Moms Network

I have seen, to my dismay, many women in business put themselves upon a pedestal and snub peers whom they consider to be of no use to their business. They feel that they are more of a true woman business owner than some other women, basing this all on the type of business the other women own and run. These women in business are making a huge mistake, in my opinion. Not only are they losing potential networking opportunities and a chance to learn valuable lessons, but they are also creating a bad reputation for themselves.

There are some women who feel that their business of choice is more important, or more of a real business than the business that another woman may have chosen. For example; if a woman has chosen a direct sales company to represent for her home based business or if a woman has chosen a business that may be a bit more blue-collar than other businesses, they are sometimes looked down upon by other women business owners. There are certain women in business who will want nothing to do with the woman involved in a business which is unrelated to their field, or a business model that that they don’t fully understand. This way of thinking has always perplexed me.

I have also noticed this business snobbery over the past few years amongst bloggers.  Some feel they have a “rock star” status as they have gained followers, recognition, publicity and have pumped up their self importance.  They feel since they have been blogging longer, that the newer bloggers are of no use to them. It can go as far as blogger cliques, pushing the newest participants of the blogging world to the side as opposed to welcoming them and realizing the potential of growth there could be.  How soon people forget that they too were once new at blogging or business in general.

While you may not share the exact goals or similar arenas in which to obtain those goals, there are certain “business basics” that everyone who runs a business needs. Customer service skills, tax information for a home-based business, balancing career and family life, and marketing resources are common needs for all businesses. Women need to work together for the common goal of success in their businesses. We all should want to share our insight, talents, lessons and ideas with not just a select group of women in business that we deem as suitable for us to network with. Expand your mind and realize that any woman in business has something that you may need and can learn from, to make YOU a better business owner.

If you are of the mindset that you should only associate with certain women in business, I urge you to reconsider your way of thinking. You may miss out on learning some of the most valuable skills in business from the women you may be tossing aside. Humility, people skills, and piggyback networking, among others, are all tools which can lead to your success.

—

Cyndi Webb is the Founder and President of Moms Network – an organization dedicated to the promotion and success of Moms in business. Since 1997 she has promoted and worked with thousands of work at home moms in coaching and guiding them in how to help grow their businesses. Over the years Moms Network has evolved to include more than 25+ websites offering free resources to moms from all walks of life, the Connecting @ Home print magazine and the annual Celebrating Moms Expo which attracts thousands of moms in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. Cyndi makes her home in Minnesota with her husband and two children.

Tags: blogging, business mistakes, networking, women in business

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.