If you want to network with professional women and share ideas about starting, running, marketing and managing your business, start a women's business organization. To run a successful women's business organization you must create a strong foundation that includes a strong mission, vision and measurable goals. Each member must contribute to developing the group by sharing knowledge and resources, as well as attending meetings and participating in events.
Instructions
1. Create a membership profile for your women's business organization. Outline the demographic, psychographic, geographic and behavioral characteristics of the women to whom you plan to market your group. The profile should include information like age, salary, marital status, location, occupation, hobbies and interests and education level. It should also explore what a woman's motivation may be for joining your organization.
2. Develop a mission statement for your women's business organization that outlines the purpose of your group, its target audience and why it's beneficial to both members and the community-at-large. Craft a vision statement that explores you goals for your organization and its growth. The vision statement should examine future progress and outcomes your women's business organization will set out to achieve. Be thorough, but concise.
3. Determine whether you want your women's organization to function as a non-profit or for profit group. If your women's business organization is focused on the greater good of the community and making changes within it, rather than seeking profit, you should opt for forming a non-profit. Non-profit organizations have access to special grants, can receive tax exempt status, if eligible and receive both financial and strategic support for local businesses and community members. You can file your organization as a non-profit with your state office for a fee, as determined by each state. Filing to become a non-profit usually includes drafting articles of incorporation and bylaws for your organization.
4. Use your mission and vision statements to come up with a list of program ideas for your women's business organization. Focus on programs that involve women, business and growth within the business community. You could host resume and cover letter sessions, offer small business counseling, offer a business book club, offer workshops for small business marketing or develop a women's mentorship program within your women's business organization.
5. Actively promote your women's business organization online and in-person, so that you're constantly growing your network by bringing in new members. Develop a retention strategy for keeping current members active and engaged in the programs your organization is doing.
6. Be a charismatic, motivational leader your women's business group organization members can respect and look to for advice. Keep abreast of industry trends and share your knowledge and resources with members.
7. Create an atmosphere of open communication where members feel free to share their thoughts and opinions with the group by encouraging your women's business organization members to attend meetings and participate in events and programming.
Tags: women business, women business organization, your women, your women business, business organization, your organization