage, both internally and externally, and to use that knowledge when making and marketing our products.”

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When you started your business, did you experience challenges as a woman that, perhaps, a male entrepreneur may not have faced?

Kate: “My main challenge was juggling a new baby with my new business after becoming a first-time mum in 2021. It was incredibly challenging to keep working after I had just given birth – I was struggling with postnatal health issues, breastfeeding and a severe lack of sleep! For that reason, I’m really passionate about advocating for better support for self-employed mothers as I feel it can be a real barrier to the number of women starting businesses.”

Kelly: “I had just started the menopause when I founded NIXI, so I was dealing with my own particular set of challenges! Even though it was because of the menopause that I started the business, it did make it particularly difficult to find the motivation to keep going sometimes. My anxiety and panic attacks were particularly crippling, and I had a lot of self-doubt, not to mention the brain fog. Funding is also a huge stumbling block for women in business – even though women-owned businesses are more likely to succeed, less than 2% of funding goes to women.”

What do you think are the best qualities you bring to business as a woman?

Kate: “First and foremost is a deep sensitivity to the issues of breast asymmetry, which Evenly supports and addresses. A man could never fully appreciate the deep relationship a woman has with her body, specifically her breasts, and how breast asymmetry is so much more than just a cosmetic issue – it’s a health issue with very real physical and psychological implications. As someone who has faced the challenges of having uneven breasts myself, I can fully sympathise.”

Kelly: “Authenticity and passion. I started my business because of my own issues so I can speak from the heart about the benefits of my products. I have so much empathy for women and the life cycles we go through from menstruation, endometriosis, fertility, motherhood and menopause… My team has experience of all these issues, and we are passionate about helping women.”

What’s your favourite thing about running your business?

Kate: “I truly love what I do, including the flexibility that being my own boss offers, but I’d say my favourite thing is knowing I’m affecting other women’s lives in a positive way, every single day. It still gives me a thrill every time I read a positive review or hear a story of how a product I created has made such a difference to someone’s wellbeing.”

Kelly: “It’s the community we’ve built. From our wonderful customers to other female-owned businesses, they drive us to keep on doing better. Starting my business has given me my confidence back and I’m so grateful to be making a difference to people’s lives.

Francesca: “My favourite thing about being a director at Royce is when new customers discover our brand, and we can provide solutions to their bra problems. It’s also great to run a small business with a motivated, local team, where we can effect change.

Don’t forget, not only can you find your new favourite bra among our 100% wirefree ranges at Royce, but you can now add accessories to any order – from NIXI Body’s leak-proof underwear to Evenly’s innovative Bra Balancer™. Happy shopping!