Change It: Renew Programme

Has the Coronavirus crisis impacted your confidence or wellbeing? Our support for women in the Liverpool City Region is here to help…

We’re excited to announce our ‘Change It: Renew’ programme of support to help women across the Liverpool City Region to improve their resilience, coping mechanisms and mental wellbeing.

We understand that the Coronavirus pandemic has presented unprecedented challenges for women – many of whom have found themselves bearing the brunt of the crisis, both at work and at home.

We know that women are more likely to hold roles as frontline or key workers or to work in industries like travel and hospitality which have been the hardest hit financially.

Closer to home, we also know many women find themselves as primary caregivers for children, elderly relatives, or others in their local community. On top of this, recent lockdown measures have added yet more pressure on the most vulnerable in our communities.

It’s safe to say, we’re all in need of some support.

That’s why we are excited to bring you an extended programme of personal development support and services to help you recover and grow at this time.

‘Change It: Renew’ aims to create a safe, inclusive space for women to gather, connect and support each other through the current crisis and beyond.

We’re inviting women from right across the Liverpool City Region to access services and resources to help you improve your resilience, coping mechanisms and mental wellbeing.

Through the programme you can benefit from peer to peer support, connectivity, and online networks, so that you have appropriate support to help you address any problem areas, rebuild your life and take an active role in your local community.

It is hoped that this support will help women:

•  Be better able to access support, develop and sustain peer networks to deal with crisis issues in their lives and in the particular crisis arising from COVID 19 

• Have improved coping mechanisms and improved mental well being 

• Be prepared and supported to plan for recovery through support on deploying digital tools and technology 

• Have improved levels of resilience

The project builds on the ‘Change It’ programme which currently operates solely in Liverpool.

This new support is now open to women from all six boroughs of the Liverpool City Region, including Liverpool, Wirral, Sefton, Halton, St Helens, and Knowsley.

Funding from the Coronavirus Community Support Fund, distributed by The National Lottery Community Fund, is supporting ‘Change It: Renew’. Thanks to the Government and The Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport for making this possible.

Those wanting to find out more should contact hello@thewo.org.uk for more information.

'Empowering, Insightful, Though-Provoking': #SetYour2020Vision Business Club

At the first Business Club of 2020, we invited members to set their vision for the coming year.

‘New year, new me’. We’ve all said it at some point, then gone and bought a gym membership, opened a savings account, made extravagant plans for the coming year. But then, after a few weeks, our momentum slows, life gets in the way, we sleepwalk through the year, then suddenly it’s December again and nothing has changed.

In an inspiring session ran by Lin Hankinson, we invited our Business Club to set their vision for the coming year, and learn how to manifest that vision.

Networking before guest speaker Lin Hankinson

Lin Hankinson is an experienced counsellor, mindset coach, and founder of ‘What If…You Can’. As an entrepreneur, she has a wealth of experience in what is takes to start and maintain a successful business, and now coaches people in removing the mental barriers preventing them from reaching their full potential, and helps them to create the life they want to live.

Lin started out by saying: ‘We create our own reality, so let’s create the best life and best story that we can. 2020 is going to be my year – I want it to be your year too!’

With this in mind, Lin set us the task of ‘creating our best life’. What changes do we want to have made by next year?  What habits do we need to shake? What habits do we need to begin? What do we honestly believe our purpose on this planet is?

What do we want our lives to look like next year?

This got everyone thinking… It’s not often that we’re forced to be introspective, and it even sparked tears from a few people!

We went on to imagine our life in a year’s time: how do we want to be? What do we want to do? What do we want to have? How does the thought of being, doing, and having them things make us feel?

Lin demonstrated to us that these dreams and desires are very much within our grasp, but the programming of our brains from childhood mean we’re hardwired to believe, or not believe, certain things about ourselves and the world around us. Fortunately, we can retrain our brains to think more positively, and override these negative beliefs – we just need focus and support from those around us.

 

We followed up with plenty of networking, and it was great to see so many brilliant women connecting and sharing tips. One member has even arranged a trip to the top of the cathedral with a member from Russia!

We had lots of wonderful feedback from the session. Here’s just a taste:

‘Really stimulating, and great to learn about a new framework to guide my thinking. Such great energy!’

‘Just a lovely and inspiring morning with Lin. Lots of food for thought and big dreams. Thanks for the safe, inspiring and calm space, and opportunity to attend.’

‘It was empowering, insightful, and thought provoking. Really enjoyed it.’

‘Lin’s workshop was a wonderful opportunity to be challenged and empowered to take the wheel of my life and take responsibility for steering it in the direction I want to go. I LOVED IT!’

‘Amazing! I came so far in such a short amount of time. Lin was brilliant and pitched this workshop perfectly. Magic stuff happened here!’

Thanks to everyone who came, including our wonderful speaker Lin Hankinson. You can catch her upcoming events over on her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/WhatIfWorkshops/

Our next Business Club event is our International Women’s Day event on Friday 6^th March – it’s going to be an exciting one, so make sure to save the date ♀️

Business Club is rebranding to WO Connect! We’ll be creating a new Facebook group for members to exchange tips and ideas, and including a corporate membership option, for women who wish to attend events on behalf of big businesses. Keep an eye out for our new logo, launching soon…

Practical advice service helping to tackle causes of poor health

A ground-breaking service that provides financial support and advice through Liverpool GP practices is demonstrating a significant impact.

An evaluation of the Advice on Prescription service, which was introduced by NHS Liverpool Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and is run by Citizens’ Advice Liverpool (CAB), has shown how it is helping some of the city’s most vulnerable households to increase their income and reduce debt.

NHS Liverpool CCG announced a new five-year contract for Advice on Prescription in 2016, representing a £2.5 million investment as part of its mental health strategy.

Operating from 50 locations across the city, all Liverpool GPs can refer patients for assistance from CAB advisors on a range of issues including: housing, homelessness, job loss, complex debt issues and benefits advice.

Figures compiled by the CCG and the CAB show that between 2016 and 2018 the service resulted in:

• A total of £6.7 million in income maximisation – helping people make sure they are receiving all the financial support available to them and reducing debt and other outgoings where possible.
• An average increase in household income for referred patients of £762.
• Helping people to manage debt totalling £2.7 million – with more than £157,200 of this written off.

The service was developed after GPs reported a rise in patients presenting with problems that had a practical rather than medical cause, reflecting the strong link between social and economic hardship and poor health.

A significant number of Liverpool residents live in areas of high deprivation – the city was ranked as the fourth most deprived authority on the Index of Multiple Deprivation 2015.

The evaluation found that nearly 57% of people referred to the service had a monthly household income below £800, and 62% of referrals came from the most deprived areas of the city.

Advice on Prescription reports high levels of satisfaction with both those using the service and GPs who refer people into it: 77% of patients reported an increase in their capacity to manage their own physical and/or mental health, and 23% reported an increase in their capacity to maintain somewhere to live and avoid eviction.

Dr Fiona Lemmens, a Liverpool GP and Chair of NHS Liverpool CCG, said:

“There are many non-medical factors which can impact on a person’s health. As GPs we regularly see patients whose problems are rooted in things happening in other areas of their life, including those struggling with money or housing problems. The strain created by these type of issues increases the risk of developing conditions such as depression and anxiety.

“The Advice on Prescription service gives GPs and other health and care professionals a clear route to help patients who might need practical advice and support. This is good for individuals as it creates an opportunity for them to tackle problems which are having a negative effect on their health, while also reducing pressure on GP practices.

“We’ve very proud of the service and the positive impact it’s having. It demonstrates how we need to recognise the wider issues that impact on physical and mental wellbeing, and the importance of addressing the cause of problems rather than simply treating the symptoms.”  

Debbie Nolan, Project Manager, South Liverpool Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) said:

“Citizens Advice Liverpool are pleased to be the third sector delivery partners on the Advice on Prescription programme, and that is it making such a real difference to the lives and health of so many people in Liverpool. 

“Advice on Prescription is an excellent example of collective and partnership working which is providing help and support to people with a range of non-medical issues such as debt, housing and loneliness and isolation in conjunction with local GP and their teams.”

You can read a full copy of the report here.

LCR 4.0 set to generate £31m GVA and 955 jobs over next three years

LCR 4.0, a part ERDF funded business support programme for the manufacturing sector, has created 80 new jobs and added £2.6m GVA to date. These figures were revealed at its Technology Showcase event which took place at Sci-Tech Daresbury last week. 

It is now predicted that LCR 4.0 enabled SMEs will go on to add an additional 955 jobs and £31.1m GVA to the local economy in the next three years.

Working collaboratively with local businesses, the project has given almost 300 SMEs the tools and resources to explore the opportunities and challenges of Industry 4.0 technologies, such as big data, systems integration, Internet of Things (IoT), augmented reality (AR) and 3D printing. In using this advanced technology, SMEs can increase productivity, reduce costs and pioneer first-of-its-kind innovations.

The Technology Showcase event was a celebration of the success and impact of the LCR 4.0 programme, as well as a platform to highlight the additional support and funding available to SMEs across the North West.

Event attendees were welcomed by Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram as he praised LCR 4.0, its partners and the SMEs it works with for their contribution in positioning Liverpool City Region as a global leader in advanced manufacturing.

“There is a truly entrepreneurial spirit running through Liverpool City Region,” Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram said. “Because of this, the region can become, and in my opinion is becoming, a manufacturing global hotspot. Programmes like LCR 4.0 are making that possible, establishing innovative and dynamic manufacturing communities across the six boroughs.”

Several LCR 4.0 enabled SMEs took to the stage to give real life examples of advanced manufacturing in situ and there were several thought leadership talks from businesses including CNC Robotics which spoke about the ethics of robotics.

A recent survey by LCR 4.0 found that 82 per cent of SMEs say the programme changed their understanding of Industry 4.0, while over two thirds of businesses said it helped them to bring a product to market quicker. Innovative capacity was also enhanced in 82 per cent of respondents and three quarters were encouraged to be more ambitious as a result of the project.

Commenting on the survey results, Dr Andy Levers, technical director at the Virtual Engineering Centre (VEC) and technical lead for LCR 4.0, said: “These figures are real testament to the impact of the LCR 4.0 programme to date and that, if a business starts to operate in a more innovative way, they will generate better results quicker.”

SMEs are now being encouraged to get involved with Made Smarter UK – a new £20 million initiative set to engage with 3,000 manufacturers across the North West to embed advanced digital technology across the sector. With this new programme, it is thought the region’s manufacturing sector could generate a 25% increase in productivity and add £115m to the North West economy. 

“We’re well on our way to fulfil our potential as a hub of advanced manufacturing,” Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram continued. “What we need now is to collaborate and embrace new techniques and processes which will drive growth. The £20m Made Smarter initiative will follow in LCR 4.0’s footsteps and offer hundreds of SME manufacturers the chance to do just that, backed by a programme of guidance, advice and grants.”

The LCR 4.0 project, which is due to come to close later this year, has been delivered by partners University of Liverpool’s VEC, Liverpool John Moores University, Sensor City, STFC Hartree Centre and the Liverpool City Region LEP.

In 2018, the LCR 4.0 programme was hailed as an ‘exemplar project’ in the Made Smarter report and featured in the Top 100 European Digital Champions list by the Financial Times.

Event SME case studies:

- Quanovo: http://lcr4.uk/case-studies/quanovo/
- Glow New Media: http://lcr4.uk/case-studies/glow-new-media/
- CNC Robotics: http://lcr4.uk/cnc-robotics-case-study/
- Pulse Systems: http://lcr4.uk/case-studies/4027/
- EV Range: http://lcr4.uk/case-studies/ev-range-extender-ltd/

For more information or interview opportunities, please contact:
Amy Cantrill at Active Profile on 0151 556 7050 or email amy.cantrill@activeprofile.co.uk

LCR 4.0 supports almost 200 SMEs and creates over 20 jobs since launching two years ago

Business support programme LCR 4.0 has helped 197 SMEs in the manufacturing space and created over 22 new high value jobs across Liverpool City Region, since launching two years ago.

LCR 4.0 – which is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) – enables manufacturers and SME’s to explore the opportunities and challenges of Industry 4.0 (4IR) technologies, such as big data, systems integration, Internet of Things (IoT) and augmented reality (AR).

More than a quarter of companies supported through the programme have been startups, surpassing the target of 41 with a further 10 months to go until the project comes to an end.

Dr Andy Levers, technical director at the Virtual Engineering Centre and LCR 4.0 lead, said: “LCR 4.0 has helped a raft of start-ups across Liverpool City Region increase productivity, reduce costs, and pioneer first-of-its-kind innovations.”

For the second year running, systems integration has been identified as the most popular technology amongst manufacturers, with 26 per cent deploying it through LCR 4.0. Systems integration enables businesses to combine digital and physical assets to increase connectivity, ensuring that maximum value is achieved in the manufacturing process.

The project has seen 24 per cent of businesses combining 4IR technologies, such as AR and simulation equipment, to increase efficiencies and assess production challenges. A total of 13 new products have gone to market over the past two years, and an additional 36 new products have been introduced to firms.

LCR 4.0 provides fully-funded support to SMEs within Liverpool City Region, which includes Halton, Liverpool, Sefton, Wirral, Knowsley and St Helens. The project is now calling for more sub-regional businesses to get in touch to find out how they can benefit from LCR 4.0 before it ends next year.

“It’s vital that traditional manufacturers across the city region are aware of industry 4.0 technologies, so they can reap these benefits and stay ahead one step ahead of their competitors. That’s where LCR 4.0 comes in,” Andy Levers continued.

The LCR 4.0 programme was hailed an ‘exemplar project’ by last year’s Made Smarter report, helping to shape the Made Smarter Pilot. The £20 million initiative – designed to embed advanced digital technology across the North West’s manufacturing sector - was launched at Digital Manufacturing Week , which brought together 6,000 manufacturing executives to the Liverpool City Region.

Simon Reid, Head of Advanced Manufacturing at the Liverpool City Region Liverpool Enterprise Partnership, said: “The work that we’ve seen from the LCR 4.0 programme to date is extremely encouraging. It proves that there is more awareness, and integration, of emerging technology in the SME community.

With the Made Smarter Pilot up and running as a vital part of the government’s Industrial Strategy, we’re now calling for more businesses to get involved with the LCR 4.0 programme to take advantage of the support on offer, before the project ends in September 2019.”

LCR 4.0 is delivered in partnership by the University of Liverpool’s Virtual Engineering Centre (VEC), Liverpool John Moores University, Sensor City, STFC Hartree Centre and the Liverpool City Region LEP (Local Enterprise Partnership).

If you want to find out how LCR 4.0 can help your business, get in touch via its website: http://lcr4.uk.

The Women's Organisation Adds its Voice to Liverpool Council's Call to 'Rethink Universal Credit'

City wide call for the Government to reconsider the roll-out of welfare reforms

THOUSANDS of people in Liverpool are being forced into poverty because of the Government’s welfare reform program.

And with the rollout of Universal Credit (UC) looming large over the city, many more will be forced into a downward spiral of debt and destitution.

That’s the stark warning from community leaders, politicians and civic figures in the city who have banded together to urge the government to rethink UC, before it is too late.

Liverpool has been hit hard by welfare reforms and austerity cuts since 2010. In 2017 Liverpool City Council commissioned a unique study to examine the impact on residents of more than 20 welfare reforms.  It identified a disproportionate effect on women, disabled people, people with children and social sector tenants aged 40-59 and young people. It also highlighted the effect on in-work poverty.

.Last year Liverpool City Council made more than 13,000 crisis payments to help people with the cost of food, fuel and clothing.

The council and its partner believe the continued rollout of Universal Credit in the city in its current form will lead to a welfare crisis, which will see many more people suffer extreme hardship and the spectre of homelessness.

The Women's Organisation's CEO Maggie O'Carroll has joined Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson and other key city figures in calling for a period of reflection and an opportunity to fix Universal Credit.

Maggie O'Carroll, Mayor Joe Anderson, Cllr Jane Corbett & Paul Cherpeau 

Mayor Anderson says: “Already, we can see a spike in hardship and a rise in council tax arrears from those who have already transitioned to UC. Not to mention the queues at foodbanks and the families struggling with things like school uniform costs.

“Around 55,000 Liverpool households will eventually see their claim move to Universal Credit. Most of these households have already been affected by the ‘benefit freeze.’

“We have found that disabled people, the long-term sick, single parents and working families on low incomes are amongst those disproportionately affected.

“Simply put, if UC continues in its current form, people in Liverpool already facing enduring hardship will be left with even less. Levels of debt will rise, rent arrears will increase, families will be forced into food and fuel poverty and ultimately hardworking people will face the spectre of homelessness and destitution.”

The partnership has produced a new publication entitled ‘Universal Credit: Unintended Consequences’ which it hopes to put before ministers.

The publication contains essays from Bishop of Liverpool, Rt Rev Paul Bayes, the chief executive of The Women’s Organisation, Maggie O’Carroll and the chief executive of the city’s Chamber of Commerce Paul Cherpeau.

Headline requests from the partnership include a call for the DWP to cut the wait between applying for UC and receiving payment. Currently applicants can wait up to 35 days without cash.

It also calls for councils to be given more ring-fenced funds to provide a ‘local welfare scheme’ based on local needs and an end to the 30-40 minute waiting times for connection to DWP advice and information lines.

Mayor Anderson describes the lack of co-ordination with local authorities as a ‘scandalous oversight’.

He says: “Many councils have been forced to abandon discretionary support amid the austerity cuts they have had to endure, which has removed a vital safety net for the poorest but we have vowed to continue our support.”

Liverpool City Council spends £23 million dealing with a range of crisis issues surrounding poverty and homelessness and offers a range of crisis payments and housing support above and beyond the statutory threshold. In stark contrast, the council will have experienced a £444 million reduction in its funding from central government by 2020.

The National Audit Office recently urged ministers to ‘pause’ the roll-out of UC, with figures showing 40 per cent of claimants experienced financial difficulties transitioning to the new benefit, with a fifth of claimants not paid on time.

The Bishop of Liverpool, The Rt Rev Paul Bayes, warns that a move away from addressing need in the welfare system risks instilling the idea of the deserving and undeserving poor, writing that he is ‘angry’ and ‘frustrated’ at the ill-effects of recent welfare changes.

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation recently reported that Liverpool is the second hardest hit city in the country when it comes to destitution.

Maggie O’Carroll, chief executive of The Women’s Organisation in the city criticises Universal Credit for being a ‘very real barrier’ to those on benefit trying to become self-employed, while the one payment per household model poses ‘an even greater threat’ to vulnerable women who may be at risk of domestic abuse.

Meanwhile, the chief executive of Liverpool Chamber of Commerce, Paul Cherpeau says that any reduction in benefits will reduce spending power in the local economy and ‘stifle our capacity to start and grow businesses in the city’.

Mayor Anderson adds: “We are urging ministers to take heed of the ‘unintended consequences’ of their welfare reforms and take action.”

“We have to believe that these consequences are unintended because who would deliberately perpetuate a system that takes support away from the very poorest in society, that penalises people who are sick and disabled and takes financial support away from children?”

Click here to download the full report

Add your support to the campaign on twitter using #RethinkUC

A business growth story: It’s a family affair at Lewis Howes Signs & Engraving Ltd

Lewis Howes Signs & Engraving Ltd have been providing a quality service to the people of Liverpool since 1988 and it’s safe to say that the business has come a long way in that time. Run by husband and wife duo, David and Fran Lewis, with a little help from daughter Becky Sheen and her husband, Graham, Lewis Howes Signs & Engraving is well and truly a storybook family-run business. With Becky and Graham preparing to take over the family business, the team needed a stellar transition strategy to help pave the way for a new era of growth and success.

The team approached The Women’s Organisation for business development support under our growth programme; New Markets 2. We sat down with Becky to find out how our business advisor, John Jones, helped the family to prepare a business valuation and transition strategy...

Lewis Howes Signs & Engraving as its known today

The team approached The Women’s Organisation for business development support under our growth programme; New Markets 2. We sat down with Becky to find out how our business advisor, John Jones, helped the family to prepare a business valuation and transition strategy.

So, what’s Lewis Howes Signs & Engraving all about? Sign manufacturing is the bread and butter of the business, which specialises in high quality engraving on a range of materials. From nameplates and badges, to memorial plaques and switch plates, the team have seen it all. Over time a complete sign service has been developed, now offering a full service from design through to manufacture, installation and maintenance.

Perhaps the biggest change came in 2006 as Lewis Howes diversified in to digital printing, a change which managing director, David, dubs as ‘the best move we ever made’. Proof that businesses need to keep up the times and embrace new technologies. The firm has also recently invested in a state of the art new Rowland printer, as well as a laser cutting machine, allowing them to offer much quicker delivery times.

With a strong service offering that has proved the test of time, we asked what makes Lewis Howes unique? Becky says: “Reliability, speedy service and quality, bespoke products. Everything that we do is bespoke - there’s very little we can’t turn our hand to.”

Formerly David Lewis Signs, the past 28 years have seen a lot of change within the business. Originally based in Wallasey on the Wirral, David Lewis Signs was born in 1988, before merging with J & J Howes just two years later to becomes Lewis Howes Signs & Engraving. More change was still to come and in 2001 Dave and Fran Lewis bought out John and Jackie Howes to take sole ownership of the business.

David Lewis' first shop in 1988

Over this time, the firm has built a stellar, dedicated team of 15 staff - 8 of which were there on the very first day of trading in 1988 - enabling them to grow and develop the business into the respected name it is today.

By the mid-noughties the business was thriving and trade was strong. When the recession hit in 2008, the management team went to great lengths to keep the business going and admit that they still feel the effects of it 10 years later. Becky says that “this time has been the most difficult for the business, but also a great achievement” to weather the crash. After a number of hard and turbulent years, the company is now starting to slowly progress and grow.

After approaching The Women’s Organisation for support in taking the business to the next phase, the team was set up with business advisor, John Jones, under the New Markets 2 dedicated growth programme. Becky commented: “John has been excellent for us, offering advice and in constant contact.”

What would Becky say to those looking to grow their business in the North West? “The region is fairly robust at the moment. For those looking to grow I would say: provide high quality products, on time and at competitive prices.” Great advice!

Becky Sheen will be taking the reins of the family business

Becky and her family received growth advice through our New Markets 2 Programme, which is aimed at women who are running a business focussing on business to business activity in the Liverpool City Region (Liverpool, Sefton, Wirral, St Helens, Knowsley and Halton) are who are ready to take their business to the next level, either by expanding their team or significantly increasing turnover. For more information, contact us on hello@thewo.org.uk or ring us on 0151 706 8111

The Women's Organisation hosts first Successful Enterprise Hub Start-up Conference with Startup Direct

This week The Women's Organisation opened the doors of 54 St. James Street to local men and women who were thinking of starting a business, to celebrate the launch of the new Enterprise Hub programme for Liverpool City Region.  The Enterprise Hub Start-up conference run in partnership between The Women's Organisation and Startup Direct gave attendees opportunity to hear from business owners who have recently been through the process of starting a business themselves, and chance to reflect on the practicalities of self-employment. 

The conference starting with 20 minutes to network and get to know each other, with conference host Jo Austin encouraging the attendees "the first thing to learn is business is to take every opportunity to promote who you are and what you do". One guest said "it’s great to be able to network so easily". 

Nick Bell from event sponsors Startup Direct, told us about Startup Direct’s loan scheme for businesses. Startup Direct is a delivery partner of the Governments Start Up Loans Scheme that provides up to £25,000 in start-up funding for entrepreneurs wanting to start a business. Nick gave some great examples of how Startup loans can be used to finance big or small start up projects, and are a great option for those who may have struggled in the past to access finance through more traditional routes. 

Next we heard from Tom Rogers who left his secure teaching role-as a history teacher, to set up his own business, in his words, in the pursuit of "freedom". Tom set up Rogers History, a business which uses the internet to tutor teachers and students. Tom gave an interesting, animated speech sharing the realities of needing to adapt his business idea to suit the market place and preparing to build it slowly and methodicly. 

Nick Bell from Startup Direct pictured with Tom Rogers

Following a quick break to stretch our legs and grab another pastry we heard from another business owner, Jenn Appleton. Jenn is the owner and an instructor at Kumon Woolton, which is part of a franchise that provides study programmes for maths and English, in order to build children’s confidence and inspire a passion for learning. Jenn went on to tell us how life changing experiences forced her to take action and remember how life’s too short so she must seize the opportunity to do something she loves. Jenn received support from The Women's Organisation to start her business earlier this year and raved saying it is the best thing she has ever done. A guest said that it was good "hearing the experiences of other business start ups".

Jenn Appleton from Kumon Woolton

Once Jenn’s inspiring talk had concluded, all the guests introduced themselves to the group, showing bravery, which is needed to be self-employed. There was a range of different backgrounds, but there was an underlying theme of an education background showing through, perhaps highlighting the stress that the teaching industry is under at present and the urge many teachers feel to look for a change in career.

Those attending were led in a dicussion by Jo Austin from The Women's Organisation to think about the pros and cons of being self-employed. Some examples of cons were that you need to be self-disciplined and flexible. However on the other side of the argument there were ideas mentioned such as having higher aspiration and more freedom to experiment with ideas. There were positives thoughts on the pros and cons exercise with one attendee saying "it was a good exercise to make more aware of what you’re buying into".

The conference received great feedback with attendees saying "it was very informative", "inspiring" and "useful for someone looking for a starting point". Many of the attendees are going to continue to pursue their dream of owning their own successful business with support from the Enterprise Hub programme following the event.

If you have an idea for a business then contact Enterprise Hub to find out about the free advice and support available to men and women in the Liverpool City Region on 0151 706 8113 or enterprisehub@thewo.org.uk

We'd like to say a massive thank you to Nick and Startup Direct for sponsoring the event and helping to make it possible.