Apprentice star to provide tips for success in post-covid world
BURTON businesses are to get a post-covid boost as a leading TV businesswoman looks at how female entrepreneurs can secure their success following the pandemic.
Linda Plant, who was one of the first women to float a fashion company on the stock market, is well known for her hard-hitting interview style with candidates for Lord Sugar on BBC show The Apprentice.
Next month she will be joining Burton businesswomen in sharing her tips and advice for success at a special event for an inspiring business network designed to specifically encourage female entrepreneurs.
Local businesswoman Jacque Drain, who owns Nurture and Shine, said she was excited by the opportunity to meet such an important woman in business as it helped provide support and focus for businesswomen to stay connected while navigating the challenges faced by Covid.
She said: “It is so important for UK business to remain hopeful as we face the road to recovery and hearing how others have overcome their challenges and found success gives us hope that we too can succeed.”
Linda will talk to women about not only her success but also how in particular women can continue in their entrepreneurship post lockdown.
It comes after ONS statistics show that women in particular felt the strain of home schooling and working during the last year with one in three mothers agreeing their wellbeing had been negatively affected compared to one in five fathers.
The statistics have raised fears that the progress made in gender equality over the last few decades will be lost as women are adversely affected in business by the pandemic.
Lovebiz Networking in Burton is part of 19 similar network groups across the country supporting more than 450 women in business at its peak.
Sue Crooks, who set up the Lovebiz Networking group after seeing a need to support more women in business, said it was important to recognise the effect Covid will have had on supporting women in particular in business not only as mothers but in providing additional support in the home, caring for family members or friends.
She said: “The pandemic has been hard on everyone in different ways but I think it is important to recognise the profound effect felt by female entrepreneurs trying to juggle home life, educating children and their business.
“For many it will have been women who have led the caring roles and felt the brunt of the added burden. This will have impacted their businesses, seen women have to pause or rethink their plans and could have a lasting impact for years to come.
“We are so honoured that Linda Plant will be joining us to talk about her own experiences and offer advice to business women here in the Midlands”
The Lovebiz Networking event with Linda Plant on Tuesday, May 18, which has had to be held online due to Covid restrictions, will allow up to 100 women to gain first-hand experience and advice.
Talking about the event Linda, who started her career selling clothes at a Leeds market stall aged 16 before launching international knitwear brand Honeysuckle, said: “I built my career from humble beginnings to become one of Britain’s most recognisable business leaders and am now empowering others to successfully start and run their own companies with my Linda Plant Business Academy.”