News
Enterprise overhaul at Whitehall There has been a full scale enterprise overhaul in Government following Brown's takeover as PM. The Department of Trade and Industry has been renamed the Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform (BERR) and is now headed by minister John Hutton. The new Minister for Enterprise is Stephen Timms. The Small Business Service has been reincarnated as the Enterprise Directorate. A review of BERR's Enterprise Strategy has also been announced with the aim of refocusing on business growth. Whilst the specific reference to enterprise in the new department is to be welcomed, the reshuffle also marks a demotion for former female ministers, most notably Margaret Hodge former Minister for Industry and the Regions and a strong supporter of women's enterprise. Harriet Harman has been announced as the new Minister for Women with Barbara Follett MP as her Deputy. Phil Hope will be the Minister for the Third Sector and social enterprise in the Cabinet Office. Prowess will meet with all key ministers to stress the importance to the UK economy of supporting a growth in female entrepreneurship. 1,000 strong network to champion women's enterprise A national network of 1,000 women's enterprise ambassadors has been launched to encourage the start-up and growth of other female-owned firms. At their recent inaugural meeting the ambassadors were asked to speak at conferences and networking events and to go into schools, colleges and universities to share their enterprise experience. Each ambassador has been tasked with contacting 50 other female business owners within a year. The Women's Enterprise Ambassador Network was first announced at the Prowess annual conference by Margaret Hodge. It has the full backing of BERR and is being coordinated by Enterprise Insight. For more details contact Alex Ritchie, Women's Enterprise Campaigner, Enterprise Insight at: alex@enterpriseinsight.co.uk Female entrepreneurs more confident about growth Female business owners are more optimistic about turnover than their male counterparts. According to findings from the Kensington Self-Employed Index, 46% of self-employed women expect turnover to increase in the next six months compared to 43% of self-employed men. Furthermore 33% of women business owners said that overall they were 'very confident' about their firms prospects over the next 6 months compared with 29% of men. The Kensington Self-Employed Index was launched to track the mood, expectations and behaviour of the self-employed with research carried out and published every quarter. For details contact Alex Hammond at: alex.hammond@kmc.co.uk Business Support Simplification Programme - Consultation Radically simplifying the number of publicly funded business support schemes from 3000 plus to under 100 is at the heart of the Governments' Business Support Simplification Programme (BSSP). A consultation on the proposed scheme has been launched, which invites views on the role of Business Link as the main channel for people seeking enterprise support. BSSP represents a major shake up of the business support sector. If you would like to contribute towards the Prowess consultation response please email your comments to Policy Director Jackie Brierton at: j.brierton@prowess.org.uk by 10 August 2007. To respond directly visit http://www.dti.gov.uk/consultations/page40113.html and submit your response by 14 September 2007. 72% of SECT female entrepreneurs say more support needed The first national survey of women entrepreneurs in Science, Engineering, Construction and Technology (SECT) has found that 72% do not feel there is enough business support specifically aimed at women in these sectors. The finding is included in a new Prowess report 'Under the Microscope: female entrepreneurs in SECT. It also finds that 98% of respondents want to grow their business over the next year and 84% want to expand their procurement contracts. The report was launched at Fusion, the first national conference for women in SECT enterprise which was hosted by Prowess and supported by the UK Resource Centre for Women in SET. Download the new report at: http://www.prowess.org.uk/documents/UndertheMicroscope_000.pdf Successfully mainstreaming women's enterprise support The use of a 'one size fits all' model of business support ignores valuable lessons of more targeted initiatives according to new research. The report from Kingston University for the Enterprise Directorate (formerly SBS) looks at characteristics which enable targeted women's enterprise programmes to be more easily mainstreamed. The research compares the effectiveness and efficiency of various forms of mainstreaming including: organisational learning, scaling-up and braiding. Download: Mainstreaming Business Support Targeted at Disadvantaged Communities at: http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file40061.doc New Task Force for BAME enterprise A new government task force has been launched to foster growth amongst existing and potential Black and Asian Minority Ethnic (BAME) entrepreneurs. The task force is said to have a particular focus on encouraging more enterprise participation by ethnic minority women. Chaired by Adeeba Malik MBE, Deputy CEO at QED - UK, the new body is also being asked to investigate why some minority groups face additional access to finance barriers. A recent DTI report showed that on average ethnic minority-owned businesses pay higher bank loan charges than white-owned businesses and that Black African and Black Caribbean-owned businesses are much more likely than Indian, Pakistani and White-owned businesses to be rejected for loans outright. The lead Regional Development Agency (RDA) for the BAME task force is Yorkshire Forward. For details contact: sayka.akhtar@yorkshire-forward.com Sub-national economic review strengthens role of local authorities Local Authorities (LAs) have been given a greater role in scrutinising the work of Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) under the Government's 'Sub-national economic development and regeneration review' launched this month. The review calls on LAs and RDAs to work closely together on the overarching aim of improving growth in the region. Disappointingly the review makes no mention of women, gender, BAME, social enterprise or the 'enterprise for all' agenda. http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/spending_review/spend_csr07/reviews/subnational_econ_review.cfm |
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Prowess member's news
Two flagships team up to launch new network Mission Possible is launching a networking group in partnership with the University of Bath in Swindon. The two organisations, both of whom have Flagship status for either business support or networking, are offering this service to women in Wiltshire and surrounding areas from September. The group will meet monthly and will be able to benefit from networking and related support services from both organisations. http://www.missionpossible.co.uk/oxfordshire/membership/membership.php Women in SET in the East of England speak out YTKO has launched a series of podcasts of women involved in Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) enterprise. The series includes discussions with women in each of these specialist sectors, looking at: the transition from employment to enterprise, women innovators in academia and industry, why women choose SET entrepreneurship and more. The podcasts will be available from the SET Women website www.setwomen.co.uk and will be broadcast every two weeks.Female Entrepreneurs - Your Region Needs You! The North West Regional Development Agency (NWDA) has encouraged over 70 business women to sign up as Women's Enterprise Ambassadors to represent the Northwest in the drive to build a national network of women entrepreneurs . The NWDA is seeking entrepreneurial ambassadors in the categories of female start-up, singe parent, graduate, champion and family business. Women wishing to register should contact the Agency's Business Enquiry Team on 01925 400495. New self-help book for the 50+ generation A new self-help guide to making the most of life over 50 has been published by Prime, the leading organisation for mature people rethinking their lives. Primetastic! - 50 tips for life when you're over 50 provides 50 practical, bite-sized, and highly motivational tips to help people review who they are, where they’re going and how to make the most of opportunities. Primetastic! - 50 tips for life when you're over 50 is published by Phosphorous Press, price £7.99. ISBN 978-0-9549229-1-7. It is available through the in my prime website at www.inmyprime.co.uk or from Amazon at www.amazon.co.uk Risky Business? Breathing Space Ltd has launched a new report looking at the links between personal development training for women and overcoming risk aversion. The practical research paper explores methods for building the confidence of potential and existing female entrepreneurs. For a copy contact Birgit Kehrer at birgit@breathingspaceltd.co.uk Chwarae Teg sponsor Welsh Woman of the Year Award Category Welsh enterprise and employment specialists are sponsoring the 'Most Effective Returner to the Workplace' category in the Welsh Woman of the Year Award. Open to: Any woman who has returned to work or enterprise in the past five years after a minimum nine-month career break. Closing date 5 September. http://www.wmeevents.co.uk/welshwoman/default.asp |
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Social enterprise focus
Strengthening the voice of social enterprise The Office of the Third Sector (OTS) has launched a strategic partnership of seven national organisations to raise awareness of social enterprise over the next three years. The partnership will specifically focus on giving a voice to black and minority ethnic groups involved in social enterprise. The new social enterprise partners are: Social Enterprise Coalition (SEC); School for Social Entrepreneurs; Social Firms UK; Co-operatives UK; Prowess; Plunkett Foundation and a national social enterprise Olympics partnership, led by Social Enterprise London in partnership with SEC. http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/third_sector/ Mapping business support for social enterprise The Office for the Third Sector (OTS) and the nine English Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) have published the results of a mapping exercise of business support services available to social enterprises across England. Download at: http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/third%5Fsector/news/news_stories/070629_support.asp Third sector review final report The Government's final report of its review of the third sector sets out plans to promote partnership between the Governmnet and the third sector. Most of the measures will be led by the Office of the Third Sector, which will invest more than £515M in third sector programmes over the next ten years. http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/third_sector/third_sector_review/final_report/index.asp Launch of social enterprise ambassador programme With just 1 in 4 people knowing what a social enterprise is the Government is supporting a new ambassador programme to raise awareness. Leading social entrepreneurs including Penny Newman, CEO of Cafe Direct have already signed up for the programme. The ambassadors will inspire budding social entrepreneurs and raise awareness of social enterprise as a viable business model. For further information see: http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/third_sector/news/news_stories/070724_ambassadors_campaign.asp |
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Events
Save the date! 5th Annual Prowess International Conference 20 - 21 February 2008 (pre-conference drinks reception 19 February) Peterborough West Holiday Inn. To register your interest in attending, sponsoring or exhibiting contact Ann Nicholls at a.nicholls@prowess.org.uk or on 01603 762355. Lead conference sponsor: East of England Development Agency. The rest of this section is restricted to Prowess members. For information on how to join Prowess visit: http://www.prowess.org.uk/about/apply.htm For details of events aimed at women entrepreneurs taking place in your area click on the map below, members remember you can add your events to the Prowess online clickable map quickly and easily at no cost:
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Awards
This section is restricted to Prowess members. For information on how to join Prowess visit: http://www.prowess.org.uk/about/apply.htm
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New Research
This section is restricted to Prowess members. For information on how to join Prowess visit: http://www.prowess.org.uk/about/apply.htm
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Vacancies
Senior Business Adviser, £30-35K, Loans Funds Adviser & Business Adviser, both £30K and Administration Officer/PA, to £18K, HBV Enterprise Challenging, full time positions based in Dalston, East London. HBV Enterprise is one of London’s leading enterprise agencies with a reputation for commerciality and quality. They support a diverse, multi-cultural client base comprising over 50% women and 70% BAME clients to start, fund and grow their own businesses. Closing date 17 August. For details contact: Tel 020 7254 9595 Email mail@hbv.org.uk |
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New Members
Digitalife Supporting Opportunities for Women Project www.sowproject.co.uk Bradford Gloucestershire Enterprise Business Services www.glosebs.co.uk Cheltenham Enterprise First www.enterprisefirst.co.uk Aldershot Furness Enterprise Ltd www.furnessenterprise.co.uk Barrow in Furness Business Insight www.bestforbusiness.com Birmingham ERS www.e-r-s.org.uk Coventry Association of Scottish Businesswomen www.businesswomenscotland.org Glenrothes The People Development Team Ltd www.people-development-team.com Ware Rochdale Women’s Enterprise Initiative www.rochdalewomensnetwork.co.uk Rochdale Business Link Sussex www.businesslinksussex.co.uk Burgess Hill Interculture www.interculture.org.uk Leeds
Click here for details of Prowess membership |
Prowess – The UK association of organisations and individuals who support women to start and grow businesses.Please send comments and news or information sources to a.kent@prowess.org.uk by the 28th of the month. If this newsletter has been forwarded to you and you would like to be kept informed about Prowess please e-mail your contact details to a.kent@prowess.org.uk . Let us know too if you want to be taken off the mailing list at any time. This newsletter is produced for information only. While we believe the content is accurate we can accept no responsibility for any errors or omissions. Prowess is happy for recipients to forward and redistribute items in this Ezine, however we ask that Prowess is credited as the source and that where appropriate there is a link to our website. © Prowess Ltd 2007. Lion House, 20-28 Muspole Street, Norwich NR3 1DJ Tel 01603 762355 Fax 01603 227090 www.prowess.org.uk - the UK-wide gateway to local women friendly business support |
