Keen to extend accessibility for female entrepreneurs across the UK, everywoman has hosted an annual conference in Scotland since 2008. Alongside the valuable networking opportunities for entrepreneurs and women in business, the conferences have been concerned with core business values: maximising potential; growing a business; and planning for the future.

2010: Is Your Business Worth a Single Day of Your Time?

As a business owner it is important to take time out and to be inspired, to get new ideas and to plan for future growth and profit. That is what the 2010 everywoman Conference Scotland, which took place at the Radisson SAS Hotel in Glasgow on Tuesday 2nd March, was all about.

Review

The 2010 Scotland Conference kicked off with keynote speaker Liz Jackson MBE, founder of Great Guns Marketing. Liz shared the story of her extraordinary achievements and successes, and attitude to business.

Next, Liz joined panellists Gill Eastgate (NKD Clothing Ltd), Kelly Forsyth-Gibson (Thudguard.com), and Clare Thommen (Boudiche) to discuss Winning Ideas.

"A winning idea is something you feel in your gut and nothing will stop you going for it" -

Kelly Forsyth Gibsons.

The conference masterclass sessions took place either side of lunch. Jill MacRae ran the 'Build Your Online Presence for Business Success' session, while Pauline Stewart hosted 'Creative Thinking - De Bono Style'. These sessions focused on practical low cost, high impact solutions to help improve on business performance.

The event was closed with an inspirational 'Smarter Networking' session by Heather White, helping women in business to be authentic, to be profitable, and to do it in style.

Sponsors & Exhibitors

The everywoman Conference Scotland 2010 was in Partnership with RBS.

Exhibitors at the event were

• The Artists Studio
• ABS
• Business Gateway
• The Buzz Agency
• Ellerton Training
• Great Guns Marketing
• New Start Scotland
• Start Up PR

2009: "Fuelling the future of your business"

The second annual everywoman Conference Scotland took place in Glasgow on Tuesday, 3 March, providing female business owners with ideas and inspiration to fuel the future of their business. The conference provided the ideal chance for female entrepreneurs to hear from and question women who have started their enterprise from scratch, and with hard work and determination have turned it into a successful 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 had various jobs, she adopted the mantra ‘do what you love and the money will follow’, and set up her first company, The Decisions Group, in 1983. Later, she established a successful training and consultancy business, and 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 how her tips for business survival could help in the challenging economic times ahead.

Panel

This was followed by a motivating and inspiring panel discussion, particularly relevant in today’s current economic climate: Rising to the Challenge of Tougher Times. Our panel of inspirational entrepreneurs included: Dr Rabinder Buttar, Susan Aktemel, Rachel Jones and Kaye Taylor.

Delegates were able to put their questions to the panel to tap into their expertise of running successful businesses. Panellists shared how they were inspired, the challenges they faced, and their top tips for success on helping to move a business forward.

Workshops

‘Trading Online: Essential For A Growing Business’ (Bian Salins, BT Tradespace) equipped delegates with tips and techniques to optimise their online profile, and to ensure their online security and safety.

‘Maximising Your Marketing Potential’ (Mandy Gibbins-Klein, The Book Midwife) gave delegates the opportunity to learn how to bring a brand to life and plan a new strategy of using low or no-cost tips to find new and keep existing customers. It instructed delegates in how to complete a marketing audit, and how to use PR to their advantage. (View/Download the presentation here).

Plenary

The day was rounded off by successful Motivational coach, Ros Taylor, who delivered an energising talk focussing on Transforming Yourself for Business Success.  In her own unique style, Ros added even more zest to what was a truly motivating and informative day. (View/Download her presentation here).

Amid all the activity, there were abundant opportunities to browse our exhibition area and network with like-minded business professionals; meet contacts and form new business relationships. Demand for RBS MoneySense's Guide to Trading Through the Economic Downturn was so high that it outstripped supply on the day. (View/Download the guide here). To request more information, or to arrange a meeting with your local Women in Business Ambassador, email lisa.mccormack@rbs.co.uk.

Sponsors

Key Sponsor: RBS

Supporting Sponsor: BT

Regional Partner: the Association for Businesswomen in Scotland [ABS]

2008: "Maximising your potential and growing your business"

The inaugural everywoman Conference Scotland was a great success, providing delegates with rare access through presentations and workshops to some of the UK’s most successful women in business – women who have taken an idea and through hard work and determination made it into a successful business.

Keynote Speaker

Adventurer Polly Murray gave the conference keynote speech, ‘Peaks, Penguins, and Polar Bears’. No stranger to challenges – she was the first Scottish woman to scale Mount Everest – she was perfectly placed to talk about how she has overcome adversity and the status quo to achieve success. Her inspiring talk related tales of her remarkable travels and achievements across the globe and how her techniques for survival are so useful for surviving in business.

Panel

This was followed by a lively panel discussion on ‘Growing a successful business’. The panel starred Catherine Henderson (Catherine Henderson Interior Design), Sandra McClumpha (Fake Bake), Caroline Whitfield (Blackwood Distillers) and Deirdre Kinloch Anderson (Kinloch Anderson).

Sandra brought her fake tan product to the UK after her mother had a benign melanoma removed. Five years after her launch, Fake Bake is adored by many celebrities, pop stars and actresses, and is considered one of the leading fake tan brands in the UK. In 1995, Deirdre became the first ever female director of the family business, and today she heads up the Corporate Identity Division, as well as overseeing the development of the Kinloch Anderson brand in the Far East. The company is world renowned for its tartan textiles, and proudly holds three Royal Warrants as tailors and Kiltmakers to the Royal Family.

Workshops

Delegates had the chance to attend two great workshops. ‘Winning techniques for winning clients’ instructed on how to build a stronger identity to stand out from the competition. It uncovered some secrets of building a reputable brand and how to raise visibility and awareness. ‘Discover your brand and marketing potential’ demonstrated how to take the fear out of selling and make this vital element for business more fun and gratifying.

Plenary

The final plenary of the day, on ‘Charismatic Leadership’, was delivered by Hilary Wilson. The session showed delegates how to develop their own leadership skills and personality in order to gain the edge over your competition and lead a team with courage and confidence.

Feedback

• 'Great to meet so many different and interesting women, made me feel confident in my abilities.'
• 'Interesting speakers, friendly atmosphere, well organized.'
• 'Excellent event - good value - great contacts. Fantastic speakers.'
• 'Very professionally put-together.  Inspirational and motivational.'

Sponsors

Key Sponsor: RBS

Supporting Sponsor: Business Gateway,

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Media Partners: The Scotsman

Supported by: Association of Scottish Businesswomen [ASB].