I’m not a mum. I don’t have kids and don’t intend to have kids. So it may come as a surprise to learn that I am heavily involved with a fantastic organisation called Bizmums.
As you might expect from the name, most of the members are indeed mums. Bizmums is a networking group for mums and women in business. Unlike other networking groups, the events don’t coincide with the school run and you can even bring your children with you.
So why did I join? Last September, I was invited by a male friend who was the guest speaker for a group in Ellesmere Port that morning. When I hesitated and said “But I’m not a mum!”. He calmly said “Neither am I, come on it will be good.”
How right he was! Corporate networking has its place, it’s just not an arena I am comfortable with. Added to this the fact that my business is all about children and I soon realised that I had found the perfect networking group for me.
Informal yet informative. Fun but serious about business. Full of advice, support, encouragement and friendship. Bizmums has been fantastic for me and my business.
As someone who was new to the world of business, Bizmums has guided me through the baffling world of being a start up. Each month has a different theme and each meeting a different guest speaker who elaborates on the theme. Through Bizmums I have learnt about marketing, product and service, growth and expansion, HMRC, networking and a host of other fantastically useful things. It has also brought me clients and work from all over the country. It’s a supportive group and people champion each others businesses and use each others products where possible. It takes shop local to a whole new level.
I even became the host of my local South Liverpool group in January 2014. Although this role is unpaid, I take it seriously as I really want to spread the word about Bizmums and how it can help women like me all over the country.
On Sunday I was delighted to hear that I’m a finalist in the Bizmums Host of the Year category. The results will be announced at the forthcoming Bizmums Conference.
I’ll let you know how I get on…
All that remains for me to say is if you are a woman or mum in business and you are looking for something a bit different from your average networking group, give Bizmums a try. My next meeting is October 14th and I’d love to see you there https://www.facebook.com/events/899239170170171/
