Financial hurdles, HR issues and managing time and productivity are some common challenges confronting today’s business community – particularly for female business leaders in Calgary.
This month’s (November 22) Ignite: Burn Brighter summit will proactively shed light on various business challenges.
“The Ignite focus will look at money, people and time management,” explains the enthusiastic Katie Phillips, associate partner at event organizer, Tricon Solutions – a Calgary-based collective of over 100 top-tier professionals, providing high-quality services to help businesses across a range of industries achieve outstanding business outcomes.
“We have found that the main obstacles facing business leaders today are: how to make your money work for you; how to effectively work with the people in every business transaction; and how to get things done in the limited amount of time each day.”
The dynamic Phillips, respected as a savvy business transformation expert, adds that while time management and access to capital are the two most common business speed bumps for most business leaders – male and female – they have different nuances for men and women.
“Business leaders, regardless of gender, often face many of the same challenges,” she says, “but there seems to be a larger societal expectation that women need to wear multiple hats in their lives; to be everything and do everything for everyone, to be more nurturing than focused on the bottom line, and to be successful in all of these roles.
“This adds a layer of complexity to the challenges facing female business leaders.”
The various Ignite 2018 speakers, seminars and sessions will include an ATB financial panel (moderated by Shannon Pestun, director, Women’s Entrepreneurship at ATB Financial), leading industry and financial expert discussion about the role that money plays, and how to achieve financial clarity to get the most out of business and personal life.
“Access to financial capital is still the greatest barrier that women face, preventing them from starting and scaling their companies,” Pestun points out. “The investment gap is real: women raise smaller amounts of financial capital than men.”
She underscores with positivity that the business landscape has changed and that more women are entering entrepreneurship. “In Alberta, the rate of women entrepreneurs is among the highest in Canada. Women-led companies represent 50 per cent of all new startups and have ownership in approximately 38 per cent of small- and medium-sized enterprises.
“It is partly driven by the rise of millennial entrepreneurs, high female enrolment in post-secondary entrepreneurship programs and a growing newcomer demographic,” says Pestun. “There is also a rise in mompreneurs – those who participate in side hustles – and retirees who are looking for more options.”
Phillips accentuates the uniqueness of the Calgary business community. “Calgary is a rapidly growing city with a small-town heart. Most people here don’t do business exclusively on a handshake anymore but for many, the sentiment still remains. We’re also a city that has experienced booms and busts and many Calgary businesses embody the hard-working, entrepreneurial spirit.”
She emphasizes the Ignite 2018 focus will bring together symposium speakers and partners from Calgary and Canada “with local and regional knowledge, understanding how business best works in Calgary and the unique obstacles we face.”
Ignite: Burn Brighter will be a special one-day opportunity for information and networking. For details, tickets and registration, visit www.ignitesummits.com.
