‘I conduct my own orchestra’: Why more women than ever are starting UK businesses

Tameeka Smith left her director position at a charity to found her own mentoring and coaching company. Photograph: Martin Godwin/The Guardian

Tameeka Smith resigned as director of a well-known youth charity in 2019 after realising that being her own boss was more important to her than the security of being an employee.

Now the founder and director of Trimenco CIC, a nonprofit training, mentoring and coaching company, Smith has never been happier. “My wake-up moment was when the voice inside my head saying, ‘It’s time to leave’ was suddenly louder than the one saying, ‘You’ve got bills to pay,’” she said.