Women into Business Initiative Hits the Mark

A new initiative, aimed at encouraging more women to explore their potential to start a new business, is hitting the mark with enquiries and bookings from the Perthshire area rolling in for the free pilot programme being held in Perth, later this month.

Following survey results which revealed poor self belief and lack of confidence as significant barriers to women starting in business, the two-day "Women Into Business" course is being sponsored by Scottish Enterprise Tayside. Hosted by the Business Shop Perthshire, at the city's Stakis Hotel on September 14 and 15, the course share experience with women already in business, run practical workshops to help generate personal development strategies, financial plans and business ideas, and demonstrate the latest business use of computer technology.

Lorna Ritch, Business Advisor at the Business Shop Perthshire, said:" We are delighted that this programme is striking the right chord with women who want to start a new business in Perthshire. Women signing up for the course have said how much they have welcomed the opportunity to meet other women like themselves. Some had been thinking about starting a business for some time and were keen to learn as much as they could to help move their aspirations forward.

"Alongside the panel discussions and confidence boosting workshops, the computer technology demonstration will help participants see how easy to use and versatile computer technology is today, and how it can make running a business from anywhere, including from home, much more viable." she added.

With around 30 free places on the course, the organisers are well past the halfway mark. As some women have said that other commitments and time constraints prevent them from attending on both days, the course structure has been amended so that where this is the case, participants can still get the best out of whichever day they can attend.