By Barbara Walshe

Whether it was her intention or not, Fiona Price’s business inspirations have always involved women. Fresh out of business school in the 1980s, which she says had an even mix of men and women, she just couldn’t understand that why, on entering the financial workplace, she was often the ‘token’ woman in a room of men.

It was joining professional women’s networks that gave her a peer group and the motivation to set up Fiona Price & Partners Ltd, an IFA aimed at women. Back then, it was a move that her friends and colleagues thought was ‘mad’, but one she pursued nonetheless with critical acclaim. She earned herself the title ‘First Woman of Finance’ from Harpers and Queen and ‘Small IFA of the Year’ in 2003.

Twenty years on from setting up her first business, it’s a similar motivation driving her today. This month, she launches www.diva-biz.com, a members’ website featuring video interviews each month with successful business women – both entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs. The aim is to spread the insights in these womens’ stories and, through forums, also create a peer group support structure.

“We’re looking to motivate women to set up their own business, grow a business or just encourage them to take that next step on the ladder within an organisation. People rarely take action unless they’re moved to do it and this comes through inspiration. You have to have the passion to make life-changing decisions. And this is what the site is all about,” she insists. “It’s getting to what I call the human nature of business. By making a connection with our interviewee’s real life experience at a very personal level, it makes them believable role models”.

As well as inspiring women, Divabiz.com is also a place where they can network – something that women aren’t very good at - according to Price. “If a woman is going to make the time for something that isn’t family or business, then she will often choose something she enjoys, that’s health or fashion orientated. It’s a sort of indulgence but not necessarily the best way to network.”

Divabiz.com is a nod to this. Accessed simply via the Internet, members can dip in and out, choosing to listen to inspiring stories and gain valuable insights any time of the day or night - in the office or at home.

“I think people are ever mindful of how much time they can invest in themselves, especially for those with families and a career. And this is a very efficient way of getting a business fix on a regular basis.” Each video also comes with its own online community allowing members to post comment, generate debate or discussion. “It is networking with women in a national, if not international scale,” she says.

With Price herself conducting the interviews, few stones are left unturned. She explores not only the journeys people have taken but also the guiding philosophies of these women who range from the financial sector to the world of Media, Arts, Academia, and more.

"I wasn’t happy. Being unhappy is something you get very used to. It takes you to be happy to notice how unhappy you’ve been."

“It’s staggering how diverse each business is and how differently women have achieved what they’ve achieved. On common styles, I found that these successful women tend to be very holistic in their approach to business, long-term in their planning, inclusive in their management style and not especially egotistical,” she admits. “They recruit people they think are better than them and give credit to their team rather than accepting it for themselves.”

If Price’s inspiration is along the same lines as her last business, then the rest is a complete departure. Take its online medium. She says she chose the Internet because it is leading edge and fits with people’s lifestyles today. But, just as importantly, it fits with hers.

Back in the days when she ran her IFA, things were very different. She had a premises, 35 staff and lived a 24/7 existence in London. “My friends would say ‘We’d love to see you, but will it be this year or next?’ I was living my life by my watch, 30 minutes for this, 40 minutes for that. I was seeing clients, developing the business and being media spokesperson. I would spend my time running from the Today programme in the morning to ITN at lunchtime and Women’s Hour, responding to stuff that was happening all the time.”

In hindsight, she says: “I wasn’t happy. And being unhappy is something you get used to. It takes you to be happy to notice how unhappy you’ve been.” Finding happiness began again when she sold her business in 2003 and started exploring the concept of work-life balance. She sat on the boards of various companies in an advisory role, moved to the countryside, rode her horses more and, instead of being married to her business, found a partner.

And although she got itchy feet on the business front, the work-life balance bit has stuck. “I’m precious about keeping my balance this time, I worked very hard to get it this way,” she insists. To this end, she will only work from her home in Gloucestershire, which enables her to ride, enjoy the countryside and be in control of her time. Rather than have ‘staff’, she now subcontracts most of the functions of her business (the web, PR and marketing), and only films in London and Cheltenham.

But she’s 100 per cent behind Divabiz and confident of its success. “If I’m inspired by the material, and I’ve actually interviewed the people, then there’s a reasonable chance that others will find it inspiring too!

“The great thing is that I’ve chosen something that I believe in and am passionate about. I don’t have to do it, I want to do it. And like I’ve found with women – everyone, but mostly women – when we’re passionate about something, we are at our best.”

Visit www.divabiz.com from 5 September and sign up to view the site free during the launch period. Enjoy an impressive range of interviews, including one on Coutts & Co chief executive Sarah Deaves.