Updates

Marketing franchise owner commended in 100 Female Entrepreneurs to Watch list

South Wales based marketing franchise owner, Katie Bullon, has been commended in Telegraph and NatWest initiative; 100 Female Entrepreneurs to Watch.

Fresh on the back of a Women in Marketing award win for Best Leader in Marketing, Bullon, who also celebrates two years of owning and running the digital marketing franchise, activ Marketing Group, was awarded the accolade at a prestigious lunch celebration at The House of Commons on 21st November. 

The lunch hosted the proud cohort of women, acknowledged as the brightest female founders by Maria Caulfield, Minister for Women who was quoted: “We are aiming for 600,000 more women starting their own businesses by 2030.”

activ was established in 2008 as a digital marketing franchise, of which, Bullon became a franchisee in 2014, later becoming franchisor in 2020 and expanding the group into three separate business entities with a major rebrand through one of the most difficult economic climates the world has seen.

“Despite the unprecedented shock to our economy – and our daily lives – more women than ever are starting new companies,” says Caroline Barrett-Haigh, executive lifestyle editor of The Telegraph. “Furthermore, the number of female-founded businesses is growing by a third every year, outstripping growth in male-led firms for the first time.”

With this in mind, Telegraph Media Group and NatWest launched the 100 Female Entrepreneurs to Watch list, an initiative that shines a spotlight on some of the most exciting female-founded businesses in the UK. 

After an exhaustive process of examining applications from all over the UK, the 100 Female Entrepreneurs to Watch list has been announced, including 10 Highly Commended businesses from which one exceptional female entrepreneur receives the Judges’ Choice award.  

Bullon said of her award win: “This month, I have been blown away by the support I have received for two major award wins. To be recognised as one of 100 women around the UK for the hard work and effort I have ploughed into activ alongside my team is truly amazing. Thank you, I am hugely grateful and recognition as we enter into another period of recession is gratefully received.”

Those making the list earn assistance to help them further flourish, with benefits ranging from mentorship, an enterprise health check, media coverage, a parliamentary reception with Caroline Nokes MP, support from the Adelpha Group, possible investment from the Astia Fund, dinner with senior Coutts and NatWest executives and a £10,000 investment from NatWest. 

You can find out more about the 100 Female Entrepreneurs to Watch, along with all of the named women, here.