Women better their businesses by networking

METRO DETROIT — For business owners, networking is a great way to build connections and grow professional contacts. As the number of female entrepreneurs rises, networking can be particularly beneficial, as it often creates a culture of women supporting one another in business.

In Oakland and Macomb counties, there are many women who have started their own businesses. In one village, the downtown retail area is entirely made up of women-owned businesses.

Retail shops in downtown Franklin are 100% woman owned, including many shops and eateries. Madeleine’s French Patisserie is one of the newer additions to downtown Franklin. They have been in business for about a year.

“In general, I have found that the town has been very supportive,” Madeleine’s French Patisserie owner and head pastry chef Holly Kaiser said.

Since Franklin is a small village, Kaiser said she has had to be creative to attract people to her business. However, collaborating with surrounding businesses has helped bring awareness to Madeleine’s French Patisserie.

For instance, the business provides charcuterie orders for Tangerine Wine, which in turn provides the wine-tasting portion for special events held by Madeleine’s French Patisserie.

Denise Grace, the founder and president of Grace Financial Group and Women Empowered by Grace, does educational workshops to benefit women and their finances.

Networking through the Greater Farmington Area Chamber of Commerce has widened Grace’s outreach and has helped her find clients who are interested in becoming more confident in their finances, she said.

Some of Grace’s clients are small-business owners. She said she would encourage these clients to network, beginning with the chamber of commerce.

While she understands that networking can be intimidating — entering a room full of new people — she emphasizes the importance of taking a step outside of one’s comfort zone to make valuable connections.

“People are there to network. People are there to meet new people, so don’t think that they don’t want to meet you, because that is what they are there for,” Grace said.

Grace is the chair of the Women’s+ Business Committee through the Greater Farmington Area Chamber of Commerce. Within this committee, Grace said, she focuses on nurturing camaraderie and personal connections in addition to professional contacts.

“In our chamber and in our women’s group, we are about supporting each other’s businesses, because the more those businesses grow, the better it is for our whole community,” Grace said.

Kelly Finley, a broker and the owner of New Century Realtors in Troy, said her favorite part about networking is meeting new people and having “just the right person” to introduce others to.

In addition to her work, Finley networks through being a member of the Troy Chamber of Commerce and the Detroit Athletic Club.

Finley said going out of her comfort zone and meeting people has helped her make connections she would otherwise not have made, which has ultimately benefited her career.

“​​Women in business are a force, and I think that the more people that you meet, the more opportunities you have,” Finley said.

Rachel Devries, the membership engagement manager for the Birmingham Bloomfield Chamber of Commerce, said her job is to help introduce people to one another at the chamber’s many networking events.

While she helps people network as her job now, she said all of her jobs have been found through networks.

“I think it (networking) is really important for all genders, but especially for women who are having a slower time getting back into the workforce from COVID. I think it is so important that we are out and about and meeting people. The more you can get to know someone, the more you can build that trust,” Devries said.

She said she finds networking one of the best ways to not only get a job but also to grow a business and make new friends.