Two types of networking aid women who exit large organizations to start their own business. Nearly one third of the entrepreneurs in our study said that prior to leaving their prior organization they had established internal or external networks. Gale Wise, a Clinical Social Worker with the Center for Change, in New Orleans, benefited from her former internal networks. I would say 90 percent of my clientele comes from the organization that I left, so the networking link is very important. We have established many good contacts over the past years.
External contacts are important during that trying period when one is just starting.
So most of my education in that field has been stepping in holes and then climbing out of them. The financial part, the managing people, all those things, its been a long learning curve. There was a creative side of exchange that I loved. The feedback was wonderful. Every once in a while I get a call and the company is asking me to come back.