Canadian
Network for Women Goes Global
By Sherry Thacker
Sherry Thacker
was born to be an entrepreneur. While most college graduates find themselves knee-deep in entry-level busy work, Thacker shed
her commencement robe and started building her first business, a local pet store.
The years
that followed were nothing short of successful—the tiny pet shop morphed into an established local business providing
grooming, dog training and pet adoption. But for Thacker, it wasn’t the furry puppies and purring kittens that kept
her motivated, it was risk and reward of sole proprietorship.
So Thacker
sold the pet shop and began thinking of ways to capitalize on her entrepreneurial skills. Having
braved the waters of self-employment before, Thacker knew first-hand there was an immediate need for a small business resource
dedicated to female entrepreneurs. Her goal was not to alienate men; Thacker recognized that women think and operate on a
different scale. She wanted to create a universal resource for women looking to build and grow their own business. This resource
would provide answers to all the questions Thacker once had when she herself first set out on the path to entrepreneurial
success. And so began the Women’s Entrepreneurial Networking System (WENS), Inc.
Sherry Thacker
knew the Web was the most effective way to communicate with fellow female entrepreneurs
on a global scale. She worked dutifully to put together an online business plan and in July of 2004, www.wenscentral.com was born.
Thacker’s
website fulfills its primary purpose, to connect with and educate female entrepreneurs.
The site offers small business resources such as articles and recommended literature, and promotes individual members of the
network to help boost business growth. WENS members can also contribute articles relevant to small-business success, and the
continuous content additions are helping www.wenscentral.com maintain priority placement in search engines.
Today, WENS
has two chapters in Montreal. The group hosts special events
such as round tables, breakfast workshops and networking meetings throughout the month in an effort to educate women on the
trials of business ownership. Attendance is high, proving that Thacker has found her niche.
Thacker
admits the Web is largely responsible for her tremendous growth and success. She passes her valuable lessons in e-business
on to WENS members through motivational and keynote speeches. Thacker has even secured her own two-hour radio show entitled
The WENSday Women in Business Show, which airs on Wednesdays and is hosted by Thacker herself. The program which can be heard
live through her website features prominent keynote speakers and small-business gurus from the area. The radio show is just
another medium through which Thacker hopes to inspire more women. She anticipates the program will be picked up in syndication
across Canada. The exposure will surely
increase WENS’ virtual membership.
So what’s
next for Thacker and The Women’s Entrepreneurial Networking System, Inc.? The WENS mission is still focused on connecting female entrepreneurs around the world. Thacker plans to facilitate this global communication
by continually adding new features and information to www.wenscentral.com .
