Inspiration from the Country!

What do you do to feel inspired? Do you read a poem; listen to a great speaker; walk on the beach? I am bursting with renewed energy and inspiration. I have nurtured my soul. So what did I do?

Together with other members of the ISBEC Women in Business, I attended a conference run by Women in Business and Regional Development in the Tatiara region, and I am ready to leap into action!

We were invited to join our “country cousins” on a tour of local industry on the Limestone Coast. Most of the women on the tour ran their own businesses. One of the things us “city girls” noticed was the cohesiveness of this group of women. Despite living remotely, they were a very close knit group. They relied upon each other for support – even if it was mainly by telephone or email. They all demonstrated how living in the country had made them more resourceful.

Many of them started their own business from necessity – some were farmer’s wives struggling to make a living in the current climate – and through this they have empowered themselves. Their husbands have come to see them in a different light, and recognise them as real partners with enormous earning potential. This is as a result of stringent hard work, and represents a huge cultural shift.

In the city, we can learn so much from them. There is benefit in setting up a buddy system between the city and the country. We should emulate their example. We need to reach out to people with similar view points and develop these relationships.

Through communicating with our country cousins we in the city can make a genuine difference. There are many opportunities to build up a professional network. We must consolidate the relationships we formed by offering our knowledge in training workshops and presentations.

We became more aware of the opportunities to apply to different funding bodies for potential grants. If you have an idea, research it, develop it, and present it properly. You may well attract funding to kick-start your project. Bordertown has 5tcbFM - a thriving local radio station - which was established with the help of a local government grant. Eventually, they went on to access federal government funding.

By taking “baby steps”, as one of our hosts commented, you get the ball rolling. The Women in Business Group in the South East was not started with a big fanfare from local government. It was two or three women getting together for a chat and a cup of coffee in someone’s shop after closing time. By exchanging ideas with like-minded women they harnessed potential which
developed into an organised business group. Sometimes the “baby step” out of your comfort zone is all that is required.

I travelled down with a great bunch of girls - it is so important to surround yourself with positive people. The ideas we exchanged in the car were very valuable - never underestimate the power of collective learning. This is the beginning of something exciting. I hope I can share my journey with you.

Julianne Kuhlmann

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