Calling all women who dream of starting their own business- we urge you to take the plunge and go it alone and show men that we can do it just as good as them!
New research has highlighted that women are less likely to start up their own business with lack of experience holding them back.
Big Issues for Small Businesses report from Lloyds Bank Insurance found that 29% of men compared to 23% of women employees want to start their own business with men twice as likely to be planning their venture than women.
Although 17% of women say lack of experience is holding them back, compared to 13% of men, their skills tell a different story.
Women take pride in being organised and believe that this is their biggest strength at work and the most important requirement for aspiring business owners. Followed by hard work and graft, which 39% of women say they possess, compared to 30% of their male counterparts.
As well as being brilliantly organised and hardworking, women are also clued up when it comes to understanding the ‘in-and-outs’ of a business. 55% of women are far more likely than men (42%) to research the start-up process and what it requires, informing the development of a business plan.
Being your own boss may be half of the dream but 64% of women believe business owners enjoy their life more and have greater job satisfaction
If you’re in need of one last word of wisdom or a little nudge to get you on the track to entrepreneur town, Bee Berrie shares her business journey and the important components to running a business.
Bee’s Bakery
Bee Berrie of ‘Bee’s Bakery’ broke out on her own in business after training as a microbiologist and working in healthcare writing. Established in 2012, Bee’s Bakery hand-makes customised cookies and cakes in West London and the bakery is known for its bold, eye-catching designs.
Bee Berrie
Bee's Bakery was included in the Evening Standards Top 5 Biscuit Bakeries in London and the cookies are sold in food halls, delicatessens and coffee shops across London and the South East.
The bakery bakes for clients including the BBC, Harrods and Topshop, Sky, Harvey Nichols and Microsoft and mail order cookies are available for worldwide shipping through www.NotOnTheHighstreet.com
Bee writes recipes and articles for Jamie Oliver’s website, which attract around 10,000 views per week. Bee also appears on FoodTube, where her guest recipes have clocked up 6.5k views.
She admits that the road was not an easy one: “I love being my own boss, but I can never switch off. There are so many components of running a business. I didn’t have insurance when I first started out as there were just so many other things to think about and do – securing investment, renting a space, designing a website, marketing, sales… on top of the actual baking!”
Damien McGarrigle, head of Business Insurance at Lloyds Bank Insurance, added: “This research indicates that women are more likely to take a more considered approach to the start-up process. As many small business owners know, ‘fail to prepare’ can mean ‘prepare to fail’ when it comes to breaking out on your own in business. Therefore it is heartening that so many women have already considered the practicalities and skills needed in setting up a business. As a business we should be doing all we can to make that leap of faith safer and more certain for female entrepreneurs, whatever stage of their business plan they are at.”
If you are an entrepreneur, let us know about your experience, if it was easy or difficult? And how you dealt with certain situations.
Tagged in Insurance Women's Issues