‘Coffee & Co-Working’ initiative to bring more women together in business

The national organisation for female business owners, Women’s Business Club, is launching a ‘Coffee & Co-Working’ initiative to bring more women together as the pandemic threat eases.

It’s hoped at least 1,000 Coffee & Co-Working groups can be established across the UK and overseas to support more women who are, or who want, to ‘go it alone’. The first groups were launched in Cheltenham and Edinburgh and already thirty other groups have been established.

“The pandemic and various lockdowns has had a greater negative effect on women in business,” said founder of the Women’s Business Club Angela De Souza.

“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.”

Venue partners include Natwest who host Coffee & Coworking at many of their Accelerator Hubs, ARC Inspirations who are a successful bar group in the North of England, and Leonardo Hotels as well as various small independent businesses.

Each Coffee & Co-Working session will last for three hours, will be monthly 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.

One of those running one of the founder groups is Sarah Eddie, of SE Tax Professionals, who lives in Falkirk, Scotland. She joined Women’s Business Club after starting her own business.

“I started my own business as I felt I was being forced to choose between having a career and being a good parent. I felt that was not necessary and running my own business allowed me to have flexibility.

“However when you make that choice, 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.”

By Mark Adair – Correspondent, Bdaily

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