Natalie Fletcher from Sale has been named as one of the UK’s most inspirational and dynamic female entrepreneurs by the f:Entrepreneur ‘#ialso100’ campaign.

Natalie who founded Mancmade Ltd in 2020 is being profiled alongside 100 female entrepreneurs from across the country, as part of the campaign to celebrate the multi-achievements of women running businesses in the UK today. Now in its fifth year, the growing campaign attracted a record number of applications for this year’s ‘#ialso100’ line-up.

Delivered by Small Business Britain – the leading champion of small businesses in the UK – f:Entrepreneur was launched in 2017 to highlight the stories of amazing female business owners and help provide inspiration and role models across the wider small business community. Now in its fifth year, the campaign offers a host of events and training and networking opportunities to boost skills, capability and confidence.

The f:Entrepreneur ‘#ialso100’ line-up particularly sets out to showcase trailblazing female founders who lead businesses alongside a roster of other responsibilities, such as volunteering, mentoring and community support. Many of the businesses featured in this year’s campaign also demonstrate a huge commitment to the environment by championing sustainability.

Indeed, Natalie was also called out for taking her sewing skills and knowledge to local communities to help revive the craft and open opportunities for residents.
A dynamic social entrepreneur, Natalie has worked with homeless and job seekers through creative schemes in both sewing and music for several years as well as running a successful clothing alterations business. She now firmly believes that she has more to offer her local communities and was recently crowdfunding to run mobile outreach courses as well as deliver workshops in a vibrant creative sewing training centre.
Natalie said, “With sustainability becoming increasingly important recycling, re-using and repurposing are driving up demand for talented sewers. People want their existing clothing to last longer or to buy pre-loved fashion and get it altered to fit them or tweaked to their style. I want to help local families benefit by training long term unemployed as well as mums and all members of the community, to fill this gap in the market, but I need help raising the cash to meet this goal.”

From quantum computer engineers, and vegan fruit farmers, to sustainability advocates and inclusive fashion designers, this year’s campaign celebrates inspiring and resilient female entrepreneurs that have flourished despite the challenges of the past years, with many still growing or starting new ventures.

On being featured in the #ialso100 lineup, Natalie said: “It is an honour to stand alongside these amazing 99 other women, what a great start to the year, as my business Mancmade Ltd also won an award for best small-scale manufacturer in the Northwest, which is an amazing achievement and for that I am very proud!

Both f:Entrepreneur and Small Business Britain were founded by Michelle Ovens CBE, who is also the director of Small Business Saturday UK.

“Congratulations to Natalie from Mancmade Ltd, and all of the brilliant female entrepreneurs featured in this year’s #ialso100,” said Michelle Ovens.

“It is so vital that we recognize and celebrate the phenomenal contribution that women running businesses are making across the UK, and the far-reaching, positive impact they are having, not just on the economy, but on wider communities too. The last few years have been hugely challenging for small businesses, yet despite this female entrepreneurship continues to grow and flourish in the UK and is very much at the heart of the UK’s recovery.”

To see the full line-up of the 100 amazing women featured in this year’s f:entrepreneur #ialso100 campaign visit https://f-entrepreneur.com/ialso-100-2022/