For many years, Governments around the world have been trying to harness the power of entrepreneurship to create a virtuous circle that nurtures the entrepreneurial mindset, stimulates innovation, and leads to economic growth. It is not uncommon to see entrepreneurship and innovation coupled, but it is a little less common to see them linked with empowerment and yet economic empowerment is often a reason given by would-be entrepreneurs as the motivation for their decision to start a new venture, particularly for women and ethnic minority groups. At the heart of the IBSE philosophy and network is the desire to bring small business, research, policy, and education together and to understanding what’s worked and what has not and why it matters. In this briefing, I will highlight some of the initiatives, the motivations, and outcomes of successive government initiatives. Are they always successful? No. Does it stop them trying? No. Should they keep going regardless? Yes. Are there lesson’s to be learned? Yes.
