Women in Business

“Being a woman in a man’s world takes an enormous toll on self-belief and self-confidence”
Co Longford entrepreneur

Empowering women to achieve economic independence, including through the promotion and support of female entrepreneurship, has been central to LWL’s approach to addressing women’s social exclusion.

What do we do?

Supports developed by LWL and its partner organisations, include:

A 'one-stop' information service provided through the Women's centre, in an atmosphere where women feel comfortable and encouraged to ask questions
A female mentor who explores the feasibllity of the client’s business idea, but also take into account building confidence, and the importance of managing work/life balance issues
Pre Enterprise Training. LWL run a very succesful 12 week course designed to encourage women to assess their business idea, and to teach essential skills in turning an idea into a business reality. The training specifically explores the crucial work-life balance. Over eight years, a hundred and fifty-seven women have completed this training, with over forty new businesses established and sustained.
A Longford businesswomen network that brings women together to offer each other advice, support and encouragement in managing and in growing a business.
www.longfordshopping.ie This is a web-presence for the County’s businesswomen, in support of collective marketing and marketing outside of Co Longford

Nationwide Feature

Some women who participated in the Longford Equal Project were featured in RTEs Nationwide Programme.

To view this on RTEs website, click here.

(under the heading "Focus on Female Entrepreneurs" click on the second feature to view the Longford female Entrepreneurs)

Why Do We Provide Support?

Because there are still low numbers of women setting up a business compared to men. Because there are still low numbers of women with a plan to grow their businesses compared to men. Because there are still higher numbers of female-owned business that fail compared to men.

The reasons why are complex but well recognised across the EU, They include lack of confidence; difficulty accessing information; difficulty accessing start-up and development funding, especially for micro-enterprises in the high-risk, high-turnover services and retail sectors that women primarily engage in; perceived, and actual, discrimination; and the challenge and strain of trying to balance a home life along with work commitments.

Women’s businesses tend to be micro-enterprises in highly competitive or low-growth sectors, such as textiles, retail and catering. They also rely heavily on family for finance and labour. This gender imbalance impacts directly on women's ability to set up and sustain an enterprise.

What else do we do?

We lobby – locally, regionally, nationally, and within the EU, where we argue the case for recognition of women's unique sectoral focus, and for improved support in order to build a better culture for women in business.

We work closely with other organisations that support women in business. We do so in order to provide the best support possible for women, and to make a collective argument for improved support for women.

We celebrate, promote and ‘make visible’ women’s businesses – we encourage women to look at the successes of other women, and to think ‘maybe I can do that too’.