ECONOMIC CASE FOR WOMEN’S ENTERPRISE
HIGH ON POLITICAL AGENDA

Blue Horizons part of consortium to look at the
Regional State of Women’s Enterprise in England

If women started businesses at the same rate as men the UK would have 150,000 new firms a year.  This was the economic case for encouraging more women into business presented by Industry Minister Jacqui Smith at the PROWESS annual conference in Nottingham on the 10^th November. 

As part of the drive to increase women’s enterprise across the country and maintain the UK’s position as one of the leading economies in the world, the Government has embarked on a campaign to boost the number of female entrepreneurs.  In a recent announcement, Gordon Brown highlighted 2 actions amongst a number in place to support this campaign:

• Initiating the Small Business Service action plan to ensure that by 2006 a fifth of all businesses will be owned by women. The current level is 14-15%
• Setting up a new women’s enterprise panel of successful female entrepreneurs to look at the options for a Women’s Business Council to champion female entrepreneurship.

The Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) are in a key position to set strategies and action plans to support female entrepreneurship.  Hence, the launch of new research by PROWESS, the UK-wide advocacy network that supports the growth of women's business, into ‘The Regional State of Women’s Enterprise in England’.  Intended to provide both a region by region picture and a framework for future development, the contract has been awarded to a consortium involving Blue Horizons, Shared Intelligence, Sheffield Hallam University and Aegis Associates.

Commenting on the contract, Blue Horizon’s Managing Director Jackie Waring stated; ‘To measure progress, you must first have a baseline and that is part of what will be achieved from this research.  But the objectives are far more wide ranging than just measurement; this is also about giving weight and tangible data to support the economic case for greater levels of female entrepreneurship within the UK.  With the topic also so high on the political and economic agendas, we see this work as critically important and are delighted to be part of such a high quality consortium.’

29^th November 2004

For further detail contact:

Jackie Waring
Blue Horizons
Jackie@bluehorizonsltd.com
tel: 01334 65089