In an effort to bring more women in the industry together, Women’s Business Club, the national organisation for female business owners, is launching a ‘Coffee & Co-Working’ initiative. The program aims to establish 1,000 Coffee & Coworking groups across the UK and overseas to support women working from home or starting businesses.
Getting working women out and about
Suitable for any woman in business, the first groups were launched in Cheltenham and Edinburgh. Having already established thirty other groups, the spaces offer women the opportunity to meet and greet like-minded female entrepreneurs across the industry. Angela De Souza, Founder of the initiative, comments: “The pandemic and various lockdowns has had a greater negative effect on women in business.”
“Many women-run businesses from home and had to shift their focus on to home-schooling and caring for children. Many women also did not qualify for any kind of government funding or support and therefore their business plans were put on ice or were stopped in their tracks from March 2020.
“It will take years for some women to get back to where they were while some women have realised throughout the pandemic that they want a different career path. We believe collaboration is the key to this and we want to bring these women together.”
What does the initiative involve?
Each Coffee & Co-Working session lasts for three hours and will be free to attend with guests simply buying their own refreshments on the day. Women can come along, work and chat – or they can do some more structured sessions based on the needs of those who attend. Each group will be run by a leader who is a paid-up member of the Women’s Business Club.
Where is my nearest safe space?
Venue partners include NatWest who host Coffee & Coworking at many of their Accelerator Hubs, ARC Inspirations as well as various small independent businesses. One of those running one of the founder groups is Sarah Eddie, of SE Tax Professionals. She joined Women’s Business Club after starting her own business. The business owner reflects on her own experience of working within the start-up industry, adding:
“When you make the choice to start your own business, you don’t have the same connection with your former colleagues as they don’t understand the journey you are on. That’s what I love about the Women’s Business Club. We support each other and it’s not competitive. It’s welcoming, it’s relaxed and supportive.”
If you are a woman:
- Thinking about starting a business
- Running a small business from home or
- Feeling lonely and isolated and looking for support.
Contact [email protected] for more information.
