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Women In Power: What To Consider When Starting A Female-Led Business

There are plenty of reasons to start a business today, but if you are a woman there are extra incentives and opportunities. Female-led businesses are thriving and are showing massive growth and returns. If you are a woman thinking of doing it for yourself, here are some things to consider.

Starting A Business Is Easier Than Ever

Thanks to new technologies and the outsourcing services they have made possible, starting up is easier than ever before. For female-led businesses and any other business, getting to grips with the nitty-gritty of entrepreneurship and the pressure of growth can be achieved by outsourcing admin responsibilities.

This comes with a few advantages. Having a professional answering service gives potential clients a great first impression, and you do not miss opportunities and leads while you chase down sales. The regular business tasks and responsibilities that come with hiring staff and managing accounts can all be outsourced, giving you more time to push your business forward.

Handling HR can be a time-consuming task, and there is a lot of information to maintain. Tasks like absence management can be easily outsourced, letting you get on with your go-getting. Not getting bogged down in admin tasks has let female-led businesses thrive, from day one.

The Future Is Female

Across the world, social pressure has been put on our politicians and culture to embrace women in business, science, and engineering.

The lack of gender diversity at the top of hierarchies in big business and places of media influence is finally being balanced, and companies are looking to hire women for important positions and work with female-led businesses. The boy’s club is over.

This has also led to an increase in investments in female-led start-ups and established businesses, as many of the world’s financial institutions and venture capitalists start putting their money where their mouth is. There is a massive increase in the amount of money being invested in female-led businesses, and the returns are already coming in. If you want a piece of the pie, you can get it.

Women starting their entrepreneurial journey are finding funding easily. This has helped them to get the boost they have been waiting for and take on the big boys in a fair marketplace. In all sectors and all industries, women are making huge strides compared to their male counterparts and are not stopping.

Every Crisis Is An Opportunity

The aftershocks of the lockdowns and social distancing measures of the Covid-19 pandemic are still rippling through our societies. One of the big changes is how people see their future employment, and how they want to balance their work and life into the 2020s.

Many people suddenly were working from home, and they do not want to give it up. This is understandable, especially for people with young families. Many young working mothers found themselves working from home, or on reduced furlough pay and looking for ways to make ends meet.

These factors have driven many people, mostly young women with children, to seek out ways to employ themselves and work on their own terms as things get back to a new normal.

There has never been a better time than now to start a female-led business. These opportunities are available to women who want to do it for themselves and start up a business that will one day grow large enough to fund their family’s future. Seize the opportunity before things change again.

There is A Generational Advantage

Women in our societies, across the centuries, have had several barriers to break in order to have an equal footing with men in business, sport, and day-to-day life. That work has continued, and carries on, creating more and more space and opportunities for women across all walks of life to step forward and take control.

The young women of today feel like there is nothing holding them back, and rightly so. Though there will always be more work to do to keep the playing field level for everyone, young women can approach the marketplace or a business meeting knowing they have the right to be there.

The challenges of modern business have been accepted by today’s young females, who have advanced degrees and a go-getting attitude in their arsenal. They are not going to accept anything less than success, for themselves or their start-up businesses.

If you are a young woman and thinking of stepping into the small business world, the road has been cleared for you by previous generations.

There are female entrepreneurs offering mentorship and advice, both online and in person. Women today have a wealth of shared knowledge they can tap into to help them conquer sales meetings and handle the setbacks and challenges that they face.

The opportunity, funding, and support are all there for women who want to start their own businesses. With the help of outsourcing, financing, and the will to succeed a female-led business can grow into an all-conquering behemoth.

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How to increase your prices (and profit) without losing business

Pricing has never been more critical to your business with costs increasing at a higher rate than inflation would suggest, staff able to jump ship and find a new job the same day and the pressures on the UK economies income making every £1 count.

Over on the Insiders (Our confidential mastermind group) the subject of price often comes up and the issue many business owners face is;

1. Do I increase our prices?
2. How much do I increase our prices by?
3. Do we just put them up sneaky, or do we give our customers notice?
4. How can we ensure we don’t lose customers as a result!

As a Founder of The Business Womans Network I’m one of the contributors to our award-winning website supporting women (and men) in business and with the issue of price it needn’t be a nightmare.

I’ve helped thousands to increase profits and gain more customers (not lose them) and there are key things to remember;

Firstly, you are running a business, not a charity. As an example, on the Insiders in 2022, I pointed out that a Greg’s sausage roll has increased from £1 to £1.35. I asked the Insiders if you increased your prices by 35% what would that look like and how would it feel?

The 3 questions above were often the key questions that people thought of (after the initial “We can’t charge that much!”)

If you handle pricing correctly not only, can you increase profit without working more hours or adding new products or services you can also ensure you are attracting the right customers that will pay whatever you charge.

Which leads me on to the second crucial point to remember. Your pricing can become secondary of interest if customers really want what you have. So understand your pricing structure but don’t get fixated with it.

As I like to remind our members, Eggs, sugar, butter and flour aren’t that expensive, and yet when put together by a baker they can be a £5 sponge cake or a £3000* wedding cake – it’s your choice. The substantial difference in the £5 and £3000 cake is that the marketing, the communication, and the target audiences are very different – have you really understood who your audience(s) are?

If you don’t know your audiences well enough, you aren’t going to be able to keep them loyal with a price rise.

It can be scary putting up your prices so don’t do it on a whim and just increase prices. Check out this article that looks at why people quibble prices, and what you can do about it to ensure you gain the right customers because when you know you have the right customers It’s never about saying “Give us more money.” It’s about analysing their needs, understanding their budget, and working out where that can meet in the middle. I can teach you starting with this article how to help everyone with a budget from £10 to £10000 Click here to read more https://old.thebusinesswomansnetwork.co.uk/they-quibble-our-fees/

In this article I talk about the issues that impact on successful pricing, so instead of repeating myself read that here – https://www.mandieholgate.co.uk/7-reasons-why-your-business-is-failing-and-how-to-fix-it/

It’s important to remember with pricing that it is about you not just selling something at the right price but selling the right things too. In my new book (14 vital strategies to make your small business grow* The secrets that no one will tell you!) I look in detail at the number of businesses that fail in the first 5 years and shockingly still one of the biggest issues is not understanding what people want or need to buy.

Take time to do your research and understand your target audiences. If you have studied, my target audiences course you will already understand who your audiences are and how they like to think. When you  tap into that knowledge people want to buy because you’ve spoken their language https://mandiie-holgate-business-life-coach.teachable.com/p/learn-who-your-target-audience-s-are-and-get-them-buying

When you combine that knowledge with an ability to address the psychology of the sale which we look at in module 5 Turning No’s into Yes’s and in the marketing course in the sales mountain and the marketing production line modules, people don’t even notice your price increases (well not a lot) they are so blown away with what you do, how you do it and how you care for them as customers, they can’t imagine going anywhere else.

Remember Tech Giant Apple doesn’t really need to market its products and often it is still churning out beautiful adverts even when there’s not a new product about to drop, so why do they do it? To ensure you stay loyal to them!

A big issue for small businesses that need to increase their prices is that they’ve not been consistent with their communication to;

• Past customers.
• Current customers.
• Potential customers.

This means while you’re busy working on looking after your current customers, your competitor can jump in and work out how to steal them away from you. You’ve got to keep consistent and if you’ve studied the marketing course you will remember the module on consistency and what that does to your marketing results. Work out who will keep you accountable to the actions to successfully increasing prices and ensuring you have the right volume of customers.

“But Mandie, no one has any money!”

This is something I often hear. The cost of living is rising; however, many have put up their prices, many were furloughed in the pandemic and now are sitting on savings, and many are making a lot of money. Doubt me?

According to AA Financial Services, 85 per cent of UK adults spent less during lockdowns, saving on fuel, going out, holidays, etc. On average this was a saving of £617 a month for many UK Adults who were still receiving their full income. They also reported that 31% with savings accounts had increased their monthly deposits since the start of lockdowns. Backed up by Bank of England data, which found that personal bank deposits had grown by three times the recent average. The Bank also revealed that consumer debt was down by £7.4 billion!

It’s why the building trade is booming, like many other industries tailored to nice homes, people are spending money, however consumers have never been so savvy on how, why and where they spend it.

If you hold the mindset that people aren’t spending, your clever mind will find you plenty of evidence of people not spending, likewise if you have a growth mindset that says “I need to find the right audiences” then you will be able to find people to buy (remembering the above key points of course.).

I’ve touched upon the next key strategy in the 7 reasons why your business is failing article, and that is how essential it is to know your numbers. Please don’t do your accounts for your year end or quarter and then forget that information. Use that vital data!

With most clients at some stage, we work out:

How many days they actually work? (And no, it’s not 365!) Take out holidays (you may not get them now but imagine you wanted one, how many days would that be? My clients all achieve their family and personal goals! This process helps you to get the family on board in your business and they are a lot more aligned to your goals and needs!)

Now take out weekends. Getting so ill you can’t work. Christmas day. Etc.

Now take out time for admin, marketing, training – time that isn’t spent on money making jobs.

That leaves you with how many days you actually work – can you see how it’s not 365?

Now convert each day into number of customers. For me that’s either a team of people for a day or 2 customers for 2 hours each.

Now you can tell me what your maximum earning potential is on your current pricing structure. Happy?
No? Then it’s time to increase your prices!

Do not despair though, I see many who need to increase prices and are nervous to do it, you don’t want to be in the position where you pay everyone but yourself, or worse close your business in 12 months’ time because funds dried up.

When you know your numbers and have decided to put the prices up, remember you don’t have a mindset of “I can fleece this lot!” you are thinking “How can I ensure I do my best for my customers and make a profit?” It’s important to remember this because most clients feel very uncomfortable discussing price increases with customers. (On my site you will find an abundance of advice on communication and difficult conversations, often the big issues is the conversation in your head!)

When you realise you need to increase your prices depending on how often your clients buy you need to start communicating the price increases – but don’t talk about the price, talk about the benefits they get.

When I do this process with clients, we often workout a diagram that displays the levels of products and services available and what they are cost the business, the profit margin and thus you know the optimum level you want the majority of your customers to be working with you.

The sales mountain is a good way of picturing this too. It helps your low-priced customers, or those interested that have not bought yet, start to move through your sales funnel in a way that honours what that customer is thinking. Remember in all my sales and marketing courses I teach you the psychology of the sale – by understanding how people think you can use that in your marketing and pricing communication.

When discussing pricing with customers you need to plan phrases to use (not a script), such as;

“You’ve been working with us at our historical rate of £350 for 3 years now, as you can appreciate prices have increased dramatically in that time, we aim to keep the costs to a minimum and we’ve 3 ways we can do this (giving customers options – but not too many that they can’t process them and give up – enables them to see the benefits you are offering them);

1. Increase to the new rate of £450 and continue with these products and services, you will also get X every month for free (make it something they were probably getting, and you were over delivering on anyway or a low-cost automated product or service).

(Giving the hardest to stomach offer first is essential for the way we think.)

• Stay at the old rate, however we will need to reduce the hours we deliver to you each month, not give X. (With my clients I offered the old rate if they had no coaching report which can take 1.5 hours to write – not a single client wanted to lose this vital document so all increased to the new rate – without exception.)
• Move to the rate of £400 and we will deliver (this is where you refer to your diagram that displays products and services. What is a slightly lower down in value and time needed that you could offer?)

3 options is plenty. Enough to not feel backed into a corner. You always ensure you make this about “How do I / We ensure we are able to maintain and offer more to you our loyal customers?” Make it all about the benefits they get.

This is why you never sneak higher prices onto your customers in my view. How does that say, “we value you?” or “you matter to us?”

For my clients we usually work to the quarter and start to have conversations with customers on the upcoming increases. Don’t make the conversation about an ultimatum because again if people feel backed into a corner, they are likely to run. Make it about an opportunity to get more from you. The lead time you need will depend on how often you work with your customers.

You need to consider how you communicate with your customers and what would gently drip drip drip the information to them, so it feels natural and okay to accept.

As with all aspects of sustainable business growth it’s about excellent communication and one thing that will damage that is confidence.

• How can you communicate price increases if you lack confidence?
  How can you ask for what you are worth if you question if you are worth it yourself?
• How can you discuss your customers needs and find out their thoughts without confidence?

It’s why in every coaching session I assess my client’s mindset and confidence levels. It’s an entire article on its own to discuss mindset and confidence so;

1. If you’ve no budget – head to my blog for free advice on boosting your confidence, remember you are aiming for internal confidence (that is not rocked by a dreadful day, or someone saying no and not external confidence, that only exists with the Yes’s and good news days.)
2. Small budget read my books to understand your way of thinking and how it impacts on your ability to ask for what you want and how to boost your confidence levels.
3. A bit of a budget – take my confidence course – on average that increases confidence within 2 to 7 days – https://mandiie-holgate-business-life-coach.teachable.com/p/how-to-rocket-your-confidence
4. A healthy profit a few hours with me will help you understand what is impacting on you and we will create the strategies to ensure it doesn’t impact on your ability to confidently tell people your prices and attract the right customers.

Remember – eggs, flour and butter make a cake costing £4 and an hour of your time but can be charged anywhere between £5 and £5000! (Actually, the most expensive cake so far this year was sold for $850,000! (https://www.bakingo.com/blog/most-expensive-cakes-in-the-world/#:~:text=Masami%20Miyamoto’s%20Diamond%20Chocolate%20Cake%20%E2%80%93%20%24850%2C000)

So, remember this is a process that needs a strategy and action plan with a clear goal, ensuring you;

1. Do your market research.
2. Know your numbers.
3. Plan the big picture – how much do you want to earn, what do you need to earn, how fast do you want to make your business the perfect business, what will stand in the way of this?
4. Improve your communication skills so your customers feel appreciated and loved and not up against the wall.
5. Communicate with conviction and confidence. (I know it’s scary increasing prices – as an example, one client wanted to stick with £95 per hour. On going through this process, I felt we could move to £145 per hour. Their business partner felt it should be that too heading towards £175 per hour. That was far too uncomfortable for my client who settled on £120 per hour. Not one customer questioned it. They knew they’d gone too low and will have to stay at that rate with existing customers now for another year at least. Lesson learnt – the hard way.)
6. And please please please, keep consistent.

Lastly remember if someone says “No, thank you” as unpleasant and soul destroying as that can feel, losing the low paying customers, makes room for the ones that will value you.

I will let you in on a secret in my own business growth, in 2009 I was charging £35 for an hour’s coaching. I can remember working with my coach and being petrified to rise my prices to £75 per hour! And now I confidently charge £250 an hour and I’m happy to increase that next year too.

As always you aren’t alone in this process, through the Insiders, my books, courses and coaching I can help ensure this goes smoothly and help you increase profit. Let me know what you need so I can help.

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Google My Business – your how to guide courtesy of Kate Everett – Colchester networking event

We are keen to ensure our speakers at our events never sell at you and deliver high quality business and professional development ideas and solutions for women in business. We are already lining 2020 speakers and if you know of one you’d love to see at The BWN please do get in touch.

Here Kate Everett from TWI talks about Google My Business for women in business. It was fascinating and really useful stuff. Let us know how you get on and already over on the Insiders we are looking at ways to maximise on this. Not in yet? You can learn more about our confidential mastermind group here. It’s 24/7 and it’s epic – not our words, the Insiders!

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Change and your success – How the inside impacts on the outside

Here our Founder Mandie Holgate shares some top tips on the impact of what is going on in your head and how it can even damage sales and networking success;

If you feel good you do good. In a lousy mood? Feeling fat or ugly? Trust me it can massively impact on your results.

Sometimes we deal with the outside of our body to try and make ourselves feel good however if we don’t deal with the way we feel about ourselves on the inside then the results will fade and you won’t sustain the results.

To look great on the outside you have to feel great on the inside. Here’s a quick top tip guide to feeling great all the time;

1. If you want to change something about yourself, before you do anything, question the reason why. 

What is your foundation for wanting to make this change?

Is it a realistic change that you wish to make?

What would you gain from it?

What feelings do you connect with the way you currently feel about this and how do you think this would change?

Answering these questions not only analyses your reasons for wanting to change, to establish if there is an underlining cause to your desire for change, but also when you know these answers you can ensure that you use methods to pull on the emotional strings that affect you to maintain momentum when working towards achieving your new goal. 

If you are a member of our mastermind group you will know I ask a lot of questions. Questions help you understand what is really going on instead of what someone wants you to think is going on. That’s when change and success really happen.

Not a member yet? Join here.

 

2. Know the person you really are.

We all want to fit in and be liked, but when you understand the person you are it can help you appreciate your unique skills and the qualities that you possess. When you admire these in yourself you can truly appreciate the person you already are. It’s not vanity it’s a quick route to success. Shhh you don’t need to tell anyone!

3. We all have rough days, but it’s not the day’s fault, it’s just the mood that you are in that makes the day seem worse – so acknowledge that.

Know what really makes you happy (and not just a glass of wine or a bar of choccy!) Inside the larder cupboard, or somewhere else prominent, put pictures that make you smile, postcards to remind you of happy holidays, drawings the children did, anything that breaks your moods pattern for a split second. And if all else fails get those endorphins flowing and that can be done with more than just chocolate!

4. To feel fantastic on the inside we need to feel loved, appreciated and valued. Do you?

If not what can you do so that you do?

When we do not feel these things it can directly affect the way we feel about ourselves. So what do you need to do?

We often hear that no matter how busy, no matter how sick you won’t miss our events? Why?

Because we boost your confidence, make you feel loved, appreciate your time and help you remind yourself of why you rock. Never forget that your network is not just about gaining sales and new business it’s also about keeping you motivated, inspired, supported, focused and accountable.

As our Insiders will tell you they know they’ve a safe space to talk about anything and appreciate how much they are valued 24/7. It’s essential in business to know where you can get good quality support and advice.

5. What inspires you?

When you feel inspired you feel passionate and fulfilled. When this happens very little can affect our self esteem and our self confidence. So ask yourself this and get connected to what really matters to you. If you are struggling there are lots of articles on mindset, confidence and resilience over on my website – they are strategies that work – help yourself here. 

We hope this quick read inspires you and supports a motivated getting results day. Need more support? Then get in touch, we are here to help you and the Insiders is our 24/7 mastermind group where magic happens!

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The BWN launches in Tendring!

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Funny how things happen – Norfolk Business Women You Will Love This!

Founder of The Business Womans Network (The BWN), Mandie Holgate shares her excitement and the weird coincidence that led to our newest team member joining us….

“I’d been invited to speak at the Norfolk Caistor Hall, Norwich event. And when I arrived I sat down to get a cup of coffee and this lovely lady sits next to me.

She sums up the new business women that walk through the door of our events, because she said “I’ve never been to one of these before I don’t know what to expect”. That always makes me smile, because one of the things that matters to us dearly is that everyone gets a warm welcome and that we have the same structure to every event wherever you go. I’ve been that nervous shy person (yes I used to be painfully shy and lacking in confidence!) and I dreaded walking into networking events!

From South Essex to North Norfolk you will hear business women tell you what to expect from us, and we care deeply that every single woman in business gets that networking experience – friendly, welcoming, reassuring, supportive and business focused. Denise Bretton was the coordinator at our Norfolk events and like every other coordinator at 10.30 Denise stands up and welcomes her guests and then reminds people of the structure so that those that are new to us, new to networking or nervous can feel at their ease.

To say I was sad when Denise told me that she needed to step down was understatement. The BWN coordinators aren’t a team, we are a family. And I respect and care about their families, dreams, businesses and big ambitions in life. What I love is that all coordinators feel the same. We meet up when they want some training or advice (I’m happy to do this up to once a month and I’m always there on the phone/text/messenger/pigeon) and so I feel we get to know each other very well and have shared a lot of opportunities between each other over the years. Not forgetting the kindness, support and friendship too.

So I’m sat here thinking “I will really miss Denise, whose going to look after our Norfolk events? And then the phone rings and it’s this lovely lady I’ve sat and got to know only a few days earlier at The BWN in Norfolk!” We chat for ages and I don’t feel like I’ve only just met her, but hey, that’s The BWN. That’s what happens, we start to build relationships that turn into good relationships and then lifelong friends. I know that some ladies that have networked with me have now moved away and will still drive for 3 or 4 hours just to meet up and have a coffee and “boost their confidence” with a session at The BWN.

I mentioned the news I’d just had and how sad I was feeling and the lovely lady says “well, I have been thinking for the last few days, The BWN was amazing, how do I get more involved in this? And so I decided to call you.”

That’s the interesting thing about us business women, we do worry far too much about phoning people. I know that there is a whole chapter in my book (Fight the fear) about picking up the phone, because;

• We don’t want to get in the way
• We worry about saying the wrong thing
• We worry about what people will think of us
• We worry about looking desperate

The list is long!

And rarely accurate! The fact is picking up the phone (instead of hiding behind email) enables miscommunication to disappear, the risk of tonality or your own beliefs being interpreted or assumed incorrectly goes away and usually the opportunity for clear focus, new action and new business.

That lovely lady is called Olivia Bucher, and Olivia is a Financial Advisor at Anderson Wealth Planning Ltd. We met up a few days later and  sat in the sun in a garden again I felt like I’d known Olivia for years. I’m really excited to welcome Olivia to the team.

That’s the thing about life, you are sat next to a stranger and you have a nice chat oblivious to the fact that this person will feature heavily in your future.

Would Olivia have joined the team if I’d have chosen a different chair to sit in?

Would Olivia have joined the team if we hadn’t had the chance to chat freely?

I don’t know, but what I do know is that when the phone rings I know it’s usually a great opportunity heading in my direction that is likely to be good for business women too.

I spend my life asking “Will this person/company make a difference to our BWN members?” and it has to be a yes for me to move it forward. With Olivia it was most definitely a yes!”

To learn more about Olivia and her Norfolk events click here

Olivia has a special offer to welcome you all to her BWN Norwich events to the end of the year – £40 for all four events to the end of 2018 AND get a free stand at any 2018 event worth £35. It’s a mini Golden Ticket! Just contact Olivia to learn more.

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Why you should join the Insiders

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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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Survey Results 2011 – Benefits of BWN Networking to Business Women

Thanks for sharing with us what BWN networking does for you and your business – we look forward to doing a ton more to help you and your business success in 2012.

By The Way – Other included – motivating you, inspiring, supporting you, being there when you felt isolated and like no one understood what running a business was like and how tough it was – and included some great comments like: