Barriers Still Need To Be Breached By Women Entrepreneurs

Preliminary figures released from a report to be published early next year suggest that although women find it easier to become entrepreneurs now than they did a decade ago, there is still some way to go to bring the level of UK women engaged in entrepreneurial activities up to that seen in the USA.

The Ernst & Young Enterpriser Survey 2000, due out next year, reports on the activities and opinions of more than 500 entrepreneurs throughout Britain, 7 per cent of whom were women.

In answer to the question "do you think it is easier for a woman today to become an entrepreneur than it was 10 years ago?", 77 per cent of men and 74 per cent of women gave an unequivocal "yes", while 17 per cent (men) and 21 per cent (women) said they could see no change.

There were regional variations, with 85 per cent of participants in Scotland and 82 per cent in the North saying it was now easier for women to break into the field - in contrast only 68 per cent of entrepreneurs in the Midlands felt this to be the case. The survey's findings also suggest that respondents in property and construction (85 per cent) and consumer and retailing (86 per cent) were more likely to believe it was easier for women to become entrepreneurs today than 10 years before.

David Wilkinson, National Head of Entrepreneurial Services for Ernst & Young says: "Despite these encouraging results, in practice the UK experience is in sharp contrast to that of the US, where the percentage of women starting new businesses is three times higher."

Asked what would be likely to encourage women to become entrepreneurs, high profile role models had the highest rating (72 per cent), followed by affordable, flexible childcare (56 per cent). There was also felt to be some merit in a campaign to change attitudes towards women in business (45 per cent).

"We offered people the option to choose Government-led initiatives as a means of levelling out the playing field, but less than a third (30 per cent) thought this worth considering with 36 per cent believing that such initiatives were unlikely to encourage more women entrepreneurs. The results suggest that the business community sees the solution to this problem very much in its own hands," comments David Wilkinson.

The survey also looked at the gender split at board level and found that 40 per cent of the businesses represented by respondents had one or more female directors. Again, the results indicate that there are regional variations between entrepreneurial businesses the South (46 percent) and the North (43 per cent) compared to those in Scotland (33 per cent) and the Midlands (35 per cent).

These figures were given early release to coincide with the launch of the Entrepreneur Of The Year 2000 awards programme, founded and produced by Ernst & Young and co-sponsored nationally in the UK by The Citibank Private Bank, Vodafone and The Times.

"High profile role models came out as a clear favourite for promoting entrepreneurship as an option for women in the future," said David Wilkinson. "Entrepreneur Of The Year 2000 is about raising the profiles of all nominees, finalists and award recipients, whether they are male or female, to help entrepreneurs achieve the status they deserve."

• Based on the replies, MORI has estimated that the sample employs each on average 187 people. Turnover per company was on average 16327 million.
• The Entrepreneur of the Year awards programme is a regional, national and international annual awards scheme which identifies and recognises the achievements of outstanding entrepreneurs with successful growing dynamic businesses.
• The programme celebrates entrepreneurial success and recognises the benefits that entrepreneurs and their entrepreneurial spirit bring to the economy in terms of job creation and the UK's competitiveness.

For more information about Entrepreneur Of The Year 2000 call 0845-604 1012 or visit our website www.eoy.co.uk

Technical details

The nationwide self-completion survey was carried by MORI on behalf of Ernst & Young between the 1st and 29th November 1999. Responses were received from over 500 entrepreneurs with turnovers ranging from less than 1635m to in excess of 163500m and employing from less than 20 up to 500 plus.