PRESS

Women's Work
Style Magazine January 2006

When website designer Jane Horwood moved to Cambridge she needed to network. Rather than rely on existing groups Jane launched one of her own. Just five months later Cambridge Women boasts 180 members. Lisa Millard meets the women behind Cambridge Women.

Jane Horwood is a woman of many talents. Her CV lists a range of activities that is as varied as it is long.

"I've done so many things" says the 46-year-old mother and website designer at her Cambridge home and office. "Over the years I have been a clothes designer, painter and decorator, PA/administrator, a cook and even run my own theatre company. I enjoyed them all but it wasn't until set up Catfish Web Design five and a half years ago that I really found my niche."

Jane launched her business in London, where she lived, and admits the decision to go it alone was a steep learning curve.

"I expected it to be hard work and immediately enrolled on an evening class to learn the ropes and spend days closeted in my tiny office applying what I'd learned the night before. Initially Catfish was barely keeping me in lipstick."

Like many women, Jane faced the problem of finding the time to do everything she needed.

"There was the selling, the accounts, the designing and dealing with the paperwork, pitching to new clients and then the housework, cooking, food shopping, childcare and all the other things that go with being a mum," she says.

Her hard work and determination paid off and, with the help of an understanding husband, the business began to grow.

When the family moved to Cambridge last year Jane, who has a 10-year-old son, needed to network: "I didn't know anybody here. I met a few people at the school gate but I needed to meet people socially as well as for my business."

She joined some established networking groups but they did not provide everything she was looking for.

"It was a start but I wanted more. A lot of the networking events were in the evening which can be difficult for mums."

Jane was planning a work project with two women from Cambridge-based IT company Small Spark, Agnès Aubert and Kath McGuire, but what came out of their discussions was the idea of a networking lunch for women.

Their idea worked. The monthly meetings, at Bruno's Brasserie on Mill Road, have attracted more and more women. In November, 45 women turned up for lunch followed by 50 in December. The format is relaxed and social and there are no speakers. The women simply enjoy a lunch and have two hours of chat at a time when childcare is not an issue.

"It's so buzzy and vibrant and there is nothing quite like it around here" says Jane. "Some networking groups can be quite male-dominated but we've had loads of great testimonials from the women who have come along to the lunches. One said it was the best networking even she'd been to in Cambridge."

Jane was already running the website Women at Work, a national online directory of services provided for and by women, which she started in London, so she was in a good position to launch the Cambridge Women site.

"My inspiration to develop other female-focused businesses in based on my own experience that it tends to be women who source information, research new products, organise events and kids' parties and shop."

"Cambridge Women is aimed at women living and working in and around the city. It works like a virtual giant notice board and brings together information and directories on a diverse range of topics including business, education, jobs, skills, mums and kids, eating, health and beauty. Women pay £30 for six months to list their business or service on the site.

"The fact that there are now 180 women in Cambridge Women shows that there is a need for it. The women come from a huge range of professions and skills, including accounts, marketing, journalism, sales and design, and they are really interesting. You can learn so much from hearing other people's experiences. Some women come to make business contacts while others, who work alone, like the opportunity to mix with other working women. But many face the same dilemmas of being working mums and trying to find the time to fit in all the different things that need to be done in a day. And it is really good to be able to meet with like-minded women."

At that moment Jane's son Roman returns from school and heads for the fridge. "Sorry," Jane says to her son. "There's not much food in there. I just haven't had time to go shopping today ."

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