With hopefully a bit of downtime over the Christmas period, women across Wales are being encouraged to explore a free digital platform which helps turn business ideas into a reality.

The opportunity is part of a project run by Chwarae Teg, Simply Do, funded by NatWest, and supported by Big Ideas Wales, as they work together to make more women entrepreneurs across the nation.

Simply Do is providing its online platform, AWEN (All Women Entrepreneurial Network) – which women can look at any time – https://sdi.click/makeithappen. It’s an open idea community, where women can explore their early-stage business idea from the comfort of their own home. They can show their support for early-stage ideas created by other, like-minded women and get-started on their own idea in as little as 5-minutes.

Cardiff based businesswoman Caitlin Gwynn, who runs The Hand Made VA, is hoping that this resolutions time of year will have many women thinking about taking a business idea one step further. Caitlin said:

“I started running my own business during the pandemic and it’s been a huge adventure for me, and one that I would encourage anyone to take. That being said, I know first-hand how difficult it is to just get started and how tricky it can be to deal with those feelings of overwhelm and fear. I know the digital platform by Simply Do will be an incredibly helpful first steppingstone to anyone who's ever felt like they want to start a business but have little or no idea where to begin. For any women mulling over the thought of their own business I’d say why not just take a look at the platform and see what support is there. You have nothing to lose and possibly everything to gain!”

Emma Tamplin, Collaboration Manager, Chwarae Teg, said:

“I think it’s the perfect time, especially looking to the start of a new year when people often reassess what they really want to be doing. There will be many women out there who have always dreamt of running their own business but never quite known how – well that’s exactly who the platform is for.”

Lee Sharma, Chief Executive, Simply Do, said:

“Our platform at https://sdi.click/makeithappen is a safe, digital space where ideas can spark, and innovation can flourish. If women take a look now who knows where they will be this time in 2022!”

Visit https://sdi.click/makeithappen to benefit from the tailored information and support.