Women in Business: Case Studies on B2B Networking Benefits

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Testimonials

Please find three Case Studies which outline the opportunities and benefits of the networking facilated by Women in Business.

Kate Elliott - BA Chartered MCIPD CPMET - All About People
- Kate Elliott had gained over 20 years experience working in Human Resources Management within Northern Ireland’s public and private sectors before opting for self employment in 1996. With a young daughter, Kate knew that running her own consultancy would provide her with the flexibility she needed to balance work and family life.
  
  A Chartered member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), Kate remained focused on her own professional development whilst steadily building up her client portfolio by providing specialist HR consultancy services. She is a qualified Certified Life Coach, a member of the International Association of Coaches (IAC), a member of The Association for Meridian Energy Therapies (AMT) and is also a qualified practitioner of the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) which she uses together with her coaching skills to help clients deal with specific personal difficulties.
  
  Very naturally, the coaching side of her business evolved and in 2001, Kate launched All About People, a network of associate coaches, trainers and facilitators which specializes in Business and Personal Development Coaching. The company currently works with small to medium sized companies across Northern Ireland, Scotland and England.
  
  As for many women setting up their own business, Kate experienced the isolation that comes with working on your own. This coupled with her appreciation of how valuable networking is in the early days of growing her business, led Kate to join “Women in Business”.
  
  “For any woman in business, networking with like minded women is crucial on various levels. By becoming a member of “Women in Business”, I have been able to access an incredibly supportive network system that has proved crucial in terms of providing me not only with personal support but also valuable business support information” explained Kate.
  
  As a member of “Women in Business”, Kate has made full use of the Buddy / Mentoring system, which the network actively promotes and encourages to its members.
  
  “One of the biggest challenges on becoming self employed and setting up your business in the early days is the incredible isolation that you feel, not having that team of associates that you can bounce ideas off, or, simply share ideas. Through “Women in Business”, I was fortunate to identify a wonderfully supportive Buddy, whom I have shared highs and lows with and vice versa” continued Kate.
  
  Kate also found the networking opportunities presented via “Women in Business” as being significant in helping her identify new business opportunities.
  
  “As a direct result of meeting various members through networking events, I have had business opportunities referred to me which have resulted in securing new business. In addition, many organizations will approach the network for service providers and fortuitously, I have secured new business through this avenue also.”
Dial a Clean - Dawn Cudworth and Sharon Wilson
- Dial A Clean
  
  Taking a career break, after working most of her professional life in community care, caring for terminally ill patients, proved to be the impetus for Dawn Cudworth to start her own business, Dial A Clean, with her business partner Sharon Wilson.
  
  Early in 2001, Dawn took a life changing decision and became a cleaning operative with a local cleaning services company. Severely under-resourced, Sharon briefly joined Dawn in the company to help out and the duo soon realised that they collectively could provide a much more efficient service. Jokingly over coffee, they discussed the idea of setting up their own company. Soon after, they completed the Business Start programme in Ards Business Centre and Dawn and Sharon launched Dial A Clean in 2002.
  
  On opening their business, they had one secure client, within a week, they had three domestic clients. However, joining Women in Business NI Ltd, proved to be the turning point for the fledgling company as Dawn explains:
  
  “We received a flyer from Women in Business NI Ltd to join them at a networking event and soon after, we became members. The networking opportunities presented to us via Women in Business proved to be invaluable and as a direct result, our business took off. Through Women in Business, we met Sonia Millar of CSM Estate Agents and with her support, guidance and referring business opportunities to us, we developed the commercial side of our business. Sonia also provided invaluable advice to us in relation to pricing and tendering for substantial commercial contracts.”
  
  As a result of that fortuitous meeting with a fellow “Women in Business” member, Dial a Clean now provides a suite of cleaning services to CSM Estate Agents and various letting agents.
  
  In addition to building up their network of contacts through the Women in Business seminars and associated events, Dawn and Sharon also became aware of the level of support and mentoring available to them from the enterprise network, as Sharon explains:
  
  “Being a member of Women in Business isn’t just about networking with like minded women and sharing potential business opportunities. There is so much more to gain from being a member. We learned and discovered that there was an incredible range of support in terms of mentoring, training and funding as well as a host of business development programmes available to us through the enterprise network. Had we not become members of Women in Business, I dare say that Dawn and I would have remained completely oblivious to what was out there in terms of support for small business owners.”
  
  Operating from Newtownards, Dial A Clean currently employs 4 full time and 10 part time staff. The company’s portfolio includes domestic and commercial clients in Comber, Newtonwards, Bangor, Holywood, Donaghadee, Greyabbbey, Groomsport, Whiteabbey and Templepatrick.
Juliana Sloan - Juliana Sloan Associates.
- Juliana Sloan - Juliana Sloan Associates
  
  Juliana Sloan gained over 20 years experience working in Financial Services for a number of major multi-national organisations and independent financial consultancies, including Sun Life Financial of Canada UK Ltd, R J Temple Plc and Bank of Scotland Investment Service (HBOS).
  
  Specialist areas included: Retirement Planning, Investment Strategies, Inheritance Tax and Regular Savings. However, Juliana also developed a niche market for providing financial guidance to independent women in Northern Ireland, the first of its kind. Areas covered included divorce, redundancy and debt.
  
  Juliana built a solid reputation within the profession for providing an integrated and holistic approach to financial guidance. With a refreshingly frank approach, emphasising quality service and customer care, Juliana offered specialist advice and knowledge to a previously neglected market.
  
  Before embarking on her financial services career, Juliana had already experienced self-employment having run an antique shop in Belfast. In April 2007, she decided to go for it once again launching Juliana Sloan Associates. The company specialises in providing a range of business development consultancy services and Juliana is currently focusing on building her client portfolio in both the public and private sectors.
  
  A former Chair of the Northern Ireland Regional Life Insurance Association, Regional Chair of Personal Finance Society (PFS), and currently the Regional Liaison & Media Officer, PFS and an associate member of the Financial Services Skills Council, Juliana is also an avid supporter of the Northern Ireland enterprise sector. She presently mentors on the Women’s 1-2-1 Mentor initiative with a local enterprise agency and is currently a Company Programme Adviser with Young Enterprise Northern Ireland.
  
  An associate introduced Juliana to Women in Business four years ago. After attending a networking event, she became a member and has benefited greatly as she explains: “Many independent women will experience the isolation that comes with running their own business. On joining Women in Business, I was immediately struck by the camaraderie and support offered to members. When I joined the network initially, I was involved in the financial services sector which is predominately male dominated, so it was refreshing and inspiring to network with like minded women.”
  
  As a member of Women in Business, Juliana couldn’t help but be inspired and encouraged to pursue her own business idea of setting up her own business development consultancy as she explains: “ Networking with other members boosted my confidence greatly and convinced me that setting up my own consultancy was a positive step forward. In addition, by attending the various seminars, I came into contact with such a diverse range of independent women, some of whom I would never otherwise have met. Most fortunately, I have secured business as a direct result of joining the network.