This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Action to help more women into business
08/03/2005
A new strategy to encourage thousands more women to start up their own business was launched today, as the world celebrates International Women's Day.
Enterprise Minister Jim Wallace launched 'Sharpening the Focus on Women's Enterprise in Scotland ' alongside new research showing the kind of business women would like to start and the constraints they face.
The research identifies for the first time that up to 270,000 women in Scotland aged between 16 and 64 will be 'would be' entrepreneurs at some time in their lives. Currently 34,000 are actively interested in starting out on their own.
Speaking at The Ceramic Experience, a successful and fast growing paint-your-own-pottery business founded in Edinburgh by Anna St Clair, Mr Wallace said:
"It's great to see how many women start and run successful businesses. This makes me more determined than ever to ensure we do all we can to encourage and support this sort of enterprise.
"Already around 11,000 women in Scotland become self employed each year. It is fitting on International Women's Day that we are launching this strategy and setting a new target of 10 per cent more women start ups over the next five years.
"Our top priority is growing the economy. We can only continue to meet this aim if we make the most of the talent of all our people.
"This research shows that while we are making progress we can do more. That is why we are sharpening our focus and setting new targets for supporting more women into business."
Scottish Enterprise's chief executive Jack Perry said:
"International comparison's show the world's most innovative and successful economies have a high percentage of female entrepreneurs.
"Scottish Enterprise has long recognised this and has striven year on year to help women to make a bigger contribution to the growth of the Scottish economy.
"This report will form the cornerstone of our future support to help ensure the aims and aspirations of female entrepreneurs can be met."
Highlands and Islands Enterprise's chief executive Sandy Cumming said:
"This report will help us and our partners to understand the factors behind the current situation and to decide on further positive actions which might be taken to help redress the balance. Culture change is a long journey, but an important step has now been taken".
The report includes new research carried out for the Executive and draws on other material previously published.
It confirms that fewer women than men become self-employed or start their own business. However this is the first time there has been robust and comprehensive research identifying barriers faced by some women in starting and growing their business.
Three main areas - financing, networking and marketing - have been identified for priority action. The enterprise networks are tasked with taking actions forward including:
- Expanded mentoring programme for businesswomen, with national and regional events to enable business women to come together and find out about the support services available to them.
- Expanded funding programme for women into business together with information campaign to ensure they are aware of the financial support available to them.
- Sustained marketing and PR campaigns targeting potential women entrepreneurs.
This builds on work already being done to encourage and support businesswomen in Scotland. This includes the range of services under Women into Business Campaign including Networking, Micro Credit, and Mentoring across the Scottish Enterprise area and the National Unit for Women's Enterprise.
In 2002, Paisley Enterprise Research Centre (PERC) was commissioned to undertake a study examining the feasibility of a centre to promote and support women's enterprise in Scotland. The study was asked to consider the need for such a centre, what functions it would undertake, and what form it should take. It considered support for women in enterprise within the context of key policy categories including: business start-ups; business growth and development; innovation; access to funding; and social inclusion.
The study concluded that there was a need for a dedicated National Women's Unit, based internally within Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. In April 2003, the Scottish Executive directed Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise to establish a National Unit for Women's Enterprise (NUWE).
Following the establishment of the Unit, two broad studies were undertaken. The first phase of this research - led by the Training and Employment Unit of the University of Glasgow and Paisley University - gathered baseline data on the extent of women's enterprise in Scotland, analysed research in this area and examined the issues and constraints facing women who want to establish and grow businesses. The second phase - undertaken by EKOS economic development consultants - explored the coverage and effectiveness of current mainstream and target programmes and funding mechanisms that support the creation and development of businesses in Scotland and, in particular, examined women's use and attitudes to business support and funding. This research has informed the creation of a Women's Enterprise Strategy for the Enterprise Networks which will set out over the next 5 years to increase the number of women starting up in business in Scotland.