Driving diggers, wearing a hard hat, and getting up early to drive to a building site is not every girl's idea of fun and would typically be seen as working in a man's world.
Vicky Flanagan is making waves working in a man's world with her new plant hire business. In February the former plant manager opened her one-woman operation, All Hire Midlands Ltd.
Vicky had been plant manager at Priory Plant Hire for six years. It stocked 40 mini excavators and a similar number of dumpers and backhoe loaders. When the owner of the plant hire company she worked for retired, she bit the bullet and set up her own business.
"I knew in advance that the owner planned to retire and close down the business," said 34-year-old Vicky. "As I had always set my heart on running my own company I saw the opportunity that presented and decided the time was right to go for it."
To get her business off the ground she has just bought two Kubota mini excavators, a couple of high-tip dumpers and picked up a compressor at an auction.
Working in a man's world - what's it like?
"Things are going pretty well." she said. "I have got off to a flying start as most of my former customers have come to me and I have also picked up lots of new business in the local area and beyond.
"I wanted Kubota minis because I have hired them out before and know what good tools they are and how much in demand they are with builders."
Running a plant hire firm is pretty much still a man's world. "I still see the occasional astonished look on a customer's face when I deliver a piece of kit first thing in the morning, but attitudes are changing as people get used to seeing me on site."
She plans to grow the business by adding more varied pieces of plant. "My long-term aim is to become a one-stop-shop for all my customers' needs. With my contacts in the business I can source pretty much everything."
Thanks to Vicky for telling us all about All Hire Midlands and what it's like working in a man's world.