The importance of networking and how to network
In the business world, networking is a very important tool. But what does networking mean and why does it matter? And more importantly, how do you get started?
Resources
Resources
Whether you are starting, growing or scaling your business, we want to equip you with the resources you need to make your business a success. Here you’ll find tips from experts on developing yourself as a business leader, expanding your network, building a board and much more!
Resources for business
While 'investment' is usually taken to mean finance, investing in your own skills, resilience and wellbeing is equally important. These articles and the section below on incubators and accelerators provide an overview of the many resources for business on offer, from formal courses such as Help to Grow, to supportive coaching and mentoring from one of the UK's many accelerator programmes.
Do I need a business coach or a business mentor?
Coaching and mentoring are two terms often used interchangeably, but they actually refer to different types of relationships and approaches.
Developing yourself with Help to Grow
Help to Grow: Management is an intensive leadership and management training programme that helps entrepreneurs to develop their leadership, strategy and management skills, equipping them to seize investment opportunities and grow their business.
Getting the best from your coach, advisor or mentor
Investing your time, energy and resources in the right support has the potential to really make a difference, providing significant short-cuts to getting where you want to go. Julia Elliott Brown shares more about getting the best from your coach, advisor or mentor.
Build your business
Whatever your business idea, there are some well-established factors that will make the business itself more resilient and likely to succeed. These include a well-designed financial plan, external expertise on your board, investor-friendly legal structure and good market intelligence. Many successful founders have benefited from taking part in an incubator or accelerator programme. These typically last 3-4 months and offer connections with legal, finance and marketing experts. Some incubators offer built-in equity finance for participants, for a pre-agreed stake in the business.
Guide to Incubators and Accelerators
Discover the difference between an Accelerator and Incubator and how you might use these programmes to grow your business.
Grow your network
Running your own business can be lonely, both personally (there isn't ready access to your peer group, as there would be in a large organisation) and professionally. A helpful resource to meet this need can be business networks, with some offering comprehensive e-learning and coaching opportunities on all aspects of business development. Others such as the UK-wide Women in Business Network focus on more informal, local groups with guest speakers and events. Finding the right network is very much about your own needs and the stage you have reached in your business journey.
Finding the right finance for your business
Finding the right finance is just one aspect of business success. Our database of finance providers is unique because of its focus on services offered to women-led businesses and the commitment that providers have made to support women, through the Investing in Women Code. We have also teamed up with the British Business Bank's Finance Hub to ensure that you can find illustrations and examples of the different types of finance offered and when they are most suitable.
Guide to finance providers
The database of finance providers is at the heart of the Invest in Women Hub. This short introduction will help you get the most from it.
Finance jargon explainer
Business finance can be confusing, so here is a handy jargon buster to demystify those technical terms, from Advance Assurance to Zero-based budgeting! Please let us know if you find one we've missed, using the contact form.
What are the different stages of equity finance?
Equity Finance has different stages of funding - Pre-seed, seed, Series A and Series B. But what do these funding labels really mean?
What is private equity and when is your business ready for it?
Private equity (PE) is a type of financing that involves using capital from private investors to purchase or invest in businesses.
The Investing in Women Code
The Investing in Women Code is a commitment to support women-led businesses in the UK. All signatories commit to improving their offer to women entrepreneurs and to collecting data on their performance.
Inspiring stories from women business leaders
These case studies cover every stage of business growth and every sector imaginable, from food and drink to fintech to consumer services. Whatever challenge you are facing, there is a strong chance that other women in business have been there before and found a way through. Where possible we have linked each case study to the network or finance provider involved, so that you can connect with them and find out more. Each case study is linked to a business growth stage, so that you can quickly find those most relevant to you.
Hair Raising Growth
Foxy Hair Extensions may have started small in 2006 as a one woman band, but today, the company has both a thriving online and salon business. Foxy Hair Extensions is one of the UK’s leading suppliers of 100% human hair extension products and training designed for both professional hair salons and extensionists. The company was...
2to3 days
2to3 days is an original concept in recruitment – the UK’s first female-focussed careers network providing flexible jobs for professional women. Founder and former chartered surveyor, Juliet Turnbull started the business after a lightbulb moment when she realised the traditional recruitment model was literally failing millions of professional women like her. Women who wanted to...
Pawsome Service for Dogs
Whilst the nation’s capital is a stimulating place to live and work, for the estimated 1.8 million dogs that reside in London finding dog friendly pubs, bars and restaurants can drive their owners barking mad. WagIt is the brainchild of entrepreneur Nadia Leguel and mummy to Lola - her ten year old King Charles Cavalier.
luna: Leading the TeenTech revolution
luna is an app for teenagers which provides a safe space to access trustworthy advice and guidance on their health and wellbeing. Jo Goodall and Jas Schembri share more about their journey, inspiration and taking their concept to reality.
Your Spin: Turning an idea into a business
Eilidh Mutch is the founder of Your Spin Limited, an in-venue activation game for the hospitality sector. As a young entrepreneur Eilidh shares more about her journey as well as the importance of networking.
Video library
Our videos have been selected to offer one of three things: a deep dive on a specific topic, bringing to life a founder's story, or insights and reflections from women business leaders on their growth journey. We have linked to a business growth stage although many of them are of interest to all. There is a small selection below, but for more, search the full library.
Knowledgebase
The Invest in Women Hub focuses on helping you access the finance you need. You may also want to access a range of other resources for business so here we’ve collected some trusted sources covering business support, enabling entrepreneurship and data on women-led businesses in the UK. These should be helpful resources for business on topics not covered by the Hub.
Women-led businesses: what is the data telling us?
The Gender Index is the world's first national gender disaggregated database. In this article, John Cushing of data provider mnAI draws out lessons from the 2023 data.
Making the most of your Intellectual Property
Every business will create some kind of intellectual property (IP) as part of what it does and the customers it serves. Whatever new thing you create in your business that gives you an advantage over a competitor, could be seen as potential intellectual property.
Enabling Entrepreneurship
Female entrepreneurs represent huge economic potential for the UK. £250 billion could be added to the UK economy if women matched men in starting and scaling businesses. To unlock this potential, it’s important to support and champion current entrepreneurs as well as inspire future ones.