I’ve been tasked with writing something about my working week and was about to sit down and tell you all about my meetings but then had a rethink. One of the reasons I chose to run my own business was to try and balance the challenges of managing a family with being a working woman.

I’ve seen so many women try to fulfil both roles and struggle because the workplace can’t accommodate their responsibilities as a parent. It’s really frustrating especially as the situation often hampers the progress of women in business life – there are still far fewer women in senior roles in major corporations than men.

I felt that if I ran my own business, I would have more control over my own time so that I could juggle the other pulls on my time and try to do all things well. So my “working” week extends, as with many working parents, far beyond business hours.

Typically I wake up about half an hour before my family. This gives me a chance to have my first coffee of the day and gather my thoughts together before the breakfast chaos ensues! I also go let out the small menagerie of rabbits and chickens that inhabit our back garden and collect any eggs for breakfast – you can’t beat a newly laid egg, straight from the chicken’s bottom! (Well you can beat it, but I prefer it whole!)

In the evenings, my partner and children get home at about 6.30pm so we have another mad chaotic time of homework, tea and a bit of family time (if we are lucky) before bed. Often this quiet time is the time I catch up with emails and proposals that need some serious thinking time.

However, from the “work” point of view – every single week is different. Actually, that’s what I love about the job – the variety! So many different types of clients and opportunities. It’s one of MAXX’s strengths that we have such a broad client base and don’t restrict ourselves to a single sector.

Here’s a genuine sample of my working week from last week:

Monday
The week starts like any other with our internal sales and planning meetings. These give us a chance to map out the work that needs doing for the week, as well as talking about various opportunities. Then it’s a trip to Cambridge to see a leading independent school. This opportunity came to us following a referral from Eton College who have been a client of our for 13 years. It’s the second time we’ve met to discuss a possible prospectus and website development project.

Tuesday
This morning I met with a biotechnology company that specialises in the imaging of live cells for research and analysis – so completely different from the previous day! This technology is cutting edge and sold to scientists Worldwide so it is an exciting opportunity for MAXX. Although the company is based in Finland, the chief executive lives in Pangbourne so thankfully I didn’t have too far to travel this time. We shall be developing a new logo for the company, together with brochures and a website. This afternoon we are meeting with a video making company that specialises in video for schools – we think there may well be an opportunity for joint working here so need to explore further!

Wednesday
Mid-week and this time I have a first meeting with a company that constructs bespoke keyboards and needs a new way to promote itself in the marketplace– we are talking about rebranding, websites and email marketing. This afternoon is a long and in-depth planning meeting with team members from our clients, Slough Community Leisure www.sloughleisure.com We built a suite of websites for their multiple leisure outlets throughout Slough about 4 years ago. Its time for a refresh so we are taking a full creative and technical brief for them all this afternoon. Oh I need to fit in the school run, trip to ballet and netball club after work!

Thursday
This morning I am off to Wellington College for 7.15am where I attend a monthly networking meeting. www.thebusinessforum.biz This is a great opportunity to get out of the office and to work on the business, rather than in it as there are some great business minds here and we discuss some really pertinent subjects. It’s also great for fostering referrals to other companies – MAXX gets as much as 25% of its business from referrals so we take it seriously. I have a second meeting with a firm of Architects this afternoon – we are rebranding the company and producing a new website – we want to show them our ideas so far.

Friday
It’s the end of the week but there’s still plenty to do. I have a Board Meeting this morning which is always productive and this time we are really excited as we are planning some BIG new ideas for MAXX and also just about to finally launch our new website.

It might sounds like a lot of running around but this is a pretty average week for me. I love being out and about, meeting new people and learning about new business opportunities. I get a real buzz when I know we can help to make a real difference to a company and we find a way to work together.