WOMEN IN BUSINESS MENTOR PROGRAM:

Corinne Kemp, DKC International Conference and Event Management

Corinne Kemp came away from the Women In Business Mentor Program this year with a new business adviser and a strategic five year plan that is about to guide her through the purchase of her own business premises.

No wonder she would not hesitate to recommend the program to other women in business.

Corinne began DKC International Conference and Event Management two years ago as a home-based business after working as a consultant event organiser. A background in the public sector led her to believe this area was not being properly serviced by event managers.

"I had really struggled to find conference organisers that understood the government sector and government processes," recalls Corinne.

Corinne believes the key to her company's growth is that DKC takes great care to match their clients with conference organisers who understand the context of a particular conference, and not someone "who can just run an event".

"For example, one of our recent jobs was running the Commonwealth Government's National Community and Business Partnership Awards across the country. Because my background is in social policy and the not for profit sector, I headed up the conference and managed the event team," says Corinne.

Two years on, DKC International Conference and Event Management was experiencing steady success had moved into office space , but Corinne knew she needed some extra help.

"I was looking for a program or resource I could use to support me through the next phase of growing the business. And for me, the Women In Business program presented the right balance of topics and issues; it wasn't a course that just focused on marketing, or just on financial management. Of course the mentoring aspect was really appealing as well, and that it was for women, as I think there are specific needs that women in business have as opposed to the general business population."

Although her general business skills were sound, Corinne recognised that financial management was not her strong suit. She says that the BEC could not have teamed her with a better partner than Kathryn Williams, of Kathryn's Mint (www.kathrynsmint.com.au).

"It was a match made in heaven," enthuses Corinne. "She was a fantastic support. She mentored me throughout the program but we have kept in touch well past the end of the program, and her business advice goes well beyond financial management and commercial advice, which is essential for all small business owners."

Kathryn gave Corinne the tools to think beyond the next 12 months, to plan both strategically and financially to support both personal and business goals for the longer term.

"I now have a five year business plan in place, and I have a clear focus on the direction I want to take the company in. And I think that's probably reflected in my work as well. Since developing a strategic direction, I feel empowered and I am seeing the company grow steadily as I attract the right kinds of clients I want to be working with and enjoy the satisfaction of successfully running my own business."

www.dkcinternational.com.au

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