The journey from farmer's wife to small business owner

This paper investigates the experiences of women providers of commercial hospitality on working farms in North East England and more specifically their start up motives. An interpretative approach was undertaken to understand the lived experiences of 16 women providing accommodation on their family farm. Thematic analysis was used to elicit the key themes which emerged from personal narratives provided by the women exploring their motives for engaging in farm hospitality and the challenges faced during their journey. Findings from the research suggest complex motives for women providers of commercial hospitality on farms, with a mixture of personal, economic, family and farm business reasons for starting the business. This is relevant for policy makers through identification and understanding of the challenges and barriers experienced by women providers of rural commercial hospitality and the value to them of formal and informal networks of support and guidance during that journey.