MANITOULIN—Barbara Baker of Little Current is a life-long entrepreneur and a strong advocate of women in business, which has prompted her to start a series of Manitoulin Women in Business seminars, the first of which takes place on Sunday, April 8.
“I’ve always been an entrepreneur, and had a full-time job with something on the side,” Ms. Baker explained in an interview with The Expositor. “The ability for those businesses to be successful comes from the knowledge of others.”
While living in Ottawa, Ms. Baker said she initially met her web designer, information technologist, lawyer and more from her network of businesswomen.
“On Manitoulin, there isn’t necessarily a knowledge of what other women are doing,” she added.
Ms. Baker hopes that the women attending the seminars (she hopes to have one each month) will learn from each other’s trials and errors. “For instance, I don’t know a thing about crowdfunding, but the women at Split Rail (Andrea Smith and Eleanor Charlton) do so they can give a talk about that.”
Ms. Baker said she hopes to establish a list of what Island women’s key issues in business are, what assistance they need and if they’re looking at starting a business, what roadblocks are stopping them from getting started, all with the goal of establishing a strong network which will eventually lead to the development of an online directory, encouraging women to ‘keep it local.’
The Sunday, April 8 Manitoulin Women in Business Seminar will take place at the Northeast Town recreation centre in Little Current in the upstairs hall from 8:30 am to 1 pm. A fee of $25 includes a catered lunch.
Ms. Baker said that it’s not a question of if the network will go forward, “it will.” In future, women can look forward to an event each month, 10 months of the year.
“Women working at a business are welcome too,” Ms. Baker added.
Those wishing to register must do so by March 23 and by calling Ms. Baker at 705-368-3114.
