Kwiecień 25th, 2011
Dear BEM Readers,
I am sure that there are business women among the readers of the BEM magazine and blog. In the latest issue there is a series of articles dedicated to them.
Today, in the time of political correctness, globalization, global warming, overpopulation and other „problems”, the „women in business tabu” might seem irrelevant, right? In a sense that the issue seized to exist. However, in some countries (especially in the Middle East) it is still a hot topic to see a female CEO or head of a global organization, even impossible and unthinkable in some.
Fortunately, the Polish market is hungry for change and open for more women in business. The first field that saw a major change in that mentality was politics. 20 years ago it was either very rare or unheard of to see women in the Polish politics or business. Today women are a strong voice among their male colleagues.
The polish finance portal „Bankier” toplisted the most successful women in the Polish business. The winner - Karolina Mrowiec owns an interior design company (artistic painting & decoration) „Bajart” with offices across the country and ambitious plans to enter other European markets. There are many more hard workers among polish female entrepreneurs „working in the trenches” and „going to their salt mines” everyday. As consumers of products and services in the modern, transformed, competitive business environment we tend to forget to acknowledge their work and show some „RESPECT” as Arleta Franklin was signing a few decades ago.
Even tough, there is a significant influx of modern business women, there are still many more showing lack of self-confidence and lost in the very first stages of the company creation process. The Internet comes in for the rescue, again. It allows to distribute startup business knowledge, online e-accountancy, and a global e-commerce space. Women started to use it for their advantage.
Great examples are women business networking clubs, that gather and advise successful female entrepreneurs:
Some institutions such as banks (especially RBS- the Royal Bank of Scotland) provide special bank accounts and loans for women entrepreneurs to help them „hit the ground running” with their dream companies.
Poland, among other developing Eastern European markets will have to invest in trainings, networking and support to create a sustainable business environment that will allow women to grow, open their door for business and compete with men, whoclaim dominance in their respective fields.
Gentleman, let's show some „R-E-S-P-E-C-T” and support our female colleagues in their road to success!
Wish you all (including male readers) a successful work week!
Krzysztof „Chris” Dargiewicz
USEFUL VOCABULARY:
1. irrelevant - nieistotny
2. to seize to exist - przestać istnieć; zniknąć
3. hot topic - sprawa „na czasie”; gorący, świeży temat
4. hungry for change - gotowy, „głodny” na zmianę
5. the field (of work) - zakres, dziedzina (pracy)
6. to work in the trenches - wykonywać „brudną” robotę
7. to go to the salt mine - ciężko, monotonnie pracować
8. tend to - mieć skłonność, tendencję do
9. acknowledge - uznawać, chwalić
10. significant - znaczący, zauważalny
11. influx - napływ
12. to lack - mieć niedobór, brak czegoś
13. self-confidence - pewność siebie
14. the very first - początkowy; jeden z pierwszych; podstawowy
15. e-accountancy - e-księgowość, księgowość internetowa
16. e-commerce - sprzedaż internetowa
17. advantage - zaleta; przewaga
18. to use something to someones advantage - wykorzystać coś dla swojej korzyści
19. loan - pożyczka, kredyt
20. to hit the ground running - rozpocząć; wcielić w życie
21. to claim - orzekać; określać
22. dominance - przewaga, dominacja
23. respective - poszczególny; odpowiedni