Sisters doing it for themselves

WHEN Sir Alan Sugar pointed his index finger and declared: "You're fired", there was as much interest in how he'd ended up with two women fighting for the chance to be his apprentice as there was in the feisty battle they had endured to get there.

And when he eventually selected a pretty blonde whose first job involved stacking shelves at Kwik-Save to be his new trainee, you'd have thought Michelle Dewberry was the first woman to ever set foot in the macho, pin-striped world of business.

Of course, back in the real world there is no shortage of successful businesswomen whose unique ideas and shrewd business skills have catapulted them straight into the boss's seat - running their own successful company.

Now eight women in charge of five booming Edinburgh businesses have been recognised by women's glossy magazine Grazia and phone firm O2 for their passion, innovation and determination, and named as the regional finalists of their Business Woman of the Year Award.

They will join others from around the UK at the national finals later this month.

So how did they manage to get to where they are today? And how on earth can we follow in their designer shoe-clad footsteps?

ANNALESE MacDERMOTT, 28. Runs Stolen Agency, the city's only model agency

"I was a model for ten years and was approached by the people who own two bars in Edinburgh, The Villager and Dragonfly, who were keen to move into other areas. Edinburgh didn't have a model agency, so it seemed the right thing to do," says Annalese.

"As a schoolgirl at Gillespie's I had never imagined launching my own business, so at first it was: 'Oh my God, what am I doing?' I had sleepless nights - still do!

"Then I started to contact people I'd met down the years, getting advice, gaining contacts.

"Working alone was hard, cold-calling clients in an empty office. But it soon fell into place and with the business set up, I began to feel more comfortable. Now we have 35 models who do all kinds of jobs - it's going really well.

"We work with young designers and students at Edinburgh College of Art and the agency has also done charity work with Mission in Action in Kenya - we ran a fashion show and gave 13,000 to an orphanage. I'm very driven and the business makes me even more so. It's my name and reputation out there - that pushes you on.

"Sometimes you have your doubts but my husband Lloyd is a big support - a great shoulder to cry on! I do find myself worrying a little bit about the future because we'd like children. I'm sure we'll work out a way to juggle things."

www.stolenagency.com

RACHEL JONES, 41. Runs Totseat, an award-winning fabric child's seat which can be fitted on almost any style of dining chair

"I made the first Totseat from the lining of my wedding dress. I was never planning to go into business, I was just frustrated because I couldn't keep my daughter Freya still enough for feeds.

"I was still working full-time when I went to a trade fair with 200 prototypes and to John Lewis with some more. The response was overwhelming.

"Now we sell through John Lewis and Mothercare's website, we have more than 50 independent outlets and we export to France, Germany, the Czech Republic and Spain. I've used my PR and marketing background to get the product known - I used Freya's image on the marking material - it's only cost 150 in advertising since we started.

"Perhaps it's not surprising Freya is my only child - there's not much time for anything else!

"In business it's really important to differentiate yourself from everyone else, you've got to market quality and brand. We are ethically produced and we give five per cent of our annual profit to the Sick Kids Foundation: customers connect with that and like it."

www.totseat.com

MARIANNE ROGERSON, 32, and CERI LITTLE, 27. They run Honeymoney, an online gift list service which allows wedding guests to contribute towards the bridal couple's honeymoon

"The idea came to me and my partner, Dougie, after we'd been to a wedding," Marianne explains. "A few guests were feeling a bit awkward about handing over money as a gift towards the honeymoon, so I organised it all.

"I started to think that it might work as a business. We spent about a year putting the business plan together. I was trying to juggle it around my job in events management and eventually I realised that it couldn't go on. I finished my job and was able to really get my teeth into things.

"I didn't want to go into business by myself - I still wanted to have holidays and to enjoy life. You've got to think about the future too, and where children might fit in.

"We're happy with the business and are looking to expand it - we've bought international domain names for the business, so next step: world domination!"

Ceri adds: "I work at home most days and my son Josh, who is two, can have his moments but you work around it.

"He was part of the reason I went into this - I was on maternity leave from my job in marketing and events, and wondering how I would juggle things when Marianne asked if I'd be involved in Honeymoney. We both went in feeling very positive - that's what's kept us going."

www.honeymoney.co.uk

LAURA WOOD, 33, and JO MORRIS, 34. Joint directors of i-on Edinburgh, a free lifestyle magazine

Laura says: "I had already set up various magazine titles in Marbella and saw a bit of a niche market for a proper glossy magazine back in Edinburgh. I already had the business model but things were much calmer when I was doing it for myself - any decision you make, you make for yourself. I'm working with my best friend, Jo - we have great synergy.

"We are both in our 30s and single - children haven't come into the equation yet. Hopefully if you set up a business properly and stick to the plan it shouldn't be hard in the future to take a different role if children come along."

Jo says: "It's much easier to be dedicated to launching a business if you are working for yourself. But it's also hard because suddenly everything you do really matters. It's not just a job, it's something you put heart and soul into.

"Being women has made no difference - it's no longer a man's world in business. There is a really fantastic professional ethos in Edinburgh: people don't care if you're man, woman, whatever. They speak as they find, they see the benefits in what you are doing and if you don't deliver they tell you. We've never seen ourselves as business 'women', we are here, with our business and we happen to be women."

CLARE THOMMEN, 26, and FIONA McLEAN, 29. Co-owners of Boudiche lingerie shop

Clare says: "Fiona and I were working together as accountants. We sat down after work one evening and started talking about how great it would be to run our own business. We thought it was funny that we both felt the same way, so started to think about what we might do together.

"We both came up with the fact that there was nowhere in Edinburgh to buy really nice lingerie. We both had very strong ideas of what we wanted - a boutique with a luxurious feel.

"It was hard at first and we came up with a lot of people - mostly men - whose reaction was: 'Why don't you two girls just go back to your accountancy jobs'. We did feel we weren't taken very seriously. However we didn't take no for an answer - we're both very determined and we decided we would prove everyone wrong. I think we have - we're looking at opening at a second site with plans to have a small chain and we're about to launch on e-commerce website.

"Our accountancy backgrounds were a massive help. So many people struggle to keep on top of the business management that they forget about the financial side - you must always focus on cash flow and profitability. You have to make plans for the future too. I'm single - Fiona lives with her partner - and we made a deal that there would be no children for the first five years of the business.

"Some women might be able to juggle it, but we wanted to concentrate on the business - Boudiche is our baby."

Boudiche, 15 Frederick Street, Edinburgh, www.boudiche.co.uk

AWARD FOR WOMEN WITH BUSINESS FLAIR

THE Business Woman of the Year award was set up to recognise female entrepreneurial talent across Britain.

The scheme, run by women's glossy magazine Grazia, and mobile phone firm O2, focuses on businesswomen who have a "strong passion for innovation, determination to push the boundaries in their field and do business in a different and individual way".

The finalists from each region - classed as Edinburgh, Cardiff, Leeds, London, Liverpool and Brighton - will be invited to the annual Grazia O2 X Awards in London later this month, where an overall winner will be announced.