Why Female Entrepreneurs Should Join Business Networks
Smart Company
/ Wednesday, July 11, 2018
A recent Facebook report on UK-based women in business has revealed the benefits of business communities for female entrepreneurs.
The report found female founders who are part of a business community have a more positive outlook about business growth than those who don’t belong to a business network or community. It also found around half of the female business owners surveyed said they did not belong to any business community or network.
Speaking to UK newspaper The Telegraph, Facebook’s European vice president, Nicola Mendelsohn, said growing a business is “particularly tough for female business leaders”, which makes it all the more important for women to join such networks
“Being part of a business community can make all the difference,” she said.
Some of the report’s other findings were that almost half of the women surveyed said connecting with other business people would greatly benefit their business; about a third are unsure where to go to find suitable groups or networks; and 31% said the current business environment is more conducive to male business leaders.
*Fi Bendall is chief executive of The Female Social Network and a Westpac/AFR 2015 100 Women of Influence, who was described by CEO Magazine as ‘The CEO’s Secret Weapon’. An expert and pioneer in digital strategy, she has over 23 years’ experience in the digital and tech sectors.