Scottish female entrepreneurs lacking support to unlock their company’s digital potential, report reveals

Scottish female entrepreneurs are struggling with digital transformation as they face a significant gap in skills and advice, a report by Women’s Enterprise Scotland (WES) has revealed. 

Almost half of those surveyed said they lack the skills to develop a digital strategy for their business or effectively use digital tools, with ‘difficulties making the most of digital, the internet and social media’ ranking as a top challenge facing their company, second only to the cost-of-living crisis. 

Although most of those surveyed acknowledged – 81 per cent - investing in technology would benefit their business, three quarters of those needing help revealed they had not been able to access support.

Meanwhile, more than two-thirds admitted they had not applied for technology-related grant funding. However, lack of awareness is believed to be a key driver behind this, with 35 per cent saying they are not “in touch” with a business adviser. 

On top of this, more than half of those who had applied for funding said just “some” or none of the benefits from the grant investment were realised, suggesting their lack of skills may have affected their ability to take advantage of digital grants. 

The report also pointed out that around £40m in digital grants were disbursed during the pandemic - a time when increased caring commitments may have led to more time constraints for women entrepreneurs, making it difficult for them to exploit available funding.

Therefore, the survey concluded new gender-appropriate policies are required, which include mandatory gender-disaggregated data reporting in all investment programs. 

WES chief executive Carolyn Currie said: “The results of our survey demonstrate the requirement for accelerated action which is aligned with the needs of women-led businesses.

“With many women not accessing support services and others highlighting they are not getting the best out of support services, we can hardly be surprised that experiences of discrimination by women entrepreneurs have risen sharply – yet this picture is wholly at odds with our aspirations for an inclusive and thriving economy in Scotland.”

The Survey of Women in Enterprise 2023 also revealed seven in 10 women believed they are not always treated equally compared to their male colleagues, especially when working in male-dominated industries like technology. It’s an issue which was highlighted by Holyrood’s top women in tech last December.

Discussing the start of her career in the sector, Cheryl Torano, business development manager for the Abertay cyberQuarter, said:

“I can honestly say that my male counterparts, a lot of the time, looked at me like I was daft. They didn't listen to what I had to say. I had to go to some extreme extent to get people to listen to me.”

Other findings from the survey showed that women-led businesses also find it difficult to secure long-term survival, with less than 15 per cent saying their business had reached the 20-year mark.