WOMEN’S BIG TREK

Southland Times, Issue 22207, 27 December 1933, Page 8

WOMEN’S BIG TREK

HOME TO THE OFFICE. HUSBANDS AS PARTNERS. Latest figures of new companies registered at Somerset House, says a London newspaper, show that 1933 has been the year of the big trek of women from the home to the office. Thousands of new businesses have been registered this year by women in all walks of life. Some of these new firms have a capital of hundreds of thousands of pounds.

The figures also show that husbands now no longer look on wives as lifepartners only. Thousands of husbands have started business this year with their wives as business partners also. A. business registration expert has given some remarkable facts and figures about women in business. “More than £7,000,000 has been invested by women in new companies this year,” he said, “and by the end of the year,” the figure will be about £10,000,000. This represents about 2000 new businesses with a total complement of 3000 women directors.

“These figures, however, would be greatly increased if they included the large number of wives, mothers and sisters who have become directors of new companies together with their menfolk. Every week women are registering scores of new firms and most weeks see the names of society women who have started off in the hope of making money; for instance, recently a jewellery business was started by Cherry, Lady Poynter.” A perusal of firms now being run by women reveals the immense scope and variety of their money-making activities. Women have recently become builders, architects, brokers, farmers, moneylenders, chartered accountants, pawnbrokers, decorators, dentists, sales consultants, engineers, commission agents, investment dealers, aircraft engineers, and, in addition, women have recently started concerns in which they are directors of food factories, cinemas, electrical works, textile factories, omnibus firms and furniture factories.