Young Manchester businesswoman appointed to national Women in Enterprise Taskforce

A Manchester-based businesswoman has been selected for a new national taskforce set up to promote and support women in enterprise.

Entrepreneur Kelly Gilmour-Grassam, from Chorlton, is set to champion the needs of the UK’s female-run small firms after joining the new group, which was set up by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).

Kelly, the brains behind Making You Content, a marketing agency based in the Northern Quarter, will join 14 other businesswomen as they look to build on the recommendations of the FSB’s Women in Enterprise report from earlier this year.

Titled Women in Enterprise: The Untapped Potential, the report found that while women-led companies face many of the same challenges encountered by all small firms, such as difficulty accessing finance (cited by 25%) and cash flow issues (42%), other problems more acute for women were highlighted.

Two out of five women (40%) reported challenges in balancing work and family life, while others (37%) said achieving credibility for their enterprise was a problem. Around a fifth (22%) said a lack of confidence was a significant hurdle.

Discussing her appointment, Kelly said: “We have a huge opportunity to boost growth and prosperity in this country by supporting more women into business.

“By standing up for business owners who have traditionally been underrepresented in the organisation, we hope to bring a breath of fresh air to the team on a regional and national scale.”

She continued: “It’s early days for the Women in Enterprise Taskforce, but as a young female entrepreneur with a passion for Manchester business, I can’t wait to get involved and play a positive role in the region.”

Simon Edmondson, the FSB’s regional chairman for Manchester and North Cheshire, said: “I know Kelly will be an excellent ambassador for Manchester in this important new position. She has a real passion for business and I look forward to hearing how the taskforce progresses.”

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