Julia Moore is a lecturer in law, and project manager for a variety of educational projects both in the UK and Europe. Dividing her work and living between the UK and France, she frequently advises start-up organisations in the not-for-profit sector, and produces educational material for a range of establishments. She is currently developing e-learning resources for the international education market.

Is there a formula for success? In a new series of articles, we ask whether it is possible to identify a guaranteed route to achievement in business. Glancing back through past years might provide a new approach for today's pioneers…


Finding a path to commercial success, is often the ultimate goal for any small/medium business person. After all, why be in business if not to provide yourself with the platform for your own ideas, identity and purpose?

The 21st Century is a paradox. On the one hand, legal frameworks in many countries has provided some, if not total, equity in employment, pay and other economic and social fields. On the other, women still face battles on other levels, in order to achieve. If the 'all barriers now removed' belief was true, many more female business leaders should be more prominent than exists today. Separated by 3 decades the commercial/scientific worlds of Anita Roddick (founder of The Body Shop, 1976) and Dr Rosalind Franklin (member of the UK science team which discovered DNA, 1940-50s) provide some useful pointers.

The over-used phrase 'thinking outside the box' is, nevertheless useful. Both dynamic women navigated their way around, though, and finally above,  systems and institutions which were still strongly post-war and/or light on female participation, namely banks, politics, education.  But history often blurs events, giving the impression that innovative ideas emerge in a well-planned, predictable fashion. The truth is much more interesting. Many 'new' ideas are rooted to some degree in the ideas of the past. Science and business innovations are rarely created in secret, not the product of the classical 'boffin' or creative eccentric. More likely, they are formulated in an informal setting of ideas- sharing and collaboration. Of course competition exists - the US and UK DNA teams had their infamous race to be the first to publish results - but to a large degree the ingredients of success rely on broader, less sexy qualities.

Characteristics commonly found on the female entrepreneur side of the equation are gaining more respect with each passing decade - communication, co-operation -  networking. In 17th Century Europe, the Chartist and early Co-operative movements (pre-trade unionism and fair trade) saw largely female community leaders who pioneered innovations in community exchange and savings schemes. Up to date, developing nations - especially those re-building in the aftermath of disaster - position a high proportion of female community leaders to be charge of their regions' financial revival. Why? Given their grassroots position, they show skills and qualities more associated with sustained growth - consensus, negotiation and compromise. In short, a balance of outcomes and process.

Before her premature death in 2007, Roddick had contributed beyond measure to the momentum of ethical shopping and intelligent consumerism, now part of our everyday lives. Long before and after Body Shop, her personal values and beliefs pointed to a strong influence on what she did, and why she did it. Franklin was infamously cold-shouldered by her male colleagues. Looked on another way, this  vacuum  may have contributed to her focus and single-mindedness, which eventually led her team to win the DNA competition. In both cases, success was not limited to one outcome, Roddick's legacy is consumerism plus responsibility, Franklin's, scientific discovery for its own sake.

Both examples point to characterstics- either sole or in combination -  required to rise above systematic or ad-hoc barriers - a versatile style of communication, leadership combined with strong self-identity, and determination founded on integrity, to name but a few.

Now is a good era for female enterprise- combine a progressive idea with skills and qualities found in most women, and achievement can be just a few steps away.