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The four of us met through work and networking within housing. As we had all set up consultancies within the past two years, it seemed logical to set up 4 Unlimited, an umbrella organisation.

We all still work for our own individual companies, but the network gives us greater control over our working environment, more flexibility in hours and working time, plus increased opportunities to get involved in a range of work.

For our clients, we can provide a wider range of services and resource all sizes of commissions. We share resources and work together on joint projects. For example, we recently held a networking event in Manchester. We were able to share the costs of the event, launching the network with a wide variety of contracts within the housing and regeneration field.

We have become involved in a greater diversity of work because we operate within different specialisms, including housing strategy, housing management, supported housing, regeneration and development.

Our recent projects have involved interim management assignments as well as advising clients on tenant support, housing strategies asset management, preparation for inspection and Supporting People.

As women, we feel we are more likely to be clear about our strengths and weaknesses – and source relevant solutions and answers for clients – from our shared skills and knowledge base.

We have already carried out a number of joint projects over the past 12 months that benefited from collaboration with organisations with differing expertise.

We don't want to be like the "vanity consultants" that are around for two or three years then disappear. We want to be in business for a long time: being part of a network provides a degree of stability in terms of the range of work and potential for expansion within the sector.

The idea of retaining the control you get with self-employment but having a support network to tap into when needed was what appealed to us most. Being self-employed can be isolating and takes a particular mindset – as part of 4 Unlimited we can give each other support.

We know it's a cliché, but we feel confidence can be an issue for women. By working together in this way, we are able to provide a forum for discussing our professional approach, ensuring that we focus on the brief and client expectations.