26 February 2009
UK’s women entrepreneurs can lead us out of recession
Risk and Reward: the 6th Prowess Annual International
Conference
4-5 March, Blackpool, UK
As the UK’s leading women’s business support professionals
prepare to gather in Blackpool, Prowess releases new research
evidence of the recessionary impact on the UK’s 1 million
female-led firms. Positive evidence points to women business owners
driving a new, more robust feminine enterprise model based on
diligent risk taking and collaboration which take account of wider
social values alongside profits.
Research into the impacts of the downturn carried out in
February across 350 Prowess member organisations records a 40% rise
in enquiries for business advice, and that most women’s businesses
have no debt or well-managed debt. However, a significant reduction
in the availability of bank finance is having a devastating effect
on client firms say Prowess members, and reduced government funding
for specialist support is putting pressure on their advisory and
training services.
Prowess, the UK voice for women’s enterprise, will use its
International Conference on 4th – 5th March to rally the business
support network for urgent action to ensure women business owners
can lead the way out of the recession. Top of the list from
Conference will be a call on the government to remove the blockage
which is being caused by the banks preventing renewals of and
extensions to overdrafts and loans. Prowess members report this as
desperate. A second priority is for the government to design
programmes of support, such as that given to the car industry, to
better reflect the female dimensions of the recession, and thirdly,
Prowess will be looking to forge closer ties with its partners in
the States including keynote speaker Ann Marie Almeida, President
and CEO of the Association of Women's Business Centers, USA, as
together they launch a new international Quality Standard for
Women’s Business Centres². The development of Women’s Business
Centres is a key aspiration of the Government’s Enterprise
Strategy. The quality standard is being piloted with the
support of the Northwest Regional Development Agency.
Erika Watson, Executive Director of Prowess comments: “Women are
showing incredible fighting spirit and are at their most
entrepreneurial in times of economic change. They have led the
diversification of the rural economy over the last 20 years and
they will do it again. But female dominated sectors like retail,
hospitality and services are in the eye of the economic storm and
so far government support has been focused on male led industries.
Women are calling for strong local business support services in
equal measure to access to finance and a clear acknowledgment
from the government of the economic role they can play. In an
uncertain, highly fragile business world women are innovative and
adaptive, empathetic and responsive, great communicators and
jugglers. They are risk aware and with the right support they are
set to lead the way with their particular business approach.”
This year’s conference speakers include writer and academic
Professor Germaine Greer; entrepreneurs Deidre Bounds and Lucy
Martin; former British Chambers of Commerce President and business
owner Isabella Moore and Sonia Brown, Director of the National
Black Women’s Network.
Host sponsor is the Northwest Regional Development Agency. Chief
Executive Steven Broomhead says: “Increasing the number of women in
enterprise is a crucial economic imperative for our regional and
national economies and we are committed to encouraging more women
to start and grow successful businesses. Business women create
strong role models for younger generations and enterprise enables
more women to become economically empowered – particularly in
disadvantaged communities. It is an economic and a social issue –
and never more so important than at the present time.”
ENDS
Media contact:
Louise Third, Integra Communications: 0115 912 4350 / 07773
288342