British Business Bank Northern Ireland’s Post

Surge in Female Entrepreneurship in the UK After 35 years immersed in the world of entrepreneurship, the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) report is an annual must-read. This year, it uncovers a fascinating shift: women starting ventures have tripled since 2002, climbing from 3.5% to 10% by 2023. It's a testament to changing times and growing opportunities. However, not all the news is positive. Young Company Finance (YCF) highlights a troubling trend in Scotland: investment in female-founded businesses is dwindling. In 2023, women raised less than a quarter of the funds that male-led firms secured per round. This disparity calls for urgent attention and action. If you want to level the field, as a founder or investor, it is well worth engaging in programmes such as AccelerateHer Elizabeth Pirrie Jackie Waring FRSE https://lnkd.in/eX6AFXiC

Female Founders Growth Summit in full flow this morning in Edinburgh. The UK’s biggest event to date for female founders and entrepreneurs. With just 2p in every £1 of finding going to female founders, the access and equity gap is astounding. Programmes, accelerators, female only funding pools, and female founder enterprises have been sprung up as means to address the challenge. But is that addressing the crux of the issue? Feedback shared today that has been given in 2024 to UK female founders applying for funding has included: ‘She’d have come across better in her pitch by bypassing the makeup counter and smiling more’ ‘I don’t think someone who has been a nurse can be a commercial entrepreneur’ ‘You’re young and attractive, what happens when you decide to have kids’ What are the social and economic changes you feel might be most impactful in redresssing the inequity of both inspiring women to take the leap into the entrepreneurial space and solving the issue on equitable funding access? Female Founders Rise Pathways Forward #femalefoundersgrowthsummit

Now this is a training course l would like to be on. One of the toughest topics I discuss with founders is company valuation. It is more of an art than a science. Too often are we emotionally tied to our idea this can affect our judgement, no more so than valuation ie over evaluation.

Today marks a pivotal moment as I proudly introduce Adelante Consulting LLC, an evolution of my journey as a DACA professional dedicated to bridging American and Hispanic cultures. This venture is more than just a business; it's a mission to reshape the dynamics of cultural integration within U.S. business practices. Our Mission at Adelante Consulting: Positioned uniquely at the intersection of two dynamic cultures, we are committed to delivering bilingual and bicultural consultancy services that enhance understanding and drive economic success. Utilizing the latest technology, we support businesses and nonprofits in their growth and expansion, employing a holistic approach to project and program management to provide solutions that are as comprehensive as they are specific to each client’s needs. Recognizing the immense economic influence of the Hispanic population, projected to wield $1.9 trillion in buying power by 2023, I understand that Hispanic businesses are an integral part of the American economy. My involvement in developing the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Metro St. Louis’s Business Success Program (HBSP), supporting the Illinois SBDC for the Metro East at SIUE s Latino Outreach, and creating Juntosadelante.com, as well as assisting numerous Mexican grocery stores and restaurants, has deeply emphasized the essential role of culturally informed business strategies. The HBSP has successfully secured two grants, while Juntos Adelante has been awarded one grant, achievements made possible through comprehensive grant proposals and program materials that I personally crafted. These grants were based on the increase, need for reimagining how we support the Hispanic Community. These successes not only showcase the effectiveness of targeted support but also highlight the importance of integrating cultural insights into business practices to drive meaningful growth. Pivoting for Greater Impact: JuntosAdelante is now evolving to help nonprofits develop robust financial literacy programs and support profit-driven businesses through a cultural approach. I am setting the stage to expand this impact nationally, envisioning a future where our team's efforts can catalyze substantial change across the country. As a DACA professional, I believe we embody the bridge between these two cultures, keenly aware of the challenges and opportunities inherent in this dual heritage. At Adelante Consulting, my goal will be to champion the independence and prosperity of Hispanic businesses, ensuring they flourish as powerful entities reflective of our rich cultural heritage. Join us as we break barriers and craft new success stories that honor the diverse contributions of Hispanic entrepreneurs to American society. #AdelanteConsulting #DACA #HispanicBusiness #CulturalBridge #Entrepreneurship #TechInnovation

The Investing in Women Code is a commitment to support the advancement of female entrepreneurship in the United Kingdom by improving female entrepreneurs’ access to tools, resources and finance from the financial services sector. A diverse and inclusive business ecosystem is good for customers, entrepreneurs, businesses, investors, and society. The Department for Business and Trade and the signatory firms share a commitment to work in partnership to make the United Kingdom one of the most attractive countries in the world to start and grow a business by advancing female entrepreneurship in the United Kingdom. There is a huge amount of disparity in money invested in female led businesses and co-founded businesses and this represents a real barrier to success. Here is the link to the original Rose review which looks at the complex reasons around this. https://lnkd.in/d6hhD2A. As a signatory, we can be part of the change as we help prepare female founders for ultimate success. Please click here to be a signatory: https://lnkd.in/eFNPq8VA.

In this insightful video, Morag Dennett, angel investor, shares invaluable advice for new angels. She highlights the crucial role of investing in female founders and why collaborating with women angels is so incredibly rewarding. Despite female angel investors being active across the UK, over two-thirds of their investments are concentrated in London and the South East. In stark contrast, regions like the North West, South West, and see only a fraction of this support, with just 5% and 1% of investments respectively. At Lifted Ventures, we're on a mission to change that. 💪 We’re thrilled to announce our Lifted Women Angel Education Programmes kicking off in January 2025 in both Birmingham and Manchester. Ready to elevate your journey as an angel investor? 🌟 💡 What you can expect: Learn from trailblazing female leaders across diverse industries Engage in dynamic workshops Build a powerful network of like-minded women ready to uplift each other 📍 Join us in your city: 👉 Manchester: Backed by GM Business Growth Hub Secure Your Spot 👉 Birmingham: Sponsored by the British Business Bank Reserve Your Place Are you ready to be part of the change and make impactful investments? Let’s shift the landscape of female angel investing together. Jordan Dargue Helen Oldham Roseanna Tanner ACIM Jem Henderson Rebecca Beeby Jessica Jackson Suzanne Donovan Delyth Lloyd Edwards Vicky Mears Sophie Dale-Black PhD Heather Waters Ian Dixon Katherine Megson Sarah Wilkinson Janine Smith Lorna Green Claire Lewis Tara Attfield-Tomes Hephzi Pemberton Naomi N.   #FemaleFounders #AngelInvestors #LiftedVentures #WomenInBusiness #InvestingInWomen #Empowerment #Birmingham #Manchester

👭 Just in time for International Women's Day! 😲 Did you know that despite evidence suggesting that female founders develop businesses that outperform their male counterparts, female entrepreneurs receive just 2% of global VC funding? ⌛ But times are changing and this century might just be the proof that we all need to see - That's why we're excited to share PitchBook's inaugural European All In: Female Founders in the VC Ecosystem report, sponsored by UBS, Shoosmiths and Enterprise Ireland. 🤔 What do you learn in this report? This report breaks down the numbers by country, vertical and exit activity, providing valuable insights into the world of female #entrepreneurship . Let's work together to support and empower female founders, and help close the gender gap in VC funding. #venturecapital #genderequality #startupstories #startup101

As we celebrate #HispanicHeritageMonth, we want to recognize the incredible strides made by Hispanic entrepreneurs nationwide. Hispanic-owned businesses are vital to our economy, generating billions annually, fostering job creation, and strengthening communities. Their success fuels economic growth and drives innovation. Discover more about the key data and trends shaping the future of Hispanic entrepreneurship in our latest infographic 👇 https://lnkd.in/esACuvw6

🎉10 billion reasons to celebrate!   We have passed the EUR 10 billion mark in total Social Inclusion Bond issuance since our first SIB in 2017. Today, in the presence of the Minister of Finance of Luxembourg Gilles Roth we celebrated this important milestone at the Luxembourg Stock Exchange, where the bonds are listed.    "We embarked on this extraordinary journey nearly a decade ago, and over the years our Social Inclusion Bonds have become a hallmark of the CEB on the international capital markets,” Governor Monticelli said.   Since 2017, thanks to our SIBs, we have financed education projects where almost 3.7 million students have had access to better facilities and thanks to MSME lending roughly 1.4 million people have been able to maintain their jobs. Almost 365 000 people are living in the social housing dwellings financed by the CEB and close to 1 900 health care establishments provide access to quality care.   Press release 👉https://lnkd.in/eUYcSKtW 📸 Felix Grote Arturo Seco Presencio Stefania Bazzoni Carlo Monticelli Gilles Roth Julie Becker Laetitia Hamon Arnaud Delestienne

Nyayo Moms Sokos got featured by Seedstars . Let me give a shout out to some of the businesses in our community that were engaged Mali Autism Awareness Center - we have walked with the founder Pauline Wamukowa since inception all the way to her launching the center that caters for the early intervention of children living with autism, this week they celebrated their second anniversary. Fix It Home Improvement Service is run by Martha Who's also the Co-Founder and Admin of Nyayo Moms Sokos. Martha was retired, but found a business that aligns with her eye to detail. She ideated the business because as co founders we had commited to also be consumers of our market place, and this is what she came up with, the business is now fully formalised, registered and thriving. I personally love how she identified which digital platform works for her she mastered how to use WhatsApp for business and ran with it: browse through her catalogue here. https://lnkd.in/dc9wxedp. @Missing Child Kenya Foundation that's founded and run by Maryana Munyendo is an amazing partner to our community. We have hosted several safety awareness sessions, she shares prevention resources on our platforms, sells and distributes her child safety book - High 5. Joy Vuyanzi - Joy joined our platform after she read our community magazine, she is also one of our youngest women in the platform. She is a make up artist and was doing it to live by as she searches for a job as a fresh graduate, the jobs were simply not coming through. She attended several of our business training sessions combined with our micro conversations when she's doing my makeup for an event and she took action. Joy quickly shifted her mind about her business and decided to give it her all. She's now runs the business full time and actually has started formulating a range of skin care products and has set up a shop. She runs her business full time and says that's her job !! Check her out Emboldened V Beauty on IG: https://lnkd.in/dCwXx2g3 and WhatsApp: https://lnkd.in/dzHqYas7. And finally Shaba Carpets. Lydia is loved clean seats and joined our market place, in our initial conversation she told me she runs the business on the side but would like to get more customers!! She was guided on how to structure her promo content and went for it. Not only did she get more customers, she's been able to diversify her product offering to seat, mattress and curtain cleaning, last time we sat to have a cup of coffee ☕ she told me "Maureen I am happy I plugged into Nyayo Moms" https://lnkd.in/dieKRUwK We are greatfull to all the partners who are bold enough to believe in us and invest in us !! European Commission The Tony Elumelu Foundation Secretariat of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) GIZ Kenya 🇰🇪