Two indie gift shop owners, Jo Williams, owner of Joco in Nuneaton, and Olivia Riley, owner of Little Boat Gifts in Brightlingsea, were among those taking part in a Small Business Britain event last week (11 September), held at the House of Lords. On the table was the latest Female Entrepreneurship: Moving Forward report.
“It’s always humbling being in a room with so many amazing female entrepreneurs and last Wednesday’s event at the House of Lords was almost bursting with the inspiring stories being shared,” Olivia told GiftsandHome,net. “Coming away from these events I always feel uplifted.”
She continued: “This year has been challenging, and it was great to discuss topics with other small business owners. The report is important to see how far we have come and what still needs to be done to encourage and support female entrepreneurs. It was lovely to be invited to such an important report launch.”
Added Jo: “We heard first-hand about the challenges female business owners face, discussed how we can tackle making access to finance easier and simpler for women wanting to start their own business, how the money narrative we have instilled feeds into our relationships with money and how we ensure confidence and support.
“Anneliese Dodds, Minister for Women and Equalities at the Department for Education, talked about better access to funding for female entrepreneurs, something that would definitely be of help Joco at the moment,” continued Jo. “I’ve looked at financing options previously and they have been turned down, despite my showing that the business is viable and has huge potential. If access for funding for my business had been more freely available, this could have helped with marketing the new website for example. With the current massive redevelopment of the town, this has impacted on our cash flow and hindered our growth plans for the past two years, putting huge financial strain on the company in its day to day running.”
The event was organised by Small Business Britain.
Top: Jo Williams, (left), owner of Joco in Nuneaton, and Olivia Reilly, owner of Little Boat Gifts in Brightlingsea, are shown at the House of Lords.
