Nearly one dozen women gathered for the Women in Concrete Luncheon, held on Friday, March 19, the final day of the Concrete Decor Show & Decorative Concrete Spring Training. The group discussed what it was like to be a woman in the concrete industry, as well as general business issues that affect both genders.
One thing the women took advantage of was an opportunity to discuss the challenges of running a business.
“What intrigued me about the roundtable was how quickly we kept veering off the topic of male versus female and began discussing the business questions which always arise with my male colleagues,” said Gaye Goodman, of Faux Real Floors, after the event.
They discussed being a “guinea pig” for new products, how to photograph and publicize their business, the importance of word of mouth, Web sites, and pricing their work.
“It is so important for us as women to remember to network, check out Web sites of what other women are doing, read articles about them, and keep in touch with what is happening out there,” said Tamryn Doolan, president of Surface Gel Tek. “If an opportunity comes up and you need some insight or even to share the project, you have a list of women you are already networking with to call on. Most of us do not have much time leftover after earning an income and raising our families, so the only network alternative is through quick e-mails, not attending a girls’ night out.”
The women agreed to stay in touch, and a special chat board has been set up at Goodman’s Web site, GayeGoodman.com, for that purpose.
