Why Belonging Is Important

January 10, 2014 at 11:46 AM | Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

As humans, we have a natural, fundamental need to belong—to one another, to our friends and family, to our culture, to our community and to our world. That’s because belonging makes us feel like, good or bad, we’re not in this alone; we’re in it together with a powerful support system wanting to see us happy, healthy, motivated and successful.

As we begin this New Year, I can’t emphasize enough how important it is for women entrepreneurs—at any stage of business growth, whether you’re a start-up working from a home office or running a multi million-dollar company—to belong to an organization like NAWBO. One of the greatest member benefits we offer is a support system of amazing, talented women with shared interests and aspirations who are experiencing similar challenges and opportunities, or have the hindsight of having faced these before. They are here for, and genuinely interested in, bringing you up, mentoring and offering sound ideas and advice.

During the first quarter of the year, NAWBO will hold its annual spring membership drive. Imagine the impact we could create, and its ripple effect, if we each gave a friend or daughter who is an entrepreneur the gift of belonging. When you consider all of the following exclusive NAWBO member benefits, it’s very powerful:

• Belong to an organization that is completely focused on strengthening and furthering women’s entrepreneurship
• Interact with members at the annual national conference and at a number of local events and forums throughout the year that bring together members and experts on the most current and inspiring topics
• Access information to help you manage and build your business from a trusted source with a number of communications platforms (eblasts, e-publications, website, social media channels and more)
• Engage in driving an agenda in Washington, D.C., and state capitals that advances opportunities for women entrepreneurs; also, be empowered to make a difference by advocating in your local community
• Tap into an extensive network of like-minded women both in a NAWBO chapter as well as nationally and even around the globe to collaborate on challenges and opportunities, share resources and even do business together
• Impart your knowledge to the next generation of women business owners to ensure that women-owned enterprises continue to out-pace, out-perform and fuel economic growth
• Give back to your community of women business owners by taking advantage of the many opportunities to serve in a volunteer leadership role within NAWBO, either at the chapter or national level
• Gain extensive and oftentimes exclusive, knowledge, tools and resources from NAWBO’s community of supporters, including corporate, affinity, affiliate and media partners

As we move full speed ahead into 2014, I hope you will do two things. First, consider your own NAWBO membership and whether you are taking advantage of all the benefits available to you. If not, resolve to get more involved this year. Secondly, tell another women entrepreneur, or two or three, why you are a NAWBO member and how they can benefit from belonging.

Lastly, you may have noticed a new logo on this month’s blog. That’s because NAWBO has been selected as a winner of Broadview Network’s 2013 Best Blogs for Entrepreneurs Award and is now featured on the site as a recommended entrepreneurial resource for readers. You can check out the complete list of Best Blogs here. It’s a great communication that I’m proud to bring to you each month—and of course, another benefit of belonging.

—Billie Dragoo, National Board Chair and Interim CEO