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WORKING WOMAN: Tameka Archer

THE COST of living is rising and for many, the looming cost of rent, council tax, food shopping and childcare is a recurring battle that casts a shadow over a happy work/life balance.

Single mother Tameka Archer decided to take control of that and customise a life that supported her work and family life values. In May 2017 she set up her own business, Meka Marketing, and employed a team of creative and experienced professionals.

Having worked for over a decade in large multi-million pound corporate enterprises, the demands of lone motherhood and an executive role began to take it is toll.

“As a single mother earning a respectable salary, there is sense of accomplishment attached to it. The only problem is that with such independence, the buck always stops with you,” she says.

“Constantly having to weigh up the cost of job security, the cost of living, childcare and most importantly the cost of not having enough quality time with loved ones is draining.”

Archer set up Meka Marketing, which specialises in innovative and digital marketing strategies and solutions for start-ups and SME’s based on her credentials and expertise.

Tameka Archer with her daughter Gabrielle

This new endeavour allowed her the opportunity to make a difference in the world of business and also the life of her child through being readily available to attend school events, plays and nurturing her development.

The rise of flexible working patterns has been propelled to new heights as more and more employers have steered towards a notion that increases engagement, moral, productivity and retention among staff.

Having noted the impact that flexible working has made in her own life, she has installed it as a core value for her own organisation and now employs a team with various flexible working patterns that in turn still compliment the functioning and execution of key business objectives.

“Employers who embrace flexible working have seen a positive change in engagement and commitment to the organisation and staff turnover. Through happy and satisfied staff, they can position themselves as an employer of choice, as staff feel like they have more control, achieving greater performance at times when an individual is at their most energetic and focused,” says Archer.

“Overall the pros out way the cons and with more employers and organisation like this we are guaranteed to see rise in inspired, happy, balanced and productive workforces,” she concludes.

The UK self-employment figures are at an all-time high, and more and more single mothers are joining this path, contributing valued skills and service to the economy and the wider community.

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