Jayne Dowle: Multi-millionaire women who mean business

There are now at least 72,000 women in the UK with net assets of more than 2.5m, according to Tulip Financial Research. Women like Lucinda Bruce-Gardyne, a mother of three from Edinburgh who developed a gluten-free loaf after her son developed an allergic reaction to bread. Thanks to deals with Starbucks, Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda and Waitrose, she is set to make more than 20m, less than a year after launching her product, the "Genius" loaf.

The one thing that always strikes me about women like Ms Bruce-Gardyne is that they make success out of necessity. Sarah Tremellen is another one. She launched the lingerie company Bravissimo when her bra size ballooned to a G cup after she got pregnant. Frustrated that she couldn't find pretty designs to fit, she devised her own range, and now runs an internationally-renowned business. There is no limit to what women can achieve when they set their mind to it. But whatever strides we have made, the glass ceiling still exists in many professions – the City being one of the major offenders if recent reports are to be believed. Things have changed since our mothers burned their bras to get us equal pay, but not enough.

When I started work, 20 years ago, in a magazine office dominated by older women, most of them agonised over juggling their lives. Reliable childcare was scarce and expensive, male colleagues were often, frankly, neanderthal, and husbands stood out as paragons if they so much as changed a nappy. It's different now – look at Karren Brady, the newly-appointed vice-chairman of West Ham FC, a female pioneer in football management – but for many women, working for yourself is the only way to break free of the shackles of office politics and earn serious money.

We must wake up and recognise that these women are a force to be

reckoned with. Such a force that society is having to change to accommodate them.

Like the two women I've mentioned, many successful female entrepreneurs are mothers. It's becoming increasingly common to find men staying at home to look after the children. But however supportive their husband or partner, mothers need totally reliable childcare. Nurseries and out-of-school clubs have to cater to their working hours, starting early and finishing late.

Traditionalists might not like it, but the great thing is that this creates opportunities for other women to set up their own businesses, delivering what busy women need. Like my two friends who have started running parties offering everything "women want at home".

They recognise that for working women, time is the most precious commodity. So they will turn up at your house, bringing handbags and jewellery to buy, offering to do manicures, pedicures and facials for those who haven't the time to go to a salon. It sounds flippant, like paying someone to come and sort out your knicker drawer, but believe me, there are plenty of women who are so stretched that they never have time to think about themselves.

And never under-estimate what women will spend their money on, especially if they have plenty of disposable income. If Anita Roddick hadn't started out selling face-cream, we wouldn't have had the Body Shop and she wouldn't have become a role model for aspiring women everywhere.

However, young girls still need inspiring with the confidence that they can do it for themselves at the earliest age, so schools have a big responsibility. And political parties must put their money where their mouths are when it comes to offering "support" for fledgling

businesses. Too much hot air and not enough action means that ambitious young women often don't even realise that there are financial support and grants aimed at them. Business support organisations and chambers of commerce must work harder at flagging up opportunities for training and advice.

And what of the future? All those women earning millions of pounds a year want to retire when they want to retire, not when the Government says they should. Obviously, you don't get to be a multi-millionaire without some financial nous, and no doubt their pension pots are stewing away nicely.

But if politicians really want to encourage entrepreneurship, and they all say they do, they must recognise that today's women are independent-minded and don't take kindly to being bossed around.

If you think that 72,000 of them worth at least 2.5m each is

impressive now, just wait until they get into their 60s and 70s. A force to be reckoned with indeed.