Karen Mattison is crowned ‘inspirational business mum of the year’ - 10 June 2008
London-based mum scoops Yell.com sponsored awardKaren Mattison, who founded Women Like Us, a service which helps women with children get back to work and employers to recruit talented part-time staff, has scooped the prestigious title of 2008 Prowess ‘Inspirational Business Mum of the Year’ sponsored by Yell.com – the online service from Yellow Pages.
Karen, 38, from East Finchley, London, beat strong competition from 186 UK ‘business mums’ to win the accolade for her company, which has reached out to 35,000 women. The judges were particularly impressed by her “vision, determination and motivation”, as well as her continued contribution to help mums achieve a work-life balance.
The awards follow a ‘Mum Magnates’ report by Yell.com, which found that over a third (35 per cent) of business owning mums are able to adopt more flexible working hours, working between 10 and 24 hours a week*. The study also revealed how ninety two per cent of business-owning mums believe having children improves work skills.
Women Like Us was born in response to the potential Karen saw in the ‘school-gate mum network’, and how they could provide valuable resource to UK businesses. Currently operating throughout London, the agency works with more than 700 employers and receives around 350 new registrations each month. It has been recommended for national roll out in the Prime Minister’s ‘Women and Work’ Commission Report.
Karen, who is mum to Ben, nine, Joe, seven, and Noah, one, said about winning the award: “I am thrilled to have won. This is a fantastic endorsement for Women Like Us. Since we set up we have had so much support from both women and employers for the service we are providing. I hope that even more mums will now find out how we can help them to find work that not only uses their skills but fits around their families.”
Helen Stevenson, chief marketing officer at Yell, said: “We’re delighted to champion these awards and help bring recognition to the many successful business owning mums across the UK. The ‘Inspirational Business Mum of the Year’ accolade celebrates the passion, commitment and sheer drive demonstrated by these powerful women. The ability to juggle motherhood and run a business at the same time should in no way be underestimated.”
The runners-up in the ‘Inspirational Business Mum of the Year’ category included:
- Rachel Jones from Edinburgh, founder of Totseat - a chair harness that adapts to fit chairs (and children) of various shapes and sizes, creating an instant highchair.
- Dee Wright, founder of The Hairforce, a company offering a unique, environmentally friendly service which specialises in the elimination of head lice and nits.
The ‘Inspirational Business Mum of the Year’ accolade was one of eight awards presented on June 6 at the Prowess Awards 2008 Gala dinner, which celebrates those who are paving the way for women starting and growing businesses in the UK. Other award categories included: Female Business Mentor of the Year, Business Support Professional of the Year, Making an Impact, Press Award, Innovator Award, Female Business Mentor of the Year, Outstanding Contribution to Women’s Enterprise Development and Inspirational Woman.
For more information, including the 2008 ‘Mum Magnates’ research report from Yell.com, which looks at the psychology of business mums and establishes the key drivers and business skills they posses, please see: www.bizmums.yell.com
For further information about this press release, please contact the Yell Press Office.
* Online survey conducted by Vanson Bourne for Yell.com in December 2007 amongst a nationally representative sample of 200 UK business mums (defined as “self employed women who started their business since having children and within the last five years”).
Yell
Yell is a leading international directories business operating in classified advertising markets in the UK, US, Spain and Latin America through printed, online and telephone-based media. Yell’s principal brands include: in the UK, Yellow Pages, Yell.com and Yellow Pages 118 24 7; in the US, Yellow Book and Yellowbook.com; and in Spain, Paginas Amarillas and PaginasAmarillas.es. All these brands are trademarks.
Yell.com
Launched in 1996, Yell.com is a leading local search engine and major online advertising medium for UK businesses. Yell.com provides users with a direct route to finding a business or service online using keyword, type of business, or company name and location as search criteria. Users can review relevant search results and quickly determine the right business for their needs.
Yell.com’s database of over two million UK business listings including 209,000 searchable advertisers (March 2008) can be accessed via the web site (www.yell.com) and mobile channels including JAVA™ and WAP services. www.yell.com provides several useful features such as zoom-enabled maps with directions, closest car parks and a personal Yell.com address book facility to keep a record of regularly used businesses.
Yell.com is part of Yell, a leading international directories business operating in classified advertising markets in the UK, US, Spain and Latin America through printed, online and telephone-based media. Yell’s principal brands include: in the UK, Yellow Pages, Yell.com and Yellow Pages 118 24 7; in the US, Yellow Book and Yellowbook.com; and in Spain, Paginas Amarillas and PaginasAmarillas.es. All these brands are trademarks.
Yell's online image library, containing product shots and logos can be found at: www.yellgroup.com/images
