What change have you made to your marketing strategy in the last three months that made the biggest difference to your results?

We asked our community this question for the current issue of our Women in Business eNewsletter. A compilation of these answers was published for our community of women across Australia to learn from. Click here to read our current newsletter, and click here to read the answers we received.

Please let us know your thoughts, and add a comment here.

What Role Does a Business Plan Play in Determining Your Day to Day Business Activities?

We asked our community this question for the current issue of our Women in Business eNewsletter. A compilation of these answers was published for our community of women across Australia to learn from. Click here to read our current newsletter, and click here to read the answers we received.

Please let us know your thoughts, and add a comment here.

How does your work/business help you fulfil your vision for your life and lifestyle?

We asked our community this question for the current issue of our Women in Business eNewsletter. A compilation of these answers was published for our community of women across Australia to learn from. Click here to read our current newsletter, and click here to read the answers we received.

Please let us know your thoughts, and add a comment here.

How do you manage business resources?

Managing resources is hard for many businesses, especially for small business. How do you manage business resources?

e.g. What tools do you employ, Is there software you’d recommend? What do you outsource etc?

I’m currently compiling the next issue of our newsletter and would like to include your answers to this question. The purpose of this issue of our Women in Business eNewsletter is to show small businesses the myriad of ways that they can manage their resources to help them do more with less in their businesses.

A compilation of these answers along with your contact info (and permission of course) will be published for our community of women across Australia to learn from.

Here’s a sample of our current newsletter.

What/which technology(ies) do you implement to leverage your business activities, efforts and results?

We asked our community this question for the current issue of our Women in Business eNewsletter. A compilation of these answers was published for our community of women across Australia to learn from. Click here to read our current newsletter, and click here to read the answers we received.

Please let us know your thoughts, and add a comment here.

How can you most effectively use a strategic marketing plan to elevate the success of your business plan?

We asked our community this question for the current issue of our Women in Business eNewsletter. A compilation of these answers was published for our community of women across Australia to learn from. Click here to read our current newsletter, and click here to read the answers we received.

Please let us know your thoughts, and add a comment here.

Is business strategy more than setting a vision, forecasting and planning?

Is business strategy more than setting a vision, forecasting and planning? What does your strategic plan include?

We asked our community this question for the current issue of our Women in Business eNewsletter. A compilation of these answers was published for our community of women across Australia to learn from. Click here to read our current newsletter, and click here to read the answers we received.

Please let us know your thoughts, and add a comment here.

Networking ‘across the pond’ provides more opportunities for Aussie women

Yesterday I met with the new President of the New York City chapter - National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO). NAWBO is a national US organisation for (as the name implies) women business owners.

Having lived and worked in the US I know that doing business in Australia is very similar to doing business in the US. The challenges we face as businesswomen, are similar.

For those of us growing a business the main issues remain:

• How do I market my business and improve my sales?
• How do I become a better leader?
• How do I make a profit?
• Where can I go to be with like-minded women?
• What does it take to have work/life balance?
• How to do I navigate legislation that makes doing business hard?

NAWBO, like the Australian Businesswomen’s Network, provides training, networking and access to role models.

So, over a coffee at the well-known Dean and DeLuca cafe at the Rockefeller Centre, Pat Ahersy and I discussed how we can work together to improve services, education and networking opportunities for our members.

And, we talked about how powerful it would be for ABN members to connect with NAWBO members and to cross-network and do business across the Pacific Ocean.

As part of the Australian Businesswomen’s Network’s commitment initiative to be at the forefront of access to development opportunities for businesswomen we will continue to develop links and find ways to help our community connect with the right people, across the globe.

Stay tuned for developments.

Aussie women support the development of business owners in developing countries.

During Women’s Business Week (held in March to coincide with International Women’s Day) the Australian Businesswomen’s Network raised funds to support entrepreneurs in developing countries. Members contributed donations through a silent auction and a series of business webinars. Here are the women who we are currently supporting through these donations.

I share their stories here to demonstrate the parallel between business owners in all countries. Our circumstances may differ (immensely) but our spirit and our goals are often similar.  Education, inspiration and networking and connections are the common elements to our success regardless of our location.

Chea Yarn Nheb, 57, is a widowed woman who runs a business on her own as a food (green papaya and some other types of vegetable mixed together) and soy-milk seller living in the Battambong province; she typically makes US$6 every day and is aided by her daughter who works in a garment factory with an income of US$3 per day.

Nheb wants to operate another business for her family members to generate more income to cover her family’s expenses and to save more income to repair her house. That is why she has approached CREDIT with a request for a loan. Nheb is asking for a loan of US$1,000 to purchase clothes, a purchase that she sees as a good opportunity to resell them at a fairly profitable price to increase her income.

Sra. Leticia is married to Sr. José Ramón, who is a pensioner. They have a grocery store called “Abarrotes Leticia” (Leticia’s Groceries), which has been in operation for one year. They are a close family. Their daughter Yesenia works in an office as a data entry operator. Sra. Leticia’s income goes toward the family expenses.

Her loan will be used to buy merchandise for her family business, which will increase her earnings.

Doña Rosario Tzoc is 28 years old and lives with her husband and children. She is a merchant who sells traditional clothing. She and her husband work in the same shop with their two employees. For the past 8 years, they have been operating their business from home in Paraje Xolcaja in the Poxlajuj sector of Totonicapán District, Guatemala.

Now that customer demand has increased, they are not in a financial position to increase their capital. For this reason, they have approached Asociación ASDIR to request a loan. They intend to buy raw materials needed to increase their sales. Doña Rosario hopes that her family will get ahead and have better living conditions.

Mrs. Maria de la Luz lives with her husband, Mr. Adrian Villrreal, who is on pension. Mrs. Maria has her own business called “Abarrotes Imax”, which she established a year ago. This business is turning a profit, and she already has her own regular customers. The family is seeking a loan for investment in the purchase of additional merchandise in order to continue meeting the needs of their customers.

Kémé Diaw, age 39, is married and has 6 children to support. She sells refreshments, and also sheets and curtains at home. Her income enables her to pay electricity bills and to increase her working capital, in order to better provide for her family.

You can make a donation at kiva.org.

The Australian Businesswomen’s Network community initiatives have raised over $40,000 in donations to support women around the world.

How have you expanded your capabilities as a Leader?

We have just released the July Leadership issue of our Women in Business e-newsletter and have included some of the ways you have expanded your capabilities as leader.

How have you expanded your capabilities as a leader? Please add a comment to share your thoughts.

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