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Festival Supports Female Entrepreneurship - Fleximize

Festival Supports Female Entrepreneurship

Event aims to inform and inspire, as more women go it alone

1st October 2015

By Elma Glasgow

The rise of female entrepreneurship in the UK, partly triggered by lack of jobs and redundancies during the recession, continues to rise at remarkable rates.

According to Enterprise Nation, of the half-a-million businesses launched every year, 50% are set up by women. Their unique needs, such as flexible working to balance family and work life, mean that the entrepreneurial lifestyle is often the most suitable – and enjoyable – way of making money.

In fact, the option of self-employment has become so attractive there’s been a surge in the numbers of women going it alone. Analysis by eBay and Development Economics show that between 2009 and 2014, 28% of women set up their own ventures, but only 10% men went self-employed.

Not only that, but more than half (54%) of specialist online retailers were launched by women. Platforms like Etsy, eBay and Upwork are making self-employment a more practical option than it was just a few years ago.

Enterprise Nation, run by female entrepreneur Emma Jones, is responding to this trend by organising the Festival of Female Entrepreneurs. The “one-day entrepreneurial extravaganza” is taking place in Bristol on Thursday October 22nd, and invites women enterprise owners to network, share knowledge and get expert advice. Topics covered range from social media, tax and sales, to startup funding and law.

The impressive line-up of speakers is likely to be a magnet for self-employed women from all walks of life, and includes: