Enterprise & Business
Women in Business
Encouraging women in enterprise
Encouraging more women into business and making it easier for them to fulfil their business potential within Greater Cambridge is a priority for the GCP.
For a variety of reasons, it can be more difficult for women to start up and run a business in the UK than in comparable economies. According to the DTI, “If we had the same rate of female-owned start-ups as in the US we would create 150,000 more businesses per annum.” In 2003 the UK ranked seventh in a study of 14 G7 and EU countries. The gap between male and female entrepreneurship is still wider than in Canada, the US, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and Italy.
Identifying the issues
As a starting point to address the barriers, the GCP funded a report to map the different support groups and resources available to women and to consider
how these could be joined together to form a much more coherent and robust support framework. The report was undertaken by St John’s Innovation
Centre and published in January 2007.
Download the Mapping The Support for Female Entrepreneurs and Women Returners In The Greater Cambridge Area
The report included:
- A mapping study of the women’s business support groups currently operating in Greater Cambridge to assess current provision, identify gaps, and how those gaps could be filled
- Analysis of international case studies that provide insight into best practice and what can be achieved with the right infrastructure in place. An example included Astia (formally The Women’s Technology Cluster) in San Francisco.
- Recommendations on the next steps required to develop an effective network to improve support for women in business across Greater Cambridge
A framework for action
A new GCP sub-group has been set up and is taking the programme forward. The working party meets three times a year.
Key action points for the group include plans to:
- Develop a gateway to information and resources, making it easier for women to find the support they need; the idea is not to replace existing support networks but to complement them within a dedicated Greater Cambridge support framework that makes all services easier to access
- Establish an East of England umbrella group for Women in Science Engineering and Technology (SET)
- Develop a campaign to promote best practice among Greater Cambridge companies in the drive to encourage ‘family friendly employment’ policies
- Explore a range of tactics to better understand the issues that impact on women in business and ensure their needs are more effectively met.
Who do I contact for more information?
Contact cathy.taylor@cambridgeshire.gov.uk
Tel: 01223 718533
View the East of England Women’s Enterprise Strategy 2005-08 here.
View the Women in Business relevant websites
