Imagining Growth: Women, growth and money

1. Women, Growth and Money
Sally Arkley

2. Today we will discuss:
• the underlying challenges for women wishing
to become investment-ready
• the design and content of the course
• sources of finance and what investors want
• the mechanics of investment readiness
• support to you as trainers and mentors
• Are we going to tear everything up and start
again??

3. Investment Readiness is:
• Complex
• Slow
• Time-consuming
• Challenging
• Added complication of clients being woman!

4. The Gender Challenge
Accessing Finance

5. The Gender Challenge
Women and growth

6. What Makes Us Tick
Personal Drivers
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Rewards
Power &
Influence
Meaning
Expertise
Creativity
Affiliation
/ Family
Autonomy
Security
Status
Drivers
Score
Series1

7. What does growth
mean to you?

8. The Gender Challenge
Women and Risk

9. RISK
• Risks are what you hope, or fear, might, or might
not, happen, and which you plan to exploit, or to
overcome, as part of your growth strategy.
• Risk is good. It is what powers growth. If risk is
not understood, measured and managed. It will
overpower you.
• Your future plans are based on risk. Convincing an
investor that this risk is acceptable is your job.

10. Risk
• What do your groups think about risk? What
do they think is acceptable risk and what is
not?
• Awareness of risk is a GOOD thing
• No business is risk free
• Encourage thinking and discussion about how
to identify and manage risk........risks can be
managed

11. The Gender Challenge
Women and the ‘M’ word

12. Quick exercise
Write down the first 10 words that
come into your head when you hear
the word ‘Money’

13. Words most identified with money
• Anger
• Fear
• Enjoyment
• Disgust
• Shame

14. Money
• A PROBLEM OF DEMAND AND SUPPLY!

15. Finance Sector
• Banks report that they practice no gender
discrimination- contradicted by experience of
clients
• Finance sector perceived by women as
‘unfriendly’
• Jargon – the freemasonry of finance

16. The Imagining Growth Investment
Readiness Programme
• Training course
• One-to-one mentoring
• Networking and learning events
• Pitching sessions
• Accessing finance

17. Before you start
• Find your clients
• Find your networks
• Prepare your materials

18. The Training Course
• One day – intensive
• Two half-days - relaxed
• Familiarity with what investment readiness
• The ‘M’ word and Growth
• Vision and Mission
• Sources of Finance
• Reasons for failure to access finance/what
investors want

19. Business Practices & Systems – an
audit
How good is
your use of
technology?
How effective are
your
financial systems?

20. Training – more!
• Marketing – marketing plan for funds invested
THEY WANT TO SEE SALES!
• Financial information –is it enough, is it right!!
• De-risking exist strategies

21. Mentoring
• Apply your knowledge of gender-sensitive
mentoring
• You are not a money expert –it’s OK!
• Make your professional alliances
• Non-co-operation/Blaming you – off they go!

22. Mentoring
• Our job – to prepare our clients as fully as
possible
• We will not be judged on client’s success in
accessing finance
• Facilitators and friends not fixers and
magicians
• Remember the client contract!

23. Networking and learning
• 2 – 4 events, whatever you can
• How we did it at WBDA
• What were the benefits?

24. Pitching
• Select your panel carefully
• Train your clients – ‘dummy runs’
• Process
- synopsis of business plan
- five-minute presentation
- confidential feedback
- on-going support
Prepare Yourselves!!

25. Building a finance network
• Where to look
• Don’t mention equal opportunity – this is
business, for heaven’s sake!!
• (Remember the economic case)
• Find your senior men –champions
• Be professional at all times – no gimmicks

26. PINK STINKS!

27. WHAT NEXT?