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To celebrate the start of the Women in Football and Xero Small Business Programme, we're introducing the first pair of women who are involved and we're shining a spotlight on their companies. These aspiring businesswomen are set to receive a boost thanks to Women in Football's continued partnership with global small business platform Xero.

 

Jodie Hemmings-Trigg 

Company name: JHT Performance Nutrition Limited 

Company established: October 2021 

 

What does the company do? Provide private nutrition consultancy services to footballers, both individually as well as providing nutrition consultancy to professional clubs in both the men's and women's professional game. 

Describe yourself: Driven PhD researcher and business owner exploring nutrition service provision in professional football, aiming to bridge research insights with real-world impact through my own business.  

Background connection to football: My love for football started on the pitch, playing throughout school. That passion led me to a career in nutrition, where I've had the privilege of providing consultancy services to a variety of clubs – including roles with Leeds United Academy, Preston North End (men's first team), Crystal Palace (men's first team), and Manchester City (women's first team). 

Why did you want to join the programme and what are you hoping to gain? Connect with other business owners working within the football landscape. The opportunity to develop new skills and knowledge to support business development and service with experienced mentors in the Women in Football network and explore Xero's tools to grow my business alongside my research.

How have you benefitted most from being a WIF member? As a woman in a male-dominated field, WIF has provided a crucial sense of belonging and empowerment, the opportunity to connect with a network of like-minded individuals that has been extremely instrumental in developing my professional self-confidence.  

If you'd like to say hello, connect with Jodie on LinkedIn.

 

Gemma Avery

Company name: Fanfare Sport

Company established:  Early 2024

 

What does the company do? Fanfare Sport supports clubs and organisations with their fan engagement and fan base growth. This can cover marketing and communications, matchday experience, fan feedback and future retention to offer an end-to-end service to organisations. 

Describe yourself: I’m a passionate northerner who loves sports and has spent the last 15 years gaining experience in broadcasting, football, marketing and fan engagement. My weeks (and weekends!) are full of sports, whether it's watching, playing or working within it, you’ll usually catch me at a ground, court or pitch all year round! 

Background connection to football: A born and bred Burnley FC fan, I began working for my childhood club in my twenties, then moved to Arsenal FC and fell in love with the women’s game. I then moved back north to Manchester FA and since then, through Fanfare, I’ve supported a number of women’s and men’s football clubs to grow, as well as on exciting projects with the FA. 

Why did you want to join the programme and what are you hoping to gain? Since starting my own business, I’ve missed the support of colleagues and those in similar positions to sound ideas out and discuss challenges with. I have big dreams for Fanfare Sport and one day want to build a team around me, so I’m hoping the programme can help me with this. 

What have you benefitted most from being a WIF member? I’ve been a member for years and love the stories they share of people who were brave enough to take the plunge and are now thriving in the game we love. The network opens doors and has helped me to make connections I now class as friends, and that’s something really unique. 

You can connect with Gemma on LinkedIn here.

 

Empower, mentor, succeed

For a second consecutive year, Women in Football and Xero are offering promising businesses a comprehensive package of support, in a 'game of two halves' format, through the Small Business Programme.

The programme provides a culture of belonging and empowerment which offers those taking part the opportunity to connect with other women facing the same daily obstacles.

The first half of the Women in Football and Xero Small Business Programme develops participants' enterprise skills, knowledge and professional networks. Seven in-person and online workshop sessions cover useful topics such as business finance, starting or growing your business, branding, networking and looking ahead to being an effective and inclusive employer. 

The second half provides one-to-one mentoring by matching up the entrepreneurs with Women in Football members who have already built successful businesses of their own.

The inaugural programme, which took place over the course of this past year, was a roaring success, featuring a cohort of 12 brilliant female entrepreneurs, and a wide range of business types including a tech company, an underwear retailer, a social agency and various consultancies.

Check out the highlights from last year’s programme

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