As the impact of COVID-19 changes the Australian business landscape, the number of women starting their own businesses or using this time to upskill is on the increase.
TAFE NSW announced this week that more than 10,000 women have enrolled in their Women in Business programs, double what they’d originally hoped for. Kate Toon, the original ‘misfit entrepreneur’, is one of the experts helping deliver these programs for TAFE NSW, sharing her expertise in copywriting and entrepreneurship.
Kate’s misfit approach to business has served her well. Although she’s never had a business plan or hired a business coach, she’s built a business empire from her backyard and was named the 2020 Businesswoman of the Year at the national My Business Awards.
Kate is keen to encourage other women to create their own version of business success, and to stop wasting time and energy on comparison or imposter syndrome.
“Misfit entrepreneurship is all about following your own path, and embracing your own quirks. I started as a new mum with no real idea of how to run a business, freelancing to support my family. It’s taken me a fair few years to build my success, creating online courses, communities, templates, resources, training, conferences, podcasts, publishing books and speaking at events around the world,” says Kate.
And part of that success has involved helping other women who are also often starting from scratch or trying to build a better business on their own terms. Kate has noticed an increase in the take-up of her online courses, resources and communities, and said COVID-19 has been a catalyst for many people, particularly women, to start their own business and experience self-employment, often for the first time.
“These days my business supports thousands of other businesses in Australia and around the world, and the majority of my members, clients and customers are women. I genuinely want to empower other women, and although at times it feels awkward, I want to be a role model for those women who don’t see themselves as the stereotypical entrepreneur. I’m all about being true to yourself and embracing your quirks, rather than projecting some ideal of glossy hair, perfect teeth and an Instagram-ready lifestyle.”
Kate is the author of Confessions of a Misfit Entrepreneur, and the founder of the Stay Tooned group of companies, including The Clever Copywriting School, the Recipe for SEO Success and Digital Masterchefs. She’s helped more than 10,000 other businesses upskill on their SEO, demystify digital marketing and create successful businesses on their own terms.
www.katetoon.com
Very Up-beat and Pro-Active Story; Full-steam forward…and, thanks for sharing. I’d love to interview this ‘fellow’ Entpreneur some time… oftentimes, our biggest deterrent to success is the person looking at us in the mirror.