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Read Time: 6 minutes
Welcome to The Founder Edit, the weekly newsletter where UK female founders get the latest trends, opportunities, and advice.
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This week, we're spotlighting some incredible opportunities and insights tailor-made for your growth. Let's leap right into what’s brewing in the business world!
Inside This Edition:
đź’° Funding Focus: The Giving Joy Microgrant offers up to $500 to foster impactful projects worldwide. See how you can apply for this grant as well as tips for your application.
đź‘ Founder Networking: Mark your calendars! Unmissable UK networking events for women entrepreneurs are just around the corner. Grab your chance to connect, share, and grow.
📰 Industry Insights: Dive into the latest business trends and our take on what they mean for your own business – from changes in women-funded investment to the future of gifting programs.
🛠️ From The Vendor List: Allow customers to checkout directly through your Instagram DMs with this tool.
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🛍️ Inspiring Female Founded Brands: Celebrating innovative brands created by inspiring women. Discover what makes them special and how you can apply their lessons to your own business, perfect for Valentine’s Day shopping!
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Funding Focus: Giving Joy Microgrants
​Giving Joy offers $500 microgrants to women around the world looking to start or expand businesses, non-profits, NGOs, charities, or specific projects aimed at benefiting women, girls, and families. The grant is open from 1 January to 30 April, so you have plenty of time to submit your application!
🙋‍♀️ Application Tips for Success:
- Demonstrate Social Impact: Clearly articulate how your project will benefit your community, focusing on social improvements. Highlight the broader impact on women, girls, and families, ensuring it aligns with Giving Joy's mission.
- Detailed Use of Funds: Be specific about how you plan to use the grant money. Provide a detailed budget, including how each activity will be executed, the estimated costs, and the intended outcomes.
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Founder Networking: Upcoming Events (25 January - 3 February, 2024)
Here are some of the best female entrepreneur networking events happening in the next week:
EmpowerHer Networking Event
- Date and Time: Sunday, 4 February 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM
- Location: Doodles - 281 City Road London EC1V 1LA United Kingdom
- Price: ÂŁ20
- Who it’s for: Candy Baba is hosting this elegant women-only networking event, featuring top-notch speakers, strategic collaboration, and a celebration of women in business.
- ​Get more information and sign up here​
Women Wine & Wisdom Experience
- Date and Time: Sunday, 4 February 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM
- Location: OSR Restaurant & Bar - 64, 68 Atlantic Rd, London SW9 8PY, United Kingdom
- Price: ÂŁ35
- Who it’s for: Held at the cozy OSR Restaurant & Bar, this event is your chance to chat with fellow women entrepreneurs seeking inspiration, advice, and connection over a glass of your favorite vintage.
- ​Get more information and sign up here​
Good Business Gets Brunch
- Date and Time: Tuesday, 6 February 2025, 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
- Location: Feel Good Club - 26-28 Hilton Street Manchester M1 2EH United Kingdom
- Price: ÂŁ25
- Who it’s for: Enjoy a midweek Manchester brunch at Feel Good Club, offering a mix of networking, delicious food, and business insights.
- ​Get more information and sign up here​
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Industry Insights: Latest weekly news
Stay up to date with the latest trends and news in the business world. Here are three stories that caught our eye this week and what you can learn from them:
​Investment Inequality: UK's New Rules Sideline Women Angels
New UK regulations drastically reduce the number of women eligible for angel investing, threatening the diversity of the startup ecosystem.
Key Insights:
- Regional Impact: Northern Ireland and the North East of England could see a complete wipeout of women able to invest under new income criteria.
- Wealth Over Wisdom: The Treasury's new criteria prioritize wealth and narrow professional qualifications, risking a male-dominated and less diverse investor pool.
👩‍🏫 Rebecca's Take: Now is the time to seek out and engage with female-focused angel investment groups. Not only do they offer valuable investment opportunities, but they also provide a nurturing environment where you can grow your network and knowledge.
Make 'Em Laugh: TikTok's Advice for Nailing Funny Brand Campaigns
The TikTok blog shared some insights on how brands can use humor in their marketing, leading to higher engagement with followers (and possibly helping your posts go viral!).
Key Insights:
- Purchase Power: 30% of TikTok users cite humor in creator content as a major motivator for their buying decisions.
- Trend Remixing: Brands that remix trends see a 14% increase in ad view time, demonstrating the effectiveness of staying current with the latest trends.
👩‍🏫 Rebecca's Take: Consider using TikTok's Creator Marketplace to find comedic influencers who align with your brand's values. You can combine this by using trending memes on your other social media channels to show how your brand is current and relatable!
AI is coming to Etsy with gift recommendations
Etsy announced their new “Gift Mode” service which uses AI to analyze interests and curate a selection of perfect gifts for any recipient.
Key Insights:
- Gift Teasers: Etsy allows gift givers to create a special "gift teaser," including a note and tracking info, adding excitement to the gifting process.
- Shopper Engagement: Only 12% of U.S. shoppers currently see Etsy as a go-to for gifts, a perception 'Gift Mode' aims to change by personalizing the shopping experience.
👩‍🏫 Rebecca's Take: How can you implement or expand on gifting in your own business? Personalized experiences like gifting are one of the fastest ways to build raving fans and introduce new customers to your brand, so brainstorm ways your products or services can offer a more thoughtful, curated experience.
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From The Vendor List: Paloma
​Paloma lets your customers check out and purchase products directly through your Instagram DMs, leading to easier transactions and higher conversion rates.
Why It's Useful:
- Inventory Management: The platform simplifies inventory management, allowing for quick item uploads and automatic claim code generation.
- Streamlined Fulfillment: Orders auto-sync to shipping platforms like Shippo for easy label creation and automatic tracking updates, simplifying the fulfillment process.
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Inspiring Female Founded Brands
Featuring remarkable female entrepreneurs and their products, along with unique qualities that can inspire your own business approach.
This week, we're spotlighting three exceptional women-led brands we love (perfect in time for your Valentine’s Day shopping!):
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Don’t Buy Her Flowers: Launched in 2014, Don’t Buy Her Flowers offers customizable gift boxes filled with items ranging from beauty products to books, tailored to the recipient’s preferences.
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Founder: Steph Douglas
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What makes them stand out? Wide Product Ranges. Don't Buy Her Flowers offers gift boxes for many occasions and for specific groups, keeping the brand meaningful for different events in people’s lives. Other brands can learn from this by expanding their products to meet the varied needs of their customers, staying relevant and memorable.
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LYLIE Jewellery: LYLIE Jewellery offers sustainable, high-quality jewelry made from recycled and antique materials handcrafted in the UK.
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Founder: Eliza Walter​
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What makes them stand out? Ethical Production. LYLIE Jewellery distinguishes itself through its commitment to 100% ethical sourcing, using only recycled gold, platinum, and silver, alongside lab-grown or antique gemstones. This commitment builds customer loyalty by showing that luxury products can be both ethical and high-quality.
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Naja: Blending social responsibility with eco-friendly practices, Naja offers lingerie crafted from recycled materials, supporting single mothers with fair wages and work-life balance.
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Founders: Bethan Thomas and Kate Achilles​
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What makes them stand out? Brand Personal Experience and Empathy. The founders' personal experiences with fertility struggles, pregnancy, and parenthood deeply resonate with their customer base. This personal connection adds authenticity and empathy to the brand, cultivating relatability
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Do you know of an amazing female-founded brand that should be featured in a future newsletter (or want to see your own business featured)? Reply to this email and let us know!
That’s all from The Founder House this week! Keep pushing boundaries, breaking ceilings, and supporting each other.
See you next week,
Rebecca
​The Founder House​
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