FAQs
Here are some questions...
Q: I don’t have a business based on a farm, can I still be a member of WiRE? from Enquiry
A: Yes of course. We welcome women in business regardless of your address (we even have a few international members). We do, however, target women in rural areas as our expertise lies here. We allow our members to promote their businesses through country shows and have business partners which are particularly knowledgeable in advising rural businesses, but that doesn’t mean we give anyone outside rural areas less opportunity to network or promote their business. Hope that helps.
Q: I live in a city, am I still eligible to be a WiRE member? from Enquiry
A: Yes, rural is a state of mind not a postcode or perhaps your customers are rural. If we don’t have a network up and running in your area, we do encourage members to start one! The Rural Marketplace is a good example of customers looking to buy products from fellow members and they don’t always have to be rural.
Q: If we (as a company) become a member, can we rotate the staff members that attend the network meeting? from Enquiry
A: WiRE membership is per individual rather than for the company. Each individual who wishes to attend network meetings needs to be a Member. You are welcome to bring a guest/s to a meeting before they join, but after two meetings they need to become a member to carry on attending. We do this to make it as fair as possible for our existing members.
Q: I don’t have a business yet but I am thinking about starting one, would it be beneficial for me to join WiRE? from Enquiry
A: Absolutely, WiRE offers business support to a range of women throughout different stages of business. You may want to take advantage of our conferences, courses or business help articles to start and create your business profile. We have rural experts on hand, as well as the Rural Marketplace – full of women already in business. WiRE has an Opening Doors programme run in the West Midlands to help businesses starting up/under 12months, offering personal business advice and tailored courses. You are always welcome to contact us to find out more.
Q: I have an established business and I don’t want to grow my business, how can I benefit from WiRE membership? from Enquiry
A: You can choose how you would like WiRE to benefit your business so if you don’t want to actively promote your business further, you could use our Business Help articles to improve your knowledge on a particular subject, contact one of our Partners to ask advice on a legal matter or attend our network meetings for some company/support. WiRE is about being part of a business community with many opportunities to take advantage of, that suits your business needs.
Q: My business has grown and I no longer class myself as a micro business, how can I benefit from WiRE membership? from Enquiry
A: WiRE continues to support businesses through all stages of growth and development – we have opportunities to promote your business through the Rural Marketplace, Shows & Events and Conferences no matter how big or small. We also have business Partners which can assist with legal advice, card processing offers, insurance policies etc. for all sizes. If you want the opportunity to network and promote, as well as being able to ask for help if needed then WiRE can benefit your business.
Q: I’m not sure how to add or update my Rural Marketplace listing – Please help! from WiRE Member
A: Once you have logged-in to the members section, the first page you see has an ‘Edit my Market Place Profile’ heading (second one down) where you will see a link to ‘Market Place Guide’. This PDF document gives you a full step by step guide on how to fill in/update your listing, which can also be printed out for future reference. As well as a key benefit to your membership it’s also a good marketing opportunity to have a strong profile so people can find you and your business. Updating your profile regularly is good too.
Q: I’m not a member yet, can I still join in the Discussion forum? from Enquiry
A: Unfortunately not, our Discussion Forum is for members only. Members can ask any questions, start debates or interact with others and respond to posts once they have logged in. There are other opportunities to interact and contact members as well as the discussion forum as part of WiRE membership so you may want to see if these could benefit you as well.
Q: When would I use the File upload area? I have logged into the members section of the website and have taken a lot at File upload but not sure what I would upload and why? Am I being a bit dizzy?! from WiRE Member
A: What a really good question; you can upload word documents and PDF files to your Market Place profile, so for example you could add a press release, an article you have written, your newsletter or perhaps a booking or order form.
Q: Am I able to attend a network meeting, to try it out, with out being a member first? from Enquirer
A: Yes, of course you can 'try before you buy' you can attend up to 2 WiRE Network meetings as a guest, then if you would like to continue attending WiRE Network meetings you will need to became a member. It's also worth noting WiRE members can attend any WiRE Network meeting anywhere.
Q: Can I change the password that was sent to me for the new website? from WiRE Member
A: Yes, when you login to the WiRE website, there is a link that says "Edit my Profile". Click on that and then you can change the password by entering a new one chosen by you at the bottom of the form.
© 2013