Ouch. I came across a Harvard Business Review article revently by a group of Swedish researchers (Malmstrom, Johansson and Wincent) – they recorded Venture Capitalists’ (VC) conversations and analysed how differently the VCs spoke about male and female entrepreneurs. It’s uncomfortable reading…the language these VC guys used (and yes, no question, it will usually be guys) to describe male and females was radically different. (When writing this I accidentally wrote “tragically” instead of “radically” at first. Freudian slip? Maybe…but then maybe tragic is the right word.) The research showed that the VCs produced typical stereotypes of women as having qualities opposite to those considered im
Twice a year a list of the recipients for various honours are released by Buckingham Palace, often including celebrities, but also normal people who have done extraordinary things. Our Ambassador, Dr Bharti Rajput (or Doctor B), is one of those wonderful people who is extremely passionate about providing exceptional foot care to the people of Dundee and beyond, a city which she now calls home. A huge congratulations to Dr Bharti Rajput MBE on your award!
Venturefest Scotland is a national, business innovation summit designed to help high-growth Scottish SMEs and ambitious early-stage companies to grow through innovation. Taking place on Wednesday 20 September 2017 at the Glasgow Science Centre, the event connects business owners, entrepreneurs, investors and innovators and provides a platform for growing companies to find the tools, advice, funding and contacts they need to take their businesses to the next level. Registration is free and any aspiring Scottish company – in any sector – is invited to attend. The packed one-day programme includes: Confirmed keynotes from Mandy Chessell, Master Inventor at IBM and Jim Duffy, Head of #GoDo at En
How many times do we hear the saying, a problem shared is a problem halved? I hear it all too often when running my own business but what does that saying really mean? Well, for me, it takes me straight to a business passion of mine. Mentoring. It’s no stretch of the truth to say that mentoring saved my business. In 2002, PCL Group suffered a bad debt when a client whom we were working with on a sizeable project simply ran out of money and left us high and dry. Despite running credit checks and undertaking due diligence, we were left totally exposed and even the bank told us we were unlikely to survive and should just throw in the towel. PCL Group faced a three-year court battle to try an
Having spent my entire adult life working in mainstream press, I found myself unemployed at the age of 41, after being made redundant. I found it difficult to secure a similar position and started to wonder if I’d ever work again. After months of soul searching and doubting myself, I made the decision to start up on my own. When you don’t have something to focus on and a reason to get out of bed in the morning, it can drive you crazy. Now, almost four years down the line, I’m enjoying running my own business and holding my own in a fiercely competitive industry, contributing to the economy and above all, loving what I do. The core of my business is to create publicity. I curate media activit
'Women's Business Mentoring' launches nationwide today (1st June 2017) with some of the most recognisable and successful Scottish businesswomen leading the way. This initiative brings together the connectivity and entrepreneurial spirit of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce Network, Women's Enterprise Scotland and Scotland's leading women entrepreneurs: Liz Cameron OBE of Scottish Chambers of Commerce, Carolyn Currie of Women's Enterprise Scotland, Jeanette Forbes of PCL Group, Poonam Gupta OBE of PG Paper, Marie Macklin CBE of Macklin Partnerships and Petra Wetzel of WEST Brewery. ‘Women’s Business Mentoring’ will match mentors with mentees to create a self-supporting, collaborative commu