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The BWN – Top 15 Resources In The UK For Female Entrepeneurs!

It is with great pleasure we are proud to announce that we have been named as one of the top resources for female entrepreneurs in the UK. 99designs are one of the world’s largest online graphic design marketplaces, connecting more than one million talented freelance designers with creative people, genius entrepreneurs, savvy businesses… anyone who needs great work. So to be recognised by them is something we are very proud of!

We love the fact that 99designs respect and acknowledge the fact that it is not a level playing field out there and there are a lot of great resources working tirelessly to support the success of women in business;

While it is still far from being a level playing field, there is more advice and assistance available to female entrepreneurs than ever before. There was once a time when women found it almost impossible to create a successful business despite having a great idea and incredible work ethic. In this new era, female entrepreneurs can succeed and we encourage you to check out the links above to learn more about starting and running a successful business as a woman.

To read the full article and find out more about the other great 14 resources great for female entrepreneurs click here.

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Whose In Your Success Team?

As a busy business woman there is so much that falls on your plate, right?
That is why at The BWN if we see something that needs to happen for your success we like to share it with you. And something that we are seeing a growing trend in is the need for a team. (Even for the self employed business woman!)
Founder Mandie Holgate shares her top tips and her own personal insight into the power of a team;
As a business coach and a rather sick one at that (that’s sick as is Lupus and other fun things, not “cool” and kids “dig” me which is clearly the case using words like “dig and cool!) I appreciate that if I want success I don’t intend to do that alone. In my team are some key players. Does that lesson my achievements?
Of course not!

If anything my new favourite saying is “Success is better shared” and I honestly feel that that is true,

it means that the people I rely on and utilise as part of my team I can promote and recommend to others and that is of course the very ethos of so much of our work here at The BWN.

In my team firstly is my hubby. He is the one that passionately listens to me let rip in the hot tub when quite frankly he would rather be turning his brain off. (There’s a good chance he has turned his brain off and he is just making the right “Yes dear” noises at the right times!) However he tends to be critical when I need, encourage when I need it and tell me to shut up when I need that too!

Be aware of those that you love though (I know you don’t mind a bit of honesty here, because not everyone has loved ones that support their business ventures, so ask yourself “Does this person I’m speaking to believe in me or do they want to protect me first?”
Sometimes other peoples love for you can sometimes override their true opinions on what they feel you should do. They say what they think you should do for an easier stress free life not the actions that will lead you to the big goals that you seek. And yes sometimes that means some hard graft, and the ones you love will always try to protect you, won’t they?

Which leads me on to looking for other people to add to your team….
And be wary who you add. Be aware of the likers. There is nothing wrong with the people that like every word that comes out of your mouth, however how are you to grow, and develop if you are not challenged? You need to have in your team people you know that will do those things in a way that suits you. For me I like a no nonsense “Stop doing that Mandie” approach. And I attract people that suit that style.

I’ve a mentor that bounces off of me and volleys back and forth elegantly so that we can verbally challenge each other and I feel like I’ve had a proper brain work out. My whole being feels alive after a session with my mentor, and I’m buzzing with ideas, does your mentor do that?

Also I have a V.A, actually I rely on 2. Well if something works, why not go the whole hog right? I work with Genieve McAllister from Crocus Connect and Jenny Sjollema from PA Angels. The team of these 2 is just genius. It means that we can look after 70+ business women at an event, it means I can deal with my admin in record time, they are far better at copywriting than me (and can probably find a plethora of typo’s in this article!) so they are worth their weight in gold (can you tell they have the week off and I’m flying solo!)

I also have an accountant, a printer, a graphic designer, web designer and IT company and I wouldn’t be without any of them. Could I do many of these jobs myself?

You bet I could!

However is my time better suited to doing what I’m best at, you bet it is! And more to the point it means that I can be out there talking about all of these cool companies too. That’s Paul from Studio Link 11, Lara from Reflect Design for Print, Tim Wilson my IT Guru and so many others.

However on top of these I rely on The Business Womans Network. I know that by walking through the door at these events, I will not only pick up new clients, I will leave with;

• new ideas,
• feeling boosted,
• motivated,
• I will hear of some new website that is great for top tips. (Elene Marsden shared a great site to try out at my May event, Thanks Elene – it was User Testing. A great way to find out if you site looks any good from an independent viewpoint.
• There is always someone with a great piece of advice that they are itching to share. I just love that. I always always learn.
• And I feel supported. In business when your head is down and you are working hard looking after your business and your customers, and your own business sometimes you forget to look up smell the roses and appreciate where you are right now. Getting to these events reminds me how supported I really am. And that I too can give back in so many ways in such an easy relaxed way too. (I love win win relationships!)
• I feel understood. Not everyone “gets it” do they. Your choice to work long hours, or to be on the lap top on a Saturday morning, (they don’t see you not working on a Friday afternoon!) They don’t get your lifestyle choice and so to be surrounded by like minded people is truly good to keep you positive and focussed on your big goals.

So put it together, with my hubby, mentor, back house team and the BWN I feel like I cover all basis to create a winning formula to ensure the success of my business. I know I can deliver to my customers and I know I can achieve my goals, and its great to know I’ve created a team that are like my very own cheer leaders.

As a passionate lover of F1. I’ve felt so much for Hamilton who just didn’t have the back up of technology to get the results he wanted. Having just moved house a few months ago I had to heavily rely on my awesome Tim (IT Guru) to get my IT working again when quite frankly the Broadband company were beyond words shocking (They will remain nameless however their name is very short!)  So I know that when I need my team, they really are there for me. Can you say that about your team? Can you really rely on them?

Look at poor Ricardo at the Monaco Grand Prix? My heart broke for him that his race chances slipped away because basically someone hadn’t got him four tyres! Another lesson that teams need the right resources right?

Can you say that your team has the right resources?

Right now for me and the growing team at The BWN (You may want to be at the 16th June event for some news on that front!) I’m very aware that our resources need to grow and change. Do you continue to reassess and consider this? A great team always looks around them, what’s working? What can we improve? What are we learning?

As I finish this article there are 2 more things I consider in my team. Firstly my children, as teenagers they can be great for being critical of your work in a great way. If you can get a teen to be engaged by your 60 second promo slot you can certainly get a room full of business women to love it!

They are also brutally honest and not likely to pull any punches, and for me that’s good. (I can take it!)

And lastly some one that so few business women tend to get on their side, have you got yourself on your team?

It may seem like a daft thing to say, however seriously do you cheer yourself and say “Yeh me, I can do this!”

Or do you walk out of the door heading to a networking event or big meeting thinking “Oh no I’m dreading this!”

One of the above could be damaging  your success, and one could be great for your team attitude, however if you get yourself along to a BWN event we can have you feeling motivated and ready for anything pretty quick too!

 

 

 

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Why The BWN Likes Competition (And Yes We Know That’s Scary!)

As scary as it may feel having your competitors in the same room as you is not bad for business. It can actually seriously improve your business success.

It’s all very well to walk into a networking event and be the only person in the room that does what you do, however real life is not like that. And we don’t want to sugar coat business, we want to help you make it really work.

And to do that, you need to be able to effectively deal with the competition.

(We also think its important that you know that we care about ALL women in business and as such although we are known as a very proactive environment to gain new business we are also about business growth and don’t want to exclude someone from the opportunity to hear one of our master class speakers just because they were not first through the door with a fat membership fee – hence the no membership ever policy!)

So how can you effectively deal with completion?

Firstly as much as Tescos or Sainsburys would love to be the only supermarket in your town they are not. And the profits rise and fall as they respect and care for their customers, suppliers and staff. (Worth noting right?)

Years ago when I lived in a one street of shops town , there was one clothes shop for ladies, Dorothy Perkins. When we heard that they were building a row of shops opposite this and one of them would be New Look, the local Chamber Commerce said it would doom the town centre.

How could a town support 2 ladies fashion stores?

The fact is it had the opposite effect. Instead of people leaving our tiny town to shop elsewhere, suddenly there was choice. It didn’t damage the town, it enhanced it and caused more shops to be built. The town, grew. (Something else worth noting right?)

Lots of business women make the mistake of assuming that because there is competition in the room, they will lose out on business opportunities, on the contrary its your chance to shine. To showcase why you.

So tell me, Why you?

What do you give your customers that no one else can or does?

How do you make your clients feel truly loved?

Knowing this and getting it across in your marketing strategy is imperative. And when networking the same language, words, and attitude should shine through everything you say too. Remember people buy from people, not businesses, so in the words of your happiest favourite customers why you?

How do you fix peoples woes, worries, stresses and problems?

Power up your success rate by talking about real time solutions, happy customers and top tips for a happier life and/or business.

When it comes to Value Added Marketing the end goal is not just a sale. How do you make people feel special? Do you keep in touch effectively so that they naturally only want to work with you?

The lovely Di Gilbranch (The Doggy Dinner Lady from Trophy Pet Food Colchester) makes a point of getting in touch by text (because she knows that’s easy for me) and checks up on our dog food supply. I don’t ever have to place an order. Di does the leg work and even delivers to my door. Now that is service that I am happy to pay for and I recommend. So a national store could have my custom, but you can guess who gets it!

Tell me are Mick Jagger & Madonna the best singers in the world?

Sorry Madge but there are better, however Mick and Madge are still making records (and money) because they keep up to date and in touch with their target audience. The biggest brands in the world don’t just advertise to get your business, they advertise to keep it.

If you want to deal with the competition, you accept they exist, raise your game and keep visual. And that’s not just turning up at an event. How do you keep on peoples radar between events?

Is it consistent?

Do you go on about your products and services or are you useful, relevant and interesting?

Be confident.

The hardest thing to deal with, when you see competition in the same room is that overwhelming thing that us women are so good at, and that is to convince yourself that they are better than you, and everyone will love them more. It’s just not true. Be really confident about your price, products and services and remember that people have already chosen you. Why shouldn’t they again? (Unless your competition is offering free Ferraris with every purchase!)

I accept that I’m not the right business coach for everyone. As I like to say there are over 66 million people in the UK and I’m not coaching all of them. Horses for courses right? So accept you are the perfect horse for the perfect client.

Meeting compeititon is also good for you in the sense that it makes you raise your game. Are you doing all you could for your clients? Do you use the latest marketing technques to ensure client retention? Do you know the state of the art technologies for your industry? By meeting my competition I get to hear what other people are doing. What they are learning about. What new techniques they’ve tried. How they deal with their business problems. I don’t see competition as a problem I see competition as an opportunity. To learn and share.

If competition was so bad for business, why does every professional body have a yearly conference? Makes you think right?

If you are really confident in the person you are, the company you own and the abilities you and you company have to be just perfect for your customers, then you could really freak the competition out and work with them. What about a joint event or venture? Some of the best opportunities and most fun I’ve had in business is when I’ve worked with someone who is considered as direct competition. I get to have a great time, learn and share. And support even more people to success. So could you go so far as to work with your competition?

Could your competition lead to new opportunities? When you have too much work on (what a lovely problem to have!) could you pass on work and take a % cut? Could you work with someone prepared to be white labelled to your company because they had to do no work to gain that client?

I get it, I understand that scary “gosh did my heart just stop moment” when you meet someone networking who does what you do. However instead of hiding your head in the sand pretending you are the only person in your county that does what you do your competition is your chance to really shine.

Get known as the thought leader.

And really get known for all the right reasons.

If there are a hundred suited business men and women in the room it is not by accident that I will wear a bright colour. I’m prepared to stand out and accept horses for courses, and boy does the competition teach me so much. Especially how to prove to customers old, new and potential that I’ m right for them and more than anyone else on the planet I genuinely care about their success.

So don’t hide from the competition, accept they exist and use The BWN events to showcase that you are ready for anything. Because let’s be honest in business you need to be.

My name is Mandie Holgate and I’m the founder of The BWN. I always want to do my very best for women in business, so if you think I’ve lost the plot by inviting the competition to events, and not having block outs, I’m very happy to hear your viewpoint (negative or positive) And of course support you to effectively deal with the competition too. See you at a BWN soon!

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Meet Essex Business Woman Michelle Taylor with an unusual goal…

Meet Michelle Taylor, Essex Marks Tey Hotel member. Michelle has changed careers and you could never guess her career choice! And we do hope Michelle gets her big wish. You can meet Michelle at our Essex events, and get to know her now and hear her big ambitions! WHAT MADE YOU SET UP YOUR BUSINESS? My husband Kev, is a retired Essex Police Sgt and when he first retired he was thumb twiddling for some time, not knowing what to do with himself…He all but fell into Wedding Photography 7 years ago and is now making great inroads into the business locally. Not wanting to be in the same position when I retired from the police, I started to think about what I wanted to do post retirement, it was still over 5 years away at the time, but I knew I did not want to be one of those retired officers that took up a Civvy post just to stay employed or focused. Kev suggested I picked up a camera and followed in his footsteps, I could not think of anything worse….Just like my cake decorating skills , I could picture in my minds eye a fantastic finished product, but lacked the skills to create said product from scratch…..I said ‘Id rather marry people’……So began my  research. I had heard of Humanists, but I believe in something rather than nothing so ruled them out of my equation…I stumbled by chance across the Fellowship of Professional Celebrants a small but upcoming organization, the cost of training was reasonable, so I took the plunge. I completed my Wedding and Family Celebrancy training in July 2011 and have not looked back since. I love spreading the love and joy that abounds at any family celebration and I was finally able to put my skills and creativity to good use, I can write a good story and what better story to tell of how two people met, fell in love and decided to get married. As well as Weddings I also write and conduct, Naming Ceremonies, Vow Renewals, Commitment Ceremonies and have (on one occasion only, I hasten to add) conducted a Doggy Wedding as a publicity stunt for the dogs owners. WHAT WAS THE REASON THAT YOU DECIDED TO BE A MEMBER OF THE BWN? In a word…… NETWORKING!!! I know someone who had attended a couple of meetings at the beginning of 2015 and she told me that the BWN was a great way to get myself  ‘out there’ …Meet likeminded business women and to pick up some tips and contacts along the way. WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR YOUR BUSINESS? GROWTH & MORE GROWTH! I retired from the day job in October 2015 after a very hectic year, all of my spare time that year had been spent writing and conducting ceremonies. I always knew 2015 was going to be a tough year, two jobs and NO spare time, but it has been worth it. In my 1st 12 months I conducted just one ceremony, last year I did 16, this year I already have 20 booked in! I don’t want to be flat out like I was last year, I want to grow but at my pace, allowing me more time for family and friends, socializing etc, something that is very hard as a shift worker. I think I will find my work/ life balance…Finally…. As a self employed and very fulfilled Wedding Celebrant. I want to spread the word about Celebrants, not many have heard of us, I want the whole of Essex and beyond to learn that there is more to a good wedding than just the party after the ceremony. The ceremony itself should reflect each couple, their unique quirks and should be fun and laughter filled, not JUST a formality so we can say ‘We’re married’. I have had some cracking venues over the past few years, with more to come this year. I have worked and will be working with some awesome couples and families, and there is nothing the puts a cheesy grin on my face like saying  at the end of a wedding ceremony, ‘Ladies and Gentlemen please make some noise and be upstanding as I introduce to you Mr and Mrs………’ WHAT WOULD BE GOOD FOR YOU TO KNOW? ‘HOW, WHY, WHAT, WHEN, WHO’ We all need a helping hand to get our businesses seen and I want to learn it all….OK that may be a bit unrealistic, but each meeting is about learning

HOW to expand your business WHY you should do certain things to make your business grow WHAT you need to know to make a success of your business WHEN is the best time to do it……NOW !! WHO’S going to do it….ME!!

I’m always on the lookout for couples who want to step outside of the ‘normal’ box . I want venues to realise the worth of a Celebrant and I want to know how best to promote myself in this expanding industry… I want to be a cut above the rest and being a member of the BWN helps me to achieve all of the above. I’m up for any challenge, and the one I’ve set for this year? …Well, that’s to find a couple as mad as me who really, really want a Harry Potter themed ceremony… I have the wand, the cape and even some props…..I just need the couple now.

The BWN is a brand of excellence as far as I am concerned, and being a member shows to the outside world that I am wanting to expand my horizons, mix with some awesome women and LEARN.

Wow! Thanks Michelle, we are so pleased to hear of the benefits you get from our events and we hope you get your dream wedding!

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Meet Essex Business Woman Genevieve McAllister

We like to know our members really well. And we like you all to know our memberes too. Today meet Genevieve McAllister  from Crocus Connect. Who tells us why she became a member of the BWN and what her business is all about. You can meet Genevieve at our Essex events.

What made you set up your business?

Running my own business had always been at the back of my mind even whilst I was building my career first in the City and then in Corporate Communications. As my children were growing up I had progressed from working part-time to almost full-time, but I was constantly juggling childcare and trying to put the hours in at work – and feeling guilty a lot of the time. I remember going for a walk with my dog through the fields a couple of years ago and having an intense moment of clarity where I realised things needed to change. And very soon after I’d thought this, an opportunity came up at work which meant I could leave and start realising my dream.

How many years have you been in business?

I’ve been self employed for about 18 months, but it was only last summer that I decided to focus more on becoming a VA (virtual assistant). It made sense to me because the people I was meeting through networking were mainly owners of small businesses who don’t necessarily want to employ other people directly, but sometimes need to outsource office support or marketing.

What do you love most about running your own business?

I like the feeling that I’m the one who makes the decisions and can focus on whatever is most productive for me at any given moment. I don’t have to wait around on other people telling me what I can and can’t do. And the feeling I get when someone wants to hire me to do some work is brilliant!

What do you hate most about running your own business?

My tax return, definitely. I’ve been grappling with HMRC only today.

What benefits do you get from networking?

I’ve picked up work from networking and it’s a great way to get yourself in front of people and find out which of their work problems you can help solve. Also, as I spend a lot of time on my own working at home, it’s good to meet people and talk through day to day issues the way I would if I worked in a more conventional office with lots of colleagues.

What would you say your greatest skill is? (Be honest you have lots!)

I recently read a blog which resonated with me and it was asking people to identify what is their ‘thing’. It’s usually something that comes to you so naturally you barely even realise you can do it. After a bit of thought (and asking my husband, my mum, my friends…) I realised that my ‘thing’ is proofreading – I can look at a page of text and immediately pick up the typo. It shouldn’t have been news to me – after all, I’d been project managing communications and publications for several years so it was always part of my job, but like I said, often your ‘thing’ is something you find easy and don’t believe it’s a skill.

What was the reason that you decided to be a member at The BWN?

I’d heard good things about the BWN (and Mandie!) from others and decided to come along and try it for myself. I’m just finding that the women who do attend are really supportive and interested in what everybody else is doing. I always come away fired up with enthusiasm and that’s a great motivator once a month.

What do you see the future holding for your business?

I see the VA side of my business growing this year as I continue to focus my networking activity around that. There’s a direct correlation between the work I put in and how my business grows, so it’s important to keep up the momentum.

Longer term, I’d like to develop a balance between my VA work and my copywriting and proofreading. And if I can throw a little voiceover work into the mix too, that would tick all my boxes nicely!

Who would it be good to for you to know?

I’d like to meet people who run small to medium-sized businesses who need extra support but don’t want the formality of hiring extra people. Because I’m quite patient and organised I’m a good foil for whirlwind creative types – and I like working with them too.

I’d also like to meet someone who would get satisfaction from acting as a mentor. I think that having someone to act as a sounding board is invaluable and of course, it’s a two-way relationship.

Thank you Genieveve for sharing your business growth plans for 2016, who you would like to know and how you can help us. If you would like to answer these questions and get your business talked about on our blog, learn more about being a member here. It costs less than the early bird ticket!

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Shhh The Secret Keys To Success In 2016

I’m speaking at the University for the Institute of Directors next week and I’ve been asked to share my top tips for networking success. Planning what I will talk about makes me think of my clients and the business women I get to be with at The BWN networking events. And I will share next week the same great stuff I do with you guys all the time. But hey these students will not have me there with them once a month, so what are the most important things I could say to someone that wants success?

And I realised it is the same things that I work with clients on all the time. Ready for the big secrets?

Ready to find out what I think are the keys to your success?

And what is more scary they are things within in our control!
Ready?

The keys to success are confidence and communication.

I’ve had everyone from CEO’s and start up’s tell me that when they communicate effectively they can get what they want. They can get solutions. Ask the right questions to move their business and success forward.

Many people think that networking is something that you do in a snazzy hotel with coffee and business cards. And yet networking is everywhere. In the queue at the bank, having your nails done, or waiting for a client (all of those have happened to me and delivered a new client.) So the first thing you need to master to be a successful business woman is your ability to communicate effectively.

I bet right about now there are a good few readers saying easier said than done. Okay so I get it can be scary and tricky, but anything you want in life has an element of fear and nervousness attached, its how you know you really want it.

I would also say that every single person that I’ve worked with this year has been coached to communicate effectively. From the business owner that wanted to renegotiate one of their biggest contracts (for more money with less work – and yes they got it!) to the business owner that went to a national conference and targeted the dream contract and yes things are happening! You see communicating what you want is what matters, so find out what you really want, who can help you get it and how to get that message across effectively.

But even more important than communication is…

Confidence!
If you have inner confidence you don’t care if you make a fool of yourself and get it wrong, because getting it wrong is on the road to getting it right, right?

Inner confidence means you have the confidence to go up to that person you know you want to work with and say “Lets talk”.

So my big gift to you this Christmas is to know and accept that you need to boost your communication and cocnfidence. And I promise with every cell in my body that if you walk through the doors of The BWN events me and my cooridndators will do all that we can to boost your confidence aand success.

Sales, SEO, Marketing, Social media, PR, Awards, Profit, Time Management, Vision and Mission Statements, Phone and Public speaking fears, branding, Business structure and strategy can all be learnt, but without communication skills and confidence, you will always be able to undermine your success. So let’s power up your success today.

I’ve had so many women say to me “Mandie I can’t do it.” and even if I don’t coach them I’m there for them, and we chat and I share ideas at The BWN and what do you know, suddenly they can do it and they do. Your success deserves that too!

See you soon and Merry Christmas and here’s to a very profitable successful 2016

Stick around aand we could make that happen for you too!

My name is Mandie Holgate and as founder of The BWN, everything that enables success for business women matters to me and I will share it with you. Attracting some of the best speakers in Europe. Yes there are other networks, but ours is the most powerful motivator and supporter of success in Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk. Our business women, venues and speakers tell us that this is true, I can’t wait to help you too.

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Who Do You Think You Are!

 

When it comes to a speaking engagement I like to think of my audience, Who are they? What do they want? What do they need?  etc., etc.

And as I go through this process it’s inevitable for me that I start to think of my clients. My theory being if is an issue for one person it stands to be an issue for another. So using my anecdotes in key note addresses really connects with my audience….(could be some advice in there about marketing right?)

So as I prepare for a speaking engagement I’m reminded of the number of people that I’ve coached this month who have all in one format or another showed the same underlining issue that is detrimentally damaging their success.

Do you want to know what that is?

Really want to know?

Because when I tell you, many of you will stop, look up as if thinking (because you are thinking) and say to yourself….”Wow is this me too?”

The fact is for so many people in business you have the big goals and ambitions and work hard to achieve them. And then one day (for those this impacts, as if by magic) you start to get results.

And then as your business grows and more people want in, (again as if by magic) you start to get asked to share your knowledge, speak at conferences, comment in the press or head hunted for a great new opportunity.

And instead of saying “Wow, well done me, look at what I’ve achieved.”The natural state to rush to is “Oh no, wait until they find out its just me!”

What stops a successful business woman who has achieved so much from not accepting success?

Why do people dismiss their successes and acknowledge their failures?

So I challenge you to be honest with yourself, do you dismiss your successes like you do a compliment? Have you ever said any of the following;

“What this old thing, I’ve had it for years.”

“Anyone could do what I’ve done really.”

“I don’t know why they chose us, just right, place right time I suppose.”

“My competitors are just as good at this really.”

“I don’t know why they asked me.”

“I suppose I was just lucky.”

Then I wouldn’t mind betting that you allow your brain to accept and acknowledge your failures and yet you don’t praise and accept your successes with the same level of passion.

You don’t need a coach by your side to know if you do this and the impact that this can have on your success. Do you worry that you are going to get found out?

I will be honest with you here, its something I too have had to address. For me I always felt like I was a 5 year old in my Mum’s dress up clothes. Even when the Home Office invited me to hear an address by the Home Secretary on Women’s success I asked the lady if she knew it was just Mandie Holgate from little old Mersea island?

Come on ladies, we don’t have to start strutting around like that insurance advert in skin tight demin shorts, swishing our hair shouting “because we are worth it”. However you do need an internal belief, that says “You go girl!” “Yeah Me!” “Wow look what I can achieve!”

I agree there is a fine line between arrogance and confidence, however when there is so much stacked up against you and your success, why add You to the pile of negativity?

I will be speaking at the Big Chelmsford Business Showcase on the 18th November about Making It Happen and The BWN are stand Number 33, So see you there. To learn more book here.

 

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Granny said “Reach for the stars” So I did….

Here our international marketer and Media personality and master class presenter for our Five Lakes Crowne Plaza event speaks about her career, and why you shouldn’t miss this event!

“My grandmother use to say “Kubi, reach for the stars, and you might just get the moon”. I took her words literally, and as a child I couldn’t stop dreaming big. Before branding entered my life I was consumed with dance and it was only after suffering an injury to my knee that I changed direction.
Once they told me I could no longer be a semi-professional dancer, I figured, if I couldn’t be in-front of the camera, I would at least rule behind it!
Reach for the stars, and you might just get the moon…
Granny was right…here’s my portfolio;

So, by the time I was 21 years old I graduated with a BA Hons in Commerical Music & Marketing and secured two internships, the first was in the UK with MTV Europe and the second was with Blue Flame (Puff Daddy’s Marketing & Advertising Agency) in New York. Fast forward 19 years, Lord I am getting old 🙂 and I have developed an international career with a focus on consumer marketing and branding. Working across Entertainment, Fashion, Sports and Lifestyle brands my resume includes Nike, Blackberry, L’Oreal Professionnel, Justin Timberlake/Sony BMG, Manchester United Footballer Rio Ferdinand, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, Sleek Hair, OHTV, MOBO Awards and the Sex & the City Movie Premier.

Today, I still have an international career but now I juggle it with being a mother to Angel, my very talkative 3 year old daughter. When I am not on mummy duties, I tend to be in Asia, Africa, the Caribbean or the Middle East, helping consumer brands to internationalise their proposition. Most recently I have been working in the Caribbean with Jamaica National Bank and Caribbean Fashion Week. This summer I am launching Malaysian Fashion House Mimpikita into the UK market, e-tailer DFNG into Africa and one of Asia’s biggest F&B (Food & Beverage) brands into the US market. I am a “money girl” and simply love helping my clients to commercialise their brands – to turn their ideas into a financially successful venture. Delivering brand audits, capacity building, strategic planning and brand deals, I can honestly say…I love my job.

As life would have it, 20 years after injuring my knee, I now have the best of both worlds as a Brand Consultant and Media Personality. Presenting and producing business related TV and radio shows has made me an award winning media personality, and it’s amazing because now instead of doing pierrette’s, I get to use the power of the media, to empower you!”

To say we are excited about Kubi speaking for us, would be an understatement, So spread the word, and lets rocket your success too!

www.shebuildsbrands.com

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What is the BWN ethos

I was asked to sum up the BWN ethos. If you feel I’ve missed something please advise;

I wanted an environment where any business woman could get the answers that she needed for her success. Whether start up, or pre start up, unemployed, self-made millionaire, hobbyist business, corporate business woman or employed women.

You are expected to be an expert in everything, well I want to help business women to feel confident in every area of their business and their life.

I want the BWN to be all welcoming and inclusive. I don’t want it to be “clicky”. Thus I ensure that whomever I am talking to at an event, as the host I have my eye on the door so that everyone gets a warm welcome, because I really appreciate how scary walking into a networking event can be. I often tell the person I’m speaking to “I’m genuinely very interested in getting to know you and hearing how I and the BWN can assist, but I must keep an eye on the door so that everyone gets greeted by the host.”

I want to empower, motivate and support.

I want myself and my coordinators to go out of our way to get to know every business woman that walks through that door so that we can help that business woman get the connections, new business and success she wants and deserves.

I want to do all this with no big membership fee. I want us to help business women make money and increase their profit, not spend their profits on overpriced networking.

Between events I want to ensure that our network talk to us through social media so that we are able to like and share their great content. And I want to ensure that the business women that walk in the door every month are our absolute priority so that we know them and help in every way that we can.

I want to ensure that not only do we promote and support our business women, we also promote and support our venues, speakers and suppliers. Business has to create win win relationships and we will work hard to achieve that.

No question is stupid, no concern dismissed. This is THE environment to get the solutions, connections and business to get the business success you want. Our tagline is “As Passionate About Your Success As You Are” and our business women will tell you that we mean it.

 

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Quick Top 5 Of Why Networking May Not Be Working For You

1. You keep selling. Seriously stop selling. Networking is about building good relationships and getting to know people, you need to stop putting you on your agenda and start putting other people on your agenda. Who do they want to know? What do they need? What are they looking for? Etc, etc. The more you learn about your fellow networkers, the more powerful your network and more useful you become.

2. Just flip Top Tip 1 on its head. You have no agenda, so know your agenda. Most people rock up to a networking event, head for the coffee, and the people they already know and generally chat, that is great and really good to build good relationships but have you thought prior to the event what your goal is? How does this networking event fit in with your marketing strategy? Go knowing what you want to achieve, but don’t start selling!

3. You are not prepared. Prepare a elevator pitch of around 45 seconds regardless. This helps focus your mind on what you want to talk about, what will your call to action be? What do you want people to be doing? What results would you like to see? (And the results you want to see after one networking event is 15 new clients, unless you are selling Ferraris for a £1, its not likely to happen, so think through what you really want to see happen.)

4. You can say what you like right? Wrong. People know people. And the whole point of networking is that people get to know you. If you turn up and start bad mouthing another person or network, it is highly likely to get back to them. Respect everyone and be aware that you are a walking bill board for your business. Did you know it takes 300 to 500 millionth of second for a person on the word “Hello” To decide what they think of you. So what are you projecting? How do you look after your reputation and get known for the right reasons?

5. You don’t follow up. It’s no good going once and assuming sales will start falling from the sky. (We are back to the Ferrari’s for a £1 aren’t we!) Going once is not enough. You need to go to the same network at least 4 times to find out if it is right for you, don’t make assumptions that these people are no good for your business, you don’t know yet who they know. So go regularly to really benefit and follow up effectively. Connect on social media, get to know them. If you said you would send a great top tip or share a link to a funny story, do it!

Networking is not rocket science but it does take respect, knowledge, strategy, focus and action. There are a ton of other things it needs, but for now get noisy about other people. Get engaging, take action and let us know how you get on.

This article was written by our Founder Mandie Holgate. To learn more about Mandie Holgate visit the Essex page or www.mandieholgate.co.uk