Proud to be a Female Founded Business

International Women’s Day celebrates the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. It is also an opportunity to recognise the importance of women in business and their contributions to the global economy. Women bring a unique perspective to the workplace, and their insights can help businesses make better decisions, increase innovation, and improve overall performance.

We are so proud to be a female founded business and there’s no better day to be celebrating Jaime (pictured with Gary) than International Women’s Day. Jaime setup and co-founded The Survey Initiative in 2006 following a career in employee research. She heads up the data analysis team looking at engagement and what we do for our clients, the type of outputs and reporting and is dedicated to creating employee research solutions that deliver real results. Last year she added being a Certified Member of the Market Research Society (MRS) to her list of achievements.

It’s pleasing to know that women-founded businesses are on the rise. According to diversityuk.org “more women than ever are starting new businesses. Over 150,000 all-female founded companies were created last year, and this figure is growing by over a third each year. It means that in total over 20% of new firms are now led by women, a record high…”  That’s a statistic quoted from the Rose Review Progress Report in 2019 – the initial review stated that “if women started and scaled new businesses at the same rate as men, up to £250bn of new value could be added to the UK economy.”  It’s reassuring to see that progress has been made!

Female founded businesses bring a unique perspective to the market. They often focus on creating products and services that meet the specific needs of women, which have been historically overlooked by male-dominated industries. They also bring diversity to the table, which is essential for innovation and growth.

According to Harvard Business Review research has shown that organisations “with more women in senior positions are more profitable, more socially responsible, and provide safer, higher-quality customer experiences — among many other benefits.”  They are also more likely to donate to charitable causes and implement environmentally friendly practices – all evidenced here at The Survey Initiative.

Overall, women-founded businesses are essential for a thriving economy and a more diverse, equitable, and sustainable future.

There is still work to do though. The International Women’s Day website references the Women in the Workplace 2022 report from Lean In and McKinsey & Co., that states that female leaders are leaving companies at an unprecedented rate “due to employers not meeting the expectations of women leaders. These expectations include a workplace focus on flexibility, employee well-being, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.” This is why initiatives like International Women’s Day are so important.

From politics to business, women are making their mark and inspiring others to follow in their footsteps, paving the way for future generations of women. After all, as Marian Wright Edelman said, “you can’t be what you can’t see” and we can see from Jaime’s daughters that they know with hard work and dedication they can be anything they want to be.