Women’s Enterprise in the Northwest

There are roughly 680,000 majority women-owned businesses in the UK generating around £45 Billion to Gross Value Added, according to the Department of Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS). However there is considerable room for improvement as male entrepreneurship still far out weighs levels of female entrepreneurship both nationally and regionally.

The National Enterprise Strategy includes several initiatives aimed at encouraging female entrepreneurship. Two of these initiatives are currently being piloted in the Northwest:

• Women’s Business Centres (based on the US Women’s Business Centre model)
• Enterprise Awareness (media campaign led by Make Your Mark)

More information on business strategy and policy.

Northwest Women’s Enterprise Forum

In 2004, the NWDA established the Northwest Women’s Enterprise Forum. The Forum continues to act as a strategic advisory group seeking to increase the number of women starting up and growing their own businesses in the region. The Forum's prospectus provides an overview of their aims and objectives along with information on its members and the current Women's Enterprise agenda. 

The main aim of the Forum is to create an environment in which women within the Northwest have the skills, confidence, support and opportunities to make an equal contribution to economic prosperity. To this end, in 2008 they produced a Northwest Women’s Enterprise Action Plan.

Women’s Enterprise Action Plan

The Women’s Enterprise Action Plan sets out the direction of the Forum over the next three years. It supports the initiatives set out in the Government's recent Enterprise Strategy and the Northwest Enterprise Strategy. An Executive Summary of the Action Plan is also available.

SPARK: Women’s Enterprise Ambassador Campaign

The Women's Ambassador Enterprise Campaign was launched in June 2007 to create a national network of female entrepreneur volunteers. It aims to encourage and promote a culture of women’s enterprise whether by encouraging women to start a business or social enterprise, or by making an innovative idea happen at work.

More information about how you can get involved in SPARK in the Northwest.

The Campaign

• Focuses on key stages of women’s lives including younger women, women who have just had children and are taking stock of their future work plans and women whose children may now have left home
• Works with women in their communities, through education and in specific industries to inspire more women to start their own businesses

The Women's Enterprise Ambassador Campaign was Phase 1 of the Northwest Ambassador Programme, which is being rolled out across a number of business areas.

Northwest Women in Business Awards

The 3rd Annual Northwest Women in Business Awards 2010 were held at Ribby Hall, Lancashire on January 29th. The event was attended by 250 guests from across the region and awards were presented in five categories including the specialist sector award which this year focused on the Creative and Digital Sector. These awards are part of an ongoing project to develop women's enterprise in the Northwest and help to give recognition to women in business throughout the Northwest and reward the huge contribution that they make to the regional economy.

The Awards are organised by the Northwest Women’s Enterprise Forum (NWWEF) and both celebrate the achievements of the women who are running some of the region’s most successful and innovative businesses and inspire more women to consider enterprise as a career.

• Winners of the Northwest Women in Business Awards 2010

Business Support

If you are thinking of setting up a business or are looking for advice to help your existing business grow, contact Business Link Northwest

By phone: 0845 00 66 888
By email: info@businesslinknw.co.uk
Online at www.businesslinknw.co.uk

Business Link has a dedicated Women in Business section.

More information about Business Link Northwest.

Women's Enterprise Facts

• The total percentage of women over the age of 16 in business in the Northwest is 3.9%. (Office of National Statistics 2009)
• Female entrepreneurs make up 25% of all business owners in the Northwest region. (Office of National Statistics 2009)
• The percentage of total female early-stage entrepreneurship in the Northwest has grown from 1.5% in 2002 to 3.4% in 2008. (Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2008)
• Women who have undergone some for of enterprise training are twice as likely to be engaged in entrepreneurial activity (Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2005)
• 98% of the women who chose to participate in the National Council of Graduate Entrepreneurship Flying Start programme did so because it was women only. (National Council of Graduate Entrepreneurship 2007)