When the woman who created a milliner's miracle throws her hat into the ring of the Evening Press Business Awards 2000, RON GODFREY, business editor, takes notice.

SHE'S the matriarch of farmers' wives: the woman who taught them how to use their heads. Or rather how to use other people's heads.

She's Beryl Otley of Get Ahead Hats, who between sheep shearing and lambing on her 90 acres at Dutton Farm on the A59 out of York near Hessay began a pin-money millinery venture that took off as a rapidly-growing national hire-or-sell franchise generating gaspworthy profits. Eleven now in her co-operative of farmers wives...three more planned next year.

Judges in our Evening Press Business Awards 2000 are at the very least likely to tip their titfers in the direction of bubbly Beryl who has entered four out of the competition's eight categories.

These include Small Business of the Year, Growth Business of the Year, Progress Through People Award and Best Innovative Use of New Technology, but the odds are she will also be seriously considered, by default, for our Personality of the Year Award.

After all, by starting her own franchiser company she proved to farm-bound women that with hat attack there really is a way through the agricultural depression.

Back in 1985 when her eldest daughter was engaged to be married she had a tough time finding a quality wedding hat in a range of styles and at a reasonable price. So she researched marketing, production and availability of millinery and developed a viable and simple system to hire and sell upmarket headgear.

The following year, on a small budget, she launched herself into the world of fashion "with all the enthusiasm of an 18-year-old," she recalls.

She converted a bedroom into a display area, then two bedrooms - and in 1996, with a small business grant from North Yorkshire County Council, she completed conversion of an adjoining farm building into a high class showroom.

Sales and profits increased annually even during the recession of the late 1980s and early 1990s. It was, she notes, achieved "with half the opening hours of the normal high street outlet. This, therefore, fitted in well with a family and a busy farmer's lifestyle."

She adds incredulously: "My fame was spreading. Get Ahead Hats needed support as we had one or two serious inquiries asking for help in setting up a similar business. This, my husband, Barry, felt could increase further the profitability of the company."

Early in 1994 Barry sold his own business which was franchise/marketing oriented and having time to look at Get Ahead Hats' audited accounts he realised the huge potential of developing further outlets at a time when farmers' desperate need to diversify was intensifying

With his thorough knowledge of quality management systems, Barry set about writing what is now the company's 100 page training manual and in 1995 two pilot franchises popped up - on the East Coast in February and in Lancashire in April.

Now there are 11, each employing at least 30 part-time and full-time staff, with three more planned by spring next year. All franchises are projected to be in trading profit the first year with total payback in two or three years, with many customers travelling more than 50 miles to make purchases. Most of the ventures are operated by farmers' wives on a five-year renewable licence.

Beryl says that the whole process is given an extra fillip by the keenness of many major banks to finance prospective franchisees who are better placed to succeed "because they are in business for themselves but not by themselves."

As a co-operative, training and development are paramount. "Two weekend sessions are run annually involving all the ladies and day-to-day training is on offer through the manual, fax, phone and e-mail."

Training includes how to run a business at low cost with high profit, with advertising and promotion mainly by word of mouth and talks to women's groups.

She has just received their first-ever full colour brochure which lists every relevant postal, e-mail and website address.

Management information systems monitor and predict future trends and a North Yorkshire TEC diagnostic report recommended installation of technology which is now in place, with identical and compatible systems set up for licensees.

And Beryl's success will continue, not just because she has a niche market, or because exclusive hats are crafted by an in-house designer, or because there are some 3,500 hats to choose from across all the franchises... but because local government, supported by the European Community has provided £1.6 billion, starting in 2001, for diversification and rural development. Most new Get Ahead Hats businesses will be able to pitch for their share.

And it will grow because it really is a way through. Beryl says: "At a time when we hear nothing but negative comments on the agricultural scene this opportunity is an oasis in a desert of gloom."