Access to capital holding Australia's female entrepreneurs back

Cara Waters - Business Times - 17 July 2018

Catriona Pollard says the environment for female entrepreneurs in Australia has changed a lot since she founded CP Communications.

"When I started my business 18 years ago, it was virtually impossible to find a female networking group. I ended up going to the local chamber of commerce," she says.

Now Ms Pollard has a plethora of networking groups aimed at female entrepreneurs and business people from which to choose.

However, speaking to Fairfax Media at the Dell Women's Entrepreneur Network in Toronto, Ms Pollard says access to capital remains an issue for female entrepreneurs.

CP Communications turns over more than $800,000 a year and employs six staff but Ms Pollard says she has funded the business herself by reinvesting profits, which has meant slower growth.

"While we do talk about funding and it is changing, I don't think it has changed a lot," she says. "I think there is either conscious or unconscious bias about providing funding to female businesses. I think banks like the idea that they are looking at funding, but are they? Women need flexibility and scaleability, which is why we often look at VC funding rather than bank funding." Read more