Female entrepreneurship is soaring. Despite the challenging economic environment, a record 150,000 new firms were founded by women in the UK last year – more than twice the level in 2018.
Join us at Women’s Enterprise Day to celebrate female entrepreneurship in Wandsworth, meet like-minded female founders and get practical tips to supercharge your startup.
Taking place at Thames Rowing Club in Putney, the event will comprise a panel discussion with local entrepreneurs, motivational talks, an interview with retail pioneer and notonthehighstreet co-founder Sophie Cornish, interactive workshops and a networking lunch.
There will also be the Wandsworth Women’s Enterprise Awards presentation, celebrating local stand-out founders in the following categories: ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’, ‘Rising Star’, ‘High Street Hero’, ‘Made in Wandsworth’, ‘Best Green Business’ and ‘Best Social Enterprise’.
Find out more about nominating a business for the awards here.
Women’s Enterprise Day agenda:
9:00 – Registration
9:15 – Welcome
- Kate Bassett, Business Writer and Senior Content Editor, Financial Times
- Cllr Kemi Akinola, Deputy Leader of Wandsworth Council
9:20 – Icebreaker
Get to know each other, boost your confidence and have some fun before the official programme starts.
9:30 – Panel discussion: How we did it
Our panel of inspiring, award-winning local entrepreneurs share their startup journeys, their successes and setbacks, and their practical tips on how to build and scale a business.
- April Jackson, Founder, Wood and Water and former The Apprentice contestant
- Isabel Chapman MBE, Founder, Power to Connect
- Marie Callan, Founder, URBAG
- Kate Bassett, Business Writer and Senior Content Editor, Financial Times
10:10 – Interactive workshop: Defining your personal brand
Learn about personal branding and how to unleash your brand value in this interactive session with former Sunday Times journalist Hannah Charlton. Discover how to differentiate your brand by defining its unique quality – and its value to your audience. This is more than a name and logo; this is about the personality of your brand and how you present your business. Find out the tools you will need to enable you to stand-out from competitors and build your business with focus, so your audience doesn’t just buy your product or service – they buy into your brand.
11:00 – Coffee Break
11:15 – Keynote interview: Shop small, think big
After co-founding notonthehighstreet.com, the online marketplace that’s home to more than 5,000 small creative businesses across the UK, and co-writing two best-selling books, Sophie Cornish MBE now chairs womenswear brand Busby & Fox. In this fireside chat, she shares the mistakes she’s made, the valuable lessons she’s learned and the opportunities ahead for Britain’s indie retailers.
- Sophie Cornish MBE, Chair, Busby & Fox
- Kate Bassett, Business Writer and Senior Content Editor, Financial Times
12:15 – Lunch
13:30 – Women’s Enterprise Awards presentation
The Wandsworth Women’s Enterprise Awards will recognise some of the amazing female entrepreneurs in the borough across six categories: ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’, ‘Rising Star’, ‘High Street Hero’, ‘Made in Wandsworth’, ‘Best Green Business’ and ‘Best Social Enterprise’. Find out more about nominating a business for the awards here.
14:15 – Interactive workshop: Attraction action! How to get what you want for your business – fast!
Do you want more clients, income and joy? This fun and lively workshop with business growth coach Mel Larsen shows you how to source those all-important resources, connections and solutions you need to grow your business.
- Mel Larsen, Business Coach, Mel Larsen Dream Project Coach
15:50 – Closing remarks
Terms and Conditions
Please note that by purchasing a ticket to this event, you consent to being filmed, recorded, and photographed as a member of the audience, and consent to footage of you being used in any medium for the promotion and marketing of Women’s Enterprise Day.
Here’s what attendees of Women’s Enterprise Day 2022 had to say about the event:
