MOTHERWELL babyballet BUSINESS WOMAN JOINS WES AMBASSADOR PROGRAMME
Motherwell business woman, Charlotte Martin, is helping to close the gender gap in enterprise after becoming one of 35 new Women’s Enterprise Scotland (WES) Ambassadors.
WES is the community interest company which works to ensure women have access to the gender specific support they need to start-up and thrive in business. Women-owned businesses in Scotland are just 14% of SME employer businesses, down from 20.6% in 2017.
Charlotte, founder of Tap 2 Pointe and owner of babyballet Lanarkshire Central franchise, based in Lanarkshire & Glasgow is part of the latest cohort of women business owners to be appointed to the WES Ambassador programme. They provide accessible, visible role models for other women looking to start and grow their own business.
Charlotte commented; I am delighted to be a WES Ambassador, having the opportunity to inspire other women to start and develop their own business and fulfilling their economic potential.
The new intake takes the WES Ambassador cohort to over 70 women, owning and running businesses across Scotland, from Orkney to the Borders and from the Outer Hebrides to Fife. Sectors represented are wide ranging, from food, travel and textiles to professional services, wellbeing, hospitality and manufacturing.
Women have fundamentally different experiences to men in business. Challenges faced by women include access to finance, disproportionate caring responsibilities, access to networks, mentoring and role models.
With babyballet Lanarkshire Central now celebrating its 9th year in business and taken on its second expansion along with a new cohort of teachers, the local business continues to grow from strength to strength with the community supporting them all the way.
“I am delighted to become an ambassador for Women’s Enterprise Scotland.” Said Charlotte. “I am passionate about empowering women from all age groups to reach their potential, to believe in themselves and to achieve greatness. Working with girls from a young age at babyballet, I can teach them to be confident and to reach for the stars.”
Charlotte concluded; “Whilst we know that women owned businesses contribute £8.8bn Gross Value Add into the Scottish economy and have created over 230,000 jobs, there is so much more that could be done. As a WES Ambassador, I will be playing my part in helping to achieve the gender balanced business ecosystem which is so crucial to our post pandemic economic recovery.”
Charlotte and her team of 10 dance teachers bring the magic of babyballet classes to babies, tots, toddlers and young children in venues across Motherwell, Baillieston, East Kilbride, Hamilton, Coatbridge and Cambuslang. Please click here to find out more.
For more information about Women’s Enterprise Scotland please follow the links below:
With thanks to Gaynor Simpson and WES for publishing this piece.
