As Valentine’s Day fast approaches, love is in the air, as well as on our hearts and minds. Why? Because Brighton’s women-only networking group which uniquely prioritises joy is looking for new members to welcome into the group. Could you be our heart’s desire? Read on to find out…
What is Co-Women? Co-Women was founded in 2020 by Jo Child, who found most networking events to be formulaic. She felt that networking could and should be a fun experience, particularly when targeting modern, self-employed businesswomen. Jo decided to start running events that she herself would like to attend, welcoming like-minded women in business along with her for the ride. Co-Women’s events are different, inviting you to be yourself, and allow others to meet you where you’re at, buying into your business at the same time.
What makes a Co-Women member? Our members will champion each other’s businesses and spirits. We aim to offer a supportive space where women can share professional and personal questions. Members have asked for the kind of help you’d probably expect – questions around tax, or where to find co-working space, for example – and ones you might not predict – finding a personal stylist, where to get the best manicure locally, or restaurants when travelling internationally.
Above all, our members strive to prioritise their joy and wellbeing alongside the success of their business, and do so by regularly attending our diverse programme of in-person events. These are available at a range of price points – we firmly believe that fun doesn’t have to mean blowing the budget!
What am I committing to? When you join, there is a choice of paying monthly, quarterly, or an annual membership fee. For all options, we ask that you attend at least one fee-paying Co-Women event within the first three months of joining, so that you can start meeting other members as soon as possible, and become part of the group. All members also commit to attending a minimum of three paid events per year.
Guests are welcome to attend one event before signing up for membership, and members-only events are reserved for… well, members! We keep these to a minimum in order to remain open to new members, but if you’ve ever felt that a Christmas party in particular is something that your work life lacks, you’ll want to make sure that you’ve signed up for membership and booked your ticket by the time we close sales annually in late November.
And what will I get out of this relationship?! Being part of Co-Women means that you belong to Sussex’s joyful women-only networking group. You have a local hive mind at your fingertips in case you need a recommendation for where to find the best food and drink, plus a wealth of business knowledge ranging from expertise on grants and fundraising, to legal and financial advice, or tips on event planning, marketing and much more.
We have an active WhatsApp group which involves daily chat (there was one day when no messages were sent, leading one member to DM Jo asking whether there was a problem with the app, as it was so unusual!). As a member, you will be listed via our online directory, eligible to attend all of our events (as some are member exclusives), and welcome to submit guest blog posts or promotions to go out via our weekly email newsletter or social media feeds.
Co-Women regularly seeks feedback and is open to receiving ideas for events and trips from members – if it’s fun, we’ll consider it, so let your imagination run wild!
How do I join Co-Women? Visit this page, fill in an application form, and choose whether you’d like to pay monthly or annually. Then it’s just a case of deciding which event you’ll attend first! We can’t wait to welcome you along.