Business women on top

“We know it is particularly important for women to have somebody in whom they can confide and with whom they can discuss their problems.”

Accountancy is the language of business.  But for Diane Pilling, managing director of Affordable Accounts in Deane Road, Bolton, it’s the language of life.

The 42 year-old mother-of-two from Lostock - who recently lunched with MP Margaret Hodge to promote women in business - set up the chartered accountancy company four years ago after spending nine years working for Bolton Council and 15 years lecturing.

After reaching her career peak in the council and her mental peak in the classroom, she decided to put her qualification to good use and start her own business.

Diane said: “I had built myself to as far as I could go within the Metro so I left after nine years.  I was then offered a job teaching accountancy at Wigan and Leigh College but the constraints of teaching proved too much.

“I had a young family and the way education was going - more evenings and weekend work - I just wanted to spend more time with them.  So I thought, why not use my qualification and go it alone?”

Four years later and business is booming.  Diane said “It’s brilliant I have eight employees and things are going really well.”

However, things were not always so straightforward.

“As an industry, accountancy is a very sexist profession to get into,” she said.  “If you look in most practices all the partners are men because women have to make the sacrifices.  Women tend to give up their careers after children are born.  They take the step back.”

“This is not to say there aren’t women in higher level accountancy jobs because there are, its just more difficult.”

The key to Diane’s success is working flexibly.  Having already jumped the hurdle of juggling work with her family, Diane understands the importance of employment extensibility.

She said: “Because of the hours you have to put in as an accountant, all the staff who work for me can work when they want - from home or around the children.  Unless the employer allows the work to be done flexibly, the women are only going to do the lower level jobs.”

Asked if the Alpha Male is slipping through the net, Diane said: “Absolutely. The world is no longer dominated by the men; women are stepping up.”

Comments