Nineteen extraordinary women from across the country have been unveiled as the 2022 finalists in the UK’s leading programme for female entrepreneurs. Now in their 20th year, the everywoman Awards in association with BGF, celebrate female entrepreneurs from all walks of life, providing a platform for them to share their achievements, challenges, and stories of success. From the founders of multi-million-pound empires to those spearheading social enterprises for the greater good, this year’s finalists are the role models whose success will inspire future generations of female entrepreneurs. Selected from nearly a thousand entries, the finalists’ stories tell of success in the face of adversity, innovative ways to solve business challenges and an appetite for business growth.
The 2022 finalists were chosen by a judging panel comprising some of the UK’s top business figures including Daina Spedding (BGF), Chrissie Rucker OBE (The White Company), Panni Morshedi (Beauty Pie), Rosaleen Blair CBE (Alexander Mann Solutions), Sam Smith (previously FinnCap), Annoushka Ducas MBE (Annoushka Jewellery), Helen Pattinson (Montezuma’s Chocolate), Roni Savage (Jomas Associates) and Melissa Odabash MBE.
Female entrepreneurs face many complex challenges in setting up, growing, and sustaining their business. From gender stereotypes to a reduced access to finance, a range of barriers can prevent women’s businesses from thriving.
Women, on average, have 20% lower confidence than men in their capabilities to start a business and those who do pursue businesses will find that finance remains in short supply. Research suggests that women in the UK launch with, on average, 53% less capital than their male counterparts and male entrepreneurs are 86% more likely to be funded by venture capital. However, consistent with findings from past years, women are overall about 10% less likely to report a business closure than men. These financial and confidence gaps mean that female entrepreneurs are an untapped pool of talent and potential that if addressed, could result in women starting and scaling new businesses at the same rate as men in the UK, which in turn could contribute £250 billion to the British economy. At a time when growth and innovation are of such importance to the UK’s future, it is economically short sighted not to unlock this potential.
This is why the everywoman Awards continue to play such an important part in British enterprise, with 76% of former Award winners agreeing that their everywoman Award has positively impacted their business and 63% saying it improved their personal and professional confidence.
In 2003 Gill Riley founded GGR Group, GGR is a specialist lifting company which has the largest mini crane and vacuum lifting fleet in the UK.
Gill studied Business Finance Travel and Tourism at college in Manchester and went on to start her early career in sales being the youngest female sales rep working for electrical wholesaler City Electrical Factors before founding GGR Group with her brother. With just £5,000 of funding this family run business has transformed into the £28 million global success who are on track to hit £33 million this year, with 150 employees and stationed across three locations in the UK.
As one of the top managing directors in the construction industry, Gill has contributed to changing the perception of a highly male-dominated industry and built GGR’s reputation over nearly two decades; offering best in class service, equipment, and technical expertise, working on notable projects including HS2 and The Shard, amongst other high-profile projects.
GGR Group’s success has been built through sourcing new, innovative, ground-breaking products for the construction industry from a range of global suppliers. As a result, the company now offer over 500 different types of lifting equipment to both UK and Europe.
The award winners will be announced at a live ceremony on 8th December 2022 when the greatest female talent will once again unite to celebrate the achievements of these extraordinary women and their businesses.
Speaking about the finalists, Maxine Benson MBE, co-founder of everywoman comments: “For the past 20 years these awards have provided a platform to share the stories of hundreds of entrepreneurs; encouraging, emboldening, and empowering other women to follow suit. We hope their experiences will go on to inspire others and provide the motivation that will strengthen the backbone of the UK’s economy.”
For further information about the finalists or to book a table at the awards ceremony, visit: www.everywoman.com/ewawards
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