Margaret Dabbs on the challenges business women face

What challenges do you think face women in business today? Margaret Dabbs, foot expert turned founder of a global health and beauty brand, shares her thoughts…

What in your view are the biggest challenges facing women seeking to build their own businesses?

It is sometimes hard to be taken seriously as a female in business particularly from other women who at times are reluctant to take instructions from a female boss.

One prominent female entrepreneur recently mentioned that difficulty accessing finance remains one the biggest barriers to growth for female-led businesses. To what extent do you agree? Have you encountered this and if so would you able to provide an example?

I cannot really comment on this as I have always run a business which is cash generative and have been able to fund expansion from the company’s own resources. Accessing finance is a difficulty encountered by most businesses – regardless of gender.

What is your view on the proposal to provide women planning to start their own business with flexible childcare loans and payment breaks when they start a family? Does more need to be done to target girls in primary school to teach them about business and get them more interested in STEM subjects?

Women form more than 50% of the population. I believe it is  so incredibly important that everything possible is done to encourage women to get involved in the business world – so anything which facilitates this is to be welcomed.

What were the biggest challenges you personally have had to overcome?

The biggest challenge was the resistance of podiatrists to changing their attitudes to foot treatments and persuading them to take these treatments into the beauty arena – in the same way that dentists have done for dentistry.

What has been your biggest break in business?

Getting approached by Liberty to open a clinic in their iconic store in Regent Street London and the prestigious Chalhoub group approaching me to open my first overseas clinic in Dubai shortly after this.

To what extent is gender pay inequality an issue from your perspective? What more could be done to narrow the pay gap?

It isn’t an issue here at Margaret Dabbs; we pay people what they are worth regardless of gender. But, fairness demands that men and women are treated equally in relation to pay.

What more could be done to increase the number of females in senior board positions in public companies?

I am still amazed that beauty brands have men in the most senior positions, when mostly males are neither the target market, the customer, nor involved in the new product development or needs of the industry.  To my mind, women need to focus more on the top jobs and not get involved in the in-fighting and personality clashes.

Have you been impressed by the level of business acumen and ideas you have encountered more recently as a judge at this year’s Scottish Women in Business Awards?

I have been impressed by the ‘never say die’ attitudes, the entrepreneurial spirit and the ability to make the best out of any situation which life might throw at someone.

Margaret Dabbs London is on the judging panel at this year’s Scottish Women in Business Awards.

For more information on Margaret Dabbs London, visit www.margaretdabbs.co.uk