Ground-breaking quality scheme for small businesses
The British Association of Women Entrepreneurs (BAWE) has been campaigning closely with the Professional Contractors Group (PCG) for several years regarding small business taxation issues, such as IR35 and S660. In addition to campaigning for changes to business taxation, BAWE and PCG can now offer members a business benefit which will help increase business and quality, and assist in competing with larger business.
Many BAWE and PCG members do business with suppliers and customers who are certified IS09001. There is an urgent need to enhance their own capability in their business relationships but can find the typically high cost of certification, often some £20,000 or so and with time consuming complexity which can be very off-putting for a busy business owner.
These issues of cost and simplicity have been addressed by PCG who have kindly extended the benefits of PCG membership and Quality Scheme (QS) to suitable BAWE business members. PCG has created a ground-breaking ISO9001 certification scheme for small businesses. Accredited by UKAS, the PCG Quality Systems (QS) is the first horizontal, cross sector scheme of its kind and is coming to market soon.
BVQi, the world’s leading certification body, predicts that PCG’s quality scheme will represent the single most important future development in the UK certification landscape. The scheme has also been welcomed by suppliers and clients in the contract knowledge based sector who have recognised it as an important future differentiator for service suppliers.
Over a 100 members of PCG (QS) have committed to being accredited through this scheme including specialists in reporting solutions and engineering/safety and risk management in a railway environment. Typical PCG members are small companies, in the knowledge based service sector, employing less than 10 staff. However, the scheme is upgradeable.
BAWE members delivering services in the knowledge based sector ie consultancy, marketing, recruitment, finance, IT services, web-design, support services are likely to find IS09001 accreditation will enhance their relationships with their customers, and increase sales opportunities.
If you would like to expand sales and receive the IS09001 international recognition of quality then in the first instance contact Pamela Edwards, ACMA at BAWE.QS@accountableeffect.co.uk or via www.accountableeffect.co.uk
Obituary
We are devastated by the news that BAWE Member and former Vice President Margaret Heather Bennett, passed away just before Christmas 2004. Margaret, MD of Margaret Bennett Solicitors was a supportive member for 20 years. The Life Member Lunch last summer was held in her garden at her home in Highgate and later in July she reached the finals of the European Women of Achievement Award by her work on changing the law both in the UK and The Hague on International Adoption. She was planning to host a world woman’s lawyers convention be held in London in June 2005 in her role as chair of the Women’s Section of the Law Society, with the theme The Empowerment of Women by Financial Independence. This work will be her legacy.
Our condolences go out to her husband Michael and her two sons, her funeral was held on the 16th January at Golders Green Crematorium. A special memorial service will be held in her honour later on in the year.
London Diary Dates
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY & TRIBUTE TO ARLINE FOR 10 YEARS AS PRESIDENT
Concert followed by lunch
Date: Tuesday 8th March 2005
Venue: Bishopsgate Foundation & Institute, 230 Bishopsgate, London EC2
Nearest Underground station: Liverpool Street (Central, Circle & Metropolitan Lines)
Time: 1.00pm
Cost: £35
Contact: Tanya Hine on 01786 446044 bawe.uk@btconnect.com
Send cheques, payable to BAWE to: The Treasurer, BAWE HQ, 112 John Player Building, Stirling FK7 7RP
FCEM ENTREPRENEURS DAY
Date: Friday 20th May 2005
Venue: TBN
Time: 12.30pm
Cost: TBN
Contact: BAWE HQ: bawe.uk@btconnect.com or Tel: 01786 446044
FELLOWS LUNCH
Date: July 2005
Venue: TBN
Time: 12.30pm
Cost: TBN
Contact: BAWE HQ on 01786 446044 bawe.uk@btconnect.com
Scotland Diary Dates
NETWORKING DINNER
Date: Late February/Early March 2005 TBN
Venue: One Devonshire Gardens, Glasgow
Time: 7.15pm
Cost: £37.50
Contact: Tanya Hine on 01786 446044 bawe.uk@btconnect.com
FCEM Events
FCEM WORLD COMMITTEE
Date: 27th - 30th April 2005
Venue: Fez, Morocco
Contact: Tanya Hine on 01786 446044 bawe.uk@btconnect.com
53rd FCEM CONGRESS
Date: 10th - 14th October 2005 (TBN)
Venue: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Contact: Lidia Angeli Sartoris at langeli@transatlantica.co.ar
International Events
15th ANNIVERSARY GLOBAL SUMMIT OF WOMEN
Date: 23rd - 25th June 2005
Venue: Mexico City, Mexico
Contact: BAWE HQ on 01786 446044 bawe.uk@btconnect.com
Events
MID-CAREER EDUCATION IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND INNOVATION FOR TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE (MEETS)
Date: Friday 25th - Sunday 27th February 2005, Friday 15th - Sunday 17th April 2005
Venue: Lucy Cavendish College, University of Cambridge
Info: Are you interested in entrepreneurship or thinking of becoming more actively involved in the management of a high tech start up? A new course will be taking place this spring at Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge University, specifically designed to meet the needs of mature female professionals with substantial work experience in science and technology who are currently working in business, taking a career break, or are considering starting a business of their own. The course aims to help women to assume leadership roles in company innovation and entrepreneurship by encouraging and enhancing their personal and professional development. Thanks to our sponsors, bursaries are available to help outstanding candidates meet the course costs. If you are interested in finding out more about MEETS and how the course can help you achieve your personal and professional goals, then please contact Jo Ryan at:
Contact: mid-career@lucy-cav.cam.ac.uk
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