Crawley entrepreneur named one of 2022’s most inspiring female founders

Ada Obioha founded ADAVIRTUAL Business Support to help small businesses access the administrative and operational support that they need by providing virtual administration for them to keep growing their business.

And now Ada 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 launced 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.

Ada started ADAVIRTUAL Business Support in 2015 and has since seen some great success with a small but strong team behind her including some awards and accolades which include being chosen as one of Small Business Saturday UK’s SmallBiz100 in 2020and also becoming Runner-up South East England VA of the Year in 2020 and 2021.

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, Ada was also called out for mentoring women who aspire to start their own business by providing one-on-one coaching and mentoring; as well as training courses which they can access at their own pace.

She is also a volunteer mentor to Inspiring the Future, an organisation that supports young people to get a head start on their future and, as a company, they support a local charity, Chailey Heritage Foundation, which provides education and care services and is one of the UK’s leading centres for children and young people with complex neurodisabilities.

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, Ada Obioha said: “I’m very thankful to God and very honoured to be recognised as one of the inspirational women in the #ialso100 2022 campaign.

“There are lots of incredibly amazing women running businesses and making a difference in their communities and I’m thankful for this opportunity to be able to celebrate them.”

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 ADAVIRTUAL Business Support, 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.”

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