6 minute read
WOMEN IN BUSINESS
Encouraging entrepreneurship
Ken Skates AM looks at the role of women in the North Wales economy, and asks what the Welsh Government can do to encourage even more female entrepreneurs…
With the recent celebration of International Women’s Day on 8th March it is fitting to look at the contribution of women to the economy and what more we can do to encourage women entrepreneurs in Wales.
In the Welsh Government we want to see a Wales that promotes inclusive growth, creates opportunity and tackles inequality, as well as creating the right environment to enable entrepreneurs and businesses to grow and prosper.
We know that across the UK the under-representation of women in business is well documented. This means women are not achieving their full economic potential and the Welsh economy is missing out on the even greater contribution they could make in terms of job creation and innovation.
As well as being important for growth and employment generation, entrepreneurship is widely regarded as a strong basis for women’s economic independence.
By encouraging, supporting and increasing women’s participation in entrepreneurship, we can have a positive impact on the economy of Wales. Doing this can promote opportunity, tackle inequality and deliver individual and national prosperity.
We want to see more women start-up businesses and I want to ensure we help them overcome any barriers in achieving this. To help deliver this we have established an Expert Panel, chaired by Caroline Thompson of Alacrity supported by Alys Carlton, Capital Law as vice chair, together with individuals from the business support community. The panel has reviewed how Wales can better support women entrepreneurs and has proposed an approach, which is underpinned by a Good Practice Guide.
The guide provides practical advice on how to deliver a more gender focussed approach to providing business advice,
“Town Square Spaces is committed to encouraging diversity and eliminating discrimination in both its role as an employer and service provider, documents like the Good Practice Guide support our continual improvement process and allows us to enhance our programmes with solid research. A success for us has been growing our women audience significantly by being more mindful of our tone in social media posts, a small point from the guide, but has ensured our messages are accessible to all.”
“On a daily basis I meet women with amazing business ideas facing obstacles when trying to get ahead – from limits on time due to caring for children or elderly parents, to a general lack of self-belief because of age-old stereo types. I’m happy to help in any way I can to knock down these barriers and help shape and support inspiring role models for the future.”
Diane Howard, engagement partner, Chwarae Teg and member of North Wales Sub group
accessing finance, mentoring, networking and more. There is also a supplementary guide in production focussing on best practice in operating enterprise hubs.
I call on business support organisations, financial institutions and stakeholders in Wales to adopt a more gender-focused approach and to show their support by following the Good Practice Guide.
For example, I know that Town Square Spaces at the Wrexham Enterprise Hub has been using this guide.
It helped them identify key areas where they could further their support. This led to the creation of courses such as Women in Business, a female led eight-week workshop, with all workshops delivered by women entrepreneurs. There have also been sessions on Starting a Social Enterprise, and Meet the Mentor.
They have worked closely with key partners such as NatWest and the Lloyds Banking Group to deliver a series of Women in Business one day events.
Events have included a seminar with Business Wales for ambitious women which was held at the Hub. It featured talks from experts on a diverse range of subjects, whilst stalls hosted by digital and business support mentors provided access to helpful resource and information. There’s a lot of great work going on in North Wales. A sub group has been established to take this work forward in the region, chaired by Ruth Lloyd-Williams of Network She. It is working closely with Business Wales looking at innovative ways to encourage women entrepreneurs and breakdown the barriers they experience.
The sub group includes passionate representatives from a variety of sectors including finance and academia as well as entrepreneurial women themselves. The group are actively applying the Good Practice Guide to bring about positive change in their own organisations, recruiting female role models and acting as advocates to spread the word.
It’s important for organisations to showcase what they do, and what they can do to improve support for women entrepreneurs, spreading the word and encouraging others to take part By encouraging, supporting and increasing the number of women entrepreneurs we will help create a Wales that is prosperous and economically secure, and make Wales a country that leads the way for women entrepreneurs to start, grow and develop their business.
I am determined that we explore all avenues so that everyone in Wales is able to reach their full potential, and the work to encourage women entrepreneurs is an integral part of that ambition. There’s a wealth of information and assistance out there and I would encourage anyone who’s thought about starting their own business to reach out and take that first step. You will find plenty of support on your journey. n
Ken Skates AM is the Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales. He is responsible for entrepreneurship, enterprise and business information throughout the region, as well as supporting the establishment, growth and development of businesses in North Wales.
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