Women in Business learned about a major UK business support network at January’s Third Tuesday event (19th Jan 2010 at The Courthouse) which was sponsored by Paragon.

Over 40 attendees heard about the development of Forward Ladies from founder Etta Cohen.

Nine years ago, Forward Ladies started as a couple of ladies meeting every 6 months for lunch.  It’s now one of the fastest growing business networks in the UK, with over 7000 members and new groups in Manchester and very soon, Liverpool.

We heard about Business Breaks to Monaco and Florence, member discounts and events, success stories, Female Emerging Entrepreneur groups, Member Directories and Mentorship. 

I first met Etta in Leeds last year.  I’d hoped to get the benefit of her experience to help develop the group here to better meet members’ needs.  Etta kindly agreed to visit the Isle of Man, to meet our group and talk about how we can work together. The response here was extremely positive.  Etta was impressed and inspired by the women she met on the Isle of Man and about how our group had progressed in such a short time (especially with no money and only volunteers!).

The event also attracted interest from some new faces and young women who are just starting out in business. 

WiB steering committee members met the following day to discuss how to move things forward with our group.

Thanks to Etta, Paragon and to everyone who attended the event . . . some pics below!

Etta Cohen speaking to WiB members

We are very lucky to welcome Etta Cohen, founder of women’s networking club Forward Ladies as our speaker to the first Tuesday Club get together of 2010. 

Forward Ladies was founded in  2000, and much like our own Women in Business group, it began as a small group of professional women meeting and sharing experiences. Since then, it has grown with members driving the organisation forward.  Now it’s one of the North’s fastest growing, women’s networking and business support organisations.

The Forward Ladies’ mission is to promote and celebrate the engagement and participation of women in economic success by enabling women to be more confident in life and business through knowledge, contacts, support and friendship.

Etta will discuss how her group has developed over the years and give us some tips on how our own group can continue to thrive.

Book now.  Email  info@iombic.im to reserve your place.

Women in Business Tuesday Club

• 19th January 2010, 6pm – 8pm
• The Courthouse Club, Athol Street, Douglas
• (Side Entrance via Lower Church Street)

Thanks to Paragon Recruitment for sponsoring this event.

The recession is helping to kick-start a home-based business economy. A third of those questioned in the latest Home Business Survey said they started their home-based business within the last year, highlighting the entrepreneurial spirit that has emerged from the downturn.

The increase of 300,000 home-based businesses means there are now 2.8m businesses operating full time from home, contributing £284 billion each year to the UK economy.

At the UK Business Incubation Conference in December, I met Emma Jones, founder of Enterprisenation.com , a free resource to help you start and grow your business at home.  I’d heard about Enterprise Nation through Twitter and Global Entrepreneurship Week (they had a Home Enterprise Day).

Emma gave a talk to incubation professionals about how incubators can support homeworkers – since not all will want (or need) to take up actual residency in the incubator.  Emma’s talk and energy really inspired me; it’s so relevant to how we live and work now. Plus she’s actually an experienced entrepreneur (she set up her first business at the age of 27 and sold it 15 months later).  We heard about the growing culture of “5 to 9″ ers people who work a full time job and run an additional business at home, of an evening.   Some do this as a hobby or to unleash their creative talents – many don’t aim to give up the day job.  Truly enterprising.

Homeworkers are often underrepresented in economic statistics as home businesses commonly outsource rather than employ.  Family commitments, personal preference, cost, lifestyle, location and the environment are all reasons why people might run a business from home.

Whatever the reason, if you are running a business from home, take a look at Enterprisenation.com .  It has great resources and links to help home businesses start up and grow.  I’ve already recommended it to a few homeworkers I work with.  When the weather is this snowy, there are more reasons than just bootstrapping for working from home!

The Home Business Report from November 2009 makes interesting reading.  Homeworkers should be celebrated.  I wonder how many we have on the Isle of Man and where their customers are? I’d love to meet some tech start-ups who are currently working from home.

Business incubators can help home workers in different ways.  The need for professional, physical office space and face-to-face networking is still (if not more important) even though the majority of work is done at home.  Business planning support and advice is relevant regardless of where you’re working.

If you are setting up an enterprise or have an innovative idea or invention,  contact the Isle of Man Business & Innovation Centre -  you could work at home, from our offices or both and receive business support and more. Support is free upon successful application.  Pre-start ups and aspiring entrepreneurs, or those looking for a collaborative venture are very welcome.  +44(0)1624 820930 .

Here’s an interesting way of sharing information and shows how “story telling” and profiling is a great way of sharing knowledge and experience.

Click here and visit the Women 2.0 site for interviews with women entrepreneurs and technology leaders about their professional experiences and lessons learned. Education, transitions, risk, and networking are covered in the series.

Are you interested in sharing your professional experiences and lessons learned?  We’d be very interested to hear from you.