International Women’s Day at The Hill Hub
On International Women’s Day, The Hill Hub wants to celebrate its female voices. Everyone has a right to dream. Everyone has a right to enterprise. As The Hill Hub, we are proud of our women-led businesses! We see how vital it is to empower everyone and spread opportunity. Working mothers contribute £7.2 billion to the UK economy and support 204,000 jobs. This tremendous value is underappreciated in our culture. In fact, £250 billion could be added to the UK’s economy if women started and scaled businesses at the same rate as men. Yet, in a Telegraph poll, two-thirds of 750 female CEOs felt they were not taken seriously when pitching to investors and treated differently to their male counterparts. Sexism in the workplace is not a myth. It is still there. Maternity leave can be a career destroyer when it is not supposed to be. Hardworking, experienced women can still be belittled when they are not supposed to be. At worst, there can be an employee who should not have passed their probation. At The Hill Hub, we think the next step is to recognise the hurdles women in business have to overcome. So, let us listen to the amazing female CEOs of The Hill Hub and their stories.

Lottie Rowland is the Managing Director for Forward teaching, an education recruitment specialist covering London and Greater London. She possesses 17 years of experience in recruitment and loves supporting people securing a job or starting a new career. She champions working mothers who juggle business and homelife, saying ‘they have superpowers.’ With her company, she sought to create a very personal experience for both candidates and clients and support the ‘incredible women taking the lead for our children’s future and beginnings’ in the education industry. In her twenties, she was not taken as seriously as she should have been, recognition for her hard work was not always given, but that never stopped her. One day, she asked why not do this myself? With her skills, her experience, and her drive, she could do it and so she founded Forward Teaching. At The Hill Hub, she found ‘a very positive place’ to continue her journey. To the next generation of female businessowners she advises, ‘It’s okay to make a mistake, learn, and grow.’ As a Managing Director, she stresses how important it is that a business should empower and take care of all their staff. ‘Investing in a female workforce is smart,’ she says, because of respect and collaboration, ‘Look after us and we will look after you.’ When businesses bolster, accommodate, and support all their staff, including women, they will benefit from the loyalty gained in the many years to come.

Sarah Hughes is the Managing Director of Muve Media & Marketing, a local agency based in Dartford. She always wanted to start her own business, but never had the confidence to do it herself. Thus, she set up Muve Media & Marketing which aims to build marketing strategies and campaigns that drive their clients toward success. At The Hill Hub, her business was given the freedom to embody what she held most important: flexible working, nurturing environment, and a collaborative and progressive approach. She praises ‘the personalised approach of the staff at The Hill Hub and the friendliness of all who work there […] we have felt very welcome as a team.’ In terms of being a woman in business, she comments, ‘it can be difficult to get our voices heard’ and ‘it is important that young women recognise the importance of what they can bring […] when they are given the confidence, tools, and mindset to follow through with their business ideas.’ Her message to the next generation of female businessowners is simple: ‘Don’t let anyone ever tell you that you can’t. You can.’ Sarah emphasises how important ‘an inclusive, encouraging, and collaborative environment is.’ If we work together and utilise our key strengths, then we can achieve great things.

It is so important to honour International Women’s Day because of freedom. Women are not always afforded the same privileges and freedom as men. The Hill Hub wants to make sure it is doing its part in providing freedom to all. Women should not be punished for chasing their dreams, having a baby, or merely existing as women. Already, working mothers contribute £7.2 billion to the UK economy and 204,000 jobs. By 2025, it is expected these figures will rise to £9.5 billion and 217,600 jobs. The value of women’s work is not always seen and this needs to be amended. Profoundly, The Hill Hub is committed to women’s freedom, so Happy International Women’s Day!