- A No Bull Podcast
- Accounting & Finance Expertise
- ACCOUNTING ADVISORY
- Advisory
- Alice Stephenson – Founder & CEO, Stephenson Law
- All News
- ALLSTARS EARLY CAREER PROGRAMMES
- APPRENTICES
- April Bembridge – Chief People Officer, Cooper Parry
- Are You Claiming The Right Amount? Gated
- AUDIT – WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
- Audit and Assurance
- AUDIT FOR AIM LISTED COMPANIES
- B CORP
- Bundle and Pricing Options
- BUSINESS SERVICES INSIGHTS
- BUSINESS STRUCTURING
- Business Support And Grants
- Business Tax
- CAPITAL ALLOWANCES
- CAPITAL GAINS TAX
- Careers – Our Roles
- Careers Contact Us
- Careers Trainees FAQs
- Charities
- Construction And Property
- Contact Thank You
- Contact Us
- COOKIE POLICY
- Cooper Parry Book Club
- Cooper Parry Event
- CORPORATE AUDIT
- Corporate Finance
- Corporate Finance – What Our Clients Say
- CORPORATE FINANCE DEALS
- Corporate Finance News & Insights
- Corporate Social Responsibility
- Covid-19 Collaboration-news
- CP Futures
- CP Innovation
- CP INNOVATION – WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
- CP INNOVATION FULL PAGE. – DRAFT
- CP Tech 100
- CPERS: COOPER PARRY ENQUIRY RESOLUTION SERVICE
- Creative Tax Reliefs
- CULTURE
- DIVERSITY POLICY
- Early Stage To SME- WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
- Ecommerce
- Eddie Latham & PJ Scott – Co-founders, Velocity Commerce
- Education
- EMPLOYMENT TAX
- FAQS
- Financial Reporting
- Find Us
- Flexible ‘Finance Bench’
- Future Events
- Galahad Clark – Founder VivoBarefoot
- GLOBAL TALENT PROGRAMME
- GRADUATES
- HEALTHCARE INSIGHTS
- Helena Hills – Founder & CEO, TrueStart
- HIGH GROWTH LOW DOWN
- Homepage
- Homepage
- Hub CP
- HUB CP – Live Lounge
- HUB CP – Live Lounge Velocity Snippets
- HUB CP – Rob Law Trunki Snippets
- Hub CP 3
- HUB CP LEADERSHIP SERIES
- HUB CP LOUNGE – PACT COFFEE
- HUB CP LOUNGE – PAUL SCHAFFER, PLUM PRODUCTS
- Hub CP Podcast
- HUB CP Thank You
- Hugo Tilmouth – Founder & CEO, The Up.co
- Impact Beyond Business
- Impact Beyond Business New template
- In Their Words
- In Their Words Retail
- INDIRECT TAX
- Inheritance Tax
- Intellectual Property & Patent Box
- INTERNATIONAL TAX
- Investment Calculator UK
- James Hyde – Founder & CEO, James and James
- Jay Richards & Cat Agostinho – Co-Founders, Imagen
- Justin Harling – CEO, CAE Technology Services
- LANDLORD
- LEGAL STUFF
- Let’s Stop Calling It R&D V2 Gated
- Life at cooper parry
- Lounge Underwear Webcast
- MAKING TAX DIGITAL
- Management Information and Reporting
- MANAGING AGENTS
- Manufacturing Tax and Advisory
- Marketing Thank You
- MID MARKET – WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
- Mid-Market
- New Hub CP
- New Hub CP Live Lounge
- Newsletter Form
- Newsletter Thank You
- NFP Webcasts And More
- Not For Profit Audit
- Operational Systems & Technology
- Our People
- Meet the Team
- Meet the Team Retail
- Our People – Big Business
- Our People – Board
- Our People – Business Tax
- Our People – Capital Allowances
- Our People – Corporate Finance
- Our People – CP Innovation
- Our People – Facilities & Wellbeing
- Our People – Leadership
- Our People – Marketing
- Our People – New Business Relationships
- Our People – Not for Profit
- Our People – Outsourcing
- Our People – Partners
- Our People – Pensions
- Our People – Personal Tax
- Our People – Service Charge
- Our People – Tech & High Growth
- Our People – Tech & Platforms
- Our People – Transaction Services
- Our People – Transaction Tax
- Our People – VAT
- Our People – Wealth
- Our People Audit
- Our People Team
- Our Why And Values
- Outsourcing
- OVERSEAS EXPANSION
- Past Events
- Paul Richardson – Executive Chairman, Gymshark
- Paul Turton – CEO, Pact Coffee
- PENSIONS AUDIT
- Personal Tax
- Personal Tax Compliance
- PLACEMENTS
- Preference Centre
- PRIVACY POLICY
- Private Equity Advisory
- PROPERTY AND LANDLORDS
- R&D Capital Allowances
- R&D Newsletter Thank You
- R&D Tax Credits Questionnaire: Are you eligible?
- Raise investment or debt
- Raising Finance
- Read All About It
- Rebelution 2
- Rebelution 2 Top Tips – Cooper Parry Corporate Finance
- Rebelution 2 Top Tips – Cooper Parry IT
- Rebelution 2 Top Tips – Cooper Parry Wealth
- Rebelution 2 Top Tips – CP Futures
- Rebelution 2 Top Tips – VAT & Brexit
- Research & Development Tax Credits
- Research And Development Tax Credits
- RESIDENCE & DOMICILE ADVICE
- Retail
- Retail Advisory
- Retail Tax
- Rob Law MBE – Founder, Trunki
- Scale Up & High Growth
- SECURITY POLICY
- Service Charge
- Service Test
- SETTING UP BUSINESS IN THE UK
- SHARE INCENTIVES AND REWARD
- Share incentives: Annual Reporting
- SHAREHOLDER TAX ADVICE
- Shaun Doak – CEO, React Group Plc
- Small Business
- SNAPSHOT
- Succession Planning
- Supporting start ups
- SUSTAINABILITY
- Tax – What our clients say
- TAX COMPLIANCE SERVICES
- Tax Services
- TAX SETTLEMENTS AND INVESTIGATIONS
- Tech & High Growth
- Tech & High Growth – What our clients say
- TEN STAGES TO INVESTMENT
- TEN STAGES TO SALE
- Test2
- This Is Us
- Tom and Tina Warner – Co-Founders, Warner’s Distillery
- Transaction Deals
- Transaction Services
- Transaction Services – What Our Clients Say
- TRANSACTION TAX
- TRANSFER PRICING
- Trusts and Estates
- UK support for International groups
- VAT SERVICES
- Virtual Bookkeeping
- Virtual FD
- Wealth
- Wealth- What Our Clients Say
- Website How To Guide
- Welcome to the CP Family
- What our clients say
- WORK EXPERIENCE
- XCP Sign Up
- Your Development
- Your Say
- Your Say Contact Us
- A No Bull Podcast
- Accounting & Finance Expertise
- ACCOUNTING ADVISORY
- Advisory
- Alice Stephenson – Founder & CEO, Stephenson Law
- All News
- ALLSTARS EARLY CAREER PROGRAMMES
- APPRENTICES
- April Bembridge – Chief People Officer, Cooper Parry
- Are You Claiming The Right Amount? Gated
- AUDIT – WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
- Audit and Assurance
- AUDIT FOR AIM LISTED COMPANIES
- B CORP
- Bundle and Pricing Options
- BUSINESS SERVICES INSIGHTS
- BUSINESS STRUCTURING
- Business Support And Grants
- Business Tax
- CAPITAL ALLOWANCES
- CAPITAL GAINS TAX
- Careers – Our Roles
- Careers Contact Us
- Careers Trainees FAQs
- Charities
- Construction And Property
- Contact Thank You
- Contact Us
- COOKIE POLICY
- Cooper Parry Book Club
- Cooper Parry Event
- CORPORATE AUDIT
- Corporate Finance
- Corporate Finance – What Our Clients Say
- CORPORATE FINANCE DEALS
- Corporate Finance News & Insights
- Corporate Social Responsibility
- Covid-19 Collaboration-news
- CP Futures
- CP Innovation
- CP INNOVATION – WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
- CP INNOVATION FULL PAGE. – DRAFT
- CP Tech 100
- CPERS: COOPER PARRY ENQUIRY RESOLUTION SERVICE
- Creative Tax Reliefs
- CULTURE
- DIVERSITY POLICY
- Early Stage To SME- WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
- Ecommerce
- Eddie Latham & PJ Scott – Co-founders, Velocity Commerce
- Education
- EMPLOYMENT TAX
- FAQS
- Financial Reporting
- Find Us
- Flexible ‘Finance Bench’
- Future Events
- Galahad Clark – Founder VivoBarefoot
- GLOBAL TALENT PROGRAMME
- GRADUATES
- HEALTHCARE INSIGHTS
- Helena Hills – Founder & CEO, TrueStart
- HIGH GROWTH LOW DOWN
- Homepage
- Homepage
- Hub CP
- HUB CP – Live Lounge
- HUB CP – Live Lounge Velocity Snippets
- HUB CP – Rob Law Trunki Snippets
- Hub CP 3
- HUB CP LEADERSHIP SERIES
- HUB CP LOUNGE – PACT COFFEE
- HUB CP LOUNGE – PAUL SCHAFFER, PLUM PRODUCTS
- Hub CP Podcast
- HUB CP Thank You
- Hugo Tilmouth – Founder & CEO, The Up.co
- Impact Beyond Business
- Impact Beyond Business New template
- In Their Words
- In Their Words Retail
- INDIRECT TAX
- Inheritance Tax
- Intellectual Property & Patent Box
- INTERNATIONAL TAX
- Investment Calculator UK
- James Hyde – Founder & CEO, James and James
- Jay Richards & Cat Agostinho – Co-Founders, Imagen
- Justin Harling – CEO, CAE Technology Services
- LANDLORD
- LEGAL STUFF
- Let’s Stop Calling It R&D V2 Gated
- Life at cooper parry
- Lounge Underwear Webcast
- MAKING TAX DIGITAL
- Management Information and Reporting
- MANAGING AGENTS
- Manufacturing Tax and Advisory
- Marketing Thank You
- MID MARKET – WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
- Mid-Market
- New Hub CP
- New Hub CP Live Lounge
- Newsletter Form
- Newsletter Thank You
- NFP Webcasts And More
- Not For Profit Audit
- Operational Systems & Technology
- Our People
- Meet the Team
- Meet the Team Retail
- Our People – Big Business
- Our People – Board
- Our People – Business Tax
- Our People – Capital Allowances
- Our People – Corporate Finance
- Our People – CP Innovation
- Our People – Facilities & Wellbeing
- Our People – Leadership
- Our People – Marketing
- Our People – New Business Relationships
- Our People – Not for Profit
- Our People – Outsourcing
- Our People – Partners
- Our People – Pensions
- Our People – Personal Tax
- Our People – Service Charge
- Our People – Tech & High Growth
- Our People – Tech & Platforms
- Our People – Transaction Services
- Our People – Transaction Tax
- Our People – VAT
- Our People – Wealth
- Our People Audit
- Our People Team
- Our Why And Values
- Outsourcing
- OVERSEAS EXPANSION
- Past Events
- Paul Richardson – Executive Chairman, Gymshark
- Paul Turton – CEO, Pact Coffee
- PENSIONS AUDIT
- Personal Tax
- Personal Tax Compliance
- PLACEMENTS
- Preference Centre
- PRIVACY POLICY
- Private Equity Advisory
- PROPERTY AND LANDLORDS
- R&D Capital Allowances
- R&D Newsletter Thank You
- R&D Tax Credits Questionnaire: Are you eligible?
- Raise investment or debt
- Raising Finance
- Read All About It
- Rebelution 2
- Rebelution 2 Top Tips – Cooper Parry Corporate Finance
- Rebelution 2 Top Tips – Cooper Parry IT
- Rebelution 2 Top Tips – Cooper Parry Wealth
- Rebelution 2 Top Tips – CP Futures
- Rebelution 2 Top Tips – VAT & Brexit
- Research & Development Tax Credits
- Research And Development Tax Credits
- RESIDENCE & DOMICILE ADVICE
- Retail
- Retail Advisory
- Retail Tax
- Rob Law MBE – Founder, Trunki
- Scale Up & High Growth
- SECURITY POLICY
- Service Charge
- Service Test
- SETTING UP BUSINESS IN THE UK
- SHARE INCENTIVES AND REWARD
- Share incentives: Annual Reporting
- SHAREHOLDER TAX ADVICE
- Shaun Doak – CEO, React Group Plc
- Small Business
- SNAPSHOT
- Succession Planning
- Supporting start ups
- SUSTAINABILITY
- Tax – What our clients say
- TAX COMPLIANCE SERVICES
- Tax Services
- TAX SETTLEMENTS AND INVESTIGATIONS
- Tech & High Growth
- Tech & High Growth – What our clients say
- TEN STAGES TO INVESTMENT
- TEN STAGES TO SALE
- Test2
- This Is Us
- Tom and Tina Warner – Co-Founders, Warner’s Distillery
- Transaction Deals
- Transaction Services
- Transaction Services – What Our Clients Say
- TRANSACTION TAX
- TRANSFER PRICING
- Trusts and Estates
- UK support for International groups
- VAT SERVICES
- Virtual Bookkeeping
- Virtual FD
- Wealth
- Wealth- What Our Clients Say
- Website How To Guide
- Welcome to the CP Family
- What our clients say
- WORK EXPERIENCE
- XCP Sign Up
- Your Development
- Your Say
- Your Say Contact Us
Female entrepreneurs taking on the system. And winning.
Sarah King, CEO and co-founder of we are radikl is fascinating to interview. Her heart is worn firmly on her immaculately-cut jacket sleeve. There is no smoke. There are no mirrors. WYSIWYG.
It feels as if her entrepreneurial spirit has been given expressive carte blanche. Where once, in her previous corporate financial services life, she might have responded with inoffensive, vanilla answers – today, she shoots from the hip. With a passion.
It’s clear that Sarah and her we are radikl co-founder, Claire Dunn, are on a mission. Given that the pair only met less than three years ago, the sense of being ‘in it together’ is very real. They are ripping it up, creating waves and, refreshingly, having fun too.
So what’s the story? As it happens, that’s a damned good question, because the spectrum of we are radikl is colourful and kaleidoscopic. It can be viewed through many a prism. Effectively, there are three pillars:
- To rocket fuel women start ups and propel them to a more successful rate
- To encourage more women investors (and ally investors come to that)
- To lobby the hell out of the government and so change the ecosystem.
Nothing ambitious then.
A glance at the stats above gives a scale to the challenge. And it’s one that Sarah relishes. Her own mantra is crystal clear: “We’re creating an ecosystem for women entrepreneurs – giving the access to know how, connection, inspiration and kindness. All the time we’re helping women to successfully start, sustain and scale their business as well as providing a route to funding opportunities. So every day, when we work together, we ask ourselves ‘what do we need to do today to impact more women’? ‘What are we going to do next”?
Being an entrepreneur is a roller coaster ride. And quite often you’re not strapped in. When Sarah left her corporate life behind, she felt that ‘her safety blanket had been ripped away.’ Like venturing onto the most thrilling theme park ride, this is where the line between white knuckle terror and ear-to-ear grinning exhilaration is blurred.
So how has the nearly three year long ride been – given that half of that time has been during a pandemic?
As the idea for we are radikl took shape around a kitchen table (as around 75% of female-led businesses do), Sarah realised that ‘women are overlooked, unseen and unheard. There was a need to create a ‘safe space’ where women can rock up and say ‘I don’t understand’ without fear of being ignored or, perhaps worse still perhaps, patronised. We needed to make access to knowledge easier. Effectively, we are an e-learning business.”
But it’s an e-learning business with a clear agenda. And values.
Sarah openly admits that sometimes she finds talking about the challenges facing female entrepreneurs intensely emotional. But it is this passionate purpose that defines her. Every day.
“I bloody love working with Claire. We have a kick ass board. And we only hire talented people that are as passionate, angry and upset by inequality as we are.”
Sarah is at pains to point out, however, that this is a business, not a charity. It is determined to strike the right balance between profit and purpose.
And nothing could be more purposeful than the recently launched we are radikl #overbeingunderfunded campaign. Sarah chuckles at the suggestion that she is now a fully-fledged card-carrying political lobbyist. “If you’d asked any of my friends whether I would get involved in anything like this, they would have said ‘don’t be ridiculous’ or something stronger.”
But this is where we are radikl can be, well, radical.
Sarah continues: “There are systems in place to support growing businesses. But in so many invisible ways, they’re not geared towards women, or the businesses we build. So we’re starting by calling on Government to make small, yet powerful changes to one such system – the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS). We want the SEIS deadline to be extended from 2 years to 3 years from the start of trading, we want to introduce gender, race and ethnicity reporting and we want to redirect more funding towards women entrepreneurs in their first three years of trading. It’s not difficult. It’s not expensive. And the impact will be felt by both women AND men.”
There’s a personal edge to this. With a week to go to the funding deadline, an investor dropped out unexpectedly. With 48 hours to spare, and eye-balling calamity in the face, they got it over the line. It was a siren call for the challenges many start up businesses faced. SEIS was a key part of the process.
SEIS has already provided £1bn of seed capital since 2012. This is a key source of investment for women – we know they receive less than half the capital as men. We know that they are 30% less likely to know investors. And we also know that we are lagging far behind other nations from US and Canada to the Netherlands and Australia.
Sarah’s rallying cry is direct:
“We know that the odds are stacked against women founders already. That’s why we’re calling on the government to take decisive action, enabling women – and a far wider pool of business owners – to be seen, be invested in, and be part of the country’s economic recovery.”
Launched in May, the campaign is off to a flying start. If you’ve travelled across London, you may well have seen the striking poster campaign. It’s been featured in the national press and primetime TV. It’s growing, gaining pace, garnering priceless press column inches and grabbing the attention of those who will make a difference.
So what next for Sarah and her fellow radikls?
Well, it’s more of the same – which is to say more of the different. Championing the cause, empowering fellow entrepreneurs and being as bold and colourful as the Sneinton market wall graffiti which acts as the backdrop to Sarah’s iconic photoshoot.
It would only be right to leave the last word to Sarah (though you can hear plenty more from her on the cool new Radiklist podcast).
“We know we’re attitudinal. But with a name like ours, it would be rather lame not to be. We know we’re ambitious. And audacious. We know we won’t see equality in our lifetime but we bloody well know that we need to seriously start to make it better and create a meaningful legacy.”
You know what? When Sarah talks like that, you know that great things are going to happen. 100%. Watch this space.
HUNGRY FOR MORE HUB CP?
It’s the community we created to celebrate and bring together the most electrifying, rebellious, entrepreneurial minds of our day.
Not too long ago, we welcomed Jenny Campbell, the inimitable ex-Dragon and YourCash founder, for a nugget-filled session as part of our ongoing, never-ending celebration of female leaders and entrepreneurs. Check out the best bits here.
BE THE FIRST TO GET EXCLUSIVE LEADERSHIP INSIGHTS
