Women’s Networks – getting connected

Networking ticks lots of boxes these days. In business it can give us a competitive edge. Socially we catch-up with old friends and find new ones. Somewhere in a real or virtual room we’re trying to make connections that matter. The key to success is finding the group to suit your needs and personality.

The so-called ‘old boys network’ has helped men as they’ve bonded in the pub, over football and at men-only clubs. But it’s likely most women will be happier networking elsewhere. And because they’re often excluded due to family commitments, such as childcare; joining a network specifically for women makes sense.

Demos, the independent think tank and research group in London, published a report on women’s networks, identifying three different aspects. Women use them to provide friendship and support, finding it easier to relate to others on the same wavelength. They provide career benefits offering professional development. And they can act as a pressure group, tackling gender issues.

Despite the move towards sexual equality, it is only a brave person who would argue that men and women are the same. It’s long been documented that physiology and environment affects the way the sexes think, communicate and act. So for a woman, a single sex network makes sense.

“It works if you know what you want to get out of it. It’s the only way you’ll find people who can help promote you and push you forward. But you still need to convince them what you’re doing is something of value.”

Women only networking groups can be particularly effective when the nature of the business is male-dominated. One such group is Women in Film & Television International (WIFTI). Barbara Meyer as vice-chair of WIFTI in New York for the past five years has been organising at least 50 programmes a year, helping women in the industry. She says, “It works if you know what you want to get out of it. It’s the only way you’ll find people who can help promote you and push you forward. But you still need to convince them what you’re doing is something of value.” The UK chapter, Women in Film and Television (WFTV), is one of 40 worldwide drawing on its international counterparts and connecting with others experiencing similar challenges. WFTV also offers networking sessions, talks and events as well as campaigning and lobbying on behalf of their members.

Finding the right network is important. Claire Nunes was a member of the Cambridge Businesswomen’s Network (CBN). Early on she realised it was too impersonal for her. She and others formed Opal. She explains, “We had a small portfolio of members each with their own discipline and I was the only solicitor. In the CBN it was more difficult to know a lot of people and their strengths. As a smaller group you knew your members well and could happily refer them. You feel women are on the same wavelength.” It’s a sentiment Sue Stockdale agrees with. She says, “Anecdotally women find it easier to be open and honest and able to say I need help, when it’s women only. We’re driven by our genes, it’s not rocket science.”

Stockdale established Mission Possible, a networking group of over 2,000 women in the early stages of setting up their business. Just over a year ago came Mission Growth supporting women at the second stage of their businesses with an annual turnover of between £75,000 and £500,000. Stockdale describes it ‘a bit like having a board of non-executive directors. You have accountability to the group’. But she cautions, “You need a good co-ordinator or facilitator. It’s the focal point and critical for leadership. People don’t know the difference it makes.” This network has grown by word of mouth. And that’s exactly how she was recommended to act as facilitator for the Women’s Presidents Organisation (WPO) in London.

“Anecdotally women find it easier to be open and honest and able to say I need help, when it’s women only.”

With 85 chapters worldwide, the WPO offers peer advisory groups to business women with some company ownership and a turnover of over £1 million. Only one business from each sector is represented in each chapter, as it’s considered easier to discuss business issues when there’s no competitor sitting across the table learning your trade secrets.

Meeting face to face is important for many, while others prefer online communities. For women starting or growing a business, everywoman.com is the UK’s biggest female entrepreneur online network with over 35,000 members. The site offers practical resources, supporting women as they start, run and expand their businesses. Alongside its website they run conferences, workshops and seminars. The aim is to provide women with ‘tailored solutions to every business challenge’. According to a spokesperson, "Many women set up businesses from home, in order to balance childcare responsibilities, so they are unable to attend face to face networking events – this also applies to women based in rural areas who may find it difficult to travel to events in towns and cities. During the current recession, networking events can also be seen as an expensive luxury, so networking online provides the perfect alternative." That it works is evident by a diverse and often high profile membership. The Principal of the Inchbald School of Design, Jacqueline Duncan, is rubbing shoulders with the likes of Dame Mary Perkins, the founder of Specsavers, and Sharon Hilditch, MBE, who founded Crystal Clear International, a leading provider of high tech skincare products.

Whether you’re looking to socialise for business or pleasure, there’s a women’s network to suit. That’s not to say mixed networks don’t have value. However, for many, women’s networks are a good way of connecting with like-minded people. But if you’re looking to branch out, Ecademy is a good business social network worth considering. And if you feel like networking with America’s new president, why not check out his profile on LinkedIn. Like everyone else, Barack Obama is doing it too.

By Michele Nevard