International Women’s Day on 8 March will long hold special memories for Jo Williams, owner of Joco Gifts in Nuneaton, and Olivia Reilly, owner of Little Boat Gifts in Brightlingsea. Both attended a special International Women’s Day reception at the House of Lords on Wednesday, recognising their strong contribution to entrepreneurship.
They were named as two of 100 ƒ:Entrepreneur’s ‘IAlso100’ this year in recognition of their inspiring entrepreneurial journey, which has involved running a business alongside a roster of other responsibilities.
“The speeches were very empowering of women in business, how we are so resilient every day due to other commitments, such as young children, elderly parents and being at the end of the phone for any issues such as schools calling for sick children or having homes to run as well as our businesses,” Jo told GiftsandHome.net. “The room was filled with over 100 women, many were part of this year’s #ialso 100, but also some from previous years and the buzz and energy in the room was phenomenal. We didn’t want it to end.”
The event spotlighted multi-achieving female business owners from across the UK, who are being championed by Small Business Britain’s ƒ:Entrepreneur campaign, which showcases an annual line-up of 100 phenomenal women making a significant contribution to society, economy and communities, called the ‘IAlso100’.
Attendees enjoyed afternoon tea and networking in Westminster, meeting other founders from across the country, as well as hearing from special guest speakers Seema Malhotra MP, Shadow Minister for Small Business and Consumers, and entrepreneur Lucy Griffiths, a business coach and former TV reporter covering the war in Ukraine, who paid tribute to the power of female entrepreneurship.
Seema Malhotra MP commented: “As the Shadow Minister for Business and Consumers, I am passionate about seeing that we do all we can to make Britain the best place to start and grow a business. I was very proud to join Small Business Britain and 100 female entrepreneurs in parliament to celebrate International Women’s Day, to hear their stories, learn from their achievements and recognise the huge contribution of women-led businesses to our economy. They are an inspiration and tackling the barriers women entrepreneurs face is central to how we grow our economy.
Delivered by Small Business Britain – the leading champion of small businesses in the UK – f:Entrepreneur campaign was launched in 2017 to highlight the stories of amazing female business owners and help provide inspiration and role models across the wider small business community. The campaign reflects how female entrepreneurs continue to thrive in the UK despite the challenges of the past years, with many scaling or starting new ventures.
To see the full line-up of the 100 women featured in this year’s f:Entrepreneur #IAlso100 campaign visit https://f-entrepreneur.com/ialso-100-2023/
