When professional women link up to help each other
Far more unites men and women than divides them, but, when it comes to networking, the maintaining of friendships and mutually beneficial business contacts, women win hands down.
In a world where ‘What goes around comes around’, it’s women who are more likely to be the beneficiaries: with most displaying a kindred spirit towards their sex, they will willingly pass on contacts in order to give a leg up to other women starting out.
Formalising this practice has begun in Paphos with the emergence of a ‘Women in Business’ group, set up 18 months ago by Barbara Wray.
“I first became aware of WIB in the UK when a friend dragged me to a meeting,” said Wray. “I went, expecting it to be a gossip centre and a virtual clone of the Women’s Institute, where the only positive exchanges would be sponge cake recipes.
“In fact, it was the opposite. I found it, slick, professional, and interesting. I immediately signed up to the whole philosophy, and over the years my business really did benefit from joining WIB.”
When she moved to Paphos from the UK, she soon realised there was a genuine need for a similar group to be set up.
“We had a large number of young career women here needing help with a variety of problems associated with the setting up and running of a professional business. Not least, was the lack of knowledge on how to cope with the mountain of paperwork that almost every government office throws at you in order just to get a business registered…”
From a small group of like-minded women, they have now grown into an organsisation boasting a mailing list of over 200, having attracted a wide variety of working women, “all of whom have genuinely benefited in some way from being members”.
“These benefits come in many different forms,” says Wray. “The tangible form is the practical professional help given to a woman by introducing her to other members who have become expert at navigating through the nitty gritty registration route; also they are there to help pass on knowledge about all the EU rulings, HASAP, tax regulations, employment and immigration laws, sales, marketing and design.
“The unquantifiable benefits have to be the feeling of some level of business security one gets by being able to meet regularly with such a friendly and caring group of women.”
The group sets up around 11 seminars annually, and, once a month they have a meeting/workshop where speakers are invited to present their take on a specific situation and offer feasible solutions. They could be an expert in anything from VAT, to import and export laws or the art of marketing on a strict budget.
“There is also the additional role we play in being a group based in a foreign country.
Although we have a good proportion of Cypriot-born members, we also have a strong contingent from the UK, also Dutch, Russian, Finnish, and German women, all of whom can dip into our talent bank to help understand our local laws, and glean a better understanding of working here.
“There is a very positive mentoring situation at work here, with age ranges from early twenties to the over sixties, with the latter group having a wealth of knowledge to pass on to our younger members if needed.
“We also have associate members. These will be women who work in specialised areas such as bankers, lawyers etc. They don’t have their own business, but they do have the inside track on how to get things done and that is a key element of the group.”
And why, I ask, is it a strictly ‘women only’ organisation. Surely businessmen would like to reap the same membership benefit and would have considerable experience to offer?
“It’s ‘women only’ simply because women do business very differently to men. Our opposite sex are way too competitive and not in a way that sits comfortably with women. That’s not to say women are less competitive, we are just decidedly different, both in the manner used in the workplace, but also in that we are also more willing to nurture others coming up the business ladder. That’s something of a rarity in a male dominated business situation.”
Janice Ruffle, 45, helped Barbara launch the annual women in business awards; she also organises guest speakers, and is the professional PR and marketing person for the group.
“I feel this organisation is invaluable, it gets like-minded women together, all of whom try to promote good business motives. No one can join unless they are operating legally, and are willing to adhere to the aims and objectives of the group, which is basically to maintain good business practices and to help other women succeed in their chosen field.
“We have such a great group of women, who happily promote their exchange of services. It’s so important they have this platform, as it’s one which can both support and help launch a business. I used to be involved with a similar group in London and found it invaluable, not just from the point of getting good business connections, but it was also a big bonus to be able to meet other women and also socialise with them as well.”
What, I asked, would be the biggest problem faced by women setting up a business in Cyprus?
“Well, from the comments I receive from members it’s the difficulties faced trying to communicate in such a male-dominated society. We have women who are directly competing with men, even worse – at least from a local male standpoint – it’s foreign women who are coming onto their local turf, and that has led to problems.
“I know things are changing, attitudes are getting better, but it’s still an awfully slow process, with many men unable to comprehend that women do want to run a seriously professional business, one that makes money and is successful, not just a hobby, set up solely to generate pin money. Our members are all serious players, and many men cannot see this, with the result they have employed some stunning delaying tactics, which they believe will in the end make women give up. This is a regular occurrence for our members, but we now know how to circumvent this tactic and, believe me, the women affected don’t give up; in fact it makes them even more determined to keep going until they get what they want.”
Fiona Karayiannis, 38, has a Master’s degree in archeology. Now married with two children, Fiona works with her husband renting holiday villas, she also trained as an accountant and went on to do a business studies course, all of which has since aided her family business enormously.
“I do like being a member of the WIB group, because I get to meet so many women from completely different backgrounds and disciplines; it’s also a very down-to-earth group, with realistic aims and objectives and no, at least to date there have been no power struggles or bitching. We don’t do the committee route, we all help in turn and get the various jobs done. Anyone coming new to the area and wanting to set up a business is able through the WIB immediately to come into contact with 100-200 new people, who can all help in so many different ways, and, yes, my business has been greatly boosted by being a member.”
Dr Inna Matvienko-Papantoniou, 36, is a veterinary surgeon with a thriving practice in both Paphos and Peyia.
“I am a rather shy person, probably a lot to do with working with animals all day long, but, I knew I needed to join the WIB group, not primarily because of my shyness but because I wouldn’t have gone out on my own to try and meet some of the great women I have now got to know.
“I attended the first meetings and have been a supporter ever since, and my business has benefited from being a member. I have learned a great deal about certain business practices, which I have since implemente
d into both my practices, and they have all worked. So, the advice I can get and will continue to get is invaluable.”
Anna Hughes was born in Hong Kong to a Chinese mother and Welsh father. Anna came to Cyprus with her husband and family in 1999. Since then, she has created her own company ‘One Touch’, which helps in the understanding of the basic human spirit and the damage that has been done to it through all sorts of trauma.
Her work is highly effective and Anna is now recognised as a quite extraordinary healer.
“Women in business is all about community and how we can all be of service to the community and at the same time improve our business skills to help bring even more benefit to one own business. It’s also where one can get to know a good community of women, many of whom may have faced the same problems in business, so there is a shared experience we can enjoy.
“People are my business, and work is my life so, it’s entirely natural to associate with a well-run business group peopled only by women for women, many of whom will go on to help nurture younger members. That’s vitally important and something that we should really all be doing, regardless of sex or indeed one’s own personal business motives.”
Karen Cunningham is a perfect candidate for membership. She imports ex UK chain store clothes, via shops called Second Sense, one in Paphos the other in Limassol. I asked if she would now consider joining, after hearing about the WIB. “I just wish I had known about it before I set up my business as I’ve had huge problems in the past with customs as all my goods come in by airfreight. Most of my time has been spent finding out how to deal with the authorities without any hassle, and I have had to take the acquiescent route many a time as rulings tend to change regularly.
“Now it’s getting better, as I’ve worked out the perfect system, but there must be more I can learn also. And other women may well find my experience useful in the future. Yes, I will join and it’s with the philosophy that with the best will in the world we cannot know everything, so being in a group with shared experiences can only be a huge bonus.”
Currently, there is only one WIB group based in Paphos. If any women who would like information on how to set up a similar group in other towns, please telephone either of the numbers listed below.
For more information on WIB, call 99-895873 or 99-987672
Annual membership and associate membership is £24
