My name is Dayna Harvey and I am the Founder of the Women Business Owners Network. I am so thrilled to have you visit and be a part of this amazing community. When I started my first business back in 1993 I had no idea that that would be the starting point for a journey of business ownership that would lead me to the creation of an online network for women business owners.
I am sure that my journey in business ownership may reflect a similar journey that you yourself have experienced. From 1989 through 1993 I was a lifeguard and swimming instructor for the local community pool where I lived in Mission, British Columbia, Canada (yes it was in indoor pool!!) I loved teaching swimming lessons and it was something that I was really good at. My classes were always full and I was one of the most requested instructors. It made me crazy that I was working so hard and making such a nominal amount of money compared to what I knew I was bringing in for the city.
In 1993 I graduated from university and quit my “real job” and started my own swimming lesson business. I rented a friend’s pool for the summer, got myself some insurance and wrote a letter introducing myself to potential families and WALKED door to door in areas that I knew had lots of little kids in it. I started with 40 children, and when I got married and left British Columbia in 2001 I had taught more than 2,000 children and had about 350 current students in my program along with a staff of 12 amazing instructors.
When I moved to Roanoke, Virginia in 2003 with my family I knew it was time to start another business. I was a mom of 2 children at that point and was pregnant with my third baby (yes, I had 3 babies in 4 years). I started another swimming lessons company in 2005 when my youngest child was only 4 months old. What I quickly realized was that the business community was quickly becoming redefined from what I had known just 10 years earlier. The needs of business owners were changing and how they get access to information was moving from traditional ways to the world of the internet. I knew I needed to keep up and I wasn’t sure how to do that.
As a woman business owner I was incredibly frustrated with the lack of opportunities for me to have access to information that would help me grow my business. I was also underwhelmed with the events that were called “networking event” and yet no one was working at those events. It was socializing, gossiping, drinking and all other things associated with NOT working. Many business cards were handed out, I was put onto many newsletter mailing lists that I would rather have not been on but I did not build many relationships with people who I would want to do business with.
At that point I knew that if I was feeling this way, women business owners all across the globe may be feeling the same way. We want relevant and effective resources. We want to build relationships with people, not build or be put on a list. I met with 5 of my most trusted friends, who also happen to be women business owners and I asked them if the current system was working for them. When the answer was a resounding “NO”, I knew that I had a mission on my hands.
The end result of that mission is the Women Business Owners Network. I have worked with amazing women along the way who have helped to make this community what it is. We have women in this community who are our “Go To Women”, our “Industry Experts” and our “Authors”, all of who will be bringing you information, resources and expertise that will help you grow your business and make more money.
I hope that you are as excited as I am about this community!! It has been designed with you and your needs in mind. When you look closely at the benefits of being a member you will see that this community is unlike any other. Our focus is providing learning environments and building relationships. No fluff, no advertising….nothing that takes you away from building your business. If you have other ideas, we would love to hear them. I look forward to building an effective and mutually beneficial relationship with you as we move forward.
Enjoy this community…
Dayna Harvey
