PETRA VAN SCHAYIK

PETRA VAN SCHAYIK, is co-owner of Compumatica secure networks.
She studied a combination of technical and business administration. After finishing my studies, I worked for Digital Equipment, in the IT business, as account manager. When I got children I was not allowed to work part-time, so I moved to what is now Fortis. That is where I got my background in finance.

It started out with 1 person in 1992, now there are 35.  We are a privately owned company. We have turnover of 6 million euro. We have no bank loans or external financial participation.
No interested at this moment, work gives too much fun and satisfaction to both shareholders and managers. But you never know if an offer comes you can’t refuse, I would like to stay in the company and focus more on export opportunities.

Neelie Kroes. She is a very powerful woman, I am impressed with how she is acting in Europe. She is a good businesswoman.

That seems to be the normal pattern. So I think a female entrepreneur should be really independent, even more independent than a man.  Because for a man it is normal and accepted, as a female entrepreneur you have to be more powerful.

That you believe in what you are doing. The other thing I would advice is, when you start, stay with both legs on the ground. Use you reason but most of all, use your intuition. If you don’t have a gut feeling that something is right, if you meet someone that you do not trust, or if there is something you do not feel right about, do not go ahead with it.