During the Global Opportunities for Women-Owned Businesses webinar, recently hosted by BizLaunch, the Magnet Export Business Portal announced it has partnered with the Canadian Women’s Chamber of Commerce to help in supporting the success of women-owned businesses.
During the webinar, Devon Franklin of Magnet Export Business Portal shared information about the portal and how it helps women-owned businesses, like those members of the Canadian Women’s Chamber of Commerce, to grow through access to timely and relevant export resources.
Franklin explained the incentive for the portal: being new to the trade and export landscape, it’s daunting to try to find the resources and supports that are relevant to your business needs. The portal provides targeted communication by asking a few simple questions about your business to then match you with suitable opportunities.
Business owners can join the Magnet Export Business Portal at any business size, including pre-sale revenue, to gain opportunities and access to resources to help get your business to the exporting stage. It also includes the Learning Centre on the dashboard of your personalized page, showing relevant learning opportunities for your business.
The webinar, moderated by Andrew Patricio, included a discussion amongst distinguished panelists: Josie L. Mousseau of Business Women in International Trade and Global Affairs Canada, Chelsea Prescod of WEConnect International Canada, and Franklin of Magnet Export Business Portal. With so much expertise on the webinar, women benefitted from insider tips and advice on how women-owned businesses can successfully grow internationally.
Mousseau opened the discussion by sharing the representation of women-owned businesses in the Canadian economic landscape: with only 15.7% of all SMEs being women-owned, and only 11.1% of those women-owned SMEs as exporters, there is an obvious need to encourage and support female entrepreneurs (2014). And that’s what the Business Women International Trade (BWIT) is established to do. Some of the services offered by BWIT include: BWIT website which is a one-stop shop for resources, newsletters, supplier diversity program, and much more.
Prescod spoke about WEConnect as a not-for-profit organization helping women-owned businesses grow. Prescod explained how obtaining certification, a formal verification that the women-owned business meets universal standards, through WEConnect provides a competitive advantage and extended access to resources. Certification provides benefits such as corporate match-making events, access to their e-network, use of the Women Owned logo, opportunities to take part in panels, workshops and webinars, and much more. She also explained the self-registration option, for those businesses that do not qualify to become certified, which gives access to local events, the e-network, and the email newsletter.