Women's Business Conference 2024 by The Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber Of Commerce

I had the pleasure of capturing the essence of the Women's Business Conference 2024 organised by the Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce and located at the Crumplebury on 11th September 2024.

Here is my summary of the event.

The event started with a welcome from the host, Sharon Smith CEO of the Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

Sharon invited us to welcome and celebrate all guest speakers by standing up and clapping.

The second welcome by Nadine Bezuidenhout , Event Business Development Manager at @artemis

Lauren Nash, Senior Associate at @Harrison Clark Rickerbys, concluded by emphasizing the importance of a strong team. She highlighted that leveraging diverse skills and experiences is key to building a more resilient team. In critical situations, the value of your team becomes immediately evident, as they are prepared to step up and handle any challenges that arise.

Jane Brook emphasized that clothes carry powerful messages, shaping first impressions, and are much more than just items to keep you warm. The right colours and clothes can boost your confidence, allowing you to embrace and proudly showcase who you are. Confidence, she said, is a gift.

Jane explained that women tend to apologise when receiving a compliment, and she hosted a fun activity which encouraged participants to simply say "thank you" and accept it graciously. We had to write down our compliments on a fan to take them home with us.

The activity was followed by a mid-morning refreshment break

The coffee break was followed by a chat between Sharon Smith and Alice Perrin tattoo artist with a Degree in Fine Art, based in the countryside of Hereford. She was also part of the Tattoo Fixers TV Series. She talked about her journey.

Her future vision includes expanding her tattoo studio to larger premises, incorporating art therapy into her services, and hiring an apprentice. Her greatest ambition is to continuously improve and keep growing as an artist and professional.

The next guest speaker was Sally Gibson Managing Director of Dawleys . She explained that her first biggest challenge was transitioning from running the company to leading the company. She highlighted: "if you look after your team, they will look after your customers".

She thinks for scaling up you need these 4 elements: 1. Strategy 2. People 3. Execution 4. Cash

For success, she recommended:

1. Succession planning.
2. Developing personal leadership skills.
3. Setting a growth agenda.
4. Having fun along the journey.

The next on stage was Glen Jansen , Fundraising Manager at Headway Worcestershire. Glen informed us that every 90 second someone in the UK acquires a brain injury. These are some of the possible outcomes: Lack of initiative, Loss of physical sensations, slowed responses, inappropriate behaviour, poor perception, recognition and judgement, personality changes, poor concentration, physical disabilities, poor memory, lack of insight, poor planning and problem solving skills, inability to communicate and concentrate.

The next on stage was Melanie Denning , fundraising Manager at the The Courtyard Hereford , which is centre for the Arts. They provide a space for innovation, creativity, and participation for the whole community such as primary schools, care homes, youth theatre group, holiday workshop for young with additional needs and disabilities.

Lunch Break

The last guest speaker was Liz Barclay , Small Business Commissioner. Liz's passion for small businesses was crystal clear.

She highlighted how small and micro-businesses are often disrespected, particularly freelancers, who are sometimes seen as unemployable, despite being an integral part of the workforce and supply chain.

She also stressed the importance of improving contracts and technology to support small businesses. She noted the significant underrepresentation of women in business, despite the fact that women-led businesses tend to generate more revenue and are often purpose-driven.

She touched on the "sandwich generation" of women juggling responsibilities like childcare and eldercare, leading to challenges in the workplace. Women often underestimate their abilities, but studies show they excel in strategy, communication, and ethics.

Liz's vision is to have 50% of businesses led by women, fostering a more empathetic, balanced, and purpose-driven workforce.

Last but not least Charity Raffle

It was great seeing more and more male participants in these events. Dave James Steve Ennis Dean Love

Yasmin Bent and Olivia Williams well done for putting together another amazing event!

Feel free to share what was your favourite part...

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