Empowering Women in Business Aotearoa

Empowering Women in Business Aotearoa

Support system/structure for small women-owned businesses in Aotearoa

What is WBA?

It’s a support system & structure for small women-owned businesses in Aoteaora; to debunk myths, misinformation and to make all aspects of business approachable and less intimidating. It provides mentorship towards realizing wahine’ dreams in business by connecting them to a pool of trusted service providers who understand the needs of women in business. This pool of service providers collaborate to support each client.

Why?

Research has showed that there is very little support for small wāhine-owned businesses, specifically startups. Women need more support because they are not just running businesses but households too, many of them have full-time or part-time jobs as well. Research conducted by NZ based organization, www.globalwomen.org.nz  stated that, on average, becoming a mother decreases the hours a woman works, and her monthly income. This is a problem because ‘Women are more likely to take parental leave or work part-time which results in a smaller retirement fund. Given that women tend to live longer this is a significant concern.’ It also (download factsheet) that the gender pay gap in New Zealand is currently 9.2% (August 2018).

The WBA aims to empower women to pursue their life-work balance and to enable financial freedom thereby providing another option to the 9-5 corporate grind, which for many is fundamentally oppressive.

Women in Business Aotearoa, or WBA for short, is a special division of 369°. It’s a platform aimed at supporting all those who identify as women in their entrepreneurial pursuits. If you are a woman in business and could do with some help and support, take advantage of our professional service at any stage of your entrepreneurial journey. It’s an excellent way to discover your business’ true potential.  

Whether you’re offering services or products, we are here to guide you through everything from developing your business and marketing strategy, to delivering a beautifully designed website that’s /that are built to convert, and every step in between. More than that, we will coach you through the many ups and downs of your entrepreneurial journey.

Who?

Women in Aotearoa who dream of having their own businesses but who have little means or support to realize it fully. This is a community for all women in New Zealand that is inclusive of age, gender, ethnicity, religion and race. With this in mind however we have recognized that Maori and Pacifica wahine in business do struggle more because of the socio-economic legacy and so we are developing a scholarship aimed at Maori and Pacifica women to kickstart their business goals and provide ongoing support.

On the WBA, you will find advice, tips, and loads of inspiration to keep you focused and motivated. Think of us as your BBF, your Business Best Friend. 

How WBA was born.

To figure out this strategy, we had to consolidate the essence of what the WBA is all about. This also included coming up with a new name that captured Venessa’s goals in being a business mentor to women in Aotearoa.

Along with my own personal development, Women in Business Aotearoa has long been a huge passion of mine being a Woman in Business myself and a Single Mum since 2006, I understand the challenges and emotional attachments all too well. I have launched my own business from the ground up; I’m currently preparing to launch my new brand; I’ve grown businesses; I’ve scaled businesses; I’ve designed and run $100,000+ successful marketing and advertising campaigns and have done every kind of marketing and advertising that exists; so, when I say I can help grow your business through WBA, a 369 initiative, I MEAN IT!

Through discussion with 100’s of Women in Business over the last year, I decided that this initiative needs to be inclusive of all wahine in New Zealand, no matter their ethnicity, race, nationality, but also to all who identify as womxn.

Having said this though, there is a very real need for the empowerment and upliftment of Indigenous Women of Colour (IWOC), specifically Maori and Pacifica wahine in New Zealand when it comes to business support and mentorship. For this reason, one of the first projects of WBA is to launch the Wāhine Maori Scholarship (WMS).

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