Abe Clite Pusiness Yemen - BUILDING A OF WOMEN ay ft noS, 2018Article from Forbes WHY FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS SHOULD JOIN WOMEN'S NETWORKS Do we really need women's networking groups? Only a few years ago it was claimed that attending networking events was ineffective. There was too much conversation and not enough actions. This view is now outdated, with a recent Facebook study revealing that female founders who are part of a business community are twice as likely to forecast growth, compared to those who are not. Furthermore, female entrepreneurship in Britain is growing and the proportion of women going into business has risen by 45 per cent in the past decade. According to the Centre for Entrepreneurs, for the Under-35s 38% of serial entrepreneurs are women, suggesting that young women are becoming more entrepreneurial. This surge in female entrepreneurship has resulted in a need to meet, share and learn from fellow business women. As a result, several new female-only networks has launched in recent years, to cater for the younger, entrepreneurial generation who want connections and real tools for their startups. Being part of a network can boost your confidence, give you inspiration, support and advice. Importantly, it can give you vital business exposure and access to funding. Anna Morrogh, cofounder of women's network Congress London, states that women want to both help and learn from each other, and joining a network gives the opportunity to do both. Congress London hosts bi-monthly large group events for women across alll industries with sessions from trained coaches and experts alongside drinks and networking. These events have been on topics such as negotiation skills, investing and presentation skills. The network also meets across London in smaller groups every other week to discuss recent topics and coach one another in a more intimate setting. "I had the idea that women sharing their skills could lead to some powerful outcomes for a bigger group of people. Congress was created because my cofounders and their friends agreed with me. Now there are 500 of us and my conviction has grown along with the network", says Morrogh. Digital business exposure Female entrepreneurs are buzzing with excitement as these new networks provide introductions and help raise company profiles. Social media is increasingly being used as an efficient means to connect and collaborate. These new networks have a strong presence online and they all have Instagram and Twitter accounts where they share information about events and workshops. Facebook and WhatsApp groups are used by members to connect, give advice and help raise profiles by sharing links to members’ websites and social media accounts. By joining these networks, startups get access to some of the most inspiring female-led businesses in the UK.Article from Forbes “Joining a women's network like Blooming Founders is a way to create amazing connections with other incredible entrepreneurs. You create links, professional opportunities and sometimes friendships. Whatsapp groups are then created where everybody is welcome to share thoughts and get help from other women who are or were in the same situation,” says Gaelle de Vrindt, founder of Girls on Travel Blooming Founders was founded by Lu Li and supports women to get into startups or to start their own businesses. Her network organises events and workshops in London to get women together. Their Facebook group is also thriving, where members can share ideas and connections. Hannah Feldman, founder of Kidadl, says that whenever she has needed any support or expertise for her startup Kidadl she has found it via Blooming Founders. She has also found it inspiring to learn what other female founders are up to, to learn how they find their work/life balance, and to champion them as they develop and grow their businesses. Paula Haunit, founder of Sheer Apparel, says that she has built strong relationships with related businesses via women’s networks, which has resulted in collaborations like pop-ups, events, shared blogs and promotions. She has also managed to get quick and effective staff sourcing of high-quality specialists working for her business. Another successful London network is The Women's Chapter, which also organises events and workshops on a wide range of topics for female-led startups. Their founder, Michelle de Klerk, says that there are so many innovative, dynamic businesses out there that are being held back because they don't have the resources or funding to get the exposure they needed. The Women's Chapter is about to launch a digital platform which will showcase women-led businesses, their products and services. ‘The platform will allow brands to tell their story their way, connect with a community of engaged, conscious consumers who want to use the power of their purse to support women-led business and inspire the next generation and show them that with passion and determination, anything is possible,” says de Klerk. ACCESS TO FUNDING Astartup needs money to grow and expand, When women business owners pitch to investors for early-stage capital, they receive significantly less than men. PitchBook data shows that only 2.2 % of VC funding in the US went to female-founded startups in 2017. In a gender-equal country like Sweden, the number is shockingly low at only 1%. A British Business Bank analysis suggests it is also low in the UK, and together with the British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association and Diversity VC, they will investigate further into the state of UK venture capital funding by the end of this year. Researchers at Harvard discovered there is a bias among investors as to inadvertently favouring male entrepreneurs over female ones. Women tend to be judged on performance while men on future potential, There is also a lack of women working in the venture capital industry, where only 7% of partners in the world’s top 100 investment companies are women. This also has an influence on which startups get funding, as men tend to invest in male-led companies that they understand and can relate to. According to Fortune's investigation into the gender gap in venture funding, the largest round of funding in 2017 was given to male-led WeWorks at US$300billion (G-series). As a comparison, the largest round of funding to a female-led startup (also G series) was US$165 million to Moda Operandi.