smallbusiness.co.uk: Helping your business think big

A Man’s World

The issue of gender inequality in the workplace never goes...
Have your say »

RSS

Women lack SME confidence

Sep 26 2007

The number of female entrepreneurs is not increasing because many women lack the confidence to form a start-up company, it has been claimed.

According to everywoman, a female business support network, women are also more risk adverse - meaning they are unwilling to gamble on a new enterprise.

Karen Gill, co-founder of everywoman, says: 'One of the biggest barriers women have to overcome to start up a business is their own lack of confidence to do so.

'On top of this, women tend to be more risk adverse when it comes to taking loans. Plus, they have less capital available due to their earnings being less than men in the workplace.'

She added: 'There has been recent evidence that the banks have been lending less to women than men.'

Recent figures produced by everywoman suggest just 27 per cent of the UK's self-employed population are female.

Comments

There are currently no comments on this article

Why Frank instead of Stamp your business mail

You want to pay the minimum amount for your postage...

Franked mail is discounted…
You want to know the RIGHT postage to use…
Save time for important tasks…
You want to promote your business…

Click here for more

Small business private health insurance from Aviva

Get 1 month’s FREE cover plus the chance to WIN a FREE mini-health screening for your employees with our small business health insurance. The product, Solutions, offers flexible and affordable cover for private medical treatment to suit your business and your employees, whether you have 2 or 249. Click here for details, terms & conditions.

Keep Microsoft Exchange but lose the server!

Microsoft Exchange, the corporate standard for email, made even better by Rackspace and 24/7 Fanatical Support. Send, receive and share your way with Microsoft Exchange, the #1 email platform for companies worldwide. Click here to find out more

Prize Draw

IT Trends for SMEs in 2010

Smallbusiness.co.uk has teamed up with network support company Lifeline IT to ensure your business' IT systems are in the best shape for 2010. Enter our short survey and your company could win two hours of free IT consultancy. To take part click here

Polls

Latest News

Disgruntled ex-employees stick the boot in

Employers could be risking the reputation of their organisations through their poor handling of redundancies, warns a recruitment site.

Businesses admit to late hours culture

Employees are working long hours and are not being rewarded for their extra commitment, claims research.

Salary spend to increase

Half of businesses predict the money they spend on wages will increase this year, with only 15 per cent saying it will decrease, according to the Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development (CIPD). 

Businesses lose key staff

Disillusion and uncertainty is leading to a growing number of managers to quit their jobs, claims the Chartered Management Institute (CMI).

Small businesses ignore employment laws

SMEs are not fully adhering to employment laws, with two-thirds failing to implement legislation, according to a survey from Business Link.

‘Fit note' to save businesses £240 million

The introduction of a new fit note is set to cut the cost of employee absence by £240 million over the next ten years, the government claims.

Flexible working improves health

Employees who have an input into their working patterns could be healthier, a report from research body the Cochrane Library suggests.

Claimant count soars

The number of people claiming unemployment benefits rose last month by 23,500 compared to December, according to official figures.

Job outlook worsens

Employers from the public and private sectors intend to reduce their workforce by 6.2 per cent this quarter, compared to a reduction of 3.8 per cent in the last three months of 2009.

SMEs get pick of workers

Businesses are being inundated with job applications.

Dad’s the word

Small businesses should start preparing for changes in paternity laws, say legal experts.

Guides & Tips

Using HR techniques could be the solution to managing your staff

How to manage staff

Whether you are looking to increase staff development or need some quick-fix help, there are a range of HR solutions available.

How to pay staff

Take the pain out of payroll with our easy-to-use guide on PAYE and National Insurance.

Clock on to short-time working

If waiting to reduce staff overheads is something you can no longer afford to delay, short-time working could be a way to save money without letting employees go

Don't Miss

How SMEs can bag the best candidates

Employees are the most important resource that your company has. Anthony Karibian, co-founder and CEO of XLN Telecom, explains how SMEs can bag the best candidates.

NICE work if you can get it

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has turned its hand to the management of long-term sickness absence with a consultation on best practice. This promises to shed further light on a perennial problem area. Nic Paton reports.

Making the most of training budgets in recessionary times

Make the most of your training and development budget in the face of the current economic climate.

Store

FT Guide to Personal Tax

Formerly the Lloyds TSB Tax Guide, the FT Guide to Personal Tax is now published by Pearson Education. Written by Sara Williams, CEO of Vitesse Media Plc and Jonquil Lowe, this unique guide gives step-by-step advice to completing your tax return as well as 100 tax-saving tips.

FT Guide to Business Start Up

Formerly the Lloyds TSB Small Business Guide, the FT Guide to Business Start Up is now published by Pearson Education. Written by Sara Williams, CEO of Vitesse Media Plc, this unique guide has sold over two million copies. It offers practical advice about starting and running your own business.

Growth Company Investor

Growth Company Investor is widely recognised as the leading magazine for investors interested in AIM and smallcap companies. Published 10 times per year, and brought to you by an award-winning analyst team, it offers subscribers unrivalled insight into high-potential smaller companies. Subscribe today with a 50% discount in your first year.