Southam working mum’s efforts honoured business reward

A mum who had to leave work because of illness and who went on to found her own business has been nominated for an achievement award.

Kerry Field was forced to give up her job as a legal secretary after a painful condition saw her hips go out of alignment, which was brought on by her second pregnancy.

She was unable to carry on her work as a freelance in her line of work because of contractual restrictions related to her former employers.

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So, Kerry, aged 31, who lives in Southam with her husband Mark and children Katie, aged nine, and Thomas, five, then decided to retrain, and set up her own business.

Called Warwickshire Outsourcing Centre, her efforts have seen her nominated for the Working Mum of the Year category in Pitman Training’s Super Achievers Awards 2014, decided tonight (Friday).

Based in the Kineton Road Industrial Estate in Southam, her firm gives online secretarial support and specialises in audio transcription, transcribes audio conferences and manages and updates social media for firms.

Running her business, which has 15 freelance assistants, some of them stay-at-home mums, gives her the flexibility to manage her workload and family life.

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She still suffers occasionally with one hip, which is treated with over-the-counter painkillers.

Kerry said: “I have a wonderful supportive husband and I would not have been able to do it without him. It’s always a juggle – it’s the guilt that’s the worse. Your are torn between the business and the family.”

One of Kerry’s proudest achievements was being chosen in 2013 as one of the 100 small businesses to represent the UK’s first Small Business Saturday, which involved her attending a reception in Downing Street (pictured right) attended by George Osborne.

Kerry is planning to launch a second business – The UK Outsourcing Centre – which will act as a central online hub for service and product providers.