Women and enterprise

We know that having confidence, self esteem and motivation are essential for starting up in business.  Statistics show that 6% of females are self employed in Yorkshire and Humber, compared to 7.5% as the UK average.  In 2007, 24% of business start ups in the region were female, compared to 76% male owned.

We need to bridge this gap and promote women's enterprise in the region to develop those to become more enterprising employees or explore the option of self employment.

Review of Rotherham Children’s Centres

In response to the BIS White Paper, Enterprise: Unlocking the UK’s Talent, published in March 2008, we developed a pilot project focused on “pre-pre-start-up enterprise” outreach support. 

Acting as strategic facilitator of the pilot we brought together partners including Business Link Yorkshire and worked with community organisation GROW. 

The pilot has been supported and facilitated by Rotherham Council where it has been trialled in 4 Children’s Centres in the borough.  It has also been supported by Jobcentre Plus, with BIS taking a keen interest in developments nationally.

The Review of Rotherham Children's Centres summarises the activity and outcomes and identifies best practice.

Forward Ladies

Forward Ladies is a networking and support organisation for women entrepreneurs in the Yorkshire & Humber region. Having started with just 5 members in 2005, the group has grown to almost 3,000 members.

Funded by Yorkshire Forward, the aim of Forward Ladies is to stimulate an enterprising culture among women and to promote self-employment and business start-up.

Forward Ladies offers a networking platform for potential and current women entrepreneurs to share ideas and best practice. It also offers members coaching, training and business support, as well as the unique opportunity to participate in international trade missions.

For more information about Forward Ladies and on how to become a member, please visit the Forward Ladies website.