Case studies: TIPS Ltd.

Sharon Trotter suffered years of “el-boy” jokes, but her name came into its own when she launched her company, Trotters Independent Publishing Services Ltd in 2004.

Sharon is a trained midwife and her two passions are breastfeeding and baby skincare. She wrote a book, Breastfeeding: the essential guide, benefiting from the offer of a foreword by celebrity Anne Diamond, and published it herself in 2004. The book became a bestseller on amazon.co.uk.

Sharon also promotes the exclusion of certain chemicals from skincare products marketed at babies. As a result, new baby skincare guidelines have been introduced by NHS Ayrshire & Arran and the local maternity unit no longer uses these products. She currently advises Halo GB, a safe baby skincare company that has featured on Channel 4’s Make me a Million.

Sharon has attended many Women into Business events since 2001. She said: “I can’t emphasise enough how much the encouragement and support has contributed to my success. If I can do it, anyone can. All you need is determination and self-belief.”