Women's Net Blog

Where to Find Opportunities to be a Podcast Guest

There are currently around 505 million podcast listeners in the world, with that figure increasing steadily by about 20 percent per year. There were 3.2 million podcasts as of early 2024 and more than 150 million podcast episodes. Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts are currently the top three platforms from which listeners stream their […]

Declutter to Make Space for New Opportunities

As 2024 winds down and we look ahead to 2025, attracting new business opportunities is likely at the top of your to-do list. Creating new revenue streams, finding new clients, and building new products are just some of the ways you can generate more business next year. But before you start bringing in new business, […]

Advice From Year-End Winners: Finding Community & Maintaining Work-life Balance

We reached out to TWO of our 2023 Year-End Grant Winners, asking each to share the business lessons they’ve learned from the past year:   Nikita Seal and Sallie Plumley both answered the call! Below are the answers they gave us.  Please give it a quick read. We’re sure there are some nuggets of wisdom […]

Boosting Sales During the Holiday Season

Whether you sell products or services, the last few weeks of the year are an opportunity to profit from prospects and customers who are in a buying mood. Even in business-to-business (B2B) sales, there is a season to purchasing and your previous clients may have money to spend in their budget before December 31. Although […]

How Can Small Businesses Find New Customers?

Now that we are officially in the last quarter of 2024, some companies can expect an uptick in revenue over the next several weeks.  We’re heading into the big season for Christmas tree farmers, snowplow services, event planners, caterers, accountants, hair stylists, among others. And even if your business isn’t typically affected by holiday activities, […]

Should You Use Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Your Small Business?

In a nutshell, yes. Now, exactly how you should use AI will vary by industry, even as the technology continues to evolve and improve, but refusing to at least explore what AI can do may end up stalling your company’s growth. Some of you may be asking what, specifically, AI is and does. AI is […]

4 Easy Ways to Get Publicity

You’ve heard me talk about “publicity” and the positive impact it can have on your business before, but I really want you to spend time now learning more about it.  Publicity – also known as earned media – is that free media exposure you get when you’re quoted in the press. It could be an […]

Dare to Be “Different” – It’s the Buzzword Right Now

No matter who you pay attention to online or what industry you’re in, everyone is preaching the importance of highlighting what makes you special. Gurus in all fields recommend that you find what makes you different and point a spotlight at it.  Not only does this help catch the attention of potential customers, but it […]

Mastering the Art of Follow-Up

Motivational speaker Jim Rohn famously stated that “The fortune is in the follow-up” when it comes to business opportunities, and he is right. Once a potential customer or client indicates any interest in your business or your products and services, it’s your responsibility to educate and inform them until they have enough information to make […]

tired woman sitting with her laptop

7 Time Management Hacks for Women Business Owners

Owning your own business has so many advantages. Although the top reasons women start their own companies are schedule flexibility, the potential for financial independence, and a passion for a particular product or service, one of the biggest challenges is getting everything done that needs to be done in the time you have available. Fortunately, […]

15 hot air ballons in the sky

7 Ways to Raise Prices in Your Business

Every business reaches a point where its prices need to be raised. Often that is due to rising costs for materials and services but other times it can be to remain competitive with other businesses selling the same thing, or it can be to reposition the company or brand from lower end to higher end. […]

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How to Write an Effective Blog Post

One of the most cost-effective ways to promote your business is by blogging. Setting up a place where you can share information with your target audience regularly is a smart marketing tactic. That’s probably why 7.5 million blog posts are published daily in 2024, according to Earthweb. But before you invest time and money in […]

Huge display of Russian dolls in a retail store

6 Marketing Tactics Brick-and-Mortar Businesses Should be Using

We’ve all heard how online sales continue to increase, but the vast majority of shoppers still want access to a brick-and-mortar location. In fact, more than 55% of shoppers prefer to visit a brick-and-mortar location first, reports RetailDive. And, according to a June 20 study, more than 65% of buyers prefer shopping inside physical stores, whether […]

Cinnamon Annie doll and Stephanie's book

Advice From an Amber Grant Winner: Be a Marketing First Business

Would you like to learn how our past grant recipients have continued to succeed, despite the challenges faced by women-owned businesses? If you’re encountering similar obstacles, you might find some valuable insights! We’d like to reintroduce you to Stephanie Dean, with StepStitches, our January 2021 Amber Grant winner. — Can you share industry-specific resources and/or professional […]

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Free Publicity Tools Every Woman Business Owner Should be Leveraging in 2024

Publicity is one of the most powerful marketing tools, which results when a media outlet quotes you, mentions your business, or profiles your company.  It’s powerful because that article or TV segment that includes you gives you added credibility. The fact that you were quoted or mentioned suggests that you and your business are successful, […]

How to More Quickly Attract Money to Your Business

“Money loves speed.”  Have you heard that adage? The saying is fairly popular in the online business community, but it applies to any type of business. Think about your experiences with money. Is it more likely to show up when you sit back, do nothing, and wait for it to land in your lap, or […]

Low-Cost Strategies for Growing Your Small Business

Many small business owners are working to grow their companies, or to expand, or to “scale.” Making their business bigger is the natural next step for many entrepreneurs and founders once the venture is up and running. But unless your business is generating wads of cash, scaling it can prove challenging. As we so often […]

AI Tools

10 Artificial Intelligence Tools that Can Help Entrepreneurs Be More Productive

Since ChatGPT came on the scene in late 2022, we’ve been hearing a lot more about artificial intelligence (AI). We’ve been told this technology will transform our work, from what we do to how, when, and where. It is already disrupting whole industries. The potential is there for AI to handle mundane, repeatable tasks so […]

5 SEO Basics to Improve Your Website’s Google Rank

When WomensNet surveyed its community in late 2023 about the biggest business challenges, we learned that search engine optimization (SEO) was a topic many women business owners wanted help with. That made sense to us because 53.3% of all website traffic comes from online searches, and 93% of that traffic is through Google, reports Arefs.  […]

How to Get the Most out of Trade Show Attendance

With cost estimates for exhibiting at national industry trade shows as high as $40,000-$60,000, small businesses may wonder if they can even afford to participate in such events. After factoring in the cost to design, build, and ship a show booth, plus marketing materials and equipment, exhibition fees, labor, and accommodations, making trade show participation […]

24 Start Up Business Grants for Women

There are more than 14 million women-owned businesses in the US as of 2024. Those 14 million companies account for 40% of all businesses, according to Forbes.  The number of women-owned ventures is also rising faster than businesses owned by other types of owners. According to the 2024 Wells Fargo Impact of Women-Owned Business Report, […]

Anatomy of a WomensNet Grant Application

Michaella Estevez and Ashley Olafsen, co-founders of The Wildflower Company, caught the attention of the WomensNet advisory board with their detailed grant application. By explaining the big picture for their “wellness community centered around value-driven goal-setting and structured support” and the annual planner they designed, developed, and sell, The Wildflower Company was the $10,000 Startup […]

Making it happen: Advice from a Skilled Trade Winner

Would you like to learn how our past grant recipients continue to succeed… despite the challenges of women-owned businesses? Maybe you’re up against similar challenges and can glean a gem or two! We’d like to reintroduce you to Leah Baum, with Paint Baum, our 2022 Skilled Trades winner. — What do you wish you had […]

6 Ways to Improve Your Website’s Performance

We all know that the look and feel of websites change over time. The design and aesthetic of business websites evolve and shift and unless you’re paying close attention, you might not notice when the appearance and functionality of what is considered the “standard” website is completely different from a year or two ago. Suddenly […]

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What people are saying about WomensNet

Forbes

“You have to be in it to win it...seize the opportunity and apply.”

Nerd Wallet

“Every month, WomensNet awards three $10,000 Amber Grants to women-owned businesses. At the end of each year, monthly grant winners are eligible to receive one of three $25,000 annual grants.”

Score

“Launched 20 years ago this grant honors the memory of a young woman who wanted to be an entrepreneur but died at age 19 before she could achieve her goal.”

CNN

“The Amber Grant offers three $10,000 grants to women-owned businesses each month. Then, at the end of each year, WomensNet gives an additional $25,000 to three grant winners from that year.”

Essence Magazine

“This organization offers monthly grants of up to $10,000 to support female entrepreneurs starting businesses. Those who qualify for these grants are also in the running for a yearly $25,000 grant.”