Women in business and dealing with lockdown

Executive Director of the Hirsch’s Group, Margaret Hirsch has been holding virtual workshops for the business community since the beginning of lockdown.

“We have held networking events in our shops for the last ten years and they have always been well attended. Going virtual was a simple shift and we have found that people are thoroughly enjoying this platform, not just for our Entrepreneurs and Women In Business workshops, but also for our live cooking shows and home discussions,” said Margaret.

At the recently held Women in Business meeting that saw over 100 people Zoom in from around the country, her guests included Hetty Boachie-Yiadom, co-founder of South Africa’s fastest growing African print brand P&H Boutique, and Jayshree Naidoo, a thought leader on innovation and entrepreneurship.

Both women had held successful positions in the corporate world before teaming up with their husbands and becoming entrepreneurs. The two entrepreneurs encouraged women to find a second stream of income, or ‘side hustle’ if need be.

“What’s important is that women need to know that they are so much more than the job they do; it’s about knowing what skills they have that will help put food on the table,” said Jayshree.

Margaret brought the workshop to an inspiring end by telling the audience to draw on that courage inside them.

“Trust, integrity and honesty are three words that matter in business. If we have them, we can’t go wrong,” she concluded.