Member Article

Teesside Business School boosts women's enterprise

Women’s Enterprise across the Tees Valley has been given a helping hand thanks to a new programme developed by Teesside Business School at the University of Teesside. The Women into Business programme aims increase the number of local female entrepreneurs by helping women develop business ideas and the skills needed to run a small business.

The programme also focuses on networking skills and provides an opportunity to meet local female entrepreneurs and business support providers. Upon completion of the programme, participants are matched with a mentor to help the start-up process.

Christine Allen, from Ingleby Barwick, who attended the pilot programme and is now planning to start an accountancy business, said: “The course was very good and I really enjoyed the way it was delivered. It has given me more confidence and provided me with the opportunity to meet other people who will hopefully use my services in the future. I would strongly recommend this programme to any other women that want to start a small business.”

Julia Gillam, Business Start-up Support Officer at Teesside Business School, said: “Women into Business can provide all the support aspiring female entrepreneurs need from advice on marketing and finance through to confidence building and signposting to funding. This is a great opportunity for any woman with a business idea to turn her dream into a reality.”

Women into Business is funded by the Learning and Skills Council and the European Social Fund and is no cost to participants provided they live within the Tees Valley and have not yet started up in business. The next programme is due to begin on Wednesday February 7 at Brougham Enterprise Centre, Hartlepool, and will run every Wednesday for six weeks. For further information, contact Julia Gillam on 01642 342806, email: j.gillam@tees.ac.uk.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .