Aspiring business women in Lanarkshire are being invited to take part in a free nine-week mentoring programme – described as a “business bootcamp” – to help turn their ideas into enterprises.
Women Can Grow will include weekly workshops on a range of key business topics, one-to-one support and ongoing mentoring for 18 months, plus networking events and a sales pitch competition with three prizes of £500 on offer.
The course is open to participants aged 18+ who have a fully-formed business idea which they are ready to pursue within six weeks of completing the programme, and those trading for less than six months seeking structured support to grow; and places are available by registering online by this Friday, January 10.
It is being run by Hamilton-based business management organisation Inspirent, supported by the Scottish Government as part of its Pathways business programme, and launches with “bootcamp” on January 23.
The Lanarkshire course will run every Thursday until the end of March, from 10.30am to 3pm at a venue still to be confirmed, and will include topics such as market research, brand identity, marketing, product pricing, cash flow management, sales strategy and risk planning.
Organisers are aiming “specifically to support those who may be furthest away from the entrepreneurial world, such as single mums, women from ethnic minorities, and women returning to work after a career break”.
Inspirent chief executive Liz McCutcheon said: “Just one in five of Scotland’s entrepreneurs are women, while start-ups founded by women in Scotland receive only two per cent of overall investment capital, so it really is quite exciting that the Women Can Grow programme is launching in Lanarkshire and Glasgow to engage women of all types and backgrounds.
“Owning your own business doesn’t have to be just a pipe dream, or something to do ‘one day’ in the future. With the Women Can Grow programme, women will get practical, hands-on guidance to help establish and grow their business with confidence.”
Women Can Grow programme is described as “tailored to support women at the very start of their business journey”; free places are available by visiting https://inspirent.co.uk/pathways-women-can-grow/ by January 10.
Inspirent, which also has a base in Coatbridge, works with councils and organisations across Scotland to support businesses and social enterprises by providing expert guidance and practical programmes.
With years of experience supporting over 20,000 start-ups, the organisation is “dedicated to creating opportunities for women to develop their skills, build confidence, and achieve entrepreneurial success”.
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