The organizer

Coordination and organization are in Ruth Hardegger-Wickli's blood. For years, the business economist managed communications projects in the railroad business. At SBB, she was communications manager and deputy editor-in-chief of Sbb.ch, after which she moved to BLS as multimedia project manager. At the same time, Ruth Hardegger-Wickli managed the "Project Family" together with her husband. Three times a week, she had to make sure that the external childcare worked. She delivered the offspring early in the morning, was in the office during the day, and returned to her role as mother in the evening. As long as all the cogs meshed, the system worked. As soon as one of them broke down, for example if a child became ill, the machinery came to a standstill. It was during this time that Ruth's husband Sascha Hardegger came up with the idea of founding his own company. An agency that helps women balance work and family by allowing them to flexibly schedule their work and work from home. While Ruth Hardegger- Wickli was still working for BLS, the communications professional began to set up the company in his spare time. He developed the company's image and drummed up interest among companies. Things really took off in 2010, when Ruth Hardegger- Wickli's temporary contract with BLS expired and she took over the management of Etextera. Hiring female copywriters was still the easiest part of building the business. "We receive weekly requests from women who want to write for us."

The customers, on the other hand, had to be worked harder. Small companies often lack the money to have their texts written externally, or they are less aware of what a bad text can do. As a result, Etextera's customer base today includes mainly large and medium-sized companies, such as Allianz Suisse, Wago Contact, the canton of Basel-Landschaft, Local.ch and the Migros Club School." The latter commissioned Etextera to rewrite the texts for its new website. "A totally cool assignment," enthuses Hardegger-Wickli. When writing the texts, the agency not only had to match the style of the Klubschule, but also do justice to the character of the respective course offerings. Everything was included, from language or IT training to dance lessons and cooking courses. Search engine optimization was an additional criterion.

While Hardegger-Wickli still diligently picked up the keys herself during the start-up phase, the CAS PR editor now leaves this to her "ladies". "They write much more efficiently than I do. Hardegger-Wickli's strength clearly lies in the organizational area. As managing director, she is the interface between the clients and the freelancers. From her home office in Schmitten in the canton of Fribourg, she coordinates inquiries, selects the right copywriters and takes over project management. She also organizes the placement of presenters as well as text and social media training for clients.

Hardegger-Wickli is the figurehead of Etextera - and the agency's guarantor of quality. "No text goes out for us without me proofreading it," says the managing director. She checks whether a text is written to the point, whether the message comes across as intended by the company, and whether the text is suitably formulated for the target group: in one case, whether the text intended for specialists does justice to the terminology, in the other, whether the "technical jargon" has been translated in such a way that it is also understandable for the layperson.

Loose fluffy

Hardegger-Wickli presents herself in a light-hearted manner. On the website, she not only presents herself in a business outfit, but also in a leisure outfit - or rather in a sports outfit. We're not a prim and proper agency," she says. I don't go to client meetings in deux pièce."

However, her relaxed attitude should not obscure the fact that Hardegger-Wickli's work is strictly structured and thoroughly organized. "With Ruth Hardegger-Wickli, you have a reliable partner at your side," says Franziska Rodel, executive assistant at the software manufacturer Diartis, for example. "She maintains an overview at all times - no matter how chaotic things get." Hardegger-Wickli tries to help her clients move forward. If something seems suboptimal to her, she intervenes. Her clients appreciate this. "Ruth Hardegger-Wickli gives clear feedback and makes suggestions for improvement - even without being asked " says Manfred Lehmann, Marketing Manager at the technology company Wago Contact. "I see my function as an advisory one." And with this approach, Etextera has gone from a text-only assignment to a larger project several times. The software company Diartis, for example, only wanted its product sheets and customer magazine revised. In the end - with the help of a second agency - a new overall appearance was realized. A festive magazine of a regional bank, which was actually only to be edited, was finally completely revised. "Anything else would have been a waste of money."

Yes, can women write?

The fact that whoever hires Etextera is in women's hands interests some very much, others not at all. "For us, the flexibility and speed of the agency was decisive. Whether it was a woman or a man in the background was secondary," says Lehmann. For other companies, the door opens for Etextera precisely because of the agency's philosophy. "Basically, Etextera's idea of supporting women meets with goodwill from many clients," explains Ruth Hardegger-Wickli. "Companies can indirectly promote women through us, that's clear. In the end, however, it's only performance that counts." The agency manager knows exactly in which cases she can use her model for marketing purposes - and when she prefers to focus on other arguments. Hardegger-Wickli's most important selling point is never the advancement of women. Rather, she emphasizes the advantages for clients that result from the size and diversity of the text agency. With over 20 female editors and copywriters, Etextera brings together expertise from a wide range of fields. The large network also makes it possible to execute orders in the shortest possible time.

As appealing as Etextera's philosophy is to some, in some cases the "women's bonus" turns into the opposite. "Yes, can the women also do something or do they just look good?" Hardegger-Wickli is well aware of the clichés. She is not impressed by them. "As a woman, you experience that kind of thing everywhere." Ruth Hardegger-Wickli is often asked whether fathers are welcome at Etextera. In each case, she says elegantly, "We want to remain true to our philosophy." For the time being, the only man on board will be her husband Sascha Hardegger, the "token man". Nor are there any plans to open another office in Bern or Zurich in addition to the headquarters in Schmitten. "We came to the conclusion that a second location is not necessary at the moment." Ruth Hardegger-Wickli communicates with customers and employees primarily by mail and telephone. "And otherwise, I'm quickly in Bern or Zurich by train. Or in Landquart." Hardegger-Wickli remains true to the home office model. After the regular jobs, the managing director enjoys the freedom she has gained. Being able to organize her working hours more flexibly, drive her children to training sessions or help them with their homework means a lot to her. The managing director is happy to accept the fact that one or the other evening off is lost for this.

Hardegger-Wickli brings the necessary discipline to the home office with ease. She also demands the same from her female employees. "I don't care when the women write their texts. They just have to deliver on time. " As strict as the managing director shows herself to be on the one hand, she can be just as understanding on the other. If her ladies are in a difficult situation privately, Hardegger- Wickli always has an open ear. "My female employees know that they can also talk to me about children or family. "She can empathize with what it means when a child is sick - or there is a bottleneck in care. Then, once again, her organizational skills are in demand.

Isabel Imper