Why is 'women in business' such a big deal? Are we still no further down the road of equality that a woman owning her own business is considered 'execptional'?
I agree that 'wimin in bsness' is not a good image, but THIS winds me up even more.National Black Police Association UK - NBPA How can that be right? take the word 'black ' out and replace it with 'white' and there would be hell to pay!
Equality works both ways, and organisations like women in business, and the black police officers federation breed positive discrimination.
__________________
OWG is old, Bald and Welsh, and provides Seo From Wales - he also thinks Rugby is the god of sports
If all of the above applies - the why do only 8 of the global 500 fortune companies have female CEOs.
Around 50%, perhaps more, of the population is female, so we should have a broadly balanced number. We may be reaching equality in our thinking, but pratically, it hasn't yet bashed through that glass ceiling.
If all of the above applies - the why do only 8 of the global 500 fortune companies have female CEOs.
Around 50%, perhaps more, of the population is female, so we should have a broadly balanced number. We may be reaching equality in our thinking, but pratically, it hasn't yet bashed through that glass ceiling.
Going by population is a false metric. how many males and females are employed would be a better starting point.
Like it or not, women have babies, and having babies screws up your chances of promotion. i KNOW it is a terrible thing to have to say, but it is a fact so we live with it. I am NOT saying it is right, I am just saying how it is.
__________________
OWG is old, Bald and Welsh, and provides Seo From Wales - he also thinks Rugby is the god of sports
Like it or not, women have babies, and having babies screws up your chances of promotion. i KNOW it is a terrible thing to have to say, but it is a fact so we live with it. I am NOT saying it is right, I am just saying how it is.
Just true. Women do tend to take mroe career breaks, usually to have children, so it will affect their careers and possibly promotions. It shouldn't, but it does.
I had a child and started my own business - as a single parent, so I think that makes me a minority in a minority - but should I be hailed as some great 'thing' that deserves it's own group?
Of course not - I'm doing what lots of other women have done and will do in the future.
If me being a woman in business is such a big thing that I should be shouting loud and proud, then I also want to see the following 'XX in Business' groups:
Short people in Business (i'm 5ft2)
People with dyed black hair in Business
British people in France in Business
People that like Purple in Business
Totally Caroline, but not from me. Like it or not those that shape policy in the city are men, and they are traditional victorian types with victorian ideas who are sexist.
BUT, look at small business (real business), and you will see that women do very well there.
We also have our wonderful government to thank for stifling women in business, as it is now almost too much of a risk to employ a woman of child bearing age. Some businesses can't afford the maternity pay and, more importantly, the loss of a key employee for such a long time. In their quest to make life better for women, the government have done more harm than good.
__________________
OWG is old, Bald and Welsh, and provides Seo From Wales - he also thinks Rugby is the god of sports
it is a known fact that women are good at multi-tasking, something men can not do.
Last time I checked I was male, and I can multi-task, for instance at this very moment I am writing this reply, listening to music and drinking coffee.
And to throw a complete curve in, before I have even finished typing I am thinking about getting up, walking outside and having a smoke....
Last time I checked I was male, and I can multi-task, for instance at this very moment I am writing this reply, listening to music and drinking coffee.
And to throw a complete curve in, before I have even finished typing I am thinking about getting up, walking outside and having a smoke....
My dh says that men can multitask it's just that one 'task' is always in their pants...
Anyway...
Ikwym about how it should be normal and not something to jump up and down about (anyone else want to see the option 'human' on those 'what race are you?' sections of forms?) but IMO&E women in business and particularly mothers have different ishoos to deal with than men and organisations that bring women together to find information and support for those issues are not a bad thing at all.
As for the viral marketing thing, if it gives you a USP, why not? As long as it doesn't mean you get treated as a bobble-head...
__________________ BabyArmadillo UK distributors of Babyidea, MaM and ManyMonths
if it gives you a USP, why not? As long as it doesn't mean you get treated as a bobble-head...[/COLOR]
But isn't that the OP's point? That if you keep saying "I'm a woman in business. A woman. Not a bloke, a woman. Female. In business. YESS!" then people are naturally going to assume that's all you've got going for you? Being a woman is not a valid (or even remotely interesting) USP any more.
If me being a woman in business is such a big thing that I should be shouting loud and proud, then I also want to see the following 'XX in Business' groups:
Short people in Business (i'm 5ft2)
People with dyed black hair in Business
British people in France in Business
People that like Purple in Business
Hereby submitting my application to the Short People in Business group - I'm 5'2" as well! ;o) Or better yet, I could start up Short Norwegian Women in Business in the UK. Come to think of it, it's a miracle I have managed to start up my own company at all!
But isn't that the OP's point? That if you keep saying \"I'm a woman in business. A woman. Not a bloke, a woman. Female. In business. YESS!\" then people are naturally going to assume that's all you've got going for you? Being a woman is not a valid (or even remotely interesting) USP any more.
I wouldn't assume that was all a woman was about, if she was going 'look at me! a woman, in business!' for the purposes of piggybacking on a marketing opportunity. I'd think 'canny lass, well done, get yourself out there.' If there was a male equivalent I'd probably think the same. I wouldn't assume that was all a woman was about if she chose to take part in a discussion group for women in business either, as I said before I do think that there are different things for women in business to talk about, and also I think our conversations work differently to men's so it might be easier to get relevant and palatable( ! ) feedback from women. I have no desire to ghetto-ise women, just being realistic.
__________________ BabyArmadillo UK distributors of Babyidea, MaM and ManyMonths
I think that a client is a client and a business person is a business person.
I am not interested in age, gender, able-bodiedness or not, height, sexual preferences, size of busines, size of ego, hair colour or any other so called differentiating factors.
I treat everyone with the same attention, courtesy and respect. Surely it is how we act, and re-act, towards others that defines us as people. Nothing else.
ok I can throw some light on the women in business initiatives. Keeping this short as its friday night and im waiting for my fish n chips to arrive :
By getting more women to consider self employment as an option (cos lets face it, it is far more flexible in terms of having kids for quite a few types of businesses) the government will benefit.
Lots of women come out of work after having babies, sign back on for benefits, or cant get f/t jobs or return to their previous type of work, because of having kids - mainly. Plus then there are stay-at-home mums and housewives.
To the government this is a massive untapped resource for generating more tax. Also, coupled with getting women off benefits by startin self employment, reduces the benefits burden somewhat.
I forget all the stats right now, but the USA has the highest proportion of women in business, and doing well because of it. I forget what the potential UK untapped potential resource was, but it was a decent percentage - enough to start all these women in business initiatives.