The government has been told it must accelerate its start-up support for female entrepreneurs as a new report shows significant 'roadblocks' for women seeking to break into business.
Fresh figures reveal that for every 10 men running their own small or medium size enterprise in the UK, there are just four women entrepreneurs doing the same - according to calculations from the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC).
Under the group's, 'Global Entrepreneurship Monitor' (GEM), 6,000 working adults were polled about the barriers to business and indicated that a woman's increasing capability to spot market opportunities is not being fully released, despite female start-ups rising 27 per cent in the last two years.
Female entrepreneurs now lag behind start-up rates for women in the US, Greece and Spain prompting the BCC and SME groups to recommend more promotion of females opting for enterprise as a full-time career.
Isabella Moore, president of the BCC, said: "We need to combat the low perceptions that women have of their own capabilities to set up business which is partly responsible for the lower levels of female entrepreneurship."
"The picture however, is improving: the survey shows that levels of female entrepreneurs are more innovative, collaborative, networked and increasingly export orientated."
Yet, concern emerges over women simply failing to capitalize on their own entrepreneurial potential or capabilities - sparking the wider picture from the BCC of lower turnover for female-run businesses when compared to their male counterparts.
The proposed brighter future for start-up levels gave the survey an upbeat outlook with females commended for spotting gaps in market opportunity as well as being cautious over drawing business funds or external financial loans.
Mark Haysom of The Learning and Skills Council - the group funding the report, said further provisions for women were essential if the UK was to offer continued business growth for females in London; the South-West, Northern Ireland and Scotland.
"Although this is a step in the right direction, there is some way to go close the entrepreneurial gap not just with men but internationally," he said.
"Entrepreneurial spirit is one of the hallmarks of a successful nation."
Women were found to be as likely as their male competitors in seeing the idea of running there own business as a "good career choice" regarding it as a "high status activity."
Particularly high entrepreneurial drive was highlighted in the survey among black Caribbean females and women living and working in rural areas.
The BCC stated that more prominent female business figures need to be publicly on show and concluded that the government should, "mainstream the development of women's enterprise."
Dr. Rebecca Harding, director of GEM and the author of the study, commented: "There is a lot here to celebrate about female entrepreneurship. Women are more likely to be seeking out opportunities than men, are more innovative and have stronger networks with other businesses and research institutions."
She added: "The challenge now is how to unlock this potential, since by encouraging women into business, the government could clearly make strides in achieving its strategy of innovation-led growth through enterprise."
Jun 9, 2004
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