Wooden it be good if your kitchen table could help you make more cash? Joking apart, there are one-and-half million self-employed women in the UK, according to the Office of National Statistics and many of them started off working from home.

More interestingly, the number of female entrepreneurs has shot up by 20 per cent – compared to a measly four per cent for male entrepreneurs – during the past six years.

To be fair, there are still twice as many self-employed men as women but the gap is closing fast.

That’s why it’s great to see Oxfordshire’s most successful and up-and-coming business women and entrepreneurs being given the recognition they deserve.

The Venus Awards, which are co-sponsored by the Oxford Mail, took place last Friday but although the event was glitzy, the women who walked off with the trophies got there through tons of hard graft.

Take 26-year-old Steph Croft-Simon, who scooped Entrepreneur of the Year for her health food bars business.

Having interviewed Steph a few times, I know she’s suffered her share of setbacks and has put in many, long and unsociable hours to build her business to where it is now.

Then there’s New Media and Online Business winner Christine McRitchie, who started her online firm Earthwise Trading, which supplies reusable nappies, 10 years ago, while also being mum to four children, now aged 11 to 16.

Other worthy winners include Guides for Brides guru Alison Hargreaves, 44, who was awarded Business of the Year, and Jayne Johnson, 56, whose recruitment firm Better People is run from her Wallingford home.

And 37-year-old Jody Fletcher, who’s director of Chilli Promotional Products, won the category for women who juggle home and work. She works her own hours, because she says she doesn’t want to miss out on watching her two-year-old daughter Lottie growing up.

Cathy Dunbabin, who was named Influential Woman of the Year, runs networking firm Opendoorz, with her business partner Sonia Kearns.

Cathy, 52, comes across as a glamorous, self-confident woman but confessed she was surprised, if delighted, to win.

She pointed out that everyone, including her, suffers from lack of confidence at some point and even those who seem to be powering ahead wonder at times, if they’ve got what it takes.

She pointed out: “You have moments when you are being carried along by the momentum but there is a little voice inside asking ‘Is this really me?’ Everyone has doubts, so don’t be fooled, just because they aren’t showing it, it doesn’t mean they don’t feel it.”

So what about all those women – and men – who might want to take the plunge and start their own firm but are scared?

Cathy said: “Go and talk to people, because there are plenty of places where you can get free advice.

“But most importantly, do you believe you can do it, because if so, go for it.”

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