Ruth Edwards has partnered with Nottingham University, Obu Invest and the Federation of Small Business (FSB) to celebrate Women’s Enterprise Week.
They co-hosted a networking event at Nottingham University’s Ingenuity Centre for businesswomen from Rushcliffe and further afield.
The event brought together women entrepreneurs to network and take part in discussions about investment, inclusive recruitment, and resilience in business.
Shockingly, only 1% of venture capital funding in the UK goes to businesses founded by women.
Women face specific barriers when starting a business.
Research shows that they are less likely than men to be aware of available incentive schemes and have investor contacts to support them. They are more likely to have care commitments, so have less time to focus on their business.
Empowering women to create their own businesses, will have huge benefits. In 2019, the Government commissioned the Rose Review, which concluded that if the barriers to women entrepreneurs were overcome, it would generate a massive £250 billion across the wider economy.
Ruth, along with Sarah King and Claire Dunn of Obu Invest have already taken a step towards overcoming some of these barriers, when they successfully campaigned to extend the Government’s Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS), which gives tax incentives to investors in start-up businesses. This will give women more time to build up an investor network.
Ruth said:
“It was fantastic to meet the incredible women who attended the event and hear about their experiences of being an entrepreneur.
“Women’s experiences are different from men, that’s why it’s so important that women work together across business, politics and academia to support women entrepreneurs and help create the conditions for them to flourish.
“I really enjoy events like these, women are sometimes not that good at celebrating their own achievements but we are great at celebrating and supporting each other.
“You can see that through the collaboration between the FSB, Obu Invest and the team at Nottingham University both for this event and the launch of the Charter for Inclusive Entrepreneurship in March.”
Sarah King from Obu Invest said:
“Inequality in entrepreneurship and investment is real – we have to have the courage to not shy away from these inequalities but instead to create spaces where we can share experience and learn together.
“It’s been great to hear from these wonderful entrepreneurs from across the region, within different sectors to understand their experiences and to enable us to fuel growth”.
Natalie Gasson-Mckinly of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) said:
“Supporting women in enterprise is not just about empowering individuals; it’s about unleashing the untapped potential that can drive our economy forward.
“With millions of women in the UK aspiring to start businesses, we cannot afford to overlook their ambition and talent.
“By providing them with the necessary support, from career advice to access to finance, we can create a thriving ecosystem that generates thousands of new businesses, jobs, and billions of pounds for our economy.
“It’s time to bridge the gender gap in entrepreneurship, and events like ‘Fuelling Success in Women Founded Businesses’ are crucial platforms to inspire, connect, and equip women-founded businesses with the resources they need to succeed.”
Dr Lorna Treanor, FRSA commented:
“The Haydn Green Institute (HGI), which is part of Nottingham University Business School, are committed to Inclusive Entrepreneurship and are delighted to host this event to support local women entrepreneurs as part of Women’s Enterprise week.
“Research shows women are making a significant contribution to our economy and society but their contribution is still constrained due to gender stereotypes informing bias against women when seeking investment.
“Women are under-represented as entrepreneurs in the East Midlands; we need to back women and hopefully, our Charter for Inclusive Entrepreneurship can aid the development of a more equitable ecosystem that will enable everyone in our community to access effective support and resources for business start-up and growth.”
