United Kingdom’s Sonia Brown – Entrepreneur Born to Lead, Inspire and Succeed

MEET Sonia Brown:  Hailing from the United Kingdom, Sonia Brown MBE is the founder and director of the National Black Women’s Network, Let’s Talk Business and the social platform www.sistatalk.co.uk. This creative business leader has worked with established firms such as Lloyds TSB Bank, American Express, ITN and BBC. She has organized events for companies like Business Link for London, the Inland Revenue, Enterprise Insight and Greater London Enterprise. She has more than 15 years of project management and event planning experience.

WMI:    As a child did you dream of becoming a business leader? If not, what did you aspire to be when you were a little girl?

SB:          I always knew I would be in business but I didn’t have a clear vision of what it would be.  When I went into the corporate world my only criteria was that I would learn a new skill and have fun!

WMI:    What were you doing before you launched NBWN (work related)? 

SB:          Struggling to find my way in the corporate jungle!

WMI:    Why and when did you launch National Black Women’s Network (NBWN)?

SB:          I launched the NBWN in 1999 whilst suffering at the hands of a very autocratic line manager.  Baroness Howells advised me to create my ideal job if I was so unhappy and if I couldn’t find it, set it up!  I didn’t even know what a woman’s network was at the time.  The VPs, executive directors and HR executives were instrumental in helping me research the viability of the NBWN and ensure that the network would add value to any organisation we worked with.

WMI:    Does NBWN host events throughout the year? If so, please tell us about two to three memorable events NBWN has hosted during the past few years?

SB:          The NBWN has organised dynamic networking events featuring a wide range of speakers from prominent organisations including Birmingham City Council, Lloyds TSB Bank Plc, Business Links, City Women’s Network, The Voice Newspaper, GlaxoSmithKline Research & Development, PriceWaterhouse Coopers, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), The Inland Revenue, Independent Television Network  (ITN), HSBC Bank Plc and the Pacific Institute to name a few.

Our Let’s Talk Business events are very inspirational and have included Theresa May MP, Helen Grant MP, former MP Jackie Smith, Barbara Roach, London Mayor Boris Johnson, Cllr Alan Rudge (Diversity & Equalities, Birmingham City Council), John Bird (Founder, Big Issue) and Joy Nichols MBE.  It’s an exciting time for business irrespective of the downturn and we have partnered with Lloyds TSB Bank Commercial and London Met University to host a number of Women in Business Conferences.

We are actively championing greater representation of BAME women in the boardroom and supporting emerging leaders through our events.  Furthermore, we are working closely with Baroness Verma of Leciestershire, India Gary Martin (President, City Women Network) and Sandra Kerr (Race for Opportunity) and the Voice Newspaper.

WMI:    You’re headquartered in the UK. Are there plenty of networking opportunities for women, particularly women starting new businesses, in the UK? Besides NBWN, what are some other networking organizations that you participate in to spread the word about your business?

SB:          There are lots of opportunities to start businesses in the UK but the problem is finding the right kind and level of finance when you start.  This can have a negative impact on the business at a later stage if processes have not been put in place at conception.  It’s vital to build relationships with your bank’s relationship managers and accountants at the business conception stage. They can recommend the right events, training and workshops to attend to build your financial competencies.

Once the business has started, ongoing training and development often gets pushed to the side because of other demanding commitments, but this should remain a priority in order to remain fresh, competitive and relevant in your sector. Make sure you are attending coaching and development programmes if you cannot afford formal training.  There are lots of courses, workshops and networks out here to help you flex your entrepreneurial muscle.

WMI:    Sonia, there’s a lot of discussion around networking, especially with the launch of popular social networks like LinkedIn and Facebook. That said, do you find that creative business leaders truly know how to network effectively? Or have you found that creative business leaders tend to give sales pitches to people they meet online and offline and mistakenly refer to that as networking? What makes you say this?

SB:          Networking is vital for business success and women need to brush up on their skills and get out there. Don’t just go for the canopies and wine, be strategic about the networking events you attend and be clear about why you are there.

Women spend so much time in their business that they forget that every introduction is an opportunity to sell the business.  It’s critical to be ‘pitch perfect’ because people don’t have time to hear you waffle on using industry jargon that only a handful of people understand.  Your pitch must be clear, succinct, to the point and compelling!

Really good networkers have a comprehensive, coordinated campaign that is multifaceted and maximises the potential of each social forum. Dependent on your industry learn from the leaders and ditch the stragglers.  The Internet makes learning easier; there is no excuse for a shabby social media networking campaign.

WMI:    Define networking. What does networking mean to you?

SB:          The ability to connect, support and maximise opportunities to build authentic, profitable relationships.  It’s not always about money.  If you are networking correctly you will be amazed at the benefits.  You can acquire mentors, coaches, cheerleaders, referrals or simply someone to bounce ideas off (who really understands your business) and more often than not, a nice, fat contract!

Networking needs to work for you.  Don’t just read a load of articles and then think you’re an expert.  You need to get out there and develop your personal style.  You have to learn to listen (not talk) and have fun in the process!

For example, I was at an event recently with a well known entrepreneur.  A person introduced themselves and then proceeded to give his entire life story to her irrespective of the fact she had put on her coat and was about to leave.  She was far too polite to tell him to stop but it reminded me that we need to know when to go when we meet new people.

WMI:    NBWN has organized events for organizations such as GlaxoSmithKline Research & Development, PriceWaterhouse Coopers, Greater London Enterprise, BBC and American Express. Are these events solely for employees of these organizations or the general public? Also, how do you help create networking opportunities for creative business leaders who attend these events?

SB:          The ethos of the network is to find organisations and people who have demonstrated unstoppable drive and commitment in their careers, business and personal lives and share best practices, learning and solutions for success.  Corporations have a lot to teach small business owners and small business owners can share innovation, creativity and flexible attitudes because they are less risk adverse.  By coming together there is an explosion of ideas and insights to overcome the barriers that impede our success.

WMI:    What services and benefits do women gain by joining NBWN? Also, is it necessary for women to be located in the UK to reap these benefits?

SB:          We focus on the power of strategic networking to catapult your career or business to the next level.  We provide programmes on confidence, leadership, business skills as well as participating on government consultations and task forces.

Members have been part of the former prime minster Gordon Brown’s Roundtable Events, reviewed the Leaders Debate on behalf of the Daily Mirror Newspaper Political Team, been part of the Lord Davis initiative that looked at encouraging more Black men to set up enterprise in the UK and to sit on the former Government’s Small Business Credit Adjudicator Task Force led by Lord Sugar and Mike Farley (former deputy director, Lloyds TSB Bank).

The Network became a strategic partner of the BAME Women Councillors’ Taskforce that was established in May 2008 as part of Harriet Harman’s Priorities for Black Women to explore and develop practical ways to encourage women to become councillors and champions of our communities.

WMI:   What are the one to two greatest challenges you see facing small business owners today?

SB:          Access to funding is always going to be a major challenge for start ups and established business owners.  Without better access to finance it is going to be very difficult for business owners to grow, employ staff and contribute to the economy.

Increasing regulation, backdoor taxes, high utility bills, poor governance, fear of employment law and an expensive transport system that does not meet the needs of its customers will continue to make running a business a major chore on top of all the other challenges the small business owner has to deal with.

WMI:    What are the one to two greatest opportunities for mega growth do you see facing small business owners today?

SB:          Using social media to capitalise on their target market and working it to within an inch of its life. Learn from the powerhouses and don’t do shortcuts.

WMI:    What’s next for Sonia Brown and NBWN. Where do you see yourself and your businesses, including your talk show, three to five years from now?

SB:          We are working on a major redesign of services and offerings which will be launched later in the year.  Additionally, we will also provide more dynamic networking opportunities, workshops, training and social events that will help to take businesses and careers to stratospheric levels!  We are here to help women accomplish bigger, better and bolder goals in 2012 and beyond.

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