Women’s business centre will break the gender gap

Oct 22 2007 by David Bartlett, Liverpool Daily Post

AN INTERNATIONAL women’s enterprise centre is to be set up in Liverpool in an attempt to break the gender gap in business creation.

It is hoped the £1m centre in the north of the city will see 3,000 businesses set up by women in the next 10 years, creating 4,500 new jobs.

The project is the brainchild of Cllr Flo Clucas, executive member for economic development and Europe, who said getting more women into business is vital to the long-term economic success of Liverpool.

It is thought that the centre will be the first of its type in Europe, following similar models that have operated successfully in the USA.

The centre will be uniquely for women and will be run by Train2000, which in turn will come under the auspices of new super quango Liverpool Plc, which starts to operate next year.

“There is an enormous gap between women and men in economic development, and we think this centre will help redress that balance.

“There is also a big gap between men and women in senior positions.”

Cllr Clucas said just a tiny percentage of businesses created in north Liverpool were by local women, whereas men were behind more than 10%.

The rest of the businesses are owned by companies or people from outside the area.

The centre, which will operate from a refurbished council building, will bring together potential and existing entrepreneurs and those who wish to start or develop their own businesses, through training, mentoring and developing financial assistance.

Cllr Clucas said that by handing over the building, Train2000 would be able to apply for money from the lottery to fund the refurbishment. She said she was hopeful the centre could be open by the end of next year.

“There is a real potential to help women who are perhaps unemployed or are working for a company but want to start their own.

“If we can make this hap- pen and focus on increasing women in enterprise we have an opportunity to help create jobs.”

davidbartlett