Snapshots from 2004 - the story so far!
So far the key words emerging from the VWBN events in 2004 are ’inspiring’ and ’motivational’! We have been privileged to hear from some wonderful speakers—and even more fantastic, they are all current VWBN members!
In February we were treated to a presentation by artist Sue McDonagh—not only did Sue talk about her journey into business and share some of the best and worst of her times with us but she was also
extremely entertaining and funny! Oh, and she also worked on one of her paintings at the same time! We all came away determined to adopt Sue’s positive outlook and to turn threats into glorious opportunities.
In March, Margaret Hewlett spoke to us both as a VWBN member but also as the Winner of the Welsh Woman of the Year Award, Small Business Owner Category in 2003! Margaret generously shared with us the spills and thrills of her career as an entrepreneur speaking movingly about some of the challenges she had faced and how she had overcome them. Again, by the end of her presentation, Margaret had inspired us to be determined and to persevere even if at first the barriers we encounter seem formidable. She also gave us a very useful reminder of the importance of ‘King Cashflow’ and prudent financial management!
In April, we were indulged! Mary Roberts of Cocoa & Co., expert on all things chocolate, spoke about the ways in which personal and business priorities impact on one another and influence our business decisions. We were all hugely impressed by her expert knowledge of her product, her determination to strive for the very best in quality, her continued quest to find new suppliers and markets and her perseverance in meeting the sometimes very specialist requirements of her customers—and were inspired to follow her example in our own businesses! And, yes, we did have the opportunity to do some chocolate tasting and, yes, it was divine!
Then in May, Lis Burnett of CRiA was joined by Dave Edwards, Business Links Development Officer, VCVS to share their insights into Corporate Social Responsibility. We were readily convinced of the value of running our businesses ethically and were equally sure about the dangers of being perceived in a poor light by local communities and ultimately our customers. Several people could immediately see some relatively small steps that they could take towards being pro-active in relation to social responsibility by supporting Dave’s work. This included re-cycling surplus or redundant office equipment and furniture or computers into the local community in addition to the more traditional ideas of volunteering, or providing pro bono professional services or mentoring support to local groups. Anyone who would like to follow this up with Dave can contact him on 01446 741706 or email dave@valecvs.org.uk—or perhaps take a look at www.buy.at/vcvs