The Company
Many educated women want to have a career and a family, but the idea of giving up a profession to become a stay at home mom or elder caretaker can be daunting. Thanks to the communication age, women are reshaping their work environments by interweaving jobs with parenting and other responsibilities. Picture an executive office suite company designed just for females who need to make life/career transitions. The purpose would be to provide a professional atmosphere where women could be their own boss and adapt their work around outside obligations. Support services within the building would allow women more freedom to do what they choose.
Skilled females who need more flexibility than traditional organizations allow, could rent office suites and continue working as entrepreneurs. The idea is for tenants to use the services of other tenants, as well as seek their own clients. The Executive Suite Company for Women would promote its tenants to area businesses through quarterly publications and its website. Because the tenants are predominately women in similar situations, they can support each other in their efforts. In addition, the building would have childcare on the premises, and contract with surrounding businesses or women working from home to offer discounted and delivery services to its tenants. These include dry cleaning, home babysitting, sick care or healthcare, meal preparation, fitness, seminars, and personal assisting. All these services would be listed on the businesses intranet, accessible by the tenants, who could also email or instant message others in the building.
Visualize a tree. Its core is the roots and trunk, which provide support for the branches and leaves. In the same sense, this new company for women would have a core group responsible for its operation and support. Staff might include a building manager, in charge of rental space contracts and other daily operations; a marketing representative, hired to promote/sell office space and the services of the buildings tenants; a business manager, in charge of financial and administrative matters; and a building receptionist, to greet clients of tenants, receive mail, answer phones, and other clerical duties. While all tenants would have mailboxes, most services would be ala cart so women pay only for what they need. For example, the receptionist could also answer their phone calls for an additional fee. If the core staff needed additional help, it would first seek the services of its tenants. These primary employees would have to work as a team. With most services contracted out, including cleaning, maintenance, and web design, it would be necessary to coordinate all activities.
The suites would vary in size and room divisions. All would include electric, windows, phone lines, high speed internet access, individual heating and cooling controls, cleaning services, and most importantly, sound proof walls. Each tenant would be given a billing card, similar to a credit card, to charge miscellaneous building services. The building would have a lunch/snack area with tables inside and out, complete with vending machines and refrigerators. For those too busy to pack a lunch or eat out, different restaurants would be sponsored each day and tenants could place their order for delivery through the receptionist. This would also include ordering food for children in daycare or aftercare. Several conference rooms would be made available for tenant use, as well as an area with copiers, fax machines, debit machines, Federal Express, UPS, and US mail pick-up. Business identity programs would be made available to women who prefer to work from home and include the use of the business address as well as other building amenities.
Suppose this organizational design was a franchise. Women tenants from one city could use building services, including daycare, in another city while traveling. The internet would make information sharing easy.
Just like branches of a tree that sprout off in different directions, the building would have divisions of professionals working within its walls. Since one organizational goal is to provide tenants with easy access to specialized services, some entrepreneurial businesses would be treated as extensions of the core and actively solicited to rent office space. For instance, building management would contract out for a daycare facility, preferably from a franchise, to be run within the building. The daycare would be for the use of tenants renting space and of course the general public. While daycares are usually paid on a monthly or weekly basis, tenants would be eligible for special weekly, daily and hourly rates. They would only be obligated to give 24 hour notice to the center for childcare. Working mothers in the building could view their child in daycare via their computer. An after school and summer program would also be sought out for school age children. Both curriculums allow tenants to bring their children to work with them. Other businesses important to the overall success of this new organization include office support services, accountants, and marketing or professional advertisers.
Many educated women want to have a career and a family, but the idea of giving up a profession to become a stay at home mom or elder caretaker can be daunting. Thanks to the communication age, women are reshaping their work environments by interweaving jobs with parenting and other responsibilities. Picture an executive office suite company designed just for females who need to make life/career transitions. The purpose would be to provide a professional atmosphere where women could be their own boss and adapt their work around outside obligations. Support services within the building would allow women more freedom to do what they choose.
Skilled females who need more flexibility than traditional organizations allow, could rent office suites and continue working as entrepreneurs. The idea is for tenants to use the services of other tenants, as well as seek their own clients. The Executive Suite Company for Women would promote its tenants to area businesses through quarterly publications and its website. Because the tenants are predominately women in similar situations, they can support each other in their efforts. In addition, the building would have childcare on the premises, and contract with surrounding businesses or women working from home to offer discounted and delivery services to its tenants. These include dry cleaning, home babysitting, sick care or healthcare, meal preparation, fitness, seminars, and personal assisting. All these services would be listed on the businesses intranet, accessible by the tenants, who could also email or instant message others in the building.
Visualize a tree. Its core is the roots and trunk, which provide support for the branches and leaves. In the same sense, this new company for women would have a core group responsible for its operation and support. Staff might include a building manager, in charge of rental space contracts and other daily operations; a marketing representative, hired to promote/sell office space and the services of the buildings tenants; a business manager, in charge of financial and administrative matters; and a building receptionist, to greet clients of tenants, receive mail, answer phones, and other clerical duties. While all tenants would have mailboxes, most services would be ala cart so women pay only for what they need. For example, the receptionist could also answer their phone calls for an additional fee. If the core staff needed additional help, it would first seek the services of its tenants. These primary employees would have to work as a team. With most services contracted out, including cleaning, maintenance, and web design, it would be necessary to coordinate all activities.
The suites would vary in size and room divisions. All would include electric, windows, phone lines, high speed internet access, individual heating and cooling controls, cleaning services, and most importantly, sound proof walls. Each tenant would be given a billing card, similar to a credit card, to charge miscellaneous building services. The building would have a lunch/snack area with tables inside and out, complete with vending machines and refrigerators. For those too busy to pack a lunch or eat out, different restaurants would be sponsored each day and tenants could place their order for delivery through the receptionist. This would also include ordering food for children in daycare or aftercare. Several conference rooms would be made available for tenant use, as well as an area with copiers, fax machines, debit machines, Federal Express, UPS, and US mail pick-up. Business identity programs would be made available to women who prefer to work from home and include the use of the business address as well as other building amenities.
Suppose this organizational design was a franchise. Women tenants from one city could use building services, including daycare, in another city while traveling. The internet would make information sharing easy.
Just like branches of a tree that sprout off in different directions, the building would have divisions of professionals working within its walls. Since one organizational goal is to provide tenants with easy access to specialized services, some entrepreneurial businesses would be treated as extensions of the core and actively solicited to rent office space. For instance, building management would contract out for a daycare facility, preferably from a franchise, to be run within the building. The daycare would be for the use of tenants renting space and of course the general public. While daycares are usually paid on a monthly or weekly basis, tenants would be eligible for special weekly, daily and hourly rates. They would only be obligated to give 24 hour notice to the center for childcare. Working mothers in the building could view their child in daycare via their computer. An after school and summer program would also be sought out for school age children. Both curriculums allow tenants to bring their children to work with them. Other businesses important to the overall success of this new organization include office support services, accountants, and marketing or professional advertisers.
The leaves of a tree are ever changing. Just like working women, leaves are affected by different seasons. This business concept is for those life transitions. Visualize an organization where women have the flexibility to plan their work around yoga classes, school plays, field trips, and visits to the nursing home without career penalties. These women have community support and support from other women with the same needs. A senior woman, who loves to shop but needs a little extra money, takes care of your grocery list once a week and prepares three meals for you that can be pulled out of the freezer during the week. An accountant taking care of her three year old at home helps with your investment planning and finances. Or maybe someone in the office has a teenage daughter to baby sit for you while you attend a dinner function. The possibilities are endless, and your life feels more complete. To build your own woman friendly organization:
- Find experienced, professional women who understand the importance of balance to provide equity investments and business advice.
- Design for workforce flexibility. A variation of Charles Handy’s (1989) Shamrock organization may be a good place to start. The first leaf represents the professional core workers. These are the people who are essential to the organization and hard to replace. The second leaf represents contracted work to people who specialize in a particular field and are able to do it at less cost than what you could in-house. Find women who would like to work as consultants or on a job by job basis. Finally, the third leaf represents part-time and temporary workers; perfect for women with children in school or retirees who need to supplement their income. This structure, with its flat hierarchy and small core, allows for reconfigurability.
- Support women vendors and employees by providing access to “helping services.” These include forming relationships with area restaurants, drycleaners, banks, travel agencies, housecleaning, babysitting, and eldercare businesses.
- Start your own franchise as a way to help women throughout the country. Women can have an impact on the way America works.
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