On the cusp?

Spring is (nearly) sprung and it’s time for prowessblog to come out of its winter hibernation. What’s happening in women’s enterprise? The annual Prowess conference – arguably the biggest event in the women’s enterprise calendar -  – is taking place at Peterborough this week. What’s the buzz? Well its theme is ‘Fit for the Future’, and there’s a general, though guarded, optimism that women’s entrepreneurship is shaping up for the future and that its role in economic growth and wellbeing is being more readily recognised by regional and central government.

With an Enterprise White Paper due for publication later in March, seen as a long-term blueprint for the growth of enterprise in the UK, it was important to ensure that women’s enterprise was firmly on the agenda. Support from the Ministerial team at BERR, John Hutton and Stephen Timms, and useful input from Prowess members, the Task Force and others at a number of consultation meetings, ensured that WE was core to early white paper drafts. The reshuffle in late January, following Peter Hain’s resignation, led to Timms’s premature departure (to Work & Pensions) and a new face, Baroness Shriti Vadera, in BERR. It’s too early to say how much of a champion Vadera will be, and the draft White Paper has gone through radical changes since her arrival, but it seems likely there will still be a gender focus across its key themes. 

In the regions, some significant developments, including the establishment of a Women’s Enterprise Centre of Expertise in West Midlands (partnership between AWM and Prowess) – a strategic initiative to change attitudes and influence mainstream economic development and business support. Congratulations to Her Business in London following the launch of its new women’s business centre in Newham, and to Sue Stockdale for launching a London chapter of the US-based Women’s Presidents Organisation  in London. And, of course, the formal launch of WEConnect (linking women-owned businesses with corporate contracts) is also taking place this week (www.weconnect.org.uk)

So no lack of activity on the ground, but we still need to see that major ’scaling-up’ of women’s enterprise, supported by a robust strategic framework and resourced at the right level by government (and, where appropriate, the private sector). The White Paper can provide that framework and ensure that the UK is truly a world leader in women’s entrepreneurship – but it needs to be bold and innovative – and not afraid to differentiate what really works for women. The impact of central policy initiatives for women’s enterprise in the US is well-documented. 20 years after the passing of the Women’s Business Ownership Act, it’s worth noting that the national Women’s Business Centre initiative has now been confirmed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) as a permanent government-supported programme – acknowledging that women-focused support is a mainstream requirement and not a temporary sticking plaster.

Are we truly ’on the cusp’ of a similar stepping-up of the agenda in the UK? Quite possibly – if government, and particularly BERR,  is courageous enough.

Watch out for post-conference blog at the end of the week.