Women are being encouraged to set up in business at a centre being set up just for them.

Chatham is to be home to the first Women’s Business Centre in the UK to offer free advice to female would-be entrepreneurs.

The centre, due to formally open next month, is part of a campaign over many years to woo more women into self-employment and to recognise the crucial role they can play in turning round the economy.

The South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) is pumping £700,000 into the project over the next two years. The new centre in Chatham High Street was previously Medway Enterprise Gateway, an organisation that helped creative businesses.

SEEDA chief executive Pam Alexander said: "It will be dedicated to supporting women across the region from disadvantaged and hard to reach communities, and SEEDA will provide £700k over the next two years for the project, which will include facilities for networking, events and training. In the South East, there is an enormous untapped potential for women entrepreneurs to help boost the economy."

Shriti Vadera, Minister for Economic Competitiveness and Small Business, added: "Getting more women entrepreneurs is an economic issue not just an equality issue. There is a wealth of untapped talent and economic opportunity that could significantly boost the economy in these uncertain times."

Ms Alexander called on private and public sectors to do more to support women to start businesses during the recession, urging them to give access to finance and procurement opportunities.

SEEDA says that national evidence shows that women-owned businesses start with lower levels of overall capitalisation and debt and are much less likely to use external sources of finance.

Women starting up in business tend to provide a more immediate contribution to the economy as around one in five women come into self-employment from unemployment compared with around one in fifteen for men.

SEEDA is launching the South East Women Business Services (SEWBS) through the Business Link Service later this year, as well as "What’s Stopping You" events aimed at helping women build confidence when starting up their own businesses.

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