Female entrepreneurs in the UAE will benefit from the unique insight of much accoladed business expert Kate Hardcastle MBE in a new partnership with the UAE’s most engaged platform and community for women in business, Female Fusion Network.
Retail and business expert, Kate Hardcastle MBE, and her team from Insight with Passion (IWP) will be supporting Female Fusion members through their Access for All Programme which gives its time free of charge to support microbusinesses, start-ups, charities and community projects, who would otherwise not be able to access the expertise and experience that Insight with Passion offers.
With a combined community of 20,000 women business leaders, women running their own businesses and those looking to start a business in the UAE, Female Fusion offers networking, support, insight and education both online and face to face via their subscription membership – The Network by Female Fusion
Working globally, UK based Kate Hardcastle MBE is the founder of Insight With Passion, a business consultancy which has helped to rejuvenate businesses with a customer focus, and she is seen regularly on television as an expert commentator and presenter. The ‘Access for All’ initiative is designed to provide support and insight to SMEs on a pro-bono basis.
“The opportunities for women in business in the UAE have never been greater”, says Kellie Whitehead, Founding Partner, Female Fusion Network. “The country presents a fabulous eco-system for setting up and growth of female-founded enterprise. That said, we also know that there is a real need for further support, motivation and ways to market for ladies within our membership, after the year that we have all had, with many business owners forced to pivot, remain agile and face many unprecedented challenges. We are thrilled to be able to work with Kate Hardcastle MBE and the Access for All team to be able to provide fresh insight, advice and motivation to help our members push forward in achieving their business goals”.
A 2021 survey by UN Women and NAMA – Women Advancement Establishment, taken across women owned businesses in the UAE revealed that 63% respondents witnessed a drop in sales due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the UAE with an average decrease in revenue by 58%. However, to mitigate the risks, 43.1% shifted their services online while 37.9% have enabled remote working for employees.
The new partnership will see female entrepreneurs in the UAE benefit from a range of sector specific learning opportunities, both virtual and face to face, giving Female Fusion members a global perspective from some of the most knowledgeable experts on acquiring and retaining customers, clients and business, and what that looks like in the new Post-Covid consumer landscape.
Kate Hardcastle MBE said, “The UAE is a brilliantly progressive environment for small and micro businesses. With so many independent brands and retailers, many female owned, it’s never been more important to ‘shop and support local’. Working with a global insight within the UAE to help entrepreneurs really understand their market and opportunities is really exciting for us, and a perfect collaboration for Access to All to be able to work with Female Fusion members”
