Time to shout about our success

Sep 19 2003 By Nicholas Craig, The Journal

Some surveys make you wonder who has been asked the questions. Two fairly recent national surveys proclaim that the North-East has fewer entrepreneurs than any other region.

The Household Survey and the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor both put our region firmly at the bottom of the UK pile. The GEM states that only 1.9pc of men and no women at all are involved in entrepreneurial activity in the North-East.

Who did they question? Not me, or anyone I know. Not North-East Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Margaret Clare, of Solutions Recruitment, or Angela Anderson, North-East Young Woman Entrepreneur of the Year.

Angela used her own savings to finance the start-up of Hebburn-based Zenith Recruitment just two years ago.

The company is expected to turn over £1m this year.

Margaret Clare, MD of Solutions Recruitment, is currently expanding her company's workforce from 22 to around 36.

Many more businesswomen are far too busy to bother about their gender in the awards game. They feel they have nothing left to prove and should be judged on their merits alongside their male counterparts.

However, according to the national surveys, there are precious few entrepreneurs of either sex in this region.

This is despite the nurturing of innovative business set-ups by One NorthEast and the launch of their Centres of Excellence.

The Entrepreneurs' Forum, launched in the North-East by entrepreneurs, for entrepreneurs aims to shorten the distance travelled from business start to success.

The region now has a fair sprinkling of successful entrepreneurs, with the commitment, business acumen and energy to thrive long-term. We need to support them as vigorously and creatively as possible.

Spurious statistics from national surveys can damage the hard work of public and private sector initiatives and deter would-be entrepreneurs from choosing the North-East as a destination.

We will have to shout louder about our successes to stop the rot.