Conversations across Britain with Female Founder UK and SASS media Ltd shine spotlight on women entrepreneurs’ needs.
Female founders in London need as much support with visibility, validation and recognition as their counterparts in the North, if all are to take advantage of a £36 billion opportunity to contribute to UK GDP.
That was the message from Female Founder UK’s event in London, at The Refinery, Southwark Street – one of many events that will result in a first-of-its-kind report and assessment into what Female Founders in Britain need.
The report, ‘Female Founders United: Conversations Across Britain’ will be written by Sarah Walker and Sarah Dale from the organisation’s official media partner SASS media Ltd.
The pair have a combined 40+ years as award winning journalists, covering business and features, politics, health and wellbeing, lifestyle, education and general news, as well as more than a decade delivering award-winning public relations services.
Female Founder UK is an official trademarked brand that was created on Teesside by marketing and brand expert Max Freer.
It is fast becoming a movement which recognises the growing significance of female founders – and aims to put their needs at the heart of Britain’s economic agenda.
An event featuring London Founders represented just one part of a national conversation led by Female Founder UK, about how female entrepreneurs can be better supported to improve their visibility, and achieve validation and recognition for their valuable contribution to the economy.
Female business owners in the capital were asked about the unique stories behind their businesses, as well as what they need from policymakers and other advocacy groups to achieve their unique aims and ambitions.
Max Freer, founder of FFUK, said: “We are uniting female founders across Britain in a way that has never really happened before, and we are discovering that the challenges and opportunities female founders are presented with on Teesside are just the same in the capital and other cities.
“Women’s reasons for taking the leap into foundership also appear to be universal across different cities, with things like redundancy, health issues, parental responsibilities and caring duties often being the starting point for women needing to make a change.
“It is a very exciting time for female founders across the UK, albeit a challenging one, and we are determined to meet as many as we can across the UK to discuss the support they need to succeed – whatever success might look like to them.”
Currently, only 2% of equity investment into UK businesses goes to female founders and it is estimated £36 billion could be added to UK GDP if women were financially backed in the same way as their male counterparts.
These are stark statistics Female Founder UK wants to address, as more and more women across the UK start their own businesses.
However, Female Founder UK is not only concerned with investment and turnover.
The organisation has identified women in business need support and guidance, visibility, validation and recognition.
This is the case whether they have started a part-time business at home around caring for children or elderly relatives, they are operating just below the VAT-registered threshold or they are about to scale to become multimillion-pound businesses.
“Female Founder UK represents all of these businesses, their unique goals and aspirations,” says Max, who adds FFUK is “not a VIP club” or membership organisation.
“Together, all female-founded businesses make a significant contribution to UK GDP and the economic landscape of the country – and they should have the same access to growth and opportunity as their male counterparts.”
Max and the Female Founder UK team, supported by Teesside-based Social Allies owned by Jessica Tucker, are taking the conversation to other cities around the UK in the coming weeks and months.
A return trip to London is also in the offing.
There, the appetite for an organisation that goes beyond just a support network for female founders towards an entity that advocates for them and helps them significantly with their visibility and reaching desired audiences, was huge.
Sarah Walker said: “We are proud to be the official media partner for Female Founder UK, as we strongly believe there is a huge demand for everything Female Founder UK represents – a single entity that sees and unites women, supports them and champions them, through hands-on practical representation, support and advocacy.
“As journalists, we used to write about female founders.
“Now, we are female founders ourselves running our own communications consultancy and representing other female founders – something which represents a really satisfying full-circle moment for us.”
Sarah Dale added: “We are excited about turning our national conversations and interviews through Female Founder UK into a first-of its-kind national report about what women are telling us they need as business owners.
“This will be the biggest journalism assignment of our careers, uniting women in business from cities right across the UK, and as journalists always hungry for the next big scoop, we are relishing the opportunity to work with more female founders to articulate their stories.
“It’s very satisfying that what is fast becoming a national movement started right here in our hometowns on Teesside and we are receiving an extremely warm welcome wherever we go, as women embrace an organisation that truly represents and advocates for them.”
You can join the conversation with Female Founder UK by getting in touch at [email protected] or by visiting https://www.femalefounderuk.co.uk/ to sign up for updates and get information on forthcoming events near you.