Help! I Need Somebody!

Help! I Need Somebody!

Over the last few months, we have found ourselves living in a strange new world. Dealing with the coronavirus outbreak and living in lockdown meant that many of us had to either close down our businesses temporarily or find ways of working online.

I’m Elaine Frances Lingard and the owner of Emerald Education Centre, a tuition centre in Bundoran, Donegal. I tutor maths and English to students up to 16 years old. When lockdown hit us, I was forced to close my centre temporarily. Fortunately, I also work online so I was able to continue working with students, not just here in Donegal but all over the world.

I’ve been using Zoom for a few years to work with children in other countries. The platform itself, which was relatively unknown before the pandemic, has become a household name. We have all been using it for business conferences and for online get-togethers with family and friends.

So you might be wondering why ‘help’ is in the title of my ramblings. Well, Evelyn McGlynn of Evelyn McMarketing has hosted weekly Zoom meetings in collaboration with BeOnline.ie and Donegal Women in Business Network to do just that – help. Each Wednesday morning since the early days of lockdown in April, a group of DWIBN members have met up on Zoom to chat, share advice and network with each other. This support has been invaluable to me and to many other small business owners.  We have shared our fears and helped each other to gain new skills. Many new friendships have been forged and new business connections made.

I was lucky enough to be a guest presenter one week, telling the story of how I started and grew my business. I shared the tools and strategies I used to grow a strong online presence. I was overwhelmed with the positive feedback I received from the ladies on the group. It is so important to be able to celebrate each other’s successes and help each other up the ladder whenever we can, teaching one another new skills and sharing tools and strategies.

Now that many businesses are beginning to re-open, or plans are being formulated to do so in the near future, we emerge, ready to face the future. We are armed with our new skills and confidence, knowing that we have the support of the fabulous Donegal Women In Business Network members cheering us on and supporting one another.

Help. We all need it sometimes. And, to me, there is no better support than our wonderful women in the Network. There are many reasons to become a member of DWIBN. Why not join us?