“[Entrepreneurship] gives you the opportunity to make a positive impact – if you’re not happy with the way things look or are done, start a business to change it!”
And that’s exactly what Elizabeth Kimotho did!
Even though both of her parents are business owners, entrepreneurship in Kenya can have negative connotations, typically viewed as something people do when they can’t find a job.
Elizabeth thought she was preparing to work in a government job. As she studied for her MBA in Cape Town, South Africa, she traveled and met different entrepreneurs. Her experiences led to a change in her perceptions and an idea and passion were sparked. She saw opportunity: [click to continue…]
One of the most cited and real barriers to women’s professional and business success relates to networking: not enough, not the right type, and not enough access. The other problem some women have is how they interact at networking events.
When I observe women (myself included) at networking events globally and coach women about networking, I most often see and hear women exhibit almost a singular focus on connecting with people and building relationships, practically at the expense of getting referrals and doing business. In conducting research for their book: Business Networking and Sex: Not What You Think, authors, Misner, Walker and De Raffele surveyed 12,000 business people over a three year period on every populated continent. Men and women reported having the similar goals for networking events – essentially to build business – but most seemed to agree that in networking situations, men were more focused on business and women more on relationships. While connecting with people and building relationships is critical and a prerequisite to doing business, the key difference in business networking and hanging out with your friends is that business networking interactions are intended to result in business!
The time to build and nurture a network is always, and the way we interact at networking events is key.
What can women do to better parlay their ability to connect and build relationships into business? [click to continue…]
