Team Women Hollister offers connections for business owners
Team Women Hollister, one chapter of a national networking group
for women business owners, helps local women promote their local
businesses.
Team Women Hollister offers connections for business owners
Team Women Hollister, one chapter of a national networking group for women business owners, helps local women promote their local businesses.
Irene Sanchez, an independent contractor for the home-based business, Isagenix Health Supplement, was one of the group’s founding members. Isagenix is a health and wellness company that sells a line of nutritious food, Sanchez said.
“The members themselves, quite a few of them, have tried my products,” Sanchez said. “Then they are recommending them to their friends and family.”
The group’s members include owners of home-based and traditional businesses.
“It’s kind of nice that there’s a mix,” Sanchez said.
At meetings, members take turns giving presentations about their businesses and tell each other what kind of business referrals they are looking for.
Jacqueline Fancher, a member of Team Women, owns a bookkeeping and payroll business, ABACUS Data Systems.
“Right now Jackie is looking for some more payroll people,” Sanchez said. “That way I can keep my ears open for people who say, ‘you know, I’m having a hard time getting my payroll done.'”
The majority of her business is word of mouth, Fancher said.
“I’ve always believed that networking works,” Fancher said. “Especially in a town like Hollister, because it is a small town.”
When you meet with a group of people on a regular basis, they get to know you and your business, she said.
“They feel confident referring you to people,” Fancher said.
Fancher has received business from members.
“Some of them were just one-time things,” Fancher said.
Two of her 30 on-going clients were from referrals by members of Team Women to outside business owners.
Fancher has referred clients to another Team Women member, insurance broker Sara Andrade, of Boyd & Andrade Insurance.
“I referred her quite a few times to my clients, when they are in the market,” Fancher said. “Whenever it pops up, they are foremost in my mind.”
Team Women Hollister is a member of Hollister’s Chamber of Commerce.
To promote Team Women, and their individual businesses, members attend every mixer and other events, including the Hollister Expo and Lights On Parade, said Pattie Saso, the current president of Team Women.
Darcy Stevenson, an independent consultant for Beachbody Fitness/Exercise, started the local chapter of Team Women in 2006.
Leadership positions – president, treasurer and secretary – rotate every eight weeks.
“The reason that we do that is to infuse new ideas into the group so that we don’t get stagnant,” Stevenson said.
Team Women has helped her become a better businesswoman, Stevenson said.
“Because I was new to the industry when I started, I learned a great deal about presentations and selling to customers,” Stevenson said.
It also offers an outlet to socialize with people she is not connected with through her children’s activities.
“Having Team Women helps me to get together with other women who are in totally different social circles and tell them what I do,” Stevenson said. “I have kind of a sales force who can go out and tell people about my business.”
The meetings have also helped her business stay on track. At meetings, members share goals and account for their progress in meeting those goals.
“We’re going to hold you accountable,” Stevenson said. “We’re going to say, how have you done? What have you done to meet that goal?”
She founded the group because, at the time, Hollister did not have a networking group for women, Stevenson said.
“I was a new business owner for a home-based business at the time,” Stevenson said.
Stevenson had a really small advertising budget. She heard about Team Women from another independent consultant in her company.
“I started making phone calls to women I knew,” Stevenson said. “I pulled together a handful of women and we did it.”
She was the group’s first member.
“By the third meeting that I held, we were up to six,” Stevenson said. “We pretty much have the core group of women still meeting.”
Team Women has 11 members.
To avoid competition between members, one representative from each industry can join the group, such as fitness or real estate.
“I really have felt passionate about Team Women from the time I started it,” Stevenson said. “I would love to see our group grow and bring in a whole lot of other core professions.”
Team Women Hollister meets every other Tuesday at 1:00 p.m. at 1582 San Benito St. The next meeting is July 1. For more information, call Darcy Stevenson at 261-4130.
