International Women’s Day (IWD) is held every year on the 8th of March and is a chance to celebrate the achievements of women in all sectors and countries. In the business world, International Women’s Day reminds us of the importance of collaboration among women to drive business growth, nurture innovation, and create inclusive communities.
When female entrepreneurs collaborate, their efforts lead to increased productivity, greater creativity, and incredible opportunities. ‘Right now, the world benefits from the women in history who championed gender equality and freedom. But the need to celebrate, inspire, and invest in women around the world is still important.’ (source: IWD website)
By sharing knowledge and skills and supporting each other, women strengthen their impact on the world in life and business. However, the influence of International Women’s Day can begin long before the workplace. It’s also about showing the younger generation that they have a voice, they matter, and they are supported.
“I want every girl to know that her voice can change the world.” Malala Yousafzai
How can we be the change we want to see in the world?
How to support women in your community
Here are five strategies you can follow to support women in your network:
- Offer guidance to women at different stages of their careers. By sharing your own experiences and stories, you can help others overcome challenges and achieve their goals.
- Participating in International Women’s Day themed events, like the Great Women in Business Meetup connects you with like-minded professionals, builds a strong network, and creates opportunities for collaboration.
- If part of a team, help promote gender equality in the workplace by encouraging inclusive hiring, pay, and opportunities for promotion.
- Make a conscious effort to work with/buy from women-owned businesses. Supporting them strengthens the economic standing of female entrepreneurs in this country.
By following these strategies, you help support and empower women. As we approach International Women’s Day, let’s all commit to working together to build a more inclusive future.
Why is collaboration over competition so important for women in business?
Competition is a natural part of life. Dancing on Ice wouldn’t have the same impact on viewers if everyone was given the trophy! However, when you focus on competing rather than collaborating, you disturb the positive energy of working with some amazing and talented individuals.
There are so many barriers in business, but when you collaborate, you can share your network, offer recommendations, and boost each other’s visibility in a way that competition doesn’t allow.
How else can collaboration work?
Support System – working for yourself can be lonely, but tapping into a collaborative mindset allows for shared learning, emotional support, mentorship, and long-term success.
Challenge the Scarcity Mindset – we are conditioned to believe that there’s not enough work for everyone, but when women support each other, they prove there’s plenty of space for everyone to thrive.
Sharing Knowledge – we all have our own unique skills, experiences, and strengths. Collaborating allows for an exchange of knowledge, collective brainstorming, innovation, and business growth.
More Opportunities – when you partner with other women in business through joint ventures, shared audiences, or co-hosted events, you provide more value to your clients and customers while increasing your business’s impact on your audience.
The Ultimate Collaboration!
Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you won’t have overlooked the Great Women in Business Meetup initiative, which is a collaboration on steroids! This incredible event sees four successful networks joining forces and creating one memorable community.
Karen Heap from Socially Shared, Sandra Garlick MBE from Woman Who, Sharon Louca from Women’s Business Network, and Dawn Owen from The High Vibe Tribe have gathered their resources, expertise, years of experience, and vast audiences to create one collaborative event.
The Great Women in Business Meetup is scheduled for Friday 7th March 2025. This event aims to empower women through connection and collaboration, offering opportunities to build relationships, share experiences, and learn from experts. Attendees will participate in interactive networking activities and have access to resources designed to encourage ongoing support within the community.
If you want to experience collaboration at its finest, then grab yourself a ticket here: https://greatwomeninbusiness.co.uk/tickets/
Celebrate International Women’s Day in style at the Great Women in Business Meetup for a day of connecting. This extraordinary event will help you meet every person in the room.
Instead of the standard 60-second pitch, you will learn to build relationships that grow a supportive, nurturing community. Throughout the day, you will have the opportunity to hear from and meet the four inspiring women behind the Great Women in Business Meetup.
Karen Heap – Karen founded Socially Shared in 2015, with only a handful of women attending. The network was created to welcome women into a supportive space to connect, share knowledge and learn over a cuppa. Over the years, Socially Shared has grown to host more than twelve meetings across the Midlands each month!
Sandra Garlick MBE – Sandra founded Woman Who in January 2016. Her mission is to create more women in business role models to inspire others through group mentoring and support to get visible, to nurture a passion for your personal brand whilst building trusted relationships, and to grow yourself and your businesses in a safe, supportive and fun environment. Through Woman Who, Sandra provides various opportunities and events throughout the year, including awards, networking events, public speaker training, an online academy and the Woman Who Chat podcast.
Sharon Louca – Sharon founded her network in 2020. It is a network that provides a safe, supportive and empowering space for female entrepreneurs to connect, learn and flourish.
Women’s Business Network is an inspiring community that celebrates women’s strength, resilience and boundless potential in the business world. This Multi-Award-Winning network offers bi-monthly networking meetings, guest speakers, business clinics, empower hours and VIP membership, all of which contribute to the growth and success of the Women’s Business Network.
Dawn Owen – Dawn combines business strategy with deep developmental work to provide a unique take on achieving goals and the success YOU want. The High Vibe Tribe is an online community where you can engage with others, ask questions, learn and progress personally or in business. A vibrant but safe space to be inspired and motivated to succeed!
Join us for a fabulous day of networking, collaboration, and learning on Friday 7th March, 9am – 4.30pm, at the National Conference Centre, Coventry Rd, Bickenhill, Solihull, B92 0EJ.
Grab yourself a ticket here: https://greatwomeninbusiness.co.uk/tickets/
“A woman in harmony with her spirit is like a river flowing. She goes where she will without pretence and arrives at her destination prepared to be herself and herself only.” Maya Angelou
