The newly created Women’s Enterprise Task Force announced by Margaret Hodge, Minister of State for Industry and the Regions, will see a top line-up of expertise from a range of sectors including those supporting business growth. The Task Force aims to increase both the quality and quantity of women’s enterprise across the UK over the next three years. Co-Chairs of the Task Force Pam Alexander, Chief Executive of South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) and Dr Glenda Stone, Chief Executive of Aurora, have announced the Task Force membership:

* Sumerah Ahmad, co-Founder & MD, Club Asia Radio
* Clare Barclay, Head of Small Business, Microsoft
* Professor Sara Carter, Director, Entrepreneurship Centre, University of Stirling
* Valerie Dwyer, Board Member, East Midlands Development Agency; serial entrepreneur
* Anne Glover, Director, Amadeus Capital
* Rotha Johnston, Vice Chair, Invest Northern Ireland; property entrepreneur
* Allison Ogden-Newton, Chief Executive, Social Enterprise London
* Ken Olisa, Founder & Chairman, Restoration Partners; Non-Executive Director, Reuters
* Amanda Rendle, Head of Business Marketing, HSBC Bank plc
* Erika Watson, Executive Director, Prowess

Observers of the Task Force are:
* Meenakhi Borooah, Enterprise Team, HM Treasury
* Andrew Dobbie, Deputy Director, Women & Work Commission
* Julie Kapsalis, Head of Operations, SEEDA
* Tracy Vegro, Director of Enterprise Strategy, SBS

Pam Alexander commented:
"Our aim is to inspire and harness the talents and skills of potential women entrepreneurs and to do all we can to encourage them to prosper. I am delighted that members of the Task Force include many dynamic, influential and inspirational business leaders from a range of different backgrounds, sectors and experience, including those sectors that will benefit commercially from growth of this dynamic market. The benefits will be many and broad; firstly, realising the untapped potential of women’s enterprise will make a dramatic and positive economic contribution to the UK’s GVA. Secondly, if the UK had the same rate of female start-ups as the US we would have 700,000 more businesses, which would have a major impact on our overall productivity as a nation and have the potential to create over 1.5 million new jobs. Thirdly, since more women come into self-employment and business ownership from a position of economic inactivity, bringing them into the economy brings double benefits."

Top of the agenda for the new Task Force is assessing the collective impact of the regional economic strategies and the Devolved Administrations in increasing women’s enterprise rates nationally. Women-owned businesses across the UK currently generate between £50 and £70 billion for the economy. All nine English Regional Development Agencies (RDA’s) are now implementing women’s enterprise strategies and delivery plans. SEEDA is the lead RDA for Women’s Enterprise and manages the secretariat of the Women’s Enterprise Task Force.

Co-Chair Dr Glenda Stone commented:
"On average, every new UK VAT registered business generates almost 3 jobs. Therefore if women start more businesses and we can encourage greater growth, the UK economy will experience increased job and wealth creation. The Task Force is keen to focus some of its attention on the range of diverse opportunities for business women in emerging and scalable markets such as the business-to-business marketplace."

The first Task Force meeting will be held in London on Tuesday 6 February, preceding the 400-strong gathering in Brighton at the 4th Prowess Annual International Conference on 7- 8 February that focuses on women’s enterprise support. Pam Alexander and Glenda Stone are keynote speakers at the conference presenting their views on the prospects for women’s enterprise in 2007 including key challenges and potential solutions.