Women's Enterprise Ambassadors
“One thousand female entrepreneurs are being recruited to inspire more women to set up their own business.”
Margaret Hodge MP, Minister for Industry and the Regions, March 2007
Despite some progress in recent years, the gap between male and female entrepreneurship in the UK remains stubbornly wide – men are still almost twice as likely to start businesses as women, and the gap is wider still for young women. The Women’s Enterprise Ambassadors Network has been set up to give more women the self belief, confidence and support to start their own businesses.
By volunteering you are joining a network of activists that will make a difference in engaging with women across all sections of our society. This approach is designed at creating a more inclusive entrepreneurial culture and assisting in boosting the rates of female entrepreneurship in the UK. We need this to happen now for our future economic well-being. Your role in helping us to towards achieving this is vital.
A women’s experience of running a business in the early years can be very different from their male counterparts, making it more important for women to have peer group contact, access to networks and high quality pre-start up support.
Ambassadors to be pro-active in inspiring other women in local communities, through one-to-one engagement, networks and business sectors to believe “yes I can do that”.
The benefits of instilling this “can do” attitude are enormous. There would be seven hundred thousand more business in the UK if we matched US levels of female entrepreneurship.
Could you be an Ambassador?
Are you a successful female entrepreneur? Do you believe that your experiences could help to inspire other women in starting their own businesses? If yes, please consider volunteering as an ambassador.
What does an Ambassador do?
Ambassadors will be pro-active in their local and business communities, engaging other women with the stories of their own successes and inspiring other women through sharing experiences of starting, running and growing a business.
There are a variety of routes through which you could do this, such as setting up peer support groups and networks, offering to speak in local schools, colleges and to community groups, seeking local press opportunities, taking part in debates and applying for business or enterprise awards.
What’s in it for you?
By taking part in local, regional and national activities you are making yourself and your business better known, which in turn could offer you some wonderful PR opportunities.
Do you get the time to consider your own professional development outside that of running your business? Being an Ambassador could help you to develop your speaking skills, involve you in activities such as judging, policy shaping, debates, meeting influential people and involvement in national PR.
What do you do next?
If you are interested in becoming an Ambassador please email Cheryl here, providing contact details including address and email.
Yorkshire Forward is committed to playing its part in helping to recruit 100 ambassadors in the region. Here's what Chief Executive Tom Riordan has to say:
"There is a constant need to drive the region’s economy forward and we recognise that female entrepreneurs have an enormous role to play in the future success of the Yorkshire and Humber region. It is with your encouragement, support and experience that we can all work together to ensure that everyone in our region reaches their full potential."