Talk Bravely: Real Women. Real Money. Real Life Stories

Woman Run Businesses and COVID-19: What to do now, next, and in the future


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On this special Arkansas edition of Talk Bravely, I chat with Meredith Lowry, an attorney at Wright Lindsey Jennings in Northwest Arkansas.  As a patent attorney and avid tech geek, Meredith has fifteen years of experience working to help companies protect their inventions, brands and businesses. She’s one of only a few female patent attorneys in Arkansas, so her practice has worked with a number of women inventors and businesses through the years.

Meredith describes herself as a feminist and wants to help make Arkansas the most friendly state for Woman-Run businesses. One of the ways she’s doing that is through launching a new initiative called Woman-Run, a networking group of women who trade resources and boost each other’s careers.  The group is made up of women that have started their own business or are thinking about starting their own business or inventors that are testing the waters throughout Arkansas.

We talk about all things COVID-19, the impact of it on woman-run businesses, and provide resources and ideas for women business owners.  

What we’re talking about:

  • How the organization she helped her law firm found, Woman-Run, connects current and aspiring women business leaders and owners through networking, mentorship, education and resources that address the unique needs of women in business.
  • How Woman-Run supports women across Arkansas looking to connect about running their own business. The goal is to learn from each other.
  • Meredith found that women weren’t participating in traditional networking that chambers or organizations put on, and often aren’t registering their businesses officially. 
  • How women can plug in to Woman Run - both facebook and a monthly newsletter.
  • What women run businesses are in need of right now: funding, childcare, how to run a safe business, and creative ways to partner with others and change business models in order to increase their revenue.
  • When you support a woman run business, you’re supporting the other woman run businesses that support them. Things you can do based on Fundera article linked below:
    • Know who they are
    • Promote on social media
    • Partner with them for your business
    • Join a professional organization for women
    • Offer workshops
    • Make sure your panels have women on them
    • Host a networking event for women-run small businesses in your community
    • Host your next event at a woman run business
  • The stronger women get in business, the stronger women will have a voice in ALL areas of the world as well, including politics and how decisions are made.
  • Women often don’t file for official employment designations with their state or the IRS when starting a business, working in the gig economy, or consulting. And often don’t have a relationship with their local bank. Woman Run provides resources on this to set women up for future success should a similar program to the PPP become available or necessary in the future.
  • There shouldn’t be anything ‘magical’ about starting your own business as a woman. Resources are available to shine a light on what’s needed and support women.

Connect with Meredith:

  • LinkedIn
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Wright Lindsay Jennings Law Offices and Woman Run

Links of Interest for Woman-Owned Businesses:

  • 20 Ideas to support women owned businesses
  • Black women owned businesses in Arkansas
  • Maxine’s Tap Room - a favorite of Meredith’s

Don't forget to follow @talkbravely on Instagram as well.

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Talk Bravely: Real Women. Real Money. Real Life StoriesBy Dr. Kerry Moll: Business Consultant, Financial Advocate, and Podcaster