Business for Women
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14 April 2009 - Back

Leading businesses target the female entrepreneurs of the futureLeading businesses target the female entrepreneurs of the future

King's Cross Central has joined up with leading international law firm Herbert Smith LLP to launch Business for Women – a pilot programme to sponsor female entrepreneurs looking to establish small businesses in the King's Cross area.

Business for Women will support four female entrepreneurs in its first year. The selected entrepreneurs will be entitled to free membership of The Hub – a local workspace and networking venue – given access to coaching and tailored professional advice to meet their needs, as well as receiving financial support toward their business expenses. The programme will be managed by Centa – the local business support agency.

Herbert Smith real estate partner, Iain Rothnie, who chairs the King's Cross Business Action Group – a corporate responsibility initiative focused on developing links with the community in King's Cross – commented:

"Small business and social enterprise are vital to the sustainability of our local communities – providing much needed jobs and services, as well as being a source of innovation and new ideas. We are delighted to be working with Centa Business Services, the organisations behind the King's Cross Central redevelopment, and other members of the King's Cross Business Action Group, to ensure that local women with the potential to succeed in business have the support that they need."

Roger Madelin, Joint Chief Executive of Argent, the Asset and Development Manager of King’s Cross Central, commented:

"At King’s Cross Central we are committed to supporting local businesses and ensuring that innovative ideas are harnessed and taken forward. The redevelopment is creating a host of opportunities in the local area, and we want to make sure that budding entrepreneurs are able to take advantage of these."

The Business for Women programme is targeted at women who are looking to contribute to the business community in King's Cross and the wider Camden area. Recruitment for the programme is via an application form that can be downloaded from the Centa website at www.centa.co.uk. Candidates who meet the grant criteria will be offered one-to-one support with a Centa business advisor as they work their application up into a business plan. The four successful entrepreneurs will be selected by a panel interview with representatives of the project partners.

Herbert Smith and the King’s Cross Central Limited Partnership are founder members of the King's Cross Business Action Group – a collaborative initiative involving ten leading companies voluntarily supporting schools, charities, employment organisations and small businesses in the area surrounding King's Cross Central to ensure that the local community fully benefits from the development.