Latest news with #MikeCrane
North Wales Live
3 days ago
- Business
- North Wales Live
Study reveals one in three female entrepreneurs feel overlooked by investors
A recent study has found that nearly one in three female entrepreneurs feel overlooked by investors, with 20 per cent believing they face greater hurdles to success than men, largely due to restricted access to funding and investment. According to the survey involving 500 women business owners, the predominant challenges they confront include gender biases and balancing work with personal life. An alarming 40 per cent faced stereotypical perceptions around 'emotional' versus 'rational' decision making, while a quarter struggled to find a supportive team to help them reach their goals. These figures have been compiled as part of the Women in Business Report, by AXA, which examines the obstacles faced by female business owners and shares inspiring stories from female entrepreneurs. The research was carried out in partnership with the AXA's Startup Angel competition, which annually awards two new businesses top prize packages of £25,000 plus mentoring from the AXA Startup Angels' four successful SME owners. Mike Crane, director of small business insurance at AXA UK, which commissioned the research, said: "Starting your own business is a huge challenge and our research has highlighted areas where women feel disadvantaged." Mike added: "It's clear that while the business world has made progress in recent years, it's sometimes still not a level playing field for women. "More than half of the small business owners we surveyed said gender bias and stereotyping were a problem, while almost a third felt they weren't taken seriously by investors, clients or suppliers." The survey shed light on various other hurdles women in business face, including underrepresentation in senior positions and societal expectations surrounding appearance and behaviour. However, nearly half of the women respondents stated that running their own business provided them with greater flexibility to spend time with their families. One in five shared that they started their businesses with the goal of empowering other women and promoting diversity, while 15 per cent aimed to positively impact their local communities. Furthermore, 43 per cent believed that being a business owner sets a positive example for their children. Mike added: "We believe being a woman shouldn't be a risk when starting out in business – everyone deserves the same opportunities regardless of gender. "We're committed to supporting all budding entrepreneurs to realise their dreams. The AXA Startup Angel competition provides a springboard to bring incredible ideas to life, offering funding and mentorship that can make a real difference in those early days. "Small businesses are the backbone of the UK economy, and we want to ensure they continue to grow and flourish with our support and encouragement." 10 THINGS THAT MAKE IT HARDER FOR WOMEN TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS: Gender bias and stereotypes (59%) Gendered expectations around leadership styles (42%) Stereotypical perceptions of emotional vs rational decision making (42%) Difficulty in asserting authority without being viewed negatively (33%) Limited work-life balance support (29%) Underrepresentation in senior roles (28%) Lack of recognition for achievements or contributions (26%) Unequal division of domestic and childcare responsibilities (26%) Societal expectations around prioritising family over career (26%)
Wales Online
3 days ago
- Business
- Wales Online
Study reveals one in three female entrepreneurs feel overlooked by investors
Study reveals one in three female entrepreneurs feel overlooked by investors A fifth of female entrepreneurs believe it is harder for them to succeed than their male counterparts attributing this to limited access to funding and investment. A fifth find it difficult to secure funding (Image: Getty Images ) A recent study has found that nearly one in three female entrepreneurs feel overlooked by investors, with 20 per cent believing they face greater hurdles to success than men, largely due to restricted access to funding and investment. According to the survey involving 500 women business owners, the predominant challenges they confront include gender biases and balancing work with personal life. An alarming 40 per cent faced stereotypical perceptions around 'emotional' versus 'rational' decision making, while a quarter struggled to find a supportive team to help them reach their goals. These figures have been compiled as part of the Women in Business Report, by AXA, which examines the obstacles faced by female business owners and shares inspiring stories from female entrepreneurs. The research was carried out in partnership with the AXA's Startup Angel competition, which annually awards two new businesses top prize packages of £25,000 plus mentoring from the AXA Startup Angels' four successful SME owners. Mike Crane, director of small business insurance at AXA UK, which commissioned the research, said: "Starting your own business is a huge challenge and our research has highlighted areas where women feel disadvantaged." Article continues below A quarter found it difficult to find a supportive team to assist them with their goals (Image: Getty Images ) Mike added: "It's clear that while the business world has made progress in recent years, it's sometimes still not a level playing field for women. "More than half of the small business owners we surveyed said gender bias and stereotyping were a problem, while almost a third felt they weren't taken seriously by investors, clients or suppliers." The survey shed light on various other hurdles women in business face, including underrepresentation in senior positions and societal expectations surrounding appearance and behaviour. However, nearly half of the women respondents stated that running their own business provided them with greater flexibility to spend time with their families. One in five shared that they started their businesses with the goal of empowering other women and promoting diversity, while 15 per cent aimed to positively impact their local communities. Furthermore, 43 per cent believed that being a business owner sets a positive example for their children. Mike added: "We believe being a woman shouldn't be a risk when starting out in business – everyone deserves the same opportunities regardless of gender. Article continues below "We're committed to supporting all budding entrepreneurs to realise their dreams. The AXA Startup Angel competition provides a springboard to bring incredible ideas to life, offering funding and mentorship that can make a real difference in those early days. "Small businesses are the backbone of the UK economy, and we want to ensure they continue to grow and flourish with our support and encouragement." 10 THINGS THAT MAKE IT HARDER FOR WOMEN TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS:
Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Almost one in three women in business feel they aren't taken seriously by investors, research reveals
IN BUSINESS Almost one in three women in business feel they aren't taken seriously by investors, research reveals Almost one in three women in business feel they aren't taken seriously by investors, research has revealed. A fifth (21 per cent) think it's harder for them to succeed than male counterparts – with 22 per cent of these citing limited access to funding and investment. Advertisement 2 A poll of 500 women revealed the common issues they face in business Credit: SWNS The poll of 500 women who run their own businesses uncovered the top challenges they face, including gender bias (59 per cent) and balancing their personal and professional life (29 per cent). And 42 per cent said they have faced stereotypical perceptions around 'emotional' versus 'rational' decision making, while 26 per cent had problems finding a supportive team to help them achieve their goals. The research was conducted in conjunction with the AXA Startup Angel competition which annually awards two new businesses top prize packages of £25,000 plus mentoring from the AXA Startup Angels' four successful SME owners. The findings have been compiled as part of the Women in Business Report, which looks at the challenges faced by female business owners and shares inspirational stories from female entrepreneurs. Advertisement 2 One in three reported that they felt investors didn't take them seriously Credit: SWNS Mike Crane, director of small business insurance at AXA UK, which commissioned the research, said: 'Starting your own business is a huge challenge and our research has highlighted areas where women feel disadvantaged. 'It's clear that while the business world has made progress in recent years, it's sometimes still not a level playing field for women. 'More than half of the small business owners we surveyed said gender bias and stereotyping were a problem, while almost a third felt they weren't taken seriously by investors, clients or suppliers.' Advertisement Other issues women in business have encountered include under-representation of females in senior roles (28 per cent) and social pressure around appearance or behaviour (25 per cent). However, 48 per cent said they have more flexibility to spend time with family while running their own business. More than two in five (43 per cent) feel it has helped set a positive example to their children, according to the figures. Award-Winning Producer Catherine Marks Reveals Cancer Battle After Years of Pain Nearly a fifth (19 per cent) of respondents launched their own business to help empower other women and foster diversity, while 15 per cent had hopes of improving their local communities. Advertisement A fifth said they had felt undervalued at their previous workplace, and 21 per cent also believe there is more risk – including the potential to lose money – as a woman running a business. Mike Crane from AXA UK added: 'We believe being a woman shouldn't be a risk when starting out in business – everyone deserves the same opportunities regardless of gender. 'We're committed to supporting all budding entrepreneurs to realise their dreams. The AXA Startup Angel competition provides a springboard to bring incredible ideas to life, offering funding and mentorship that can make a real difference in those early days. 'Small businesses are the backbone of the UK economy, and we want to ensure they continue to grow and flourish with our support and encouragement.' Advertisement
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mirror
One in three women in business aren't taken seriously by investors
A fifth of women who run their own businesses think it's harder for them to succeed than men, according to a new study which has highlighted the challenges faced by female entrepreneurs Almost one in three women in business feel they are not taken seriously by investors, according to a recent study. A fifth believe it is more difficult for them to succeed than their male counterparts, with 22% attributing this to limited access to funding and investment. The survey of 500 female entrepreneurs revealed the main challenges they face as business owners, including gender bias and juggling personal and professional life. Four in ten reported they have faced stereotypical perceptions around 'emotional' versus 'rational' decision making, while a quarter struggled to find a supportive team to help them reach their goals. These figures have been compiled as part of the Women in Business Report, by AXA, which examines the obstacles faced by female business owners and shares inspiring stories from female entrepreneurs. The research was carried out in partnership with the AXA's Startup Angel competition, which annually awards two new businesses top prize packages of £25,000 plus mentoring from the AXA Startup Angels' four successful SME owners. Mike Crane, director of small business insurance at AXA UK, which commissioned the research, said: "Starting your own business is a huge challenge and our research has highlighted areas where women feel disadvantaged." "It's clear that while the business world has made progress in recent years, it's sometimes still not a level playing field for women. More than half of the small business owners we surveyed said gender bias and stereotyping were a problem, while almost a third felt they weren't taken seriously by investors, clients or suppliers." The survey also highlighted other challenges faced by women in business, including a lack of representation in senior roles and societal pressures around appearance and behaviour. Despite these challenges, nearly half of the women said running their own business gave them more flexibility to spend time with their families. A fifth shared they started their own businesses to empower other women and promote diversity, while 15% hoped to make a positive impact on their local communities. Moreover, 43% believe that being a business owner sets a good example for their children. Mike added: "We believe being a woman shouldn't be a risk when starting out in business – everyone deserves the same opportunities regardless of gender. "We're committed to supporting all budding entrepreneurs to realise their dreams. The AXA Startup Angel competition provides a springboard to bring incredible ideas to life, offering funding and mentorship that can make a real difference in those early days. "Small businesses are the backbone of the UK economy, and we want to ensure they continue to grow and flourish with our support and encouragement." 10 THINGS THAT MAKE IT HARDER FOR WOMEN TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS: Gender bias and stereotypes (59%) Gendered expectations around leadership styles (42%) Stereotypical perceptions of emotional vs rational decision making (42%) Difficulty in asserting authority without being viewed negatively (33%) Limited work-life balance support (29%) Underrepresentation in senior roles (28%) Lack of recognition for achievements or contributions (26%) Unequal division of domestic and childcare responsibilities (26%) Societal expectations around prioritising family over career (26%) Social pressure around appearance and behaviour (25%)
The Sun
3 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Almost one in three women in business feel they aren't taken seriously by investors, research reveals
Almost one in three women in business feel they aren't taken seriously by investors, research has revealed. A fifth (21 per cent) think it's harder for them to succeed than male counterparts – with 22 per cent of these citing limited access to funding and investment. 2 The poll of 500 women who run their own businesses uncovered the top challenges they face, including gender bias (59 per cent) and balancing their personal and professional life (29 per cent). And 42 per cent said they have faced stereotypical perceptions around 'emotional' versus 'rational' decision making, while 26 per cent had problems finding a supportive team to help them achieve their goals. The research was conducted in conjunction with the AXA Startup Angel competition which annually awards two new businesses top prize packages of £25,000 plus mentoring from the AXA Startup Angels' four successful SME owners. The findings have been compiled as part of the Women in Business Report, which looks at the challenges faced by female business owners and shares inspirational stories from female entrepreneurs. 2 Mike Crane, director of small business insurance at AXA UK, which commissioned the research, said: 'Starting your own business is a huge challenge and our research has highlighted areas where women feel disadvantaged. 'It's clear that while the business world has made progress in recent years, it's sometimes still not a level playing field for women. 'More than half of the small business owners we surveyed said gender bias and stereotyping were a problem, while almost a third felt they weren't taken seriously by investors, clients or suppliers.' Other issues women in business have encountered include under-representation of females in senior roles (28 per cent) and social pressure around appearance or behaviour (25 per cent). However, 48 per cent said they have more flexibility to spend time with family while running their own business. More than two in five (43 per cent) feel it has helped set a positive example to their children, according to the figures. Nearly a fifth (19 per cent) of respondents launched their own business to help empower other women and foster diversity, while 15 per cent had hopes of improving their local communities. A fifth said they had felt undervalued at their previous workplace, and 21 per cent also believe there is more risk – including the potential to lose money – as a woman running a business. Mike Crane from AXA UK added: 'We believe being a woman shouldn't be a risk when starting out in business – everyone deserves the same opportunities regardless of gender. 'We're committed to supporting all budding entrepreneurs to realise their dreams. The AXA Startup Angel competition provides a springboard to bring incredible ideas to life, offering funding and mentorship that can make a real difference in those early days. 'Small businesses are the backbone of the UK economy, and we want to ensure they continue to grow and flourish with our support and encouragement.' 10 THINGS THAT MAKE IT HARDER FOR WOMEN TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS: Gender bias and stereotypes (59 per cent) Gendered expectations around leadership styles (42 per cent) Stereotypical perceptions of emotional vs rational decision making (42 per cent) Difficulty in asserting authority without being viewed negatively (33 per cent) Limited work-life balance support (29 per cent) Underrepresentation in senior roles (28 per cent) Lack of recognition for achievements or contributions (26 per cent) Unequal division of domestic and childcare responsibilities (26 per cent) Societal expectations around prioritising family over career (26 per cent) Social pressure around appearance and behaviour (25 per cent)
