Seeking Advice: Unlocking the Power of Your Network for Female Business Owners

If you have been running your business for a while, you will be able to navigate most areas. However, no matter how knowledgeable you are, there will always be someone who specialises in areas where you lack experience and/or confidence. 

How many of you enjoy doing your tax return? Many ladies in the Socially Shared network outsource their bookkeeping to experts. They know who to turn to if they need advice to help them make informed decisions and avoid costly mistakes.

Perspective – When seeking advice, you open yourself to diverse perspectives and experiences. How you see your business might differ from someone else. They might see your challenges from a unique angle and be able to offer fresh insights.

Avoiding isolation – At our recent Women in Business Conference our expert speakers talked about the mindset of business owners. One of the biggest takeaways was knowing they were not alone.  Asking for help or seeking guidance provides an opportunity to connect with like-minded women in business who understand the challenges you face. It’s a helpful reminder that you are not alone and that others have to overcome similar hurdles.

Building relationships – When you engage with your peers, mentors, or experts in their field, you create a network of women who can offer you the support you need for the long-term. Building strong connections and nurturing meaningful relationships is so important.

We are proud of the friendships and collaborations that have manifested within our network and continue to support all our members. Your network is a huge pot of knowledge, experience, and support waiting to be tapped into, but how can you leverage that network?Some of you may shy away from asking for help as it can be seen as a sign of weakness. You hear yourself saying, “Why can’t I work this out?” or “Why don’t I know this?” But you can’t possibly know everything. Seeking help and advice is about celebrating your willingness to learn and grow; reaching out has many benefits.

Expertise – Tap into your network

Seek out experienced mentors – there will be people in your network who can offer guidance, share their expertise, and provide insights into their entrepreneurial journey. Learn from them! Mentors are valuable and provide a trusted sounding board and are a super source of inspiration. 

Attend networking events – when you attend conferences, monthly sessions, or special meet-ups, you get to engage in meaningful conversations, exchange ideas, and build strong connections. Zoom has opened up many opportunities for networking, but showing up in person and interacting face-to-face certainly helps the magic happen.

Nurture your social media platforms – your online communities, such as LinkedIn or Facebook and WhatsApp groups, offer excellent forums to connect, seek advice, and give or receive support.

When you need answers, it helps to know you are never alone.

Welcome to the Socially Shared Business Surgery

We are thrilled to announce the launch of our NEW Business Surgery, designed to give all women in business a base to seek advice, ask questions, connect with experts, and boost their professional development. 

The Business Surgery is a FREE resource for Socially Shared members and it will take place every other month. Not a member? Don’t worry; you can access the advice and experts for only £12 (the price of a couple of coffees and a slice of cake!)

We created the Business Surgery to give women in business a low-cost solution when asking for help. Not all of us are in a position to be able to afford a business coach, so it’s our hope that you will get the support and answers you seek here.

What can the Business Surgery help you with?

For each online Business Surgery Event there will be a panel of three experts with three different areas of expertise. For our first Business Surgery we have experts that can answer questions about: Marketing and Branding from Nic Mooney Creative, Accounting and Money Matters from Cube Accounting and a wide range of Business Topics from Wendy Garcarz Consulting.  

Get the advice you need for your business with Socially Shared

Interested in joining the Socially Shared Women’s Business Support Network and accessing the Business Surgery free of charge? Our affordable annual membership is £99 and includes many benefits to help your business thrive. Find out more via our website. 

“By far the best networking group I’ve been to. Expertly organised, incredibly friendly group with genuine support and the leaders are very well connected in the local business world with heaps of experience. Socially Shared is totally different from other networking groups I’ve attended; its whole ethos centres around LEARNING while networking and each session has a themed business topic like ‘knowing your customer’ ‘blog writing’ ‘time management’ etc. which are really useful with a handy worksheet with all the tips to take away.” – Stephanie Rix, Life’s Work Consulting

What does the membership include?

• Members-only free events
• Online business listing
• Free entry to Online Business Surgery
• Two free guest passes
• Discounted tickets 
• Unlimited event listings
• Quarterly newsletter
• Speaking opportunities

That journey to build a successful business can often feel overwhelming. However, you don’t have to face these challenges alone.

Seeking advice and tapping into your network can provide valuable insights, support, feedback, and opportunities, helping you to thrive.

Let’s explore the importance of seeking advice in business and how your network can become your most valuable asset.

There is power in asking for help.