Welcome to the roaring (20)20s, where hustle culture reigns supreme and every day is a celebration of the #GirlBoss.
But in this world where opportunities are endless and the expectations on entrepreneurs only continue to increase, it can be easy for founders to get lost in the chaos.
Enter: The University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ) Institute for Resilient Regions' WiRE (Women in Rural, Regional and Remote Enterprises) Program – a capability-building program and a support network for regional, rural and remote women to excel in business, build connections, and learn how to market themselves and their business to the world.
Darling Downs business owner Liz Couchman joined the WiRE Program in 2023 after purchasing her child sensory play business, Clever Bugs.
"I decided to participate in the WiRE Program because I felt isolated and alone working from home on my rural property; I had no one to 'talk shop' with," Mrs Couchman said.
"It was great to connect with other inspiring women. I not only learnt so much from the knowledge sessions and from the other members, but I also found skills and talents that I wanted to use for new business ideas" she said.
"Connecting with other like-minded people on the same path gave me momentum and a sense of belonging that is sometimes lacking in the small business world – especially working rurally or remotely."
Mrs Couchman will be sharing about her business success as part of the upcoming free Regional Innovation and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Play Workshops, which aim to help female founders stay ahead of the curve in business.
The first of these Regional Innovation and AI Play Workshops will be held on Wednesday 13 September in Toowoomba, with 11 more workshops to follow across regional Queensland in the coming months.
WiRE Program Founder and Director, Professor Retha Wiesner, said the AI Play Workshops would teach entrepreneurial women how AI could be used to maximise their business potential; from honing their professional brand voice by creating and innovating their personal and professional bio to strategising for success in modern business, and stretching their advertising dollar by marketing with AI.
"There are a lot of women out there who may not have engaged with AI before, or who may be a bit hesitant to get involved," Professor Wiesner said.
"But now is the time for regional, rural and remote women to be on the forefront and learn what they can do with these tools to help fast-track their success," she said.
Professor Wiesner said the purpose of the WiRE Program was to build capability and support all women in business, regardless of their age or experience, and to build networks so the women could support each other.
"Ultimately our goal is to help rural, regional and remote women entrepreneurs create the ventures, businesses and initiatives of their dreams around the lives they crave to live," she said.
"One thing I love about rural, regional and remote women is that they want to give back – give back to each other, and to their communities."
Mrs Couchman said it was crucial to support regional, rural and remote women in business.
"Women have always been innovative and entrepreneurial, but in a time and place where our village is small or non-existent, support and community is more important than ever."
The WiRE Program is proudly supported by the Advance Queensland Initiative as part of the Queensland Department Tourism and Innovation.
The WiRE Program is partnered by:
- The University of Southern Queensland
- Southern Qld Country Tourism
- Neural Digital
- Queensland Social Enterprise Council
- Outback Queensland Tourism
- McCullough and Robertson Lawyers
- My Malekso
