Find out how Facebook is helping women in business
Facebook’s groundbreaking #SheMeansBusiness initiative is enabling women to drive their companies forward to success
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Your support makes all the difference.It’s often said that there’s strength in numbers. And this age-old maxim is, in essence, the thinking behind Facebook’s groundbreaking #SheMeansBusiness programme.
Established two years ago as a community platform where female entrepreneurs in the UK could come together, share advice and forge connections in order to develop and drive their enterprises forward, the programme encourages participants to tap into resources, be inspired and feel empowered.
Research undertaken earlier this summer by YouGov, on behalf of the #SheMeansBusiness initiative, found that businesswomen were more likely to feel optimistic about the future of their company if they were part of an existing business community. The research found that more than half of those surveyed (53 per cent) were part of a network who forecast business growth in the coming financial year. By comparison, just 34 per cent of those who aren’t part of a business community said the same.
The findings also demonstrated that while many female business leaders recognised the value of connecting with compatible contemporaries in these business communities, half of female business leaders admitted they weren’t part of any such network.
Unsurprisingly, women are woefully under-represented in UK business. Only a fifth of the UK’s five million-plus small businesses are founded by women. Nicola Mendelsohn, Facebook’s vice president for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, points out that women are at a disadvantage when it comes to establishing a business. “It’s not a level playing field, with UK men twice as likely as women to become a founder,” she says.
Empowering women across the UK
“#SheMeansBusiness was originally conceived to help rebalance this, and as we’ve supported 13,000 UK women through the programme, we know the next step is to help these start-ups grow and expand their networks.”
“Together the #SheMeansBusiness partner network including Enterprise Nation, The Federation of Small Businesses and AllBright, is committed to empowering women across the UK with the tools and network they need to not only start a business, but to grow it.”
Alongside a range of useful free tools and resources, the partner network provides support on how to use Facebook marketing to grow your business via some handy free e-learning courses and also a series of events, including live Q&A events with innovative female business pioneers.
Because businesswomen are in the minority, improving women’s confidence via programmes such as #SheMeansBusiness could be big news for the UK economy. YouGov research carried out on behalf of the initiative shows that while one in five women between 25-39 would like to set up a business — twice the national average — just 64% feel confident in their ability. If just one in five women who wanted to start their own business did so, they could create 425,000 UK jobs by the end of 2020 — adding a possible £10.1bn to the UK economy, according to a separate study for Facebook by Development Economics. So in business, as in life, connections really do make female entrepreneurs stronger. In short, the numbers really do add up. Discover more on the initiative at shemeansbusiness.fb.com/uk
Facebook Community Boost is coming to London on a mission to enhance your digital skills, expand your network and grow your business with a two-day event on 13 and 14 November. To find out more, visit facebook.com/communityboostlondon