Men still outnumber women when it comes to starting their own business, a fact reflected in reports from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) 2021/2022.
However, successive GEM reports also show female entrepreneur numbers are on the rise, with women trailblazers starting new businesses and running established ones.
Kelly Sage is one such woman who is branching out on her own, leaving corporate employment and starting rampd.consulting, offering bespoke executive-level HR solutions.
“My role includes providing executive support in the forms of standalone HR projects or often longer-term career coaching for the in-house HR team,” she explains.
Projects include organisational re-design, efficiency and process reviews, Human Resource Information System implementation, performance management system design and rollout, and compensation and benefits planning.
“These are critical aspects of HR and business that are often sidelined for the day-to-day deliverables,” explains Kelly, who believes that HR in Cayman is often viewed as an administrative hub rather than a strategic partner of the business.
“Sometimes it’s because there is no appetite at executive level to include HR, and other times it’s because there is a skills gap, and the HR team are just not able to operate at that strategic level.”
STARTING FROM SCRATCH
Having always worked for big corporations, in a career that was a blend of in-house HR and consulting, the idea of starting her own company was intimidating for Kelly.
“Obviously, your pride desperately wants to succeed but self-doubt lingers and there is fear that perhaps the whole idea will be a flop,” she says.
However, the benefits, including a degree of independence and autonomy in decision-making, were worth the risk, and ultimately her choice paid off.
“It felt liberating to be in control of my own brand and have absolute autonomy over the type of work I would do and the projects that I would be involved with.”
Kelly has seen success already, quickly getting busy and relishing in the support she is receiving.
“I have also loved working independently and feeling completely responsible for the success or failure of this venture – which is both daunting and exciting.”
OTHER INTERESTS
Outside of rampd, Kelly’s life is full to the brim, with her husband and two pre-teen sons, as well as her work as co-chair for Girlforce100, which she calls her passion project.
“The 100 Women in Finance network and Girlforce 100 committee in particular have become close friends and women that I can rely on in business and in life,” says Kelly. “The GirlForce 100 committee and mentor base is committed to providing the very best experience for the girls and we all invest many hours of our personal time in this programme.”
With a master’s in human resource management and a degree in legal studies already under her belt, Kelly also finds time to pursue a PhD in industrial and organisational psychology – which focuses on the psychology of individuals in the workplace and the organisation as a whole.
“This speaks not only to organisational culture, but also to communication style, hierarchy, design and management style in any workplace,” she explains. “It is a fascinating field of study for me because as I study the theory, I repeatedly watch the real-life scenarios play out in my consulting projects.
“I began my PhD because I have a passion for education and believe that your education can and will change the course of your life.”
SAGE ADVICE
Kelly’s top tips for women starting their own businesses:
– Be clear from the outset in what you want to achieve. Your business and your daily work is more than a job, it defines you as a person and if your daily routine actually serves to energise you and excites you – that is a great privilege and something to celebrate.
– Every employee and business owner should aspire to that feeling of being fully engaged as a priority. I have worked in organisations before where I was definitely spinning my wheels, but it was comfortable, so I stayed. I would never make that mistake again.
– People work for different reasons including earning an income, creating a social network, accessing learning opportunities and to feel included and relevant in the community. Understanding your objectives is critical. For me working with interesting clients, being challenged on a daily basis and the social element of work are top priorities.
– Find yourself two things: 1) A network of supporters that you can rely on and that want you to succeed. 2) A mentor that you can bounce your ideas off for a common sense check/reality check.
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