P657 Teletext 657 Nov 3 23:42:18 ————————————————————————————— FROM CHIPS TO, ER, CHIPS! The winner of the 1995 Options/Mercury Working Women Mean Business Award left school at 14 with no qualifications. For ten years, Hilde Bartlett ran a chippie with her husband. Now she deals in a different sort of chip. Her company Silicon Valley plc has an annual turnover of £6million and she sells bespoke software systems to clients who include Siemans, British Aerospace and the Ministry of Defence. ——————————————————————————————————1/4—— Mike Drummond 656 On-line 650 JOBS IN YOUR REGION p368 (ITV) Education Careers Finance JobsP657 Teletext 657 Nov 3 23:34:24 ————————————————————————————— FROM CHIPS TO, ER, CHIPS! If you'vj flown safely into Brussels recently, you'vj got Hildj Bartlett and her Silicon Valley group to thank. It's one of their software systems that harmonises European Air Traffic Control Hilde's suitably reticent about what she does for the MoD! Nine years ago, she knew nothing about IT, but as one of her daughters put it: "I think my mother was looking for a challenge after her parenting duties!". ——————————————————————————————————2/4—— Have you got a business success story? Call SERENA on 0171 386 3663 and you could feature on KICKSTART. Education Careers Finance JobsP657 Teletext 657 Nov 3 23:11:46 ————————————————————————————— FROM CHIPS TO, ER, CHIPS! Nine years ago Hilde Bartlett sold the family fish and chip shop and went on a self-development course. "I was unhappy with my life" Hildj told Teletext. With £10,000 to invest, she went into business with a friend who ran a technical employment agency. "I thought, 'Hey, I like this, I can do this." she said. Silicon Valley plc 01252 877778 ——————————————————————————————————3/4—— Mike Drummond 656 On-line 650 LEARN A NEW LANGUAGE ON CD-ROM! p663 Education Careers Finance JobsP657 Teletext 657 Nov 3 23:37:22 ————————————————————————————— $HINGING OF STARTING A BUSINESS? Get advice from your local Training And Enterprise Council (Local Enterprise Company in Scotland). Find it in the phone book. The Benefits Agency produces a booklet on self-employment covering national insurance and social security benefits. 16-25? Contact Livewire 0191 261 5584 and Prince's Youth Business Trust 0171 321 6500. ——————————————————————————————————4/4—— Have you got a business success story? Call SERENA on 0171 386 3663 and you could feature on KICKSTART. Education Careers Finance Jobs