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22 Mar 2024

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4 Mar 2024

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Women more likely to feel isolated in start-up business

Posted on in Business News , Creative News

Women are twice as likely to feel isolated when starting their own business, finds national research from Entrepreneurial Spark.

Men and women have broadly similar experiences when starting up their own business, finds research from Entrepreneurial Spark into the challenges and drivers for going out alone, but some differences are clear:

  • Women are nearly twice as likely to feel isolated working alone when starting up a business than men
  • Men are much more driven to start their own business because they want to be their own boss than women are
  • Women are more driven by having a great idea than men
  • Men also find it slightly more difficult to get finance in place to start-up (20 per cent said this was their biggest challenge) versus women
  • Women were more likely to seek a mentor to help them to grow

These findings are part of a wider piece of research carried out by Entrepreneurial Spark to mark the beginning of Accelerate Your Business Week, a UK week dedicated to helping start-up businesses to grow.

October was highlighted as being the best month to grow your business, due to opportunities in the run up to Christmas and a desire to achieve goals which had been set for the year.

Jim Duffy, CEO of Entrepreneurial Spark explains: "Almost 60 per cent of business owners told us there is not enough practical, free support and advice out there for people to start a business or grow an existing business. We know that it is tough in the start-up world and having the right support from an early stage hugely increases the chance of success."

Get the support you need

Being independent is empowering, but it can also be a lonely place. There are numerous business reference points online, but where do you go when you want qualified personal advice?

ActSmart, the business support organisation, delivers free professional advice on how to grow your business, reduce your operating costs and where to access free promotion.

Learn how to develop your sales, customer care and management skills and better understand how forthcoming legislation e.g. pensions and PAYE will impact upon you and your staff.

Join over 3250 specialist retailers and suppliers in the ActSmart community and take advantage of our comprehensive range of business support, commercial services and promotion.

  • Preferential card processing rates - Save an average of £720 a year
  • Tax investigation protection worth £150 a year
  • Unlimited 24 hour business and legal helplines
  • Free online employment manual
  • Online promotion to thousands of consumers via The Creative Experts

Click here to see all ActSmart services.

What do our subscribers say? "ActSmart is much more cost effective and better suited to my business when compared to my current Federation membership. To start with, tax investigation protection and legal helplines are included for half the cost! Creative retailer, Amersham

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