The Importance of Networking for Women in Business, Women Entrepreneurs
March 27, 2023
Written by Xenia Ambatzoglou | VP/Treasury Management Relationship Officer/Women Owned Business Advocate
How I Learned to Say, “I’ve Got Just the Woman For the Job!”
Women-owned businesses are one of the fastest growing business segments in the United States. Yet these businesses continue to be underserved and underfunded. Many times their success lags their potential, not because these women are not smart enough or good enough but because they do not leverage a network that works for them.
The Challenge for Women in Business
I was thinking recently about an event I attended: It was a big networking event, over 200 people, so naturally this would be a great opportunity to connect with others. As I sat and looked across the room, I realized that approximately 80% of the room was male. Several of these men approached me with their business card and gave their elevator pitch before quickly moving on. Later, I attended some other networking events specifically for women, and I immediately realized there was no going back. Women connected on a different level with genuine intent to support and empower one another.
The challenge is that women do not do this type of networking enough, and therefore do not always reap the benefits of a network. Men have a long history of making deals on the golf course and immediately speaking up that “they’ve got a guy” when asked for help. Women do not seem as confident about doing this. Yet women need to realize their power as a collective; we have an opportunity to expand our reach through other women, to be one another’s advocates, to make introductions and connections. It’s our turn to let others know, “I’ve got just the woman for the job.”
The Upside
A strong women’s business networking group provides access to people, resources and knowledge that can improve how and with whom you do business. These networks help provide business wisdom by learning from someone else’s experiences or cross-pollinating ideas that can improve your processes. The new relationships we develop in our personal networks can lead to resources that can help find funding or help us learn new technology. The contacts we make can become clients, partners, mentors, mentees, and friends.
Getting Started
Today is your chance to take a new step and walk into a room to meet new women that have a common goal of success. Taking this step will help both you and those that you meet; introduce yourself and ask, “How can I help you?” You may begin to feel a genuine need to share your support, and your new contact will most likely feel the same toward you. It’s a win-win; how can you lose?
If you are not sure how or where to make that first step, sign up for Kearny Bank Changemakers, and be prepared to join us at events that will help us build women in business networks. Kearny Bank believes in the power of providing women in business with that strong network so that we can all say “I’ve got just the woman for the job” – and mean it!
About Xenia:
Xenia Ambatzoglou is a Kearny Bank ChangeMakers Ambassador. In her role as Treasury Management Relationship Officer, Xenia works with Kearny Bank’s business development and local branch teams to provide business clients with customized treasury management solutions. She holds a Master of Science in Strategic Design and Management from Parsons School of Design / The New School and has nearly 15 years of professional experience in the banking and financial services sector. A passionate advocate for women in business, Xenia focuses on providing mentorship, support, and developing networks for women-owned businesses.