At the 2016 Surrey Women in Business Awards Lunch this week, the Surrey Board of Trade (SBOT) launched their Women in Business Entrepreneurship Service Initiative.
Services, programming and capital for women entrepreneurs, developed through collaborative partnerships, will be funneled through the SBOT’s Business Centre. The four core areas for female business owners will be: Funding, Growth, Mentorship, and Leadership — and guided by the newly created SBOT Women in Business Team.
“The Surrey Board of Trade believes that women leaders are integral to high performing work teams. We know that by propelling women high-growth women entrepreneurs, even female youth entrepreneurs, and their ventures one by one, we are leading a transformation of the entrepreneurial ecosystem as a whole,” said Anita Huberman, CEO Surrey Board of Trade.
We know that:
a) Women-run companies create new jobs four times faster than the national average
b) Women create companies at double the national average
c) The number of women with incorporated businesses more than doubled in the past decade
The Surrey Board of Trade, over the course of 2016-2017, will bring together a community of experts to drive female entrepreneurship to ensure full participation as entrepreneurs and leaders in small, medium, and high growth businesses. By supporting their ventures, we support women entrepreneurs create the jobs of today and tomorrow, fuel innovation and drive economic growth.
The Surrey Board of Trade will:
1. Actively identify women-led ventures in our Surrey market, which is positioned to be the largest city in British Columbia.
2. Blaze new ground with a differentiated and holistic model that provides inclusive teams and their ventures with services and support that they need to propel growth through collaborative partners.
3. Implement the unique SBOT Mentorship program, as part of SBOT’s Workplace Development strategy. This program was designed by specialists in HR and Essential Skills and is unique in the opportunities that it presents to help build a bridge to a better work experience. Mentors will be provided with an Essential Skills training workshop (a $250 value) to develop awareness and enhance their own leadership skills – a great benefit for their organization. Protégés will have the opportunity to work with an experienced mentor to enhance their oral communication, cultural sensitivity when working with others, critical thinking, and problem solving skills.
“The Surrey Board of Trade has positioned itself to reduce the gender gap by actively supporting female entrepreneurship. We know that we need to work together to improve the access to and the quality of programming that empowers and champions women with equal opportunity for success,” said Anita Huberman.
Stay tuned next month for the Surrey Board of Trade’s Newcomer, Immigrant and Refugee Business Action Plan.
