Two important events for women entrepreneurs are taking place next week led by an Icelandic businesswomen to whom Maltese women in business will relate.
A project of the International Vocational College, the events focus on empowering and promoting established women women in business through a personal branding programme called BRANDit.
BRANDit co-founder Runa Magnusdottir will lead a three and a half day programme between March 22 and 25 and a full-day seminar on March 23.
Ms Magnusdottir likes to quote author Tim Ferris to describe personal branding: “Personal branding is about managing your name – even if you don’t own a business – in a world of misinformation, disinformation, and semi-permanent Google records. Going on a date? Chances are that your “blind” date has Googled your name. Going to a job interview? Ditto.”
Ms Magnusdottir and her BRANDit co-founder Bjarney Ludviksdottir are both from Iceland, the world‘s top country for gender equality: more than 85 per cent of all women are in the workforce. Both have seen for themselves the positive effect gender diversity has in the business world. As islanders themselves, they know how important it is for small nations to use all their resources, and the most valuable one is the human resources. More women in the business world is a proactive way to get the economic engine going and create more job opportunities.
The programme is meant to be open to women entrepreneurs, business owners and professionals who represent a brand. It is a valuable marketing tool which will expose women and their business on an international level. It includes a welcome party, the one-day seminar, photo and video shoots complete with hair, make up and individual coaching, a fun night to celebrate, and another where women show the press what their brand states. The end result will be two pages dedicated to women and their brand on BRANDit’s online magazine that is distributed to 70 countries around the world.
The one day seminar is open to a larger number of women. It will include three workshops, lunch and a seat at the closing night celebration where the full programme attendees will share their BRANDit experiences with other business owners.
Previous BRANDit participant Harpa Georgsdóttir explained: “We are all fighting for customers and what makes a brand different is the passion behind it. I learned that from BRANDit. The programme opened up a whole other world for me in marketing. I learnt to give all I had to my company and made a real but emotional connection between my brand and customers. BRANDit made me a stronger business woman by not only using my mind but also my heart.”