The eighth annual National everywoman Conference took place at Central Hall Westminster. The 2008 conference was a great success, which continued the trend of previous years by hosting sessions of industry-leading material to some of the UK’s most successful women in business.

Keynote

Karen Darby, serial entrepreneur, kicked off the day and shared her amazing ‘rags to riches’ story. Karen is no stranger to challenges, having left school at 16 with one GCSE. She took various jobs, before adopting the mantra ‘do what you love and the money will follow’ to set up her first company, The Decisions Group, in 1983. This was followed by a successful training and consultancy business and then finally Simply Switch in 2002. Karen was perfectly placed to talk about how she has overcome adversity to achieve success. In her inspiring talk, Karen told tales of her remarkable achievements and offered business survival tips for the challenging economic times ahead.

Panel

This was followed by a lively panel discussion on ‘Rising to the Challenge in Tougher Times’. With more than 30 years experience and having built an incredibly successful global business - despite two recessions, Dame Mary Perkins kicked was perfectly placed to kick off proceedings by sharing her story and offering her advice on how to steer your business through the challenging times ahead. The panel included Geeta Sidhu-Robb, Sharon Winter and Jan Smith, who shared their tips on rising to the challenge during tougher times.

Workshops

Delegates also had the chance to attend two of four great workshops. 'Delivering excellent customer service without breaking the bank' (Avril Owton MBE, The Cloud Hotel) analysed how to anticipate and satisfy customers' needs and expectations so that they remain loyal to your company. 'Employment Law in a Nutshell' (Helen Clarke, Jaluch Ltd) was a fun and interactive introduction into the world of employment law. It investigated myths surrounding employees’ rights and the more common errors that business owners can make when managing staff. 'Trading Online for a Growing Business' (Bian Salins, BT Tradespace) saw Bian Salins share her expertise in IT & Comms. to help businesses develop by working smarter and more effectively. Like an Olympic athlete, you need to have the essential tools and techniques in place before you develop your expertise as a world class competitor. The fourth workshop, 'Creating and building your brand' (Sarah Baskcomb, Fat Face), concentrated on the importance of developing and consolidating powerful brands.

Plenary: Ruby Wax

Finally, delegates had a chance to see a different side to Ruby Wax as she broke down myths and provided hints and tips on how to use positive thinking to your advantage to create and build an authentic and successful business.

Feedback

• "I thoroughly enjoyed the conference and your choice of panellists and speakers was breathtaking. I spoke to some wonderful women throughout the day, too, who made me think - and smile. All in all, a welcome dose of perspective, reflection, and inspiration in equal measure."
• "Thank you for a wonderful day. My first everywoman conference but by no means my last."
• "Thank you for a brilliant and useful day. Where do you find all these wonderful, amazing women!! I enjoyed myself very much and made some excellent contacts. Well done and thank you."