I MIGHT have been born to be self-employed. At the age of 12 I found Saturday employment quite by chance which resulted in my first managerial role at 17.

As manageress of an exclusive ladies dress shop — as they were called in the 1960s — being female was definitely not a drawback and my thirst for independence in the workplace was born.

Eventually the shop closed due to the owner's ill health. We had the an closing down sale in which the turnover soared and for a while I returned to employed status.

Through different jobs I learned PAYE, insurance, accounting and pulling pints! Co-habitation with an amazing artist also taught me the rudiments of industrial and commercial design and at age 23 I embarked upon my first solo enterprise.

Within two years I was running a successful advertising agency employing two artists, two sales executives and a print operator — all female. Being an advertising exec was exhilarating in the late 1960s and at no time was the "female" element an issue — quite the contrary. Male managing directors saw enough men in their daily routine and an ambitious, self-employed woman arriving for meetings concentrated the mind.

I married at 28 and immediately participated in my husband's electronics business. In 1984, my husband and I started a completely new enterprise Roberts Warr Electronics Ltd which still exists today.

Since Ronald's death in 2003 I have seen no reason not to continue in the electronics world. A professional attitude is the key to bridging the gender gap.

Now I have moved on to a new chapter. My daughter Sarah took over her father's directorship on his untimely death and is now my partner in two new enterprises — La La Luna, which sells fine porcelain gifts and home accessories to retail outlets, and The Old Vicarage Bed and Breakfast.

Experience is a great leveller. We pride ourselves on customer service and I can draw on a wealth of good and bad experiences when needed.