SARA WILLIAMS is director of enterprise development at St Helens Chamber. She lives in south Liverpool with her partner, Jeremy, and has worked at the Chamber for three years.

This was her working day:

7am: Start the day – blearily – getting my sons up, although from this September things will be a bit different as my step-son is going to university and my eldest son is busy with his new business venture – The Orchard Restaurant – so it is only my youngest son who will be around. I would love to be able to exercise in the morning but, somehow, the older the boys have got, the less time I seem to have.

8.30am: Meeting with my secretary, Lynsey, without whom it would be really difficult to survive. She organises my diary, helps develop processes and systems to make the department run better, and provides a first point of contact for many businesses and partners who want to get more involved with the Chamber. We plan the week and look at an overview of what needs to happen this month, and who needs to be involved in meetings and activities.

10am: Attend a meeting as representative of Merseyside businesses and chambers on the NWDA 2012 Business Forum. As a Forum, we’re promoting the work that’s going on to help more local businesses to win trade on the back of the Olympics.

12pm: Quick lunch at my desk and catch up with local and national news on the internet – and a bit of eBay, if possible.

12.30pm: Hold one of our regular “keep in touch” meetings with my team of managers. Responsibilities for my department include providing information and documentation services to businesses, supporting them in international trade, encouraging young people to understand business and gain enterprise education and skills, and membership, which is the cornerstone of everything that we do as a chamber.

2.30pm: Attend a meeting to plan for the return of the St Helens Young Leaders, from India. We have helped 22 sixteen-year-olds go to India with Raleigh International to develop their leadership and entrepreneurial skills. They had to undertake rigorous outdoor challenges and raise their own money to take part. I am working with Martin Foulkes, manager of the team, to develop their opportunities to tell decision makers about their experience and hopefully help others to take part in other leadership challenges in the future.

3.30pm: Make phone calls to plan a trip with British chambers to Brussels in October, to take part in a business seminar with MEPs from all over Europe about the need to make EU legislation more small-business friendly.

4.30pm: Meet senior colleagues to work on the strategic plan for the next few years for the Chamber. As a senior manager, it really helps to have fantastic support and the structure on which to build great teams and deliver training and business programmes across St Helens.

5.30pm: Leave work and rush to the Everyman or Playhouse, as I have been involved with the theatres for a number of years and am now part of the fundraising committee for the fantastic new development plans for the Everyman.

9.30pm: Off to salsa dancing with my partner, although we usually only manage a couple of dances before the energy flags completely.