The campaign aims to put in place measures to tackle the everyday challenges entrepreneurs face and showcase ‘real-life’ entrepreneurs across all sections of society. everywoman has joined the campaign to particularly encourage more women to set-up businesses.
everywoman and the FSB believe the Government should put in place a target to accelerate the number of women running businesses by 100,000 over the next 10 years. In the UK, 150,000 start-ups would be created per year if women started businesses at the same rate as men.
Emma Elston runs UK Container Maintenance Limited and is one of the 2010 NatWest everywoman Award winners, as well as one of this campaign’s Real-Life Entrepreneurs. Emma says: “When I was at school the thought of running my own business had never occurred to me and I didn’t know many women that were entrepreneurs. That’s why I think it’s so important that female role models actually go into schools to mentor young women. I’m proud to be doing just that as one of everywoman’s Modern Muses.”
The FSB’s Real-Life Entrepreneurs campaign provides solutions to some of the biggest challenges enterprises face, including finance, cash-flow, tax and regulation and also looks at the diverse and specific needs of other groups in society with untapped entrepreneurial spirit.
As well as a focus on encouraging more women, the campaign also spotlights, young people, the over-50s, those with disabilities, ex-armed forces personnel and those who are currently living on benefits.
Maxine Benson, co-founder of everywoman comments: “The Real-Life Entrepreneurs campaign is a force for good in overcoming barriers to setting-up a business. We know through work with our members, challenging and changing mindsets is the key to supporting women to achieve in business. By addressing the business issues and providing real-life role-models, the campaign is balancing the practical and inspirational.”
John Walker, National Chairman, Federation of Small Businesses, said: “We are really pleased to be working with everywoman in our Real-Life Entrepreneurs campaign. The Government wants to see the private sector pick up the slack from public sector job losses and with a large number of female employees working in the sector as well as large numbers of women already unemployed it is really important that setting up their own business is seen as an option.”
For more information visit: www.everywoman.com
